The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) is a premium card with premium perks and a premium $695 annual fee. When you look at the fee, you might think, “Wow, no way would I pay that much for a card membership.” However, you might think otherwise when you see how much value you can get by using the card’s benefits.
The Amex Platinum offers card members annual statement credits, including up to $300 Equinox credit, up to $240 digital entertainment credit, up to $200 Uber Cash on U.S. Uber purchases, up to $200 hotel credits for prepaid Fine Hotels+ Resorts or The Hotel Collection made via American Express Travel, $189 CLEAR® credit, up to $155 Walmart+ credit and up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit. The card also includes an up to $200 airline fee statement credit, which doesn’t cover airline tickets but is eligible for incidental charges. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Let’s take a look at what exactly the Amex Platinum travel credit covers and how to claim it.
What Is the Amex Platinum Travel Credit?
The Amex Platinum travel credit is an up to $200 airline fee credit that comes as a benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express (applies to one select airline). The credit applies as statement credits toward airline purchases that are considered incidentals, such as checked bags, seat selection and in-flight meals or beverages.
The Amex Platinum travel credit is available on the following cards:
- American Express Corporate Platinum Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab*
- The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs*
- The Platinum Card® from American Express exclusively for Morgan Stanley*
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Considering the annual fees on all these cards are pretty high, an airline fee credit of $200 can put a dent into offsetting the membership fees. If you hold multiple cards with the Amex travel credit, make sure to claim it on each of your cards before it expires.
How To Claim the Amex Travel Credit
Before you can claim the American Express airline fee credit, you must enroll in the benefit and select an airline from the list of participating carriers. You’re able to change your selection each calendar year in January.
If you don’t change your airline, your previous selection will remain the same. After January, as long as you haven’t redeemed any of your credit, you can message Amex and ask to have your selected airline changed.
Qualifying airlines include:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Spirit Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
After you select the airline, you can claim up to $200 in incidental charges made by the chosen airline to the eligible card listed above. Charges made by the primary cardholder as well as by any authorized users are eligible for the airline fee credit, but the total must not exceed $200 per calendar year.
Please note that it can take up to eight weeks for the statement credits to post to your American Express card account.
What Can I Use Amex Travel Credit For?
Unfortunately, the Amex airline fee credit can’t be used toward just any airline purchase. Ticket purchases are notably excluded from the list of qualifying charges. Additionally, upgrades, gift cards, duty free purchases, award tickets, wireless internet (if processed by a third-party), mileage purchases or mileage transfer fees don’t qualify either, so the travel credit isn’t as easy to use as you might have hoped.
The following charges typically qualify for the Amex travel credit:
- Airport lounge passes
- Checked baggage fees
- EarlyBird Check In (with Southwest)
- In-flight refreshments and entertainment
- Pet travel fees
- Phone reservation fees
- Seat selection
- Unaccompanied minor fees
When Does the Amex Travel Credit Reset?
The airline fee credit doesn’t roll over and resets every calendar year. In other words, make sure to use yours before Dec. 31 every year you’re a card member. Otherwise, the credit will expire. You get a new travel credit on Jan. 1.
How To Maximize the Amex Platinum Travel Credit
The Amex Platinum travel credit has quite a few restrictions and requires creativity to be used in full every year. Here are some ideas for how to maximize your Amex Platinum travel credit before its expiration date.
Purchase Lounge Passes
Airport lounge passes have a pretty long shelf life, meaning they don’t have to be used the day of purchase. So, if your travel credit is expiring and you need to use it, purchase a lounge pass for the airline you know you’ll fly in the future. For example, the Admirals Club sells one-day passes for $59, and United Club sells one-time passes for $59. If you know you’ll travel with either airline in the future, why not treat yourself to lounge time.
Prepay for Checked Baggage
If you know for sure that you can’t survive with a carry-on bag during a trip you have already booked, then consider prepaying for checked luggage to use your Amex airline fee credit. In some cases, you can even get a discount by prepaying for a bag online instead of at the airport. For example, United charges non-elite members $30 for the first bag when you pay for it in advance on domestic flights and $35 when you pay for it at the check-in counter.
Pick a Preferred Seat
Another way to use your Amex travel credit before it expires is by reserving a seat. For example, when you book a main cabin ticket with American Airlines, the airline charges extra for preferred seats, such as seats located closer to the front of the cabin or seats with extra legroom. You can prepay for a premium seat selection and get reimbursed by American Express. If you book a basic economy ticket with Delta Air Lines, you can pick a seat a week before departure for an upcharge, and it would also be eligible for the Amex Platinum travel credit.
Bottom Line
Although the Amex Platinum travel credit is available annually, you might not find ways to redeem it every year because of its limited use. Use the airline fee credit to pay for checked bags, prepay for a seat or buy lounge passes. If you’re able to use up all $200 each year you’re a card member, it helps offset the card’s high annual fee.
To view rates and fees for the The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
More From Advisor
- What Happens To Unpaid Credit Card Debt If You Move Abroad?
- Could A Low APR Card Be Better Than Your Rewards Card?
- Credit Card Statistics And Trends 2023
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
