The last couple years has been records in the travel industry. Airports and airlines saw at or close to record levels of passengers. With many more people flying, going through security, and crowded airport spaces, the whole flying experience may be stressful to some. Gone are the days when flying was a “fun” activity.
But that doesn’t have to be the case. There are ways to make the travel journey pleasant. Do you notice travelers who enter behind sliding doors to airline lounges and clubs … and think, “how do I get access to the clubs?” Many believe that you must be a frequent flyer and attain airline status to get access. But that is simply not the case.
While you can purchase annual membership to airline lounge, you would need to cough up upwards or $400 or more for access. For example, access to Delta Sky Club for individual membership is $495 per year. But there’s a way to get it complimentary.
Here’s why I recommend the American Express Personal Platinum credit card for your travels:
1. Need to get to the airport, but don’t want to use public transportation? Uber is now partnered with Amex Platinum card to offer $200 ride credits per year when you charge your Uber ride with your card.
2. You can apply for Global Entry and when you use your card to charge the application fee of $100, they will reimburse the cost. Global Entry would also include TSA Precheck. Skip those long security lines at the airport!
Personal tip: be sure to be flexible with interview schedules when you get conditionally approved. For example, since I live in Big Island, the only closest enrollment center is in Honolulu airport. That being said, there was no available time until 5 months later! Which is quite sometime. Luckily, I had mainland travel plans, so I was able to schedule a 7AM interview time at JFK airport.
3. American Express has their own branded airport lounges called Centurion lounges. For now, these are at select airport across the US and around the world. They are known to be one of the best airport lounges with sleek/modern designs with wide assortment of refreshments and food. Just simply present your Amex Platinum card.
If you book a ticket with Delta, you have complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs where there is one available at given airport. Remember that individual Delta Sky Club membership is retailed at $495 per year. This membership comes complimentary with the Amex Platinum card. Again, simply present your Amex Platinum card and same-day Delta boarding pass.
And lastly, you get complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges around the world with the Priority Pass Select card. Present your Priority Pass Select card and same-day airline boarding pass (can be with any airline). You also have option to bring up to two guests complimentary. The highest level Priority Pass Prestige retails at $399 per year, again complimentary with Amex Platinum card.
Special tip in case you don’t have your Priority Pass Select card is to download the Priority Pass app, and you can use the digital form of the card to gain lounge access. This option is apparently only available to Amex Platinum card holders (along with Citi Prestige card holders, Chase Sapphire Reserve card holders do not have this option).
4. Amex Platinum card holders also get a $200 per year airline “incidental” fee credit. The catch is, you can only select one airline, and you will be stuck with that airline until it resets every January, from which you can then select the same airline or choose another.
What does incidental fee credit mean? First off, the Amex Platinum website mostly lists what “isn’t” included which is: airline tickets, upgrades, award tickets, gift cards, duty-free items etc. So what exactly can you use it for credit? Baggage fees, seat assignment fees, on-board food/beverages along with on-board entertainment fees, and airline ticket change fees are some of what can be credited.
What I find most valuable with this is that the credit can be applied to airline lounge day passes and annual membership fees. You might be thinking, well doesn’t the Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club, and Priority Pass pretty much cover majority of airports? The thing is, it may or may not. For me, I sought to use the credit to cover the cost of Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club membership valued at $299 so that I’d have lounge access in the local inter-island airports. The Priority Pass actually gives complimentary access to the nicer Plumeria Lounge, but I wanted access to the rest of the Premier Club network. But luckily, I don’t have to pay the full fee for it.
Again, everyone has personal preference for airline choice and where one would like to apply the airline fee credit to.
5. Amex Platinum card holders also get complimentary access to Boingo wireless internet network anywhere around the world! The Boingo Global plan retails at $39/month, which is $468 if you pay for whole year. That is major for me, especially as digital nomad needing internet connections. Boingo isn’t only located at airports, but also across many different establishments such as restaurants, stadiums etc. Quite helpful if you need access to internet.
The above 5 are pretty much the main features that I personally find value that make up for the Amex Platinum annual membership fee. And what might that fee be?
It’s $550 per year. That may come across steep for some people, but if you use at least 2 of the benefits above, you’ll more than make up for the annual card fee that you paid for.
Here’s the tally of what I’d have to pay if I purchased separately each of the items:
Global Entry Fee - $100 one time fee
Delta Sky Club Individual Annual Fee - $495 yearly membership
Priority Pass Select Fee (can’t be bought, but we’ll use Prestige rate) - $399 yearly membership
Airline Fee Credit (in my case, I’ll use Hawaiian Premier Club cost) - $299 yearly membership (full cost without the $200 fee credit)
Boingo Wireless Fee (Total Annual at $39/month) - $468 for whole year
Uber Rides (cap is $15/month fee credit with bonus additional $15 fee credit in December) - $195 (though reality, rides will be much more than just $15 per Uber ride)
Total: $1,956
That total there TOTALLY makes up for the premium card fee of $550 – which I’ll gladly pay each year to maintain these Amex Platinum benefits.
The other benefits I find helpful include:
1. 60,000 bonus points with the Amex Membership Rewards program. While I usually don’t book flights or hotels through bank credit card booking systems, these points can be lucratively transferred to qualified airline mileage point accounts.
I’ve been told that also with targeted offers that Amex Platinum card can offer upwards of 100,000 bonus points, but that is rare with 60,000 points as most welcome card offer. These bonus points can only be received once in lifetime, so unlike other branded bonus point credit cards, you cannot cancel this card, and then reapply to get the points again, ever.
2. Automatic status with car rentals such as Avis Preferred, National Emerald, and Hertz Gold. Basically, they get you to their respective next status so that you can skip lines and get better rates on car rentals, usually anywhere from 20% to 25% off.
3. Automatic status with Hilton Honors Gold and Starwood Preferred Guest Gold member status. Depending on hotel brand, benefits may include late check-out time, upgraded room where available, more hotel bonus points, and complimentary internet access.
The above 8 Amex Platinum card benefits overall is why I recommend this card to anyone that travels frequently or semi-frequently. There are many other card benefits, but these 8 stand out particularly for me, so please make sure when you evaluate this card, that it “fits” with your own personal travel style. I listed out the examples on how it benefits me, so perhaps some or all of these card benefits will similarly benefit you.
It’s a no-brainer in terms of the card benefits and costs that you’d save.
I luckily applied and received the card 3 weeks prior to the start of my 2017 Europe Summer journey. Once I received the card, I immediately connected it up with my existing Amex online account and started enrolling into the benefits of the Platinum card. Benefits you can immediately enroll in include: Priority Pass Select, $200 Airline Fee Credit, Hilton Honors, Starwood Preferred Guest, Boingo Internet, Partner Car Rentals. Global Entry fee will be reimbursed once you charge the application fee with the card and Uber fee will be credited to your statement upwards of $15 per month.
Have any questions you’d like to ask me on how I personally use the benefits with Amex Platinum and how this card can benefit YOU? Don’t hesitate to comment below or privately reach out to me! I love, LOVE this card so much so I don’t mind sharing my personal knowledge and experience using it.
Disclaimer: That being said, I will always update this recommendation as I see fit if the program loses or adds services. So this review is completely unbiased.
If you are interested in applying for the card, feel free to go and apply for the card now!
Keep in mind, the other three competing cards that offer similar benefits, but nowhere near the amount that Amex Platinum card offers includes the Citi Prestige and Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Also be sure to decide if you will apply to the Personal Amex Platinum card or Business Amex Platinum card. Both cards have similar benefits, but there are slight differences. The value with the Personal Amex Platinum card is better than the Business version personally.
Hope the above examples helps YOU make the travel journey, airport experience, and flying all that much more enjoyable and away from the crowds!
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If you have the Amex Platinum card, what benefits do you enjoy?
Just comment and let me know if you guys have any questions that you want me to address.
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