5 Business Class Seats You Can Book With Amex Gold’s as High as 100K Welcome Offer

The American Express^® Gold Card has been in my wallet for years — and for good reason. Between 4x points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per year) and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year), and 3x on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com, it’s one of those cards that quietly racks up points in the background.

Right now, the Amex Gold card is featuring an impressive, as-high-as 100,000-point welcome offer, which is among the best we’ve come across:

• Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 100,000 points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. However, this welcome bonus offer presents a fantastic chance to boost your points balance — and get a card that belongs in most people’s wallets.

Here’s exactly how to earn the bonus through everyday spending, and more importantly, how to redeem those points for maximum value, including 5 standout business class experiences.

Amex Gold Card Welcome Bonus Offer

Eligible new applicants of the Amex Gold card can apply and find out their welcome offer, which can be as high as 100,000 points:

• Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 100,000 points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

The exact number of Membership Rewards points won’t be shown until you submit your application and get approved, though you can withdraw at any point. Unlike most credit card applications, your credit score won’t be affected. However, if you choose to accept the offer, your credit may be impacted when opening the account.

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 100,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $2,200

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No lounge access

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1X Membership Rewards^® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
• Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $325.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

100,000 points can be worth $1,000 when redeemed for travel through AmexTravel.com — but with a little strategy, it could be worth thousands more. By tapping into Amex’s airline transfer partners, you can unlock impressive redemptions and stretch those points far beyond their face value.

Earning the Welcome Offer Without Overspending

To earn the welcome offer, you must spend $6,000 within the first 6 months of card membership. One of the easiest ways to reach that goal — without overspending — is to redirect your existing bills to the Amex Gold card.

Think about the recurring payments you already make: streaming services, phone bills, or even utilities. Swap in your Amex Gold card for those charges instead of your usual card. Since the Amex Gold card earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,1000 per year) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year), everyday spending can get you there even faster.

This strategy lets you meet the minimum spend requirement naturally while also earning valuable points along the way. Once the points hit your account, you’ll be well on your way to booking an incredible business class flight using points — the kind of redemption that makes this welcome offer truly worth it.

Redeem Amex Gold Card’s Welcome Offer for Business Class

At the very least, you’ll earn 6,000 additional points by meeting the minimum spend requirement — and potentially even more if your purchases fall within the Amex Gold card’s bonus categories. With a pool of at lesat 106,000 Amex Membership Rewards points, here’s what you can do with them.

1. Book ANA Business Class to Japan (105,000 Points)

This is hands-down one of my favorite sweet spots in the points and miles world. For just 105,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points, you can book a round-trip business class flight to Japan on ANA from the West Coast. That’s right: round-trip!

That same ticket would’ve set you back more than $7,000 in cash, so the value here is huge.

Even though Virgin Atlantic isn’t part of Star Alliance, they partner with ANA (All Nippon Airways), which means you can still use Virgin points to book ANA-operated flights. And the award chart for these redemptions is incredibly generous — especially for business class between the U.S. and Japan.

If you can plan 10 to 11 months out and are flexible with your dates, this is one of the best ways to use your Amex points (transferred to Virgin). It is even better if you can secure a seat in ANA’s newest business class suite, known as “The Room.”

2. Jet to Paris in Air France Business Class (48,500 Points)

Booking Air France business class is a great way to stretch your Amex points, and you’ve got 2 solid transfer options: Flying Blue (Air France’s own program) or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Starting award rates for Air France business class flights from the U.S. to Paris can be as low as 48,500 to 55,000 miles one-way.

Even better, both Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points and Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue miles transfer to Amex at a 1:1 ratio and frequently offer transfer bonus promotions throughout the year. This means you can sometimes get up to 30% (or more) extra miles when transferring your Amex points to either program, lowering the cost of your business class ticket on Air France even further.

Whether you go with Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic, transferring your Amex points to either program is a smart way to score a luxurious flight to Paris and still have points left for your next adventure.

3. Experience Qatar Qsuites on Your Way to Paradise (85,000 Points)

Want to get all the way to paradise — the Maldives — in style without spending an exorbitant amount of points? You can do it for 90,000 points or less by booking Qatar Airways Qsuites, widely regarded as one of the best, if not the absolute best, business class products in the world.

You can book a one-way flight from the U.S. to Doha for around 70,000 Qatar Avios. Continuing to the Maldives adds only 15,000 more Avios, for an overall cost of approximately 85,000 Avios for the one-way journey.

You can simply transfer your Amex Membership Rewards points to Qatar Privilege Club, Qatar Airways’ loyalty program, and a 1:1 Amex transfer partner.

It’s a game changer for those who want to arrive rested and ready to enjoy the stunning beaches of the Maldives without spending a fortune on points. Plus, with the quality of Qatar’s business class, the journey itself becomes an unforgettable part of the trip.

4. Fly Emirates A380 Business Class to Italy in Style (87,000 Points)

If flying to Italy in style is on your bucket list, it’s hard to top Emirates business class on the iconic Airbus A380. Not only do you get a spacious lie-flat seat and top-tier service, but you also get access to the onboard bar at 40,000 feet.

Even better? Emirates is a transfer partner of American Express, so you can move your Amex points directly to Emirates Skywards. One-way business class tickets from New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP) on the A380 typically start at 87,000 Skywards miles plus taxes and fees.

Award space is often easy to find, and Emirates flies this route regularly, so with a little flexibility, it’s a very attainable redemption.

5. Score a Lie-Flat Seat to Spain With Iberia Business Class (41,000 Points)

You might not think of Iberia business class as a top-tier, bucket-list flight, but it’s still a very comfortable way to cross the Atlantic to Europe. Overnight flights to Spain with a lie-flat bed are definitely better than sitting in the back of the plane.

So, why does Iberia business class make this list? Because you can fly round-trip business class to Spain using the Amex Gold card’s welcome bonus offer. The sweet spot is booking award seats from the East Coast to Madrid from 40,500 Avios each way during off-peak dates.

You’ll have to transfer 41,000 Amex points since you have to move them over in 1,000-point increments. In addition, taxes run between $120 and $200 for this ticket, but this is easily one of the cheapest ways to fly business class to Europe.

Final Thoughts

The welcome offer on the Amex Gold card can go a long way — especially if you know how to make the most of bank’s transfer partners.

With some planning and a little flexibility, those points can unlock serious value on flights that usually cost thousands of dollars in cash. From lie-flat seats to Japan or Spain to long-haul routes on world-class airlines like Emirates and Qatar, it’s possible to book some truly memorable trips without burning a hole in your pocket.

These 5 redemptions are just a few examples of what’s possible with the Amex Gold card’s welcome bonus offer. If you’re thoughtful about how you redeem your points, this single card offer can easily cover a luxury flight (or even 2!) and make your travel experience way more comfortable.