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The American Express Platinum Card® has a hefty annual fee. That much is for sure. But baked into that annual fee is a lot of value — think hundreds of dollars worth of credits and other perks that can easily offset the card's steep price tag if you maximize them. One of those perks that helps justify the annual fee is the Platinum Card®‘s $200 airline fee credit.
Here's what you need to know about the airline fee credit — what it covers and what it doesn't — plus how to get full value from it every year.
- 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.
Page Contents
Platinum Card® Airline Fee Credit Overview
The Platinum Card® airline fee credit is what it sounds like. It provides up to a $200 credit towards incidental airline fees that you, as the cardholder, can use every year to offset the cost of travel. It's available to you starting January 1 and will expire on December 31 if unused; it's a use-it-or-lose-it type of benefit.
You'll want to be aware of certain restrictions, though. The airline fee credit doesn't cover everything, and you can't use it on every airline.
And before we go further, note that enrollment is required to enjoy the credit. If you don't enroll and select an eligible airline, you won't receive any statement credits to offset what you'll pay for incidentals.
Related: All About the American Express Platinum Card®
Which Airline Should You Choose?
When you receive your new Platinum Card® in the mail, one of the first things you should do is select an eligible airline. Or, if you already have the Platinum Card®, this is a step you'll need to take each January — by the 31st at the latest — if you want to change to a different airline this year.
The airline you select is the one you'll receive credit for on eligible incidental purchases. You can choose from the following air carriers:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- United Airlines
Whichever airline you fly the most likely isn't the best choice. In other words, if you have status with that airline or a co-branded credit card, there's a low chance you'll incur at least $200 in fees with that airline.
Thus, a better option is choosing a separate airline you might not fly as much. For instance, American Airlines is my airline of choice; I have AAdvantage® elite status and a co-branded credit card, so I don't have to pay for checked luggage. I fly Delta a few times a year and don't have a free checked bag benefit. But with the Platinum Card® airline fee credit, up to $200 of my checked bag expenses are covered when I charge the cost of the bag to the card.
Spirit Airlines is another fair choice if you fly the airline a few times annually. There's very little Spirit doesn't charge for, and the Amex airline fee credit can help offset the cost of adding à la carte items, such as seat selection fees.
Thus, you'll want to be strategic with your choice. It's the best way to ensure you get the full $200 worth of value out of your credit.
Can you use the credit on partner airlines?
Suppose you choose Delta as your airline for the Amex airline fee credit. But what if you book a ticket through Delta for a flight operated by its partner airline, Air France? Will purchases you make on your trip count? The answer is likely no. Thus, you shouldn't expect to use your Platinum Card® to pay for checked luggage at Air France's ticket counter and receive part of your annual fee credit.
What Is Covered by the Amex Airline Fee Credit?
The Platinum Card® airline fee credit covers a lot but doesn't cover everything you may pay for before or during your trip. The key word to remember is “incidental.” Incidental purchases charged to your card separately from the airline ticket itself count — most of the time. For example, eligible charges could include:
- Airport lounge day passes and annual memberships (provided the airline doesn't code this purchase as airfare)
- Change fees
- Checked baggage fees (including oversized baggage charges)
- Inflight food and beverage purchases
- Inflight entertainment purchases (charged by the airline and not a third-party provider)
- Pet fees
- Phone booking fees
- Seat selection fees
This isn't an all-encompassing list. Platinum Card® cardholders routinely share data points of things covered but not on the official list of inclusions. Thus, while your mileage may vary, be sure to read the section on what isn't covered before making a purchase you're convinced will count. And pay attention to that inflight Wi-Fi purchase; it's often billed by a third-party provider, meaning it won't trigger the credit.
When will you receive your credit?
You should receive a statement credit for incidental purchases charged to your Platinum Card® within eight weeks of purchase. Purchases made by additional card members on the enrolled account count, too.
And remember, you won't receive the full $200 at once unless you purchase something that size. You'll receive the equivalent of what you spent on incidentals — up to $200 annually.
What Isn't Covered by the Amex Airline Fee Credit?
The “what's not included” list might make you think the Platinum Card® fee credit is restrictive. Compared to airline fee credits or travel credits you'll find on other premium rewards cards, we could see why you'd say that, but it's still easy to earn in full every year if you play your cards right (pun intended).
So, what's not covered? Here's a look:
- Airline tickets
- Award taxes and fees
- Duty-free purchases
- Gift card purchase
- Inflight Wi-Fi (when charged by providers like Gogo or Viasat and not the airline)
- Paid upgrades
- Points and miles purchases or transfer fees
Sometimes, you'll get lucky, purchasing something on the forbidden list that counts towards your airline fee credit. Great for you. However, those are rare exceptions to the rule (possibly errors) that could change at any time. Moreover, remember that only purchases with the airline you selected at enrollment will trigger the airline fee credit.
Claim the Amex Airline Fee Credit Twice in the First Year
One of the big benefits of the Amex airline fee credit is that it can be claimed twice in the first cardholder year. This is because the credit resets at the start of every calendar year (January 1), rather than the Card Member year.
If you time your application right, the airline credit can be claimed once during the first calendar year as a card member. Then, you can claim it again before the annual fee is due on your account anniversary.
All the Amex Cards That Offer Airline Fee Credits
The American Express Platinum Card® is one of many Amex products that offer an airline fee credit. You'll find an identical airline fee credit on other flavors of Platinum cards, such as:
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Note that you can only use the Pay With Points perk on the airline you select for the fee credit.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs
- The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- American Express Platinum Card® by Charles Schwab
- The American Express Corporate Platinum Card®
But that's not all. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card also offers up to $200 worth of reimbursement for eligible purchases, dubbed a “flight credit.” You'll receive up to $50 worth of credits quarterly.
Final Thoughts
The Platinum Card® airline fee credit is a valuable perk that helps offset the card's $895 annual fee (Rates & Fees), so remember to use it!
For most travelers, maximizing the credit is easy to do. Just select an airline with which you'll incur at least $200 in incidental fees and charge the purchases to your Platinum Card®. Soon enough, you'll get some money back as a statement credit. It's that simple.
- 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.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Buying United TravelBank will trigger AMEX Airline Fee. There are occasional bonus from United also.
AMEX would change the airline designation for you, providing no credit has been redeemed.
I recently received part of my airline credit unexpectedly, because I actually received it just for purchasing airline tickets. I purchased a $240 round trip ticket on Delta (my Amex Platinum preferred airline) and used a $100 Delta voucher for part of the payment. When the remaining $140 charge posted to my Amex card, I received a $140 Airline Fee Reimbursement the following day. I would assume using the voucher somehow caused the remaining amount to be coded differently, or perhaps it was just a mistake – either way I’m not complaining…
interesting data point. Thanks for sharing!
It’s awesome that it will credit automatically! That makes everything so much easier!
I did not know that you could claim the travel credit twice in the first 12 months, thanks for the information.
I was considering the gold card last night with a 50K bonus then this morning it became 25K. Bummer.
I use this to reimburse me for travel fees for associated with award ticketsfrom AA. Anything remaining I buy a gift card with AA
Any sense of whether United gift registry / TravelBank will trigger the credit?
Nope.
if only amex made it easy there wouldn’t be a need to read up on how to use it.
agreed!
lots of nice perks here to dream about
Amex also has the offers you can add to your card. While they vary for different cardholders, I find useful things that has given me hundreds of dollars in statement credits. You just have to check the bottom of the page when checking your account online and activate them. Occasionally they are things like cashback on any mobile phone carrier, cable carrier or supermarkets.
Amex offers are great: https://awardwallet.com/credit-cards/amex-membership-rewards/beginners-guide-to-amex-offers/
I wonder if Amex will be changing the terms to better align with others to make the card more lucrative. I know others who have the card for mostly their other benefits rather than this benefit and just chalk it up to an added on surprise.
I doubt it. Amex isn’t one to follow what others are doing (based on my experience)
I believe the travel credit for the Hilton Aspire works the same way.
Yes, exactly!
Hm – these CC’s should be available in Europe too!
We both know that isn’t going to happen! 🙁
The signup bonus is just great. Will get a return tic to Hawaii.
Competition among the banks is a good thing. So many tempting products out there and I’m of the school that says I should try as many as I can and see what I like long term.
And, the final step there is to report back here with your experiences!
Canadian AMEX Gold version needs a Travel Credit too.
I like my Amex Platinum however, it is kind of a pain to jump through the hoops. Buy the AA gift card then remember to use it for flights. I tend to do this every January so I don’t forget it!
Seems a good advantage to people who travel a lot.
I don’t travel for work and usually take only cabin luggage so this offer is not for me I think.
This is a solid perk, but AmEx needs to step up its game and offer a higher travel credit amount if it wants its card to stay competitive against Chase and Citi’s offerings.
This Travel-Bonus only comes with the us-based Card, am i right?
I can only assume yes as I don’t know the details on all the international offerings.
Used it for delta e-gift cards in $50 increments. Worked perfectly every time
can apply for 50$ gift card multiple times?
Between my wife and I we have 7 platinum cards and a gold. The extra 1500 dollars a year is incredibly lucrative.
I forgot to select my airline before buying my gift cards, but luckily i remembered to do it before the charge posted, and got credited.
nice!
In my second calendar year with PRG and will definitely be taking advantage of this before assessing whether or not to keep the card for future years.
There are some really good other benefits to this card, but the airline travel credit is very restrictive.
Agree that gold is more productive and not the mighty annual fee to contend with. Great to see other options on board now to use credit.
Well yes but with the Platinum you get Uber Credits, Soulcycle Discounts, and the $200 Travel Credit. So to me really worth it. Depends for each person i guess
i was thinking of updating my amex gold to platinum, but as far as accumulating points, i think the gold is more productive.
glad you mentioned that citi was 250, I thought it was only 200
I was able to use the credit twice on Gold in the first year via AA gift certificates bought online. I think AXP is still allowing this even though it isn’t officially in the list above. My SO just got the CSR and agree that the credit is a lot easier to use.
To me the easiest way is buying airline GC.
Yes, but according to the terms these are not eligible — it just seems to work though 🙂
I heard you can only have 4 AMEX cards at once. True?
Definitely not true based on current data. This may have been the fact previously, but not the fact right now.
Absolutely true. I have 6 Amex Platinums, the Gold Card, Green Card, Ameriprise Financial Gold Card, Business Gold Card, and 5 credit cards. Total of 15 Amex Cards.
It posts in a few days time, in my experience with the Premier Rewards Gold card. A nice perk, especially in the first card member year, when it can,(and does!), work twice, as this blog points out. Might not carry the PRG card for additional years, as the Everyday cards are less expensive.
Finally thinking about giving up my AMEX Biz Plat due to getting the CSP. The travel credit is nice but $100 is $100.
Nice to read these kind of articles to know more in the less known matters.
It looks as if the competition in our beloved points/miles credit card programs is heating up. This is good for the consumer and for the banks and airlines.
Yes, and we must all continue to play the game to our benefit!
I am continuing. This year I am concentrating on picking up bank points.
It’s not a bad perc, but definitely the others have surpassed it over time, and the other cards also offer a broader range of what the travel reimbursement will cover, which is a big key if you’re not necessarily a weekend warrior.
Hopefully they’ll step up a notch with the Travel Credit to be more flexible like its competitors
one of the reasons I haven’t applied for this card is the difficulty associated with using its credits. They need to change that otherwise they will lose to their competitions.
I mean it is pretty flexible within a particular airline. Just look on Flyertalk to get some ideas