The Platinum Card from American Express Review

Amex Platinum Card Review: The Premium Travel Card

The American Express Platinum Card is the benchmark ultra-premium travel credit card, offering an unmatched suite of travel benefits in exchange for a high annual fee. It is designed for frequent international travellers who can extract full value from its credits and lounge access.

Key Details

• Annual Fee: $695
• Rewards: 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or via Amex Travel; 5x on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel; 1x on all other purchases
• Welcome Bonus: 80,000–100,000 Membership Rewards points (after spending threshold)

Annual Credits

The Platinum's value proposition depends on utilising its credits:

• $200 airline fee credit: Select one airline, credits for fees (bags, lounge day passes)
• $200 hotel credit: Prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings
• $240 digital entertainment credit: Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Peacock, NYT, etc. ($20/month)
• $300 Equinox credit: Gym membership credit
• $200 Uber Cash: $15/month + $20 in December
• $189 CLEAR Plus: Airport biometric security
• $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: Every 4.5 years

If you use all credits, the effective out-of-pocket cost is far below $695.

Lounge Access

The Platinum provides arguably the best lounge access of any credit card:

• Centurion Lounges: Amex's flagship airport lounges (US + international)
• Priority Pass Select: 1,300+ lounges globally (including guests)
• Delta Sky Clubs: When flying Delta
• Lufthansa, Air France/KLM lounges: When flying those airlines
• Plaza Premium, Escape lounges: Additional network

Membership Rewards Transfer Partners

Amex MR points transfer to 20+ airline and hotel partners:

• Airlines: Delta, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Singapore, Emirates, ANA, Avianca, and more
• Hotels: Marriott, Hilton (poor value), Choice Hotels

Verdict

The Amex Platinum is the right card if you are a frequent flyer who values premium lounge access and can use most of the annual credits. If you only travel 2–3 times per year, the fee is hard to justify. For digital nomads and road warriors, the lounge access and travel credits can deliver well over $695 in value.

• Unmatched lounge access
• Rich annual credits
• Strong MR transfer partners
• Concierge service

• $695 annual fee
• 1x on most everyday purchases
• Credits require active use/management
• US-centric (some credits less useful internationally)