BGR has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. BGR and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and some may no longer be available.If you were recently approved for The Platinum Card® from American Express, congratulations are certainly in order. But so is a reminder of the incredible slew of perks and card benefits now available to you, including everything from 5x points on everything from airfare and hotels booked through American Express Travel, up to $200 in annual Uber credits and more.In this post, we’ll walk through the myriad ways you can quickly start to take advantage of the Amex Platinum and how to squeeze every bit of value out of it that you can, in spite of the hefty $550 annual fee that we’ll argue the benefits easily outweigh. Frequent travelers — you, especially should pay attention, because a number of these are for you. Indeed, many of these benefits should be taken advantage of right away.
Some of our favorite travel perks
The Amex Platinum has a ton of travel-related benefits, and our favorites include the annual $200 airline fee credit for one airline, which you choose on the Amex website. The nice thing about this is not only is it a credit you get every calendar year, but you can also use it twice during your first year as a cardmember. That’s a $400 return this card gives you in the first 365 days … from this single benefit alone. You can use the credit for fees including airline lounge passes and checked bags.In addition to this, you’ll also get $200 in Uber credits each year. They’ll be parceled out as $15 in credit to use each month, with an extra $20 in December. However, we should point out that you won’t get the credit automatically. You’ll need to request to use your credit by opting to pay with Uber Cash. Also, credits can be applied to rides within the US, and if you don’t use the credit at the end of each month, it’s gone, so do be aware of that.
- To make all that a bit easier, here’s a handy guide to all the lounges you can get into with the Amex Platinum.
Hotel stays and car rentals
The Amex Platinum allows you to request Gold Status from the Hilton and Marriott hotel chains, though you’ll need to manually enroll in each one to get the benefits of Gold status from the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs. It’s definitely a valuable benefit — based on calculations from The Points Guy, Hilton Honors Gold status is valued at $1,040, a little better than Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status which is valued at $725, assuming you spend a certain number of nights at each chain’s hotels.Meanwhile, you can also use the Amex Platinum to enroll in elite status with several car rental programs, such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status. You’ll need to enroll for each program on the Amex website, but, again, this is yet another perk travelers will definitely want to take advantage of.
A few additional benefits to note
As if all of the above wasn’t enough, you can also use the Amex Platinum to get up to $100 in statement credits each your for purchases you make using your Platinum Card at either Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com. The fact that the card lets you add up to three authorized users (for a total of $175 per year) is also another way you can make sure you’re maximizing all the value this card makes available.Even better, your Amex Platinum can also be the gateway to your own personal luxury concierge. As a cardmember, you can access a special phone service that helps you book high-demand restaurants and events, as well as finding a perfect dinner spot or even delivering items on demand. Pro tip: When you sign up for this benefit, make sure you select the option for texting, which adds a whole new level of convenience to your concierge service.
Bottom Line
If you’re a frequent or even semi-frequent traveler, we recommend this card wholeheartedly. Just running down the list of all the perks it makes available has us practically planning our next vacation. From the annual airline fee credit to benefits like complimentary Global Entry, Uber credits, Marriott Gold elite status, and Hilton Honors Gold status, it’s easy to get tons of value from the card to offset its $550 annual fee, and then some.
