The Platinum Card from American Express
- Best for: Frequent travelers who’ll use airport lounges and most of the card’s credits without changing how they spend
- What Sets It Apart: Access to more than 1,550 airport lounges; Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status; 11 yearly credits worth $2,994 at face value
- Cost: $895 annual fee; $195 per additional Platinum card; 19.74% to 28.74% variable APR on Pay Over Time balances; no foreign transaction fee
- Rewards: 5 points per dollar on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel (up to $500,000 a year) and on prepaid Amex Travel hotels; 1 point elsewhere; welcome offer of up to 175,000 points after $12,000 in purchases in 6 months
- Rideshare: $15 a month in Uber Cash, plus $20 more in December, for U.S. rides and Uber Eats orders, expiring at the end of each month; up to $120 a year back on an Uber One membership
- Travel Credits: $600 a year, in two $300 halves, for prepaid stays booked through The Hotel Collection or Fine Hotels + Resorts; $200 a year for fees on one chosen airline; $219 for CLEAR+; $120 for Global Entry or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4 years, NEXUS not covered
- Spending Limit: No preset spending limit; what you can spend adjusts with your purchase, payment, and credit history
- Pros: Free entry to Centurion lounges and 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year on eligible Delta flights; up to two free guests at Priority Pass, Escape, and Plaza Premium lounges; Hilton and Marriott Gold status
- Cons: Credits split into monthly, quarterly, and half-year amounts; $50 per adult Centurion Lounge guest and per Delta Sky Club visit past 10 until $75,000 in calendar-year spending; 1 point per dollar on everyday spending
Get the Amex Platinum only if you fly often enough to use its airport lounges and already pay for most of what its credits cover. Most of those credits come in monthly, quarterly, or twice-yearly amounts that don’t roll over, so if collecting them means changing how you spend, a lower-fee travel card leaves you ahead.
Built for frequent travelers, The Platinum Card from American Express gets you into more than 1,550 airport lounges and comes with 11 yearly credits worth $2,994 at face value, by our count.
Key Features
- $895 annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and 19.74% to 28.74% variable interest on Pay Over Time balances
- Up to 175,000 bonus points after $12,000 in purchases in 6 months, with your exact offer shown before you accept the card
- 5 points per dollar on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel (up to $500,000 a year) and on prepaid Amex Travel hotels; 1 point elsewhere
- Points worth 1 cent each on Amex Travel flights and Fine Hotels + Resorts stays, 0.7 cent on other Amex Travel hotels, and varying amounts when moved to airline and hotel partners
Pros
- Free entry to Amex’s Centurion lounges, plus Priority Pass (after enrolling), Escape, and Plaza Premium lounges with up to two free guests
- 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year on eligible Delta flights
- Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status after enrolling
- $200 in Uber Cash, $200 for fees on one airline you pick, and $219 toward a CLEAR+ airport security membership each year
- Up to $600 a year for prepaid stays booked through The Hotel Collection or Fine Hotels + Resorts
Cons
- Uber Cash expires monthly, and Resy and lululemon credits are capped at $100 and $75 a quarter
- Several credits need enrollment and pay at a single brand, such as lululemon, Oura, or Equinox
- Centurion guests cost $50 per adult and Sky Club visits past 10 cost $50 each, until $75,000 in calendar-year spending unlocks two free guests and unlimited visits
- 1 point per dollar on everyday purchases
If you’d pay for Uber rides, airline fees, and CLEAR+ anyway, those three credits return $619, leaving $276 of the $895 fee for the lounges and other credits to cover. Most people come out ahead with a lower-fee card like the American Express Gold Card, which lacks lounge access but costs $325 a year instead of $895.
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