American Express Travel Rewards: Travel Smarter with Amex

Traveling can be a hassle, but with American Express Travel Rewards, you can travel smarter. With the Amex Rewards program, you can earn points that can be redeemed for travel, dining, and other experiences.

One of the best things about Amex Travel Rewards is that you can earn points on every purchase you make, not just on travel-related expenses. This means you can earn points on groceries, gas, and other everyday purchases.

As a member of the Amex Rewards program, you can also enjoy exclusive benefits such as travel insurance and trip cancellation insurance, which can provide peace of mind when booking travel.

Membership Rewards is the foundation of American Express travel rewards, allowing you to accumulate points on everyday purchases and redeem them for a vast array of travel options.

Points are earned based on spending across various American Express cards, with higher-tier cards generally offering a higher earning rate.

You can earn points on a wide range of purchases, not just travel-related expenses.

Membership Rewards points can be transferred to a wide range of airline and hotel partners, allowing you to leverage your points for premium award flights and hotel stays.

Some transfer partners have varying ratios, so it's essential to research these ratios before transferring to get the best value.

You can redeem your points directly through American Express's travel portal for flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages.

Certain cards offer statement credits on eligible travel purchases, providing additional savings.

Here's a breakdown of the key features of Membership Rewards:

* Point Accrual: Earn points based on spending across various American Express cards.Transfer Partners: Transfer points to a wide range of airline and hotel partners.Redemption Options: Redeem points directly through American Express's travel portal or use statement credits.

Earning and redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points is a crucial part of maximizing your travel rewards. You can earn 5X Membership Rewards points when you book with your Platinum Card, including up to $500,000 per calendar year on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel.

To earn points, you can use your American Express card for everyday purchases, and the points will be earned based on spending across various cards, with higher-tier cards offering a higher earning rate. Points are also earned based on the type of purchase, with some cards offering elevated earning rates on specific categories like airfare.

Here are some key earning rates for American Express cards:

You can redeem your points for travel within the AmEx travel portal, where one point is equal to 1 cent when redeeming for airfare, or between 0.5 and 0.7 cents when redeeming for a cruise or hotel redemption.

American Express has a vast network of transfer partners that can be leveraged to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards points. You can transfer your points to one of the 15 airline and hotel loyalty program partners.

The airline partners include major carriers like Delta, British Airways, and ANA, as well as budget-friendly options like JetBlue Airways. Each partner has its own transfer ratio, with some offering a 1:1 ratio, while others may require a 1:1.6 or 1:2 ratio.

Here's a list of the airline partners:

Similarly, the hotel partners include Choice Hotels, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott Hotels & Resorts. Each hotel partner has its own redemption value, so it's essential to research and understand the point redemption values for different hotels.

By leveraging the extensive network of transfer partners, you can unlock a world of possibilities and redeem your Membership Rewards points for premium award flights and luxurious hotel stays.

The welcome offer is a great way to get started with earning points, and it's often the deciding factor for choosing a credit card. The Platinum Card from American Express offers a whopping 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months.

This is a significant bonus that can give you a head start on earning points. The American Express Gold Card, on the other hand, offers 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months.

While the Platinum Card requires more spending to meet the minimum requirement, the high welcome bonus may make it worth it for you.

You can book flights, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through the American Express Travel portal, which offers a user-friendly interface similar to popular travel sites like Kayak and Orbitz.

To find flights, visit the American Express Travel webpage and enter your departure and destination cities in the search box. You can also customize your booking by selecting your preferred class, number of travelers, and flight type.

The Amex Travel portal allows you to filter flights by number of stops, departure and arrival times, flight duration, and airline. Delta Air Lines is a featured airline, but be aware that recommended flights may not always be the cheapest.

Platinum and Business Platinum cardmembers can earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotel reservations.

You can also book hotels through American Express Travel with a Gold, Platinum, or Centurion card, and earn points on your bookings.

The American Express Travel portal offers various perks, including no foreign transaction fees and travel insurance.

To take advantage of your Platinum Card benefits, book through American Express Travel. This is a great way to earn extra Membership Rewards points and get special offers.

You'll get no foreign transaction fees, which is perfect for frequent travelers. This means you won't be charged extra for making purchases abroad.

Both the Platinum Card and another card offer travel insurance, including trip delay, baggage, and rental car insurance.

Here are some benefits you can enjoy when booking through American Express Travel:

By booking through American Express Travel, you'll get access to exclusive benefits that can enhance your travel experience.

The Global Lounge Collection is a fantastic perk offered by American Express, allowing you to access over 1,400 lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion Lounge, where you can enjoy full meals and an open bar before your flight.

With Priority Pass Select membership, you'll get access to affiliated lounges around the world, and the opportunity to bring a guest with you. Enrollment is required, but it's a great way to relax and recharge before your flight.

You'll also get access to Delta SkyClub lounges when flying Delta, as well as Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, and more. Lounge access is changing in 2025, so it's worth noting that cardmembers will receive six visits to Delta Sky Clubs per program year.

Starting February 1, 2025, cardmembers can earn unlimited access after spending $75,000 in a program year. Unlimited access remains through January 31 of the following year, and spend tracking begins January 1, 2024.

Here are some of the lounges you can expect to access with the Global Lounge Collection:

Air travel with American Express can be a breeze, especially with their travel rewards program. You can earn 5X points on air and hotel purchases, minus cancellations and credits, by booking through American Express Travel.

To get started, simply visit the Amex Travel portal, where you can search for flights by entering your departure and destination cities. You can also customize your booking by selecting your preferred class, number of travelers, and flight type.

Eligible travel purchases include air tickets on scheduled flights, prepaid hotel reservations, and prepaid flight+hotel packages booked through AmexTravel.com. Just remember to use your Platinum Card to earn those extra points.

If you're looking to upgrade your flights, you can use cash or points in the Amex Travel portal. The minimum number of points you can use is 5,000, and each point is valued at 1 cent.

Booking flights can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and knowledge, it can be a breeze. You can find flights on American Express Travel by visiting their webpage and using the search box to enter your departure and destination cities.

If you're flexible with your departure airport, you can choose an entire city, such as New York, which has multiple airports. You can also customize your booking by selecting your preferred class and the number of travelers, and choosing between one-way and round-trip flights.

The price listed in dollars and the number of Amex Membership Rewards points will be displayed during the booking process. You can also use the options on the left-hand side to filter flights by number of stops, departure and arrival times, flight duration, and airline.

Delta Air Lines is a featured airline in the Amex Travel portal, and sometimes their flights appear at the top of your results, listed as "recommended." However, this doesn't mean those flights are always the cheapest.

To book a premium ticket using the International Airline Program, you'll need to go to the Amex Travel portal and pay with cash or points. This program offers discounts on first-class, business-class, and premium economy tickets from over 20 participating airlines.

Here are the key restrictions to keep in mind when booking flights through Amex Travel:

By following these guidelines and using the Amex Travel portal, you can book flights with ease and take advantage of your Platinum Card benefits.

You can earn a $200 airline fee credit with your American Express Platinum Card, but only on qualifying airlines. These include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines.

Qualifying airlines are subject to change, so it's essential to check the list before booking. You can choose your qualifying airline at any time through your American Express Online Account or by calling the number on the back of your Card.

Incidental airline fees must be separate charges from airline ticket charges to qualify for statement credits. This means fees like wireless internet and fees incurred with airline alliance partners don't qualify.

Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, and award tickets are not considered incidental fees. The airline must submit the charge under the correct merchant code for it to be recognized as an incidental air travel fee.

Please allow 6-8 weeks after the qualifying incidental air travel fee is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the Account. If statement credits haven't posted after 8 weeks, call the number on the back of your Card for assistance.

If you're an American Express cardholder, you're in luck - you can book hotels through the Amex Travel portal and earn rewards. Platinum and Business Platinum cardmembers earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotel reservations.

To book hotels on the Amex Travel portal, you can input your destination, dates, number of rooms, and number of guests. After selecting your hotel, you'll choose your preferred room and pay with points or cash. If you pay with points, you'll only get a value of 0.7 cents per point.

Some American Express cardholders have access to additional hotel perks through the Fine Hotels + Resorts program and The Hotel Collection. These programs offer benefits like room upgrades, daily breakfast, late check-out, and complimentary Wi-Fi. To receive these perks, you'll need to book your stay through Amex Travel.

Here are some benefits you can expect from Fine Hotels + Resorts:

Additionally, The Hotel Collection offers a room upgrade at check-in (if available) and a $100 on-property credit for qualifying dining, spa, and resort activities. Bookings require a minimum stay of two nights.

As a Platinum Card Member, you can upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status without meeting any stay requirements.

You'll enjoy perks like 25% more Marriott Bonvoy points, which can add up to a significant reward over time.

Priority late checkout is another benefit, giving you more flexibility with your travel plans.

Enhanced room upgrades are also available when available, so you might find yourself in a nicer room than you expected.

The $200 Hotel Credit is a fantastic perk for American Express Platinum Card Members. This benefit allows you to receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when you or an Additional Platinum Card Member use your Card to pay for eligible prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection bookings made through American Express Travel.

To be eligible, you must book your stay through American Express Travel on or after July 1st, 2021, and make a new booking that is prepaid for a qualifying stay at an available, participating Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection property. Bookings of The Hotel Collection require a minimum stay of two consecutive nights.

Eligible bookings must be processed before December 31st, 11:59PM Central Time, each calendar year to be eligible for statement credits within that year. You can earn the $200 credit on multiple bookings, but the total amount of statement credits for eligible purchases will not exceed $200 per calendar year, per Card Account.

Here's a breakdown of the eligible bookings:

Note that Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card Members are not eligible for this benefit.

You'll also enjoy various other perks and credits with American Express travel rewards cards. The Platinum Card offers a $200 airline fee credit, which can be applied to incidental expenses like checked bags and in-flight purchases. This credit can be a huge time-saver and money-saver on your next flight.

Additionally, you can earn up to $200 in statement credits on prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel. These stays include elite-like benefits like late check-out, property credits, complimentary breakfast, and room upgrades.

Other perks include no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance, trip delay, baggage, and rental car insurance. You'll also get a $10 statement credit per month to be used toward your Uber account for Uber Eats or Uber rides, as well as a $10 monthly statement credit for orders through Grubhub or dining at eligible restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory and Five Guys.

Here are some specific credit amounts and enrollment requirements for various American Express cards:

These are just a few examples of the many perks and credits available with American Express travel rewards cards. Be sure to check your specific card's benefits and terms to see what you're eligible for.

You can earn up to $30 back per month in statement credits on U.S. PayPal purchases from January 1 to June 30 with the Platinum Card, that's potentially $180 in savings.

The Platinum Card also offers up to $200 in statement credits on prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through the American Express Travel website.

Cardholders with Delta AmEx cards can register them to earn five SkyMiles per dollar on Delta purchases now through December 31.

Business and personal Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve AmEx cards offer a 25 percent bonus on the Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) toward elite status with the airline.

Here's a breakdown of the MQM bonuses:

Those with one of the Hilton credit cards can earn 10,000 bonus Hilton points for spending $5,000 on eligible purchases up to 10 times between now and June 30.

With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, Marriott Bonvoy Business, and certain Marriott Bonvoy Card accounts, you can earn 7,500 bonus points for spending $7,500 on your card up to 10 times between now and December 31.

Clear Plus Credit is a valuable feature that can help you manage your finances effectively. Clear Plus Credit provides a detailed report of your credit utilization ratio, which is the percentage of your available credit being used.

Having a low credit utilization ratio can significantly improve your credit score, as it shows lenders you can manage your debt responsibly. A good credit utilization ratio is 30% or less.

Clear Plus Credit also offers tools to help you track your credit score over time, giving you a clear picture of your financial progress. This feature can be especially helpful for those who are working to improve their credit score.

By using Clear Plus Credit, you can make informed decisions about your finances and take control of your credit. Regularly monitoring your credit score can also help you identify potential issues before they become major problems.

Wireless Service Credits can be a great perk for business card holders. If you have the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card, you'll get up to $110 back in statement credits, split into $10 monthly credits.

To qualify, your card must have been open before January 1, 2021, and you need to enroll it for the AmEx Offer in your online account. Enrollment is required for all eligible cards.

Just pay your monthly wireless bill directly with your card to trigger the statement credits. Hardware and equipment purchases, as well as third-party purchases, won't count towards the credit.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express card and Delta SkyMiles Reserve will get up to $165 and $220 back, respectively, in statement credits. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card will also receive up to $110 in statement credits.