How to use your Amex Platinum points for holiday travel

If you’re sitting on a stash of American Express points or want to spend the new cardmember bonus you earned with The Platinum Card® from American Express, the perfect time to use them is when you’re booking holiday travel plans.

Organize a family getaway, upgrade your honeymoon or simply experience the world from a new destination. Whatever your holiday entails, the trusty Amex Platinum could help you maximize your next vacation.

Here are some of the best ways to use your American Express Membership Rewards and take advantage of key Platinum perks for holiday travel.

Start your vacation with benefits

Having a good vacation begins before your plane takes off, and your Platinum card benefits can come in handy even then. As you’re making plans, use the Amex concierge service to book dining reservations, buy exclusive event tickets or schedule a day at the spa without added hassle.

Once you make it to the airport, check in to one of the Centurion Lounges while you wait for your flight. Start your trip in a comfortable lounge with complimentary food, drinks and other amenities to get your journey off on the right foot.

As a Platinum Card member, you have unlimited complimentary access to the Global Lounge Collection, which includes over 1,500 airport lounges in 140 countries.

Platinum cardholders can also earn an up to $200 annual statement credit to offset charges like baggage fees, seat fees, lounge day passes or in-flight amenity fees when paying with their Amex Platinum card. Platinum cardholders can select Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines or United Airlines for their credit.

Transfer Amex reward points to partners for flights

The best way to maximize the value of your Amex Platinum rewards points is by transferring them to airline loyalty programs, and there are plenty to choose from. That means you’ll save on flights and get access to more route options.

Plus, you could travel farther on your Membership Rewards points by taking advantage of available transfer bonuses through certain airlines. Most transfer partners offer at least a 1:1 redemption ratio, but some airlines offer bonuses of 10 to 50 percent more points or miles when you transfer Amex points to their frequent flyer programs to book your flight.

That’s part of the strategy that Bankrate credit card writer Ryan Flanigan used to get the most from his stash of Amex Membership Rewards points to save thousands on a trip to Australia. He decided to transfer some of the points he earned through Amex welcome offers from several top American Express cards to Qantas. Then he used those points to book flights and got amazing value on first-class tickets.

My 360,000 Qantas points for the trip were worth roughly $7,200. Based on searching several dates in the calendar, the same ticket booked with cash would cost an average of $12,670 per person per direction on the lower end of Qantas’ pricing. Altogether, I secured two roundtrip first-class tickets worth $50,000 for 360,000 points, around 14 cents per point in approximate value.

— Ryan Flanigan
Bankrate credit cards writer

If you’re ready to make the most of your Amex Platinum rewards points like Ryan, here’s the full list of Amex airline transfer partners:

• Amex airline transfer partners
  

  • • Air France-KLM Flying Blue

  • • British Airways Executive Club

  • • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

  • • Qatar Airways Privilege Club

  • • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

  • • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Choose high-value transfers

Being strategic when transferring your Amex points can get you more bang for your buck. Membership Rewards points are worth about 2.0 cents each, according to Bankrate valuations, but the value you get will ultimately depend on how (and even when) you transfer them. If you’re willing to explore several options for booking the same trip, you could save big:

1. If you’ve got your eye on Hawaii, transfer Amex points to Qatar and use Avios to fly to the islands from the West Coast on American or Alaska Airlines for as low as 16,000 Avios each way in economy.
2. If you’d prefer a holiday escape to Africa, transfer points to Etihad to fly from New York (JFK) to Casablanca (CMN) for 45,000 miles one-way in economy or 80,000 miles one-way in business on Royal Air Maroc.
3. Considering an Asian adventure? Transfer points to ANA to fly from Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo for 50,000 points in economy or 105,000 points in business round-trip for a vacation in Japan.

Use Insider Fares on Amex Travel to book flights

If you don’t fully understand the ins and outs of using your Amex Platinum rewards for travel booking with transfer partners, you can always use your points to book fares through Amex Travel. Although it may not provide the best redemption value, for many people it’s easier to grasp than transferring points. Plus, Platinum cardholders earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked with the portal or directly through airlines (up to $500,000 spent annually).

Flanigan has many of the best travel credit cards on the market but finds the Amex Membership Rewards points fit most of his travel plans well.

Platinum cardholders have access to special Insider Fares when paying with points. Log in to your account and use the booking tool to search for flights. Then use the filter to the left of the search results to highlight “Insider Fares.” You’ll earn frequent flyer miles on tickets purchased with points via Amex Travel. That’s different from redeeming airline loyalty points for a flight.

Use Amex Reward points to book hotels

Transfer to hotel programs

Amex has three hotel transfer partners: Hilton, Marriott and Choice Privileges. When booking, compare redemption rates for hotels on Amex Travel to ensure you get the best rate. Transferring your Amex points to hotel programs isn’t usually the best value for your points, but if you really need to use them for hotels, find the redemption you want before transferring.

• Rewards points transfer at a 1:2 ratio for Hilton. Even though you get double the points, Hilton points rates are usually inflated, so it doesn’t always work out in your favor. However, you can get the fifth night free on award stays, and the Platinum card also grants Gold status within the Hilton program, which offers benefits like upgrades and breakfast credits.
• Marriott transfers have a ratio of 1:1. It might be best to save your Amex points for other uses, unless you need to top off your Marriott account. However, the Platinum card gets you Bonvoy Gold status, which means perks like late checkout and upgrades. Plus, you get the fifth night free when paying with points.
• Amex points transfer at 1:1 for Choice Privileges. These properties (think Comfort Inns and Cambria) aren’t luxury hotels but are a solid option when cash rates for accommodation in expensive cities like London or New York are high.

Use Amex Travel to book Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts

Using the Amex Travel Portal for hotels isn’t always the best deal. But booking hotels in the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts portfolio does come with additional perks, like:

• Room upgrades (when available)
• Daily breakfast for two
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• Noon check-in (when available)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• A property experience credit worth $100

Plus, Platinum cardholders who book Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts or Hotel Collection properties with cash get up to $200 statement credit annually (two-night minimum required for Hotel Collection stays).

Don’t forget to check your Amex Offers, which may feature statement credits or discounts for booking specific hotel brands like Hilton Mexico or IHG Kimpton properties. Keep an eye on the Amex Travel homepage for additional hotel offers, too.

Use Amex Travel to book cruises and car rentals

Cruises

Booking cruises using the Pay with Points feature of Amex Travel isn’t the most lucrative option. You’ll get a fixed value of 0.7 cents per point, and it’s best to extract a value of at least 1 or 2 cents per point. But, you may earn perks like statement credits or discounts depending on current promotions, which vary by cruise and cruise line.

Car rentals

You can use the Pay with Points feature when booking prepaid car rentals through Amex Travel, though it’s not the best-value use of your points unless you’ve enrolled in a membership account with a specific rental car company. The Platinum card grants Hertz Gold Plus Reward status, which offers discounts and upgrades. You’ll also find special offers and discounts when you have a linked membership account through Avis or National, which could earn you free rental days or upgrades.

When booking a rental car through Amex Travel, log in to your account, select the travel option at the top of the page, then select “Book a Trip.” When selecting the dates and location for your trip, make sure to choose the Cars option. The search will pull up available rental cars matching your criteria, and you’ll see the total monetary price and the price with Membership Rewards Points underneath.

Upgrade your trip

Here are a few more ways to boost your trip experience:

• Flight upgrades using Amex points
  

  When booking travel on your Amex Platinum, make sure it’s on one of the airlines where Amex allows upgrades. After you’ve booked a flight through Amex Travel, you’ll have the option to upgrade if you booked with an eligible airline.

  After logging in to Amex Travel, upgrade your flight by selecting your flight or providing the reservation details and selecting the option to explore upgrades. From there, you’ll see the option to pay the monetary value of the upgrade or pay with Membership Rewards. You may also have the option to bid for an upgrade which allows you to submit an offer to the airline, and it has the choice to accept or decline your offer.

  Not all flights booked through Amex Travel are eligible for upgrade, so you won’t see the option to upgrade your flight if it’s not eligible.

• Lounge access
  

  Amex Platinum cardholders have access to the Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges and the Priority Pass Select network, among others, when traveling. Depending on the lounge, you can enjoy complimentary food and beverages, Wi-Fi and other premium amenities.

• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck and Clear
  

  Make your check-in process at the airport smoother by signing up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. American Express provides up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or up to $85 every four and a half years for TSA PreCheck, which covers the full application fee for either.

  Platinum cardholders are also eligible for up to $199 in statement credit annually for Clear Plus membership. This membership, combined with TSA Precheck (which is included with Global Entry), could make your airport security process a breeze.

The bottom line

No matter where you choose to travel over the holidays, booking with your Amex Platinum or using points earned with that card for holiday travel can save you money and make planning easier.

When you take full advantage of the statement credit opportunities, airport lounge access, transfer bonuses and Insider Fares, you’ll make the annual fee worth it — and create memories you aren’t soon to forget.