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$600 hotel credit offered with American Express Platinum Card® applies to prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings made via American Express Travel®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
If you're a regular traveler, you likely already know that the American Express Platinum cards offer a laundry list of amazing benefits. While the premium American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees) may not be the best choices for everyday spending, both provide impressive earning rates for airfare purchases.
However, how you book your flights matters. Here's what you need to know to earn 5X Membership
How To Earn 5X Points on Airfare with the Platinum Card®
The personal and business versions of the Platinum Card® have different earning structures. Here's how each card earns points on airfare purchases:
- Platinum Card® – 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.
- Business Platinum Card – 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. 1X points on other eligible purchases
As you can see, there are subtle but important differences between the two cards. Pay attention to how you book your flights to avoid ending up with a paltry 1X return.
The Platinum Card® earns 5X points on up to $500,000 in eligible airfare purchases per calendar year when booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel® (then 1X). Meanwhile, the Business Platinum Card earns 5X on eligible flights booked online through Amex Travel®, but not directly with airlines.
There's no need to activate or enroll for these benefits, either. Simply book an eligible flight using the appropriate booking method for your card to earn 5X points.
At the 2 cents-per-point average AwardWallet users report for Membership Rewards, 5X on airfare is roughly a 10% return, which is about as high as you'll find.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 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.
- 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 Delta Sky Club visits (subject to visit limitations) when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass™ membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. *As of 01/2026
- $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.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $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.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights™ by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. As a Platinum Card® Member you have special access to reservations on select nights at participating sought after Resy restaurants in select cities through Platinum Nights™ by Resy. Simply add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to book your reservation.
- $219 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your 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, when available, and guaranteed 4PM late check-out.
- $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: Get up to a $12.95* statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
- 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.
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Which Airfare Purchases Earn 5X Points
Unlike some of the Platinum Card®‘s many other benefits, earning 5X points is fairly straightforward. Here are the flight purchases that qualify for 5X points.
- Flights booked directly with the airline. This means booking your flight through the airline's website, app, reservations phone line, or an airport ticket counter. What matters is that the airline is the merchant of record. For example, the charge posts to your statement as American or Delta, not as a middleman like Expedia.
- Flights booked through American Express Travel. You'll also earn 5X if you book your flight through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel app, or by phone. When you're logged in on AmexTravel.com, you will see qualifying flight results display “EARN 5X POINTS,” so you'll know for certain that your purchase qualifies.
It also doesn't matter what cabin you book. Basic economy fares earn the same 5X as a first-class ticket. The airline also doesn't matter. Foreign carriers count as long as you book the ticket directly or through Amex Travel.
Platinum Member Airfares, the discounted premium-cabin fares available to cardmembers through Amex Travel, also earn 5X.
Which Airfare Purchases Don't Earn 5X Points?
You'll want to be careful about exactly how you're booking airfare. While it may not seem like a big deal, if you don't do it right, you'll cost yourself rewards. Here are some purchases that may not earn 5X points:
- Booking through an online travel agency. Examples of online travel agencies include Expedia, Priceline, Booking.com, and Kayak. A good rule of thumb: if the OTA collects your payment, you'll only earn 1X. While some OTA bookings do pass the charge straight to the airline (which would earn 5X), there's often no way to know that before you book.
- Corporate travel agencies and consolidators. The same logic applies here. If your employer's travel desk is the merchant of record, you won't earn 5X points.
- Charter flights and private jets. Charter flights and private jet flights don't earn the 5X bonus and are explicitly excluded from Amex's terms.
- Flights packaged as part of tours, cruises, or vacation bundles. Amex also excludes vacation packages, prepaid flight and hotel packages booked over the phone, cruises, ticketing and cancellation fees, and interest charges.
- Airline gift cards. This isn't a passenger flight purchase and would only earn 1X.
The general logic is that Amex rewards you for buying a plane ticket, not for spending money with an airline. While this may sound similar, it's an important distinction to keep in mind.
Do Award Taxes and Fees Earn 5X?
Generally, yes, but it's not guaranteed. Taxes and fees on award tickets may qualify for 5X points when charged directly by the airline and processed as an eligible airfare purchase. However, separate ticketing and service fees are excluded from the bonus category.
When an airline processes award taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges as an eligible airfare purchase, you should earn 5X points. Keep in mind that how these charges are processed can vary, particularly with partner award bookings. On international routes with several hundred dollars in surcharges, earning 5X can add significantly more rewards to your booking.
If you're only paying $5.60 in U.S. security fees on a domestic award booking, feel free to use whatever card gives you the best travel protections or a co-branded card that offers in-flight perks or free checked baggage.
Is the Amex Platinum the Best Card for Booking Flights?
If you book flights directly with airlines, earning 5X makes the Platinum Card® a strong choice among premium travel cards. For comparison, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 4X Ultimate Rewards for direct bookings with airlines.
If you prefer to use a travel portal, the Platinum Card® isn't quite as good. Several premium cards earn comparable or higher rates through their respective portals:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card earns 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
Capital One
If you're a frequent flyer with a particular airline, you may also prefer using its co-branded cards. These generally offer in-flight perks, free checked baggage, higher reward rates with that airline, or accelerated earnings toward elite status.
Bottom Line
The Platinum Card® comes with outstanding 5X earnings on airfare purchases, making it the top choice for many airfare purchases.
Just be sure to book directly with airlines or through Amex Travel, or you'll risk earning only 1X. With the right booking strategy, you can earn valuable Membership Rewards points on your next flight.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 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.
- 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 Delta Sky Club visits (subject to visit limitations) when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass™ membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. *As of 01/2026
- $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.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $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.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights™ by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. As a Platinum Card® Member you have special access to reservations on select nights at participating sought after Resy restaurants in select cities through Platinum Nights™ by Resy. Simply add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to book your reservation.
- $219 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your 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, when available, and guaranteed 4PM late check-out.
- $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: Get up to a $12.95* statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
- 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.
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
