Best luxury travel rewards card
The Amex Platinum card is not just a symbol of luxury; this card comes with several travel, entertainment, wellness and retail benefits, making it a versatile card option that boasts more than $1,500 in potential value. (Partner offer)
At a glance
- 5X 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.
- 5X Earn 5X Membership Rewards? Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
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Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards? Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
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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.
Why We Chose It
Overview
For some, making an investment in a premium travel card is a great way to reap some lucrative benefits. Though you’ll pay a high annual fee as an Amex Platinum cardholder, you’ll unlock access to the American Express Membership Rewards program, which lets you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with lots of lifestyle and travel credits. With a generous welcome offer and travel bonus categories, this card is incredibly rewarding in helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points to book your next award redemption.
Pros
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The current welcome offer on this card is lucrative
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Travel benefits include access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary Gold elite status with Hilton and Marriott and up to $199 in statement credits to cover your Clear Plus annual membership (Enrollment is required for select benefits)
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The Amex Platinum has access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan your next getaway
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Additional valuable card statement credits add up to save you hundreds of dollars every year
Cons
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If you don’t take advantage of the card’s statement credits and lucrative benefits, it may not be worth the high annual fee
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The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to use compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards
Who is this card good for?
If you dedicate a large chunk of your budget to travel and want to take advantage of a generous welcome offer, this is the right card for you. With several airline and hotel transfer partners, the opportunity to enjoy access to thousands of airport lounges with the American Express Global Lounge Collection, an application reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, access to the Platinum Travel Service for trip planning assistance, complimentary Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors and so much more, this premium card is an excellent choice for any travel enthusiast. Plus, once you add up all the perks of the card, you’ll find that these benefits help offset the annual fee.
Enrollment required for select benefits.
Earning Rewards
Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.