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 OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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

The 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

$695

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

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 1,400 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

• $695 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.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel^® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel^®.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club^® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your 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.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 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. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card^®.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• $695 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.