The Platinum Card® from American Express Review

The Platinum Card® from American Express is the OG of premium journey playing cards. Since its launch within the Eighties, it’s at all times been identified for its exclusivity, suite of perks, and stellar customer support.

Whereas it does have the best charge within the sport ($695, See Charges and Charges), it presents a ton of bang to your buck. You’ll greater than come out on high for those who make the most of all that this premium card has to supply. It unlocks essentially the most complete lounge entry of any card, contains elite resort standing, has tons of journey perks, and presents hefty assertion credit.

I personally love this card, but it surely’s not for everybody. Right here’s my evaluate that can assist you determine if it’s best for you.

What does the cardboard supply?

This card unlocks a ton of lounge entry, elite standing advantages (enrollment required), journey perks, particular resort reductions, and luxurious items and repair credit. Right here’s a look at simply among the advantages:

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Factors after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases in your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® factors on flights booked immediately with airways or with American Categorical Journey® (on the primary $500,000 spent per calendar 12 months)
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards® factors on pay as you go lodges booked on American Categorical Journey
• Journey insurance coverage protection together with secondary automotive rental insurance coverage, journey interruption and cancellation, misplaced baggage reimbursement
• Entry to The American Categorical International Lounge Assortment (for eligible Card Members)
• As much as $200 in airline credit score (Legitimate on one qualifying airline that you need to select prematurely. Legitimate on incidentals solely, not airfare.)
• As much as $200 again in assertion credit annually on pay as you go Effective Resorts + Resorts® or The Resort Assortment bookings by way of American Categorical Journey utilizing your Platinum Card®. (The Resort Assortment requires a minimal two-night keep.)
• As much as $199 annual CLEAR® Plus assertion credit score (covers an annual membership) per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal)
• Obtain both a $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for a International Entry utility charge or a press release credit score as much as $85 each 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (by way of a TSA official enrollment supplier) utility charge, when charged to your Platinum Card®. (Card Members accepted for International Entry may even obtain entry to TSA PreCheck at no extra value.)

Utilizing Your Membership Rewards Factors

You’ll earn Membership Rewards factors with The Platinum Card® from American Express. These are among the most beneficial transferable factors on the market, because of their spectacular suite of journey companions:

• Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1 ratio)
• Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6 ratio)
• Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio)
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio)
• ANA Mileage Membership (1:1 ratio)
• Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio)
• British Airways Membership (1:1 ratio)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:1 ratio)
• Selection Privileges (1:1 ratio)
• Delta SkyMiles (1:1 ratio)
• Emirates Skywards (1:1 ratio)
• Etihad Visitor (1:1 ratio)
• HawaiianMiles (1:1 ratio)
• Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio)
• Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio)
• JetBlue TrueBlue (250:200 ratio)
• Marriott Bonvoy (1:1 ratio)
• Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio)
• Qatar Airways Privilege Membership (1:1 ratio)
• Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership (1:1 ratio)

It’s also possible to use your Membership Rewards factors to ebook flights and lodges within the Amex Journey portal. (This isn’t the very best use of your factors. I’d typically advise towards it; it’s at all times greatest to switch your factors to journey companions quite than utilizing the cardboard’s journey portal.)

Breaking Down the Amex Platinum’s Credit and Advantages

I really like Amex playing cards for his or her perks and advantages, and the Amex Platinum comes with over $1,500 value of them. It’s like a bit coupon ebook. Right here’s what you get with the cardboard:

Perks for a Streamlined Airport Expertise (Lounge Entry, CLEAR Plus, International Entry/TSA PreCheck)
Considered one of my favourite perks of this card is that it presents essentially the most complete lounge entry on the market, and to among the greatest lounges within the sport. The Centurion Lounges are stellar, as are the Delta Sky Membership lounges. You’ll additionally get entry to the Precedence Cross community of over 1,700 lounges world wide.

The Amex Platinum additionally will get you to the lounge faster with assertion credit that cowl companies to expedite airport safety. You’ll rise up to $199 annual CLEAR® Plus assertion credit score (covers an annual membership) per calendar 12 months (topic to auto-renewal). You’ll additionally obtain both a $120 assertion credit score each 4 years for a International Entry utility charge or a press release credit score as much as $85 each 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (by way of a TSA official enrollment supplier) utility charge, when charged to your Platinum Card®.

Take into account that for those who’re accepted for International Entry, you’ll additionally get entry to TSA PreCheck at no extra value. So, for those who’re touring internationally, simply go together with International Entry. The method is a little more concerned (you must go for an in-person interview), but it surely’s value it.

Airline and Resort Credit
The Platinum Card additionally presents as much as $200 in airline credit score, which sounds nice at face worth however could be a little bit of a ache to make use of. The credit score can solely be used on one airline, which you need to pre-select, and you’ll solely use it for incidentals, not airfare. Nevertheless, for those who often examine a bag (and don’t have already got an airline bank card that provides free baggage as a perk), you’ll dissipate that $200 very quickly. (It’s also possible to apply it to issues like paid seat choice and in-flight meals and beverage.)

The cardboard additionally presents as much as $200 again in assertion credit on pay as you go Effective Resorts + Resorts® or The Resort Assortment bookings by way of American Categorical Journey utilizing your Platinum Card®. These are often fairly luxurious properties, so that you gained’t be getting any free resort stays with this profit alone. However for those who’re seeking to splash out with a high-end resort or resort keep, $200 off is fairly good.

Plus, the Amex Platinum presents complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite and Hilton Honors™ Gold Standing, which supply further perks and advantages when staying at these properties.

Life-style Assertion Credit
The “life-style” assertion credit are the place this card could be a bit much less helpful relying in your spending habits. My favourite of those is the $200 Uber Money profit. It’s distributed as $15 in Uber Money every month, plus you’ll get a bonus of $20 in December after including your Card to your Uber account.

That stated, I do discover it a bit annoying which you could solely use your Uber Money on rides and orders within the U.S. (when you choose an Amex Card to your transaction), since I’m typically overseas.

(To obtain this profit, you need to have downloaded the most recent model of the Uber App and your eligible American Categorical Platinum Card should be a technique of fee in your Uber account. The Amex Profit might solely be utilized in the US.)

Different life-style credit embrace as much as $50 biannual Saks Fifth Avenue credit score and as much as $155 Walmart+ Credit score if you use your Platinum Card to pay for a month-to-month Walmart+ membership.

You’ll additionally obtain as much as $240 Digital Leisure Credit score through as much as $20 again in assertion credit every month on eligible purchases made along with your Platinum Card on a number of of the next: Disney+, a Disney+ Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Instances, Peacock, and The Wall Road Journal. (That is a straightforward set and neglect for those who subscribe to any of those.)

Amex Presents
Along with all these assertion credit, you’ll get entry to Amex Presents. With these, it can save you cash or earn bonus factors with choose retailers. The presents are ever-changing and focused, that means you gained’t have the identical presents as one other cardholder. Nearly all of these presents are “spend X, get Y quantity again.”

The Amex Platinum’s Journey Insurance coverage
Final however not least, you’ll get nice journey insurance coverage with this card. Regardless of the place you’re going, journey insurance coverage is crucial factor to get to your journey. Hopefully, you gained’t want to make use of it, however I do know from expertise that for those who do, you’ll be glad to have it. I’ve had to make use of it world wide, from Argentina to South Africa to Italy. Every time one thing has gone incorrect on the highway, journey insurance coverage has helped me recoup my prices.
Whereas I at all times advocate buying a standalone journey insurance coverage coverage, many journey playing cards supply journey insurance coverage as a perk for no extra value (aside from the cardboard’s annual charge). Whereas I wouldn’t solely depend on the cardboard’s journey insurance coverage, it’s a pleasant profit.

Listed below are the journey protections that the Platinum presents:

• Journey cancellation and interruption protection of $10,000 per individual, per journey (on round-trip tickets solely, $20,000 per 12 consecutive month interval)
• Journey delay protection as much as $500 if the delay is six hours or extra (on round-trip tickets solely, two claims per 12 consecutive-month interval)
• Emergency evacuation and medical transport protection: no restrict; should be coordinated through the Premium International Help Hotline
• Mobile phone safety as much as $800 minus a $50 deductible (two accepted claims per 12-month interval, and you need to have paid your mobile phone invoice along with your card)
• Misplaced baggage protection as much as $3,000 per individual
• Secondary automotive rental protection
• Take into account that to be eligible for these protections, you must pay to your journey (or mobile phone invoice) along with your Amex Platinum. Additionally, at all times make sure you at all times learn the tremendous print so that you just perceive precisely what’s lined!

Eligibility and Profit stage varies by Card. Phrases, Circumstances, and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Firm.

Who’s the Amex Platinum for?

The Amex Platinum is greatest for frequent vacationers who’ll use the premium perks, like simpler airport experiences and elite standing at lodges. If you too can make the most of a couple of life-style credit, it’s a stable deal. I’d say simply run the numbers and see if the worth provides up for you. (And browse my submit on choosing a journey card for those who want extra assist.)

As with all rewards card, you shouldn’t get this card for those who’re already carrying a stability or plan to hold a stability. Rates of interest for journey playing cards are notoriously excessive and the factors simply aren’t value it for those who’re paying curiosity every month.

This card can be not for anybody with poor credit score, as you want wonderful credit score to qualify. (If that’s you, try the very best bank cards for poor credit so you can begin enhancing your rating as we speak.)

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