I had gotten a call the other day from an Amex Rep who offered me to upgrade my current Amex Business Gold to an Amex Business Platinum Card. I would get 30k Amex Reward points after I spend $10k in 5 months and it would come with a $450 annual fee. Currently the best offer out there is 25k points for this card. So why in the world would I get this “expensive” card? Perks! And I would have a chance to recoup the cost + an extra $50.
How is this so? Well here are the perks:
$200 Annual Airline Credit– You get a credit of $200 per calendar year (Jan-Dec) for a select airline on incidental charges made on your card such as same day change fee, luggage fee, in-flight drink etc. Many have had success buying airline gift cards and receiving the credit from Amex. The airline must be chosen when activating your card or if you can’t decide then, you can choose online here and it cannot be changed until January of the following year. Since I applied in Oct, I will be able to get $200 credit now and $200 credit in Jan which is a recoup of $400. Here is the list of eligible airlines: Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Airtran, United, US Airways, & Spirit.
Global Entry Reimbursement– You get reimbursed the $100 Global Entry Fee when you pay with your Amex Plat Card. Once you have Global Entry, you will then be eligible for TSA Pre-check as well which will speed up your security process. Here are some helpful FAQs about TSA Pre-check. This $100+$400 from above will net me with $50 credit on my Amex Plat card.
Airport Lounge Access– You + Spouse and children or up to 2 guest get access to Delta and American lounges when you are ticketed with the airline and access to US Airways lounges no matter who you fly. Just show your card and ticket. You also get free access to Priority Pass lounges. To gain access, let the rep know when you activate your card or you can do so online here. A guest can join you at these lounges for $27. You also get access to Airspace lounges located at BWI, CLE, & JFK and Centurion Lounges +2 guests at LAS & DFW. Check out these great reviews for the LAS lounge and DFW lounge opened on Oct 15, 13.
SPG Gold Preferred Status- Gold status gets you bonus points on paid and award stays, free wifi, room upgrades, and 4pm late checkout. To enroll you must call this # 1-800-525-3355.
Access to Fine Hotel & Resorts– You get to book at select hotel locations through this website which give perks such as $100 dinning or spa credit and select hotels have 3,4, or 5th day free.
No Foreign Transaction Fees– Save money internationally by not having to worry about foreign transaction fees.
Purchase Protection & Extended Warranty-Eligible purchases can be protected against accidental damage, loss or theft for up to 90 days from the date of purchase. Here is the website for claim assistance and more information.
Car Rental Benefits– Get additional benefits with Avis, Hertz & National. Check out this webpage for additional information and to enroll. You also get car rental loss & damage insurance when you reserve and pay with the Amex Plat card. Coverage not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica and New Zealand.
There are many other benefits with the card and you can find them all here.
I can’t wait to take advantage of all these perks with the card. I was waiting until later in the year to apply but there is no guarantee that the bonus will increase. The current best offer out there is 25k points with a 5k spend in 3 months which is still pretty good!
Disclaimer: I receive commission if you apply and are approved using my links. Thank you graciously for your support and hope you are able to get as much out of these cards as I have.