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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.
The sleeping giant, known as American Express has been awoken. In a shot across the bow of Citi and Chase, effective October 6, 2016, American Express has made the following changes to the American Express Platinum Card® and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express:
- Platinum Card® – Earn 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 – Enhanced! 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
- Business Platinum Card cardholders will earn 35% points back when using Membership Rewards® Pay with Points through American Express Travel®
to book a flight with their selected airline.
With the Citi Prestige® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® stealing all the thunder from American Express in the premium cards category, it was clear Amex needed to do something to be able to continue competing for customers within this category. One option was to launch a new card with similar benefits to the Citi Prestige® Card and Sapphire Reserve; the other was to improve on its existing products, most likely in the Platinum family of card products. After a couple of weeks of speculation, Amex finally revealed their plans.
5X Points on Airfare with Platinum Card®
American Express has confirmed that the Platinum Card® will earn 5X points on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per calendar year booked directly with airlines. This benefit does not extend to Business Platinum Card for purchases with airlines, but it does apply to flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
Prior to October 6, 2016, the Platinum Card® earned 1X on airfare purchased directly with airlines; this is a significant improvement. Furthermore, presently the most points offered by any other card for airfare purchased directly with an airline is 4X points (Chase Sapphire Reserve®), which places the Platinum Card® as the undisputed go-to card to use for airfare purchases, considering the value of American Express Membership Rewards points.
A $500 airfare purchase that would have previously only earned 500 Membership Rewards with the Platinum Card® (or 1,500 Citi ThankYou® Points with the Prestige Card or 1,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the Sapphire Reserve) will now earn 2,500 Membership Rewards. If you're buying a lot of plane tickets, you need to reconsider your strategy with this increased bonus opportunity.
- 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.
- Rates & Fees
- 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.
Improvements with the Business Platinum Card
The Business Platinum Card will now earn 5X points on airfare and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel®. The Business Platinum Card also earns 2X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on purchases of $5,000 or more and on eligible purchases in key business categories, subject to a cap of up to $2 million spent on these purchases each calendar year.
This benefit may not seem like a big deal, but if you're a business owner making large purchases on your card, you just got a 50% bump in earnings for these purchases. It provides a fantastic incentive to use your Business Platinum Card on a large purchase, particularly when you wouldn't be earning a bonus on that charge.
Additionally, Business Platinum Card cardholders will earn 35% points back when paying with Membership Rewards points through American Express Travel to book a flight with their selected airline. Note that Amex recently dropped this benefit from 50% to 35% and introduced a points cap of 500k (editors note: Amex has since increased this to 1 million) points per year. See our breakdown of the changes for all the details.
The 35% points back benefit is significant. A $1,000.00 ticket will now, in essence, require 65,000 Amex MR points. Keep in mind that these are paid tickets not subject to award availability limits. Furthermore, unlike awards, tickets purchased with Amex points earn miles and credit towards elite status.
- Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 07/2025.
- See how you can unlock over $3,500 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- New! Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
- Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- New! Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- New! Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Enhanced! 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
- $895 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 2X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners
American Express has arguably the second most impressive list of airline transfer partners, behind Marriott's long list of airline transfer partners. Among the most notable are Delta, British Airways, Air Canada (Aeroplan), Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines and Iberia. In most cases, the transfer ratio is 1:1 and there are regular transfer bonus promotions.
Cash Back Options
While we typically like to leverage transfer partners, if you're looking at cash back instead, 5% on all your airfare isn't too shabby. You can redeem Membership Rewards as cash back with a value of one cent per point. Spending $5,000.00 annually on airfare would generate 25,000 Membership Rewards, which you could convert into a statement credit of $250.
Other Platinum Card® Benefits
American Express Platinum cards are already among the best when it comes to benefits:
- Access to American Express Centurion Lounges
- Access to Delta Sky Clubs® when traveling on Delta
- Access to Plaza Premium Lounges
- Complimentary membership with Priority Pass Select
- Access to Airspace Lounges
- A $200 Airline Fee Credit for incidental airline expenses
- A $600 hotel credit on select hotels prepaid with Amex Travel
- Upgrades to Marriott Gold status and Hilton Honors™ Gold Status
- A $120 credit for Global Entry or the TSA Precheck program application
- Access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts® collection
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
The single place where the Platinum cards had severely fallen behind the rest of the pack was on spend. You earned 1x points on everything, and other cards were offering 2x, 3x and sometimes 5x depending on the card and type of purchase. The introduction of 5X points on airfare purchases has indeed addressed this issue, but is it enough?
Is This Improvement Enough?
The ability to earn 5X points on airfare purchases is certainly a move in the right direction for Amex, but is it enough to make the Platinum Card® card more valuable than the Prestige Card or the Sapphire Reserve? The Sapphire Reserve earns 8X points on all purchases made through Chase Travel℠, 4X points on hotels and flights booked directly with travel providers, and 3X on dining purchases.
If you already have an Platinum Card®, you need to seriously consider using the card for airfare purchases. However, for someone that has to pick one from these three cards, an argument can be made that the Platinum Card® is still in third place. From an earning standpoint, the lack of other types of purchases that can earn bonus points, such as with the Prestige Card or Sapphire Reserve, makes it tough to have this card come out of your wallet regularly.
Another consideration is that when purchasing airfare, the Sapphire Reserve still offers better travel insurance and protections than the complimentary coverage with the Platinum Card®. If you value those types of benefits more than bonus points earned, the increased earning potential is not likely to change which card you use.
Bottom Line
The Platinum Card® will no longer be a card you simply get or keep for its benefits. With the ability to earn 5X points on airfare purchases, there is at least one category of purchases for which this card will become the go-to card for many.
If you're making large purchases on the Business Platinum Card, the 50% earning bonus is nice as is the possibility of getting 35% back on redemptions through the Amex travel portal.
All in all some nice improvements. This won't skyrocket these cards to the top for everyone, but they are some much-needed enhancements to encourage cardmembers to use their cards. So, have you found a new favorite card with these improvements?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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