American Express Platinum Card: The Best Card for Airfare

AMEX Platinum is the publicly available premium card from American Express, and I think it is the best card on the market right now for airfare.

AMEX Platinum multipliers and the audience:

AMEX Platinum earns 5X Membership Rewards (MR) points on airfare purchases when booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. It also earns 5X MR points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel. Because there are very good hotel cards such as AMEX Hilton Aspire, I suggest you should only focus on its airfare multiplier. At the end of the article, I will show my personal metrics on how much I saved and earned in 2019 on airfare by primarily using my AMEX Platinum card.

Current sign-up bonus offer and valuation:

As of right now, AMEX is offering 60,000 MR points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases within your first 3 months. Using 2 cents per point valuation, the normal sign-up offer is worth $1,200. Keep in mind that AMEX practices the Once-Per-Lifetime Bonus Rule, and you are eligible to get a bonus only ONCE in your lifetime. It’s important to plan carefully before applying to ensure you’re getting the highest / best sign-up bonus possible.

If you’d like to apply for the American Express Platinum Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!

60,000 MR points are worth $1,200 when transferred to AMEX’s various travel partners

Annual fee and benefits:

AMEX Platinum doesn’t come cheap. It will cost you $550 in annual fees. However, it is often regarded as the best benefits card because it comes with a plethora of perks and benefits including:

• $200 airline incidental credit every cardmember year on the airline of your choice

• $200 Uber credit annually - $15 every month and $35 in December

• $100 Global Entry or TSA Pre credit, which can be redeemed every 4 years

• $100 Saks credit annually - $50 every 6 months

• Hilton Honors Gold status 

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold status 

• Priority pass and access to AMEX Centurion lounges

• Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta

• Access to AMEX Fine Hotels and Resorts

• Rental car statuses at Hertz, National, and Avis

• Purchase protection and trip delay coverage

• Access to exclusive AMEX Offers

I usually get birthday or Christmas gifts for others using my Sak’s credit

My earnings in 2019:

In 2019, I spent $8,246.20 on airfare (mainly on Delta and American), which accounts for 76.92% of my all AMEX Platinum spending. Using the card’s 5X airfare multiplier, I earned 41,231 MR points on airfare in 2019, worth $824.62 - an incredible 10% return on my spending. Because I am a frequent Delta flyer, Delta Sky Club access came in very handy when traveling through airports that didn’t have Centurion Lounge access. Even though Delta Sky Clubs are usually crowded and aren’t known for having the tastiest food, being able to get free drinks and snacks is a welcome perk. Combined with airline incidental, Uber, and Saks credits, it is fair to say AMEX Platinum greatly benefited me with returns easily overshadowing the steep $550 annual fee. 

AMEX Platinum was my main credit card for airfare

Summary

AMEX Platinum card is not your everyday workhorse. Though it comes with plenty of benefits and perks, it is certainly not for everyone with the annual price tag of $550. It does have one of the highest multipliers for airfare (and hotel purchases on AMEX Travel), but earns sad 1X back on all other purchases. If you fly a lot, look no further, and if you are a frequent Delta flyer, this may be the perfect card for you. Just don’t forget to use all of its available credits and benefits to maximize your annual fee.

If you’d like to apply for the American Express Platinum Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!