Amex Platinum Card Airline Credit: A Comprehensive Guide

The American Express Platinum Card offers a generous airline credit, which can be a game-changer for frequent flyers. The credit is $200 annually, and it can be used for incidental fees like checked bags, change fees, or seat upgrades.

You can use the credit on one airline of your choice, but it's not transferable to other airlines. This means you'll need to choose an airline that fits your travel habits and loyalty programs.

The airline credit is just one of the many perks of the Amex Platinum Card, but it's a significant one. By understanding how it works, you can maximize its value and save even more on your flights.

To get the most out of the airline credit, it's essential to understand the terms and conditions, which we'll dive into in the next section.

See what others are reading: Are Airline Credit Cards Worth It

The Amex Platinum Card is a premium credit card that offers a wide range of benefits and rewards, including airline credits.

It costs $550 per year, which may seem steep, but it's actually a worthwhile investment for frequent travelers who can take advantage of its many perks.

The card offers a $200 airline fee credit, which can be used to offset the cost of checked bags, change fees, and other airline-related expenses.

This credit can be used on any airline, not just American Express's own airline partners.

The card also comes with a $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA Precheck, which can save you time and hassle when traveling.

Additionally, the card offers a $100 credit towards Clear, a membership program that allows you to skip airport security lines.

These credits can add up quickly, making the card's annual fee more palatable for frequent travelers.

The Amex Platinum Card also offers a host of other benefits, including airport lounge access, hotel credits, and travel insurance.

A different take: Visa Airline Credit Cards

The Amex Platinum Card offers a range of benefits and features that make it a great choice for luxury travel.

To start, you can earn up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year, which can be claimed through the American Express airline fee credit program. You can change your selected airline each year in January, and any incidental charges made by the chosen airline are eligible for the credit, as long as they don't exceed $200 per year.

The airline fee credit can be claimed on charges made by both the primary cardholder and any authorized users, making it a convenient perk for families or travel companions. Note that it can take up to eight weeks for the statement credits to post to your American Express card account.

One of the standout features of the Amex Platinum Card is its airport lounge access, which is perfect for luxury travelers. The card also offers generous statement credits and complimentary elite status, making it a great choice for those who value these perks.

You might enjoy: International Airline Program Platinum Card Benefit

If you're looking for ways to use your Amex Platinum airline credits, consider leveraging United's TravelBank account. This account allows you to fund it with cash to use on future United flights.

Any money you put in your TravelBank account won't expire for five years, as long as you have account activity every 18 months. You can fund your account in increments up to $1,000, and it's best to fund with how much you have available with your credit.

To use this method, you need to select United as your preferred airline. You can purchase in six increments: $50, $100, $250, $500, $750, and $1,000. This way, you can load up your TravelBank a few times over the years and put it all toward a flight with United.

Our testing suggests that this workaround is still working as of summer 2024. However, be aware that it may not always work, so it's essential to keep an eye on your account activity and credit availability.

If this caught your attention, see: Can I Close a Credit Card Account with a Balance

You can earn 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and on flights booked directly with airlines. This is a great opportunity to rack up points quickly.

The Amex Platinum airline incidental fee credit is a $200 credit that can be used to cover inflight expenses on your selected airline.

To maximize this credit, you'll want to enroll in the program and select your airline before making any purchases.

Some eligible expenses for reimbursement include inflight refreshments and checked bag fees, but airline tickets, gift cards, and points or miles purchases aren't eligible.

You'll automatically be reimbursed in the form of a statement credit within 6 to 8 weeks of the charge posting to your account.

If the statement credit hasn't posted after 8 weeks, it's best to call the number on the back of the card.

The credit is dispersed on January 1st each year and doesn't roll over, so be sure to use it before the end of the year.

You can use the credit to cover expenses like food and drinks on the plane, or even checked bag fees.

On a similar theme: Canadian Credit Card No Foreign Transaction Fees

The Amex Platinum card offers a $200 airline incidental fee credit upon enrollment. You can use this credit to cover inflight expenses on your selected airline, such as inflight refreshments and checked bag fees.

To be eligible for reimbursement, the airline must submit the charge under the appropriate merchant code, industry code, or required service or product identifier. This means that airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, and gift cards aren't eligible for reimbursement.

You can charge these expenses to your Amex Platinum card, and you'll automatically be reimbursed in the form of a statement credit within 6 to 8 weeks of the charge posting to your account. If the statement credit hasn't posted after 8 weeks from the date of purchase, it's best to call the number on the back of the card.

The airline incidental fee credit is dispersed on January 1st each year and doesn't roll over, so you receive the credit once per calendar year. This credit is available on various Amex products, including the Business Platinum Card from American Express and other flavors of Platinum cards.

Here are some of the Amex cards that offer an airline fee credit:

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card also offers up to $200 worth of reimbursement for eligible purchases, dubbed a “flight credit.”

The Amex Platinum Card airline credit offers a range of additional features and services to enhance your travel experience. You can enjoy a complimentary Global Entry or Pre-Check membership, which can save you time and hassle when going through airport security.

With the Amex Platinum Card, you can also get a $200 airline fee credit, which can be used to offset the cost of baggage fees, change fees, and other airline-related expenses. This credit can be a huge money-saver, especially if you fly frequently.

Additionally, the Amex Platinum Card offers a concierge service that can help you with everything from booking flights and hotels to making restaurant reservations and arranging for event tickets.

Suggestion: United Airlines Credit Cards Offers

You can usually avoid phone booking fees by booking online.

Booking award tickets or flights with special routing may require a phone call, resulting in a fee that can be covered by your Amex Platinum card's incidental fee credit.

If you do need to call to book a flight, phone booking fees may apply.

Booking online is often the best way to avoid these fees.

Some instances, like booking award tickets or special routing, may still require a phone call.

In those cases, the Amex Platinum card's incidental fee credit can help cover the cost.

If this caught your attention, see: Credit Cards to Use for Online Validation

Inflight Wi-Fi generally doesn't trigger the incidental fee credit because a third party like Gogo or Panasonic bills it.

However, some airlines like United Airlines do bill Wi-Fi purchases on their own or if you purchase the service through the airline before your flight, which may result in reimbursement.

This can be a confusing aspect of inflight Wi-Fi, but it's worth noting that some airlines may have different billing practices than others.

Intriguing read: Chase Bank United Airlines Credit Card

Day Passes can be a great way to access airport lounges without a membership or credit card that offers lounge access. The passes have a pretty long shelf life, so you can purchase them well in advance.

You can buy lounge passes for airlines like American Airlines and United, with prices ranging from $59 to $79 for a one-day pass. This can be a good option if you know you'll be flying with one of these airlines in the future.

Some American Express credit cards, such as the Platinum card, offer lounge day passes as a benefit. With these cards, you can pay the lounge fee and use your airline credits to cover the cost. This can be a great way to access lounges at airports with limited options.

For example, with the Amex Platinum card, you can get into Delta Sky Clubs for free when flying Delta that day. However, guests now cost an additional $50 per person, so you can use your airline credits to cover their access.

For another approach, see: Why Are Interest Rates so High on Credit Cards

To claim the Amex airline credit, you must enroll in the benefit and select an airline from the list of participating carriers.

You can change your airline selection each calendar year in January, but if you don't, your previous selection will remain the same.

After January, if you haven't redeemed any credits, you can message Amex to change your airline selection.

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.

It can take up to eight weeks for the statement credits to post to your American Express card account.

If you're a Spirit Airlines fan, you'll be happy to know that you can use your Amex airline credit to pick your seat or even upgrade to the Spirit Big Front Seat. This pseudo-first class seat is a great way to make your flight more enjoyable.

Spirit Airlines, along with Frontier, charges a fee for seat selection, but with your Amex Platinum Card, you can use your airline credit to cover the cost.

United Airlines Wi-Fi purchases can also be reimbursed with your Amex airline credit, but only if you purchase the service through the airline before your flight.

Here's a list of charges that typically qualify for the Amex airline credit on Spirit Airlines:

Keep in mind that these credits can add up quickly, especially if you're flying frequently. With your Amex airline credit, you can use your American Express airline credits to pick your seat on dozens of flights each year.