How I Turned 175K Amex Points Into $10K in Flights

The Platinum Card^® from American Express is currently offering an elevated welcome bonus offer:

• Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 175,000 points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Your specific welcome offer will appear after you enter your application details and get approved, giving you a chance to review it before proceeding. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

If the welcome offer doesn’t meet your expectations, you can simply close the application with no impact on your credit score. On the flip side, if you like what you see, you can accept the Amex Platinum card to open your account, and your credit may be impacted.

A few months ago, I scored the as high as 175,000-point welcome offer on the Amex Platinum card and worked quickly to meet the minimum spending requirements to put these rewards to great use. With so many transfer partners and redemption opportunities, here’s how I made the most of the 175,000 points earned from the Amex Platinum card.

Amex Platinum Card Welcome Bonus Offer — Overview

The Amex Platinum card is offering a huge welcome bonus offer for new applicants, making it easier than ever to earn a huge haul of points.

+ NEW BENEFITS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Platinum Card^® from American Express

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.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

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

Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 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 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$895

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 card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than the Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $8,000 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.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection^®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club^® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
• More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
• More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card^® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card^®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
• More Value! $209 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
• New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card^®.*Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
• $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card^®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

With the chance to earn as high as 175,000 points right now, here’s how I’m planning to redeem Amex Membership Rewards points — and to give you inspiration for using your own points.

Qatar QSuites Ticket (70K Points)

I finally booked one of my ultimate bucket list flights: the Emirates 777 Game Changer First Class from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) for 2026.

I am constantly searching for the next incredible premium cabin experience — the more over-the-top, the better. While I’ve been fortunate to try some of the best, Emirates’ Game Changer First Class has always been high on my bucket list. With its fully enclosed suites, virtual windows, and top-notch service, it’s not just another first class flight — it’s an experience I’ve been dreaming about for years.

So when I finally found award space and locked it in, I was thrilled. But then came the next challenge: How would I get back to my home airport of Miami International Airport (MIA) after such a legendary flight? Flying to the Middle East in arguably the most luxurious first-class cabin in the sky, only to return in economy? That just felt … anticlimactic.

Luckily, I found something similarly exciting — 1 award seat available from Hamad International Airport (DOH) to MIA in Qatar Airways Qsuites for the exact date I needed to return home. I’ve experienced flying in the cherished Qsuites business class twice before, and it never gets old.

Between the sliding doors, dine-on-demand, and luxurious Al Mourjan lounge access at DOH before the flight, it’s one of the best business class experiences out there — arguably the best.

Even better? I booked it for only 70,000 Qatar Airways Avios by transferring points instantly from Amex Membership Rewards to Qatar Privilege Club. I used 70,000 of the 175,000 points I earned from the welcome bonus offer of the Amex Platinum card, leaving me with 105,000 points to spare.

The same flight usually retails for around $4,500! I typically value Amex points at around 2.2 cents each, so getting above 6 cents per point on this flight was a phenomenal return.

5 Round-Trip Flights to Maui (100K Points)

Next spring break, my family and I are heading back to Hawaii to one of my all-time favorite resorts, the Andaz Maui.

Since the award calendar for April 2026 was open, I took advantage of the wide award availability of Alaska Mileage Plan space on Hawaiian Airlines from the West Coast to Maui, which was only 20,000 miles round-trip per ticket, plus $11.20.

With 5 of us traveling, the total cost was 100,000 Alaska miles, and I took advantage of the Amex to Hawaiian to Alaska transfer loophole that ends on June 30, 2025.

Spring break is a busy time to visit Hawaii, and cash fares for my flights were nearly $1,000 round-trip per person, so I saved nearly $5,000.

Rather than paying nearly $5,000, I redeemed just 100,000 points to book all 5 round-trip tickets to paradise.

The remaining 5,000 points will help me pick up some cheap positioning flights later on — or burn a few more points — to get us to the West Coast later. For now, it’s a huge relief and a pretty sweet deal to know we’ve already booked flights to Hawaii for the whole family.

Final Thoughts

Had I paid cash for my Qatar Qsuites ticket and 5 round-trip flights to Hawaii, I would’ve had to pay over $10,000, making this one of my best uses of Amex Membership Rewards points. I’ll still have a few points left to play with, but for now, this is a perfect example of how a single Amex Platinum card welcome offer can unlock some truly unforgettable travel.