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UPDATE: This deal is no longer available. Check out AmericanExpress.com for the latest offer for the Platinum Card.
Breaking news! The Platinum Card® from American Express has recently announced a new increase in its signup bonus to 40,000 Membership Rewards points after a minimum spend of $3,000 within the first 3 months of card membership.
In our editorial opinion, The Platinum card from our partner American Express is one of the best current opportunities out there for personal credit cards with benefits for road warriors and travelers of all types.
Membership Rewards points are one of the most valuable points and miles currencies because they transfer to dozens of hotels and airlines across programs, including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Air Canada’s Aeroplan and KLM’s Flying Blue to name just a few. A bonus of 40,000 transferred to a partner airline can literally get you a long way (one-way all the way to Asia, for example).
This card requires an annual fee of $450 that is not waived for the first year. From our experience, we’ve noticed that this fee can scare some people away from considering this card. A closer look at the benefits, however, will show you that the numbers are actually on your side. If you take advantage of the benefits that come as part of card membership, you’ll likely get more value than the annual fee.
Here is our list of our five favorite (and what we think are most valuable) travel benefits that come with the American Express Platinum card:
1. The $200 Airline Credit
You choose your preferred airline each year and American Express automatically credits your statement up to $200 when you use your card to pay for incidental expenses (baggage fees, inflight spending on meals and food, upgrade certificates, airline gift cards). You get this $200 benefit every calendar year.
2. Lounge Access
The American Express Platinum Card is a great card for getting into lounges all over the globe. Not only does the card offer complimentary Priority Pass, it also grants you entry into the lounges of selected airlines with same-day tickets, and gives you direct access into the new Centurion Lounges by American Express. As more and more airlines and lounges across the world require costly annual memberships (on average of $300-500) or day-use fees of $50 or more, this is a benefit that adds value quickly.
Centurion Lounge Access
Currently our favorite lounges in all of the U.S. (and probably the nicest domestic longest that exist) are the Centurion Lounges being introduced by American Express. These lounges are currently open in Dallas and Las Vegas with two more on their way this year in San Francisco and New York’s LaGuardia. A Platinum card will get you and up to two guests complimentary access into these lounges that offer hot food, showers, a business area, a full bar with complimentary specialty cocktails, and even fresh baked cookies. The Dallas lounge also has a mini spa that offers a complimentary 15-minute spa treatment (chair massage or manicure? Yes!) If you’re like us, you may start booking all your flights through Dallas with extra long layovers.
Priority Pass Lounge Access
The Priority Pass Select program is a lounge program offered through a third party company that allows complimentary access to participating lounges for the cardmember (we like that this includes Alaska Airlines lounges and many international lounges). Once you become an American Express Platinum cardmember you can apply for your free Priority Pass Select Membership.
3. Free Starwood Gold elite status.
When you become a Platinum Cardmember, you can also register with Starwood’s Preferred Guest program and get a complimentary upgrade to SPG Gold status (normally acquired after completing 25 nights or 10 stays at Starwood Hotel properties). Gold level of elite status with SPG gives you free internet, room upgrades, 4pm checkout, and 50% bonus on all points earned at Starwood hotels (Sheraton, W, Westin, Le Meridien, Aloft, St. Regis, etc.) Even if you don’t stay in many Starwood hotels the upgrades and internet alone have the value of $20-$50 for a single night’s stay.
4. Global Entry Application Reimbursement
The U.S. Global Entry program grants frequent travelers who complete an application and interview process a Trusted Traveler number in the U.S., TSA PreCheck eligibility, and access to the short lines in customs and immigration when you return to the U.S. from travels abroad. The cost for applying for Global Entry (which last five years) is $100. If you charge the $100 application fee to your Platinum card, you’ll automatically get a $100 statement credit.
5. Fine Hotels and Resorts Program
The Fine Hotels and Resorts Program is the American Express hotel booking site for luxury travel. Your Platinum perks include access to benefits on bookings through the program including room upgrades, free third and fourth nights, complimentary breakfast, early check-in, guaranteed 4pm check-out, resort credits for expenses like restaurants or spa treatments, and free WiFi. (Offers will vary by hotel and booking dates).
If that isn’t enough, there are still more benefits like purchase protection, no foreign transaction fees, concierge service, travel insurance and more. Lastly, you can also share some of these benefits with the option to add up to three additional users to your account for $175.
