4 Reasons to Always Use Your Amex Platinum Card to Buy Airline Tickets

Published on Dec. 10, 2024

Brittney Myers

By: Brittney Myers

Writer

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KEY POINTS

  • Cardholders earn up to 5X points per $1 on eligible airfare purchases.
  • Trips paid for with your card have delay, interruption, and cancellation insurances.
  • Skip the extra cost on international airfare thanks to no foreign transaction fees.

I'll be the first to admit I don't use my Amex Platinum Card on any sort of regular basis. It's definitely not an everyday card, in any sense of the word.

Despite that, I still renew my card every year. I get so much value out of the perks and benefits that it's been an easy decision each time. And with the current high welcome bonuses out there, I'd get it again if I could.

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The Platinum Card® from American Express

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The Platinum Card® from American Express
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4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
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Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.

1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points

Annual Fee

$695

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 Membership Rewards® Points

  • This luxury travel card has some of the most prestigious perks you'll find — access to over 1,400 airport lounges, elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required), and spending credits worth over $1,500 in value every year. Just be ready for the hefty annual fee, which can be offset in the first year with a welcome bonus worth $800 in points. Terms apply.

    • Big welcome offer
    • Substantial spending credits
    • Airport lounge access
    • Hotel benefits
    • Flexible travel points
    • Annual fee
    • Limited bonus categories
    • Spending credits can be complicated to manage
    • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
    • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
    • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
    • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
    • The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
    • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
    • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
    • $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
    • $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
    • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
    • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
    • Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
    • $695 annual fee.
    • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
    • Terms Apply.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip delay and cancellation insurance and cell phone protection underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Extended warranty, purchase protection, car rental insurance, and baggage insurance underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

While I'm not using it every day, I do still bust out my Amex Platinum Card at least a few times a year for one specific purchase: airline tickets. Here's why it's my go-to card for every flight.

1. Earning 5X points per dollar

If there were nothing else, the fact that I earn 5X Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights is a big reason to use your Amex Platinum Card (see rates and fees; terms apply). You can compare our other top travel rewards cards to see how it stacks up.

The 5X rate only applies to flights purchased directly from the airlines (or through amextravel.com), but you should really be booking direct anyway. (You earn miles and problems are easier to resolve.) Also, the 5X rate is capped at $500,000 in eligible purchase per year, which seems reasonable to me! Terms apply.

Membership Rewards are versatile travel rewards that can be transferred to a variety of travel partners for free flights and hotel stays. I personally value them at about $0.015 each, though I've gotten twice that from international business class flights.

2. Peace of mind from travel insurance

Another excellent reason to use your Amex Platinum Card to pay for your flights is for the travel insurance. This includes coverages for a variety of situations, including:

  • Trip cancellation or interruption coverage: If your trip is cancelled before you leave, or cut short while you're on it, then this coverage could reimburse you for eligible nonrefundable flights.
  • Trip delay coverage: You could get reimbursed for associated costs, such as food or accommodations if your flight is delayed by more than six hours.
  • Lost luggage reimbursement: This coverage could reimburse you if your luggage is lost by the airline.
  • Terms apply

Check your card's terms and conditions to see the coverage maximums for each type of travel insurance offered.

All of these coverages require you to pay for your full round-trip transportation with your Amex Platinum Card. (You can also use points or miles to pay for part of the travel as long as the remaining balance is paid on your Amex Platinum Card.)

3. No foreign transaction fees

You can often find great deals on travel abroad when you use regional airlines. And by using your Amex Platinum Card (see rates and fees) to pay for them, you won't need to worry about being hit with a hefty foreign transaction fee.

The problem? Buying airfare from an airline that operates out of the country could mean you're charged in a foreign currency or that your transaction will route through a foreign bank. Cards with foreign transaction fees typically charge an extra 3% fee on these purchases.

Defense is the best offense here, so avoid foreign transaction fees by using a card that doesn't charge them in the first place.

4. Using up your annual airline fee credit

Alright, so this one isn't specifically a reason to buy your airline tickets with your card, since the statement credit won't apply to regular airfare purchases. However, it is a good reason to use your Amex Platinum Card for airline purchases in general.

Cardholders get an annual airline fee credit of up to $200 for their preferred airline (terms apply; enrollment required). Here are the types of purchases that qualify:

  • Checked bag fees
  • Seat assignment fees
  • Itinerary change fees
  • Pet flight fees
  • In-flight food and beverage
  • Phone reservation fees
  • Airport lounge passes

These fees typically need to be charged as a separate transaction from your airfare to trigger the statement credit, so keep that in mind when booking and paying.

An excellent airline rewards card

I think a lot of folks' first impression of the Amex Platinum Card is probably the flashy perks, like the airport lounge access (terms apply). As awesome as that lounge access is -- and I love it, I do -- it's hardly the only factor that makes this card so popular with frequent travelers.

The rewards you can earn, insurance you can enjoy, and fees you can avoid are all excellent reasons to always use your Amex Platinum Card to pay for flights.

Our Research Expert

Brittney Myers
Brittney Myers icon-button-linkedin-2x

Brittney is a data-obsessed finance nerd whose personal credit card collection is in the double digits. She has been sharing personal finance advice with readers since 2016.