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Top-tier travel credit cards come with some pretty significant benefits, including lounge access, elite status, statement credits, and complimentary travel insurance. However, American Express does its competitors one better by offering the Amex International Airline Program (IAP), which provides discounts on airfare booked in premium cabins for cardholders of the American Express Platinum Card® and the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Let's take a look at the American Express International Airline Program, the airlines that participate, and whether it's worth using.
Page Contents
What is the Amex International Airline Program?
The International Airline Program is a benefit that Amex offers to eligible Platinum Card® holders flying on a participating airline and departing from the U.S. to an international destination. It can provide a discount on paid premium economy, business, or first-class tickets with 38 participating airlines, including:
- Aer Lingus
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Alaska Airlines / Hawaiian Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- British Airways
- Brussels Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- China Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Discover Airlines
- El Al Israel Airlines
- Emirates
- Etihad
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Icelandair
- Japan Airlines
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- La Compagnie
- LATAM
- Lufthansa Group
- Qantas Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Singapore Airlines
- SWISS
- TAP Air Portugal
- Virgin Atlantic
Discounts can apply to refundable, restricted, and non-refundable fare types. It's important to note that the language on Amex's site says the International Airline Program can provide discounts of up to 20%. These discounts could be higher, lower, or nonexistent. It really depends on your route and the availability in the program on the day of your search.
How to Book a Flight Using the International Airline Program
To book a flight using the IAP, you'll need to be a cardholder of an eligible Platinum card. This includes the American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, and you can book up to eight passengers on a reservation using the Amex International Airline Program discounts.
First, you'll want to log in to your account. Once logged in, select the Travel dropdown from the toolbar at the top of the screen. You'll see a section noting Book International Airline Program.
After you've navigated to the search page, input your flight information, including your dates and class of travel. Then, hit the search button.
Amex Travel will populate results, though not all of these are eligible for the International Airline Program. The ones that are will be denoted by a banner at the top of the result. You can also filter exclusively for International Airlines Program-eligible flights by clicking the checkbox on the lefthand side of your screen.
After selecting the flight you'd like, you'll go through the checkout process. Be aware that you'll need to pay with an American Express card to book with Amex Travel, including the International Airline Program.
Related: Complete Guide to the American Express Travel Portal
Is the American Express International Airline Program Worth It?
In theory, it's great that you'll be able to save up to 20% on your flights, but does that really work? In short: It depends. It always pays to double-check pricing on other sites, as Amex Travel may not always offer the best rates. This is true for flights with and without using the International Airline Program discount.
However, there are some cases where it can save you a few hundred dollars. This is a one-way ticket from New York (JFK) to Athens (ATH). Results from Google Flights show this routing costs $4,228.
However, Virgin Atlantic is a participant in the International Airline Program and a codeshare partner of Delta, and a quick check on Amex Travel shows the same ticket available for just $3,816.
While you can find even greater deals, these are few and far between. After performing several searches, there were numerous times that a flight listed through the International Airline Program was more expensive than booking directly with the airline, even with the “discount.” So, it's worth checking the portal before you book an international upper-class flight, but don't automatically assume you'll get a buy-one-get-one deal.
Maximizing Points With the Amex International Airline Program
The Amex International Airline Program is applicable to paid tickets, which means you're generally not able to redeem points for booking. The exception to this is if you'd like to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for your ticket.
We don't generally recommend this method since Amex only offers 1 cent per point when redeeming in this way. That's far below recent AwardWallet user redemptions, which peg the average value of an Amex point at 1.98¢ each.
However, if you have the Business Platinum Card, you can take advantage of the 35% rebate offered when redeeming Amex points on eligible flights (up to a million points back per year). This benefit applies to a preferred airline you select in advance (flights in any cabin). Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
While you might not get the best value for your Amex points, it's still a pretty solid option. This is especially true considering that these tickets are considered paid airfare, even when redeeming Amex points. This means you'll earn bonus miles and elite status credit, unlike standard award flights. If you're trying to earn elite status with an airline, this can be an especially good way to keep your out-of-pocket costs low while still getting that elite status credit.
However, you should always shop around. While you may pay fewer points with the Amex International Airline Program when you consider using points like cash, award redemptions might tell a different story. Can you transfer your Amex points to an airline and make a redemption for the same flights using fewer points? Ensure you consider your options before rushing off to use this benefit.
Bottom Line
The Amex International Airline Program is a benefit offered to eligible Platinum-branded cardholders, providing discounts on premium cabin flights. While it doesn't always offer the best price around, there are situations where taking advantage of this perk can be incredibly helpful. This, plus the ability to redeem your Amex points towards your flight, makes it worth considering whenever booking paid premium cabin tickets.
Have you ever booked a flight with the Amex International Airline Program? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
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