Save Money on Travel with the American Express Platinum Card
Traveling can be an expensive hobby, but with the right tools and strategies, it doesn’t have to break the bank. One of my favorite life hacks is how I save money on travel with the American Express Platinum Card. Let’s dive into how this card can help you save money and make the most of your travel budget!
Travel Hacks with the American Express Platinum Card
First off, let’s talk about what the American Express Platinum Card is. It’s a premium credit card that comes with an annual fee, but it also offers a ton of benefits that can help offset that cost. Some of these benefits include airport lounge access, travel credits, and hotel perks, just to name a few.
Airport Lounge Access
One of the best perks of the American Express Platinum Card is access to airport lounges around the world. This benefit can save you money on food and drinks at the airport. Most airport lounges offer complimentary food and drinks. Plus, lounges are generally quieter and more comfortable than the main airport terminal, so you can relax before your flight or during a layover.
As a cardholder, you can access over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge network, Priority Pass Selecta and Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta).
Travel Credits
The American Express Platinum Card comes with tons of travel credits that can help you offset the card’s annual fee. These credits include an airline fee credit, a hotel credit and a credit for booking through Amex Travel. Depending on your travel habits, these credits can save you hundreds of dollars each year.
A few examples include a $200 airline fee credit (you pick the airline) and a $200 Uber credit (which can be used for Uber rides or Uber Eats).
Hotel Perks
When you book a stay at a participating hotel through the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program, you’ll receive a range of perks. Like room upgrades, late check-out, free parking, additional free nights and daily breakfast for two.
I’ve also found a ton of property amenities – like spa credits or food and beverage credits. This feature includes over 1,000 luxury hotels around the world.
Travel Insurance
The American Express Platinum Card also comes with a range of travel insurance benefits, including trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance and baggage insurance. These benefits can provide peace of mind when you’re traveling, knowing that you’re covered in case of unexpected events.
I’ve used to baggage insurance a few times in recent years when my baggage was damaged and the airline wouldn’t reimburse me.
Travel Concierge Service
The AMEX Platinum Card gives you access to a 24/7 concierge service, which can help you with travel planning, restaurant reservations, and other travel-related needs. Basically, you get a free travel agent with your membership!
Travel Fee Credits
The card offers a statement credit (meaning you get reimbursed) for the application fee for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. That’s a $100 back in your account! These programs can help expedite your airport security process, saving you time and stress!
These are just a few of the ways the American Express Platinum Card can help you save money. There are a ton of other perks in addition to travel that I can dive into in another post.
A few other tips for saving money:
- Plan ahead: Take advantage of the card’s travel credits by booking flights and hotels through Amex Travel. Be sure to use the airline fee credit before the end of the year. Aka, use it or lose it!
- Use airport lounges: Before your trip, research the lounges available at the airports you’ll be visiting and plan to arrive early to take advantage of the complimentary food and drinks! I like knowing which lounges have the best amenities before I get to the airport.
- Book through Fine Hotels & Resorts: When booking a hotel, look for participating hotels in the Fine Hotels & Resorts program to take advantage of those extra perks and credits.
I’ve had my American Express Platinum Card for about 5 years and have found it to be a valuable tool for saving money while traveling. With airport lounge access, travel credits, hotel perks and travel insurance benefits, this card can help you make the most of your travel experience. The trick is to do your research, plan ahead and read the fine print to get the most out of its benefits!
How to Get the American Express Platinum Card
Start here, by applying for the American Express Platinum Card. Bonus, this link gets you an additional 120,000 membership rewards points when you sign up. Those points can be used to book or upgrade travel too!
When opting in, you can choose either an American Express Personal or Business card, depending on what you’ll use it for. Each card has slightly different benefits and rewards you’ll want to review.
Next Up: How to Save Money Using Hotwire