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One of our favorite things about American Express is all the ways you can redeem Membership Rewards points. You can use them in several ways, like booking travel directly through the American Express Travel® portal.
While transferring points to airline and hotel partners can often provide more value, booking through Amex Travel offers a more straightforward way to redeem points for flights, hotels, rental cars, and more.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Amex Travel.
Page Contents
- What Is American Express Travel®?
- What Are Membership Rewards Worth When Used on Amex Travel?
- How Many Points Does My Amex Card Earn on Portal Bookings?
- How To Book Flights Through Amex Travel
- How To Book Hotels Through Amex Travel
- How To Book Vacation Rentals Through Amex Travel
- How To Book Rental Cars Through Amex Travel
- How To Book Cruises Through Amex Travel
- How To Redeem Amex Points for Travel
- When It Makes Sense To Book with Amex Travel
- Bottom Line
What Is American Express Travel®?
American Express Travel is an online booking portal for cardholders to reserve flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation rentals, and cruises.
You can make reservations with Membership Rewards points, cash, or a combination of the two.
What Are Membership Rewards Worth When Used on Amex Travel?
When redeemed through American Express Travel, Membership Rewards carry a fixed value. For flights, you'll get 1 cent per point but just 0.7 cents per point on hotel, rental car, vacation rental, and cruise bookings.
This value is comparatively lower than what AwardWallet users get when redeeming Membership Rewards with an Amex transfer partner. With airline partners, our readers typically use Amex points at 2¢ apiece — over twice the value of redeeming the points on Amex Travel.
How Many Points Does My Amex Card Earn on Portal Bookings?
Some Amex cards earn up to 5X points on bookings made through the travel portal. Here's a breakdown of what these cards earn when used for Amex Travel reservations:
- American Express® Gold Card: 3X points on flights and 5X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on AmexTravel.com
- American Express® Business Gold Card: 3X points on flights and pre-paid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
- American Express Platinum Card®: 5X points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
(Terms apply)
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 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.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You'll know upfront exactly how much you'll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind - backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- 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.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on cruises booked and paid through amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
Two additional cards indirectly offer bonus points on Amex Travel bookings: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express and the American Express® Green Card.
- Amex Green Card: 3X points on travel and 3X points on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subways, and more
- Blue Business Plus: 2X points on everyday business purchases (on the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter)
(Terms Apply)
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.74% - 26.74%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
- You've got the power to spend beyond your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply.
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Travel Purchases
How To Book Flights Through Amex Travel
American Express makes booking flights through the Amex Travel portal extremely simple. After logging in, enter your trip details to search for flights, hotels, cruises, vacation rentals, or rental cars.
For example, a search from Boston (BOS) to London Heathrow (LHR) will return a list of available flights, including featured and standard options. Each result shows both the cash price and the equivalent cost in Membership Rewards points.
Next, select your payment option. Whether you pay entirely with points or a mix of cash and points, you will get a value of 1 cent per point. There’s no minimum redemption, so you can use as few as 1 point.
If your plans change, you may be on the hook for any fare difference. Airline rules still apply, so check the change and cancellation policy before you hit book.
During your flight search, you might find discounted “Insider Fares.” You must redeem points to cover the entire fare to take advantage of the deal. Insider Fares can offer significant savings, though, so it could be worth using points here.
But no matter what, one of the big perks of booking flights through Amex Travel is that you'll still earn frequent-flyer miles on your trip — alongside any Amex points you'll collect on the reservation.
Related: All of the Cards That Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
International Airline Program
Cardmembers with Platinum and Centurion cards have access to the International Airline Program, which offers discounted premium-cabin fares on select international routes across more than 30 airlines. Eligible flights are marked in the search results.
If you have the Platinum Card®, Business Platinum Card, or Centurion® Card from American Express, you can take advantage of this perks.
When booking through the International Airline Program, cardmembers earn 5X Membership Rewards on flights when paying with the Platinum Card® or Business Platinum Card. With the Business Platinum Card, you can also get 35% of redeemed points back on eligible tickets purchased entirely or partially with Membership Rewards points (up to 1 million points back annually).
Note: 5X earning rates on flights purchased directly with airlines or via American Express Travel® using American Express Platinum Card® are limited to the first $500,000 spent annually. After this limit, you'll earn 1X.
Eligible flights for this rebate include first- and business-class tickets with your preselected qualifying airline booked through Amex Travel (this is the same airline as your annual airline incidental credits). Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
There are restrictions when booking through the IAP, such as:
- The cardmember must be traveling.
- Cardmembers may travel alone or bring up to seven additional travelers.
- Travel must begin and end in the U.S. or Canada, and you must book an international flight.
- Tickets are nonrefundable unless otherwise indicated.
- Tickets are nontransferable.
- Name changes are not allowed.
- Economy-class tickets are not included; you must book premium economy, business, or first class.
How To Book Hotels Through Amex Travel
Booking hotels through Amex Travel is also simple. When you search, you'll enter the destination, the check-in and check-out dates, the number of rooms, and the number of travelers.
Once you select a hotel, you'll choose a room and continue to pay — you can do so with points, cash, or a combination of the two. If you pay with Membership Rewards, you'll only get a value of 0.7 cents per point.
Hotel bookings made through Amex Travel are considered third-party reservations, meaning you're unlikely to earn points, stay credits, or have your hotel status recognized. Take this into consideration if you're chasing hotel elite status.
Fine Hotels + Resorts®
Amex Centurion Card, Platinum Card®, and Business Platinum Cardholders can access the Fine Hotels + Resorts program. With each booking, you'll receive the following benefits:
- Room upgrades, based on availability at check-in
- Daily breakfast for two
- $100 on-property credit, which can be used for food and beverage, spa services, private transfers, and more
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout
- Early check-in at noon, based on availability
Platinum Card®holders can receive up to $600 in annual statement credits (up to $300 semiannually) on prepaid bookings through Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (two-night minimum required). Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
$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.
Related: How To Use the Platinum Card® Card's $600 Hotel Credit
The Hotel Collection
Amex has a second hotel program called The Hotel Collection. These bookings have a two-night minimum but is available to more people.
In addition to Platinum and Centurion cardmembers, those with the American Express® Gold Card and American Express® Business Gold Card are eligible for a room upgrade (when available at check-in) and a $100 experience credit.
Platinum Card® cardholders can use their $600 in annual hotel credits on prepaid bookings with either Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection.
How To Book Vacation Rentals Through Amex Travel
If you need more space than a hotel offers, you can use Amex Travel to reserve homes and condos in select areas. Enter your travel dates and choose from available regions to get started. Reservations require a minimum two-night stay.
At the time of writing, only the following areas offer vacation rental accommodations:
- Arizona: Phoenix/Scottsdale area
- California: Lake Tahoe, Napa, Palm Springs, San Diego Beaches, Santa Barbara, Sonoma areas
- Colorado: Breckenridge, Snowmass, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, Vail/Beaver Creek areas
- Florida: Orlando, Panhandle areas
- Georgia: Savannah, Tybee Island areas
- Hawaii: Big Island, Kauai, Maui areas
- Nevada: Lake Tahoe area
- North Carolina: Asheville area
- South Carolina: Charlestone, Isle of Palms, Kiawah, Seabrook Island areas
- Utah: Park City area
- Washington: Bellingham area
Select Homes + Retreats is a relatively new addition to Amex Travel, so it's likely that this list will continue to expand. Moreover, booking vacation rentals through Amex Travel is limited to those with an Platinum Card®, Business Platinum Card or the Centurion Card.
Related: How To Use Points and Miles for Vacation Home Rentals
How To Book Rental Cars Through Amex Travel
Booking a rental car is straightforward — just enter your pick-up location and your travel dates and times.
Similar to both flights and hotels, you will have the option to pay in points or cash. Points are worth just 0.7¢ apiece here.
The rental car booking process also permits paying now or later. The terms and prices may vary depending on which option you choose. Read them carefully before continuing with the booking process.
As these are third-party bookings, you may forego your rental car elite status benefits. That means you won't get perks like free upgrades and will need to wait in line to pick up your vehicle rather than going straight to the lot.
How To Book Cruises Through Amex Travel
To book a cruise through Amex Travel, type in your intended destination, a cruise line, and a sailing date. After beginning the search, you can narrow down the exact itinerary and departure location.
The payment process is identical to every other travel method. When checking out, you can redeem points, pay in cash, or use a mix of both. If you choose to redeem Membership Rewards, you can do so for 0.7 cents per point.
Cruise Privileges Program
Amex Centurion Card, Business Platinum Card, and Platinum Card®members can take advantage of the Cruise Privileges Program for extra benefits on bookings of five nights or more.
The benefits include an up to $300 per stateroom onboard credit redeemable for dining, spa treatments, and more. Other unique amenities, such as premium wines, may be available depending on your chosen cruise line. To qualify for the benefits, the cardmember must be cruising.
How To Redeem Amex Points for Travel
On the last page of the booking process, you'll find an option to redeem Membership Rewards for travel. This holds true whether you're booking flights, rental cars, hotels, or cruises. If you choose to apply Membership Rewards to your booking, you can do so for the entirety of the amount or a portion of it.
When It Makes Sense To Book with Amex Travel
There are a few things to consider when booking through Amex Travel. Here's what you should think about:
Is the price competitive?
Before booking with Amex Travel, it's worthwhile to compare price options. You might find a better deal by booking directly with a carrier or provider, such as an airline or hotel, through another portal, or even through Google Flights.
Be sure to compare prices unless you're trying to cash in a specific benefit, such as the up to $600 in prepaid hotel statement credits afforded on the Platinum Card®. It could save you some money.
Will my travel plans change?
If you need to change or cancel a booking made through Amex Travel, you must contact American Express' helpline. A representative will inform you of any changes or cancellation fees. Amex Travel generally allows a 24-hour cancellation window for most reservations.
Some providers may also allow you to modify your reservation yourself. Remember that each airline, hotel, cruise, and rental car company has unique change and cancellation policies, so do sufficient research before making any changes.
Can my Membership Rewards be redeemed for more value elsewhere?
When redeemed on Amex Travel, Membership Rewards are worth 1 cent per point on flights and 0.7 cents per point on hotel, cruise, and rental car reservations. AwardWallet users typically redeem them at 2¢ per point when using Amex's transfer partners.
Essentially, the answer is yes, Membership Rewards can be redeemed for more value elsewhere. However, if you want to offset the cash cost of a booking, redeeming points via Amex Travel can be beneficial.
Should I book with Amex Travel?
If the price is competitive, you're comfortable with the points and miles earnings (or lack thereof), and you understand the change and cancelation policies, booking through Amex Travel could be a great idea. If you might need to change your plans, prefer to take advantage of hotel status, or seek a more valuable return on your Membership Rewards redemption, you should book elsewhere.
When doing the math, ensure you understand the final price after any rebates. That math might change if you find a great deal on a business-class flight and can get 35% of your points back with the Business Platinum Card. Be sure to take these benefits into account.
(Terms apply)
- As High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- 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 $4,000 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- 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. Gift cards are not an eligible purchase. 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+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- 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.
- Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Platinum Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
- 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.
- 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
- Terms Apply.
- 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.
Bottom Line
The Amex Travel portal is a convenient way to book your next trip and is worth a look when planning your travel.
American Express cardholders can take advantage of many benefits affiliated with going through the portal, such as the International Airline Program, hotel experience credits, cruise perks, and more.
While the return on Membership Rewards might be low compared to using transfer partners, the ability to pay in points, cash, or a combination could be a helpful money-saving mechanism when travel costs are high.
Have you booked a trip through Amex Travel? What did you think the best feature was?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
