American Express Travel isn't just another online travel agency; it's a dedicated portal and suite of services designed specifically for Amex Cardmembers, offering unique benefits, ways to earn and redeem points, and premium travel experiences that often aren't available elsewhere. It's how Amex cardholders can truly leverage their card benefits for everything from basic flight bookings to luxurious hotel stays.
Step 1: Discover Your Amex Travel Benefits (and Get Engaged!)
Before you even think about booking, let's unlock the full potential of your American Express Card! Did you know your specific Amex card might offer a treasure trove of travel perks you're not even aware of? Many cardmembers leave valuable benefits on the table. So, let's start by identifying what's in your wallet.
-
Identify Your Card: What American Express Card do you hold? Is it a Platinum Card®, a Gold Card®, a Green Card®, or a co-branded card (like a Delta SkyMiles® Card or Hilton Honors American Express Card)? Each card comes with its own unique set of travel benefits and earning structures.
-
Log In and Explore: The best way to see your personalized benefits is to log in to your American Express online account. Once there, navigate to the "Benefits" or "Travel" section. You'll find a detailed breakdown of what your card offers, including:
-
Membership Rewards® earning rates: How many points do you earn per dollar spent on travel?
-
Statement credits: Are there annual credits for hotels, airlines, or other travel expenses?
-
Lounge access: Does your card provide access to airport lounges?
-
Special programs: Do you qualify for programs like Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection?
-
-
Pro Tip: Don't just skim! Some benefits require enrollment or pre-selection of an airline or hotel. Take a few minutes to ensure you've activated everything you're eligible for. This simple step can save you hundreds of dollars and unlock incredible experiences.
 |
| How Does American Express Travel Work |
Step 2: Navigating the American Express Travel Portal
The heart of American Express Travel is its online portal, AmexTravel.com. Think of it as your personalized gateway to booking flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and even vacation packages.
Getting Started with the Portal
-
Accessing the Portal:
-
Go to AmexTravel.com or access it directly through your main American Express online account.
-
Log in using your existing American Express username and password. This ensures that your card benefits and Membership Rewards points are automatically linked.
-
-
Choosing Your Travel Type:
-
Once logged in, you'll see various tabs at the top of the page, typically including:
-
Flights: For booking airfare.
-
Hotels: For securing accommodations.
-
Vacation Rentals: For longer stays in homes or apartments.
-
Cars: For reserving rental vehicles.
-
Packages: To bundle flight + hotel, flight + car, or hotel + car.
-
Cruises: For booking voyages.
-
-
Searching for Your Trip
-
Enter Details: Just like any other online travel agency (OTA), you'll input your destination, dates, number of travelers, and any other relevant search criteria.
-
Filter and Sort: Use the extensive filtering options to narrow down your results by price, airline, hotel chain, amenities, star rating, and more.
-
Look for Amex-Specific Designations: Pay attention to special badges or notes on hotel listings, such as "Fine Hotels + Resorts" or "The Hotel Collection," which indicate eligibility for enhanced benefits.
Step 3: Booking Flights through Amex Travel ✈️
Booking flights with Amex Travel can be particularly rewarding, especially for those with premium cards.
Earning Points on Flights
-
Enhanced Earning Rates: Certain Amex cards offer boosted Membership Rewards points on flight bookings. For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express often earns 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com (up to a spending cap).
-
Pay with Points: You have the option to pay for your flights entirely with Membership Rewards points, or use a combination of points and your Amex card. When redeeming points for flights through the portal, they typically have a value of 1 cent per point.
Tip: Reading in short bursts can keep focus high.
Special Flight Programs
-
International Airline Program (IAP): If you hold a Platinum Card® or Business Platinum Card®, you can access the International Airline Program. This exclusive benefit offers discounted fares on First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy tickets with select international airlines.
-
How it Works: These fares are usually lower than what you'd find publicly. You can book for yourself and up to seven companions. While a non-refundable ticketing fee (around $39) might apply, the savings usually outweigh it significantly.
-
Participating Airlines: The list of participating airlines changes, but often includes major carriers like British Airways, Emirates, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines.
-
-
Upgrading Flights with Points: In some cases, you can use your Membership Rewards points to upgrade eligible flights. The value is typically 1 cent per point. You'll provide your reservation details, and if eligible, you can submit an offer to the airline for the upgrade.
Step 4: Securing Hotels with Amex Travel
Hotels are where American Express Travel truly shines, especially for luxury travelers.
General Hotel Bookings
-
Earn Points: Similar to flights, you'll earn Membership Rewards points on hotel bookings. For example, the Platinum Card® earns 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.
-
Pay with Points: You can use Membership Rewards points to pay for all or part of your hotel stay. However, note that the redemption value for hotels (outside of Fine Hotels + Resorts) is often 0.7 cents per point, which is generally lower than what you might get by transferring points to hotel loyalty programs.
Elite Hotel Programs
-
Fine Hotels + Resorts® (FHR): This is arguably one of the most celebrated benefits for Platinum Card® and Business Platinum Card® holders.
-
What it Offers: When you book a stay at an FHR property through Amex Travel, you receive an average of $550 in value per stay, including:
-
Daily breakfast for two.
-
Room upgrade upon arrival (when available).
-
$100 experience credit (e.g., dining, spa, resort credit, varies by property).
-
Guaranteed 4 PM late checkout.
-
Noon check-in (when available).
-
Complimentary Wi-Fi.
-
-
How to Book: Simply search for hotels on AmexTravel.com and filter for "Fine Hotels + Resorts."
-
-
The Hotel Collection: Available to Platinum Card® and Gold Card® members, this program offers different, but still valuable, perks for stays of two consecutive nights or more.
-
What it Offers:
-
$100 hotel credit for eligible dining, spa, or resort activities.
-
Room upgrade upon arrival (when available).
-
-
Note: The benefits are slightly less extensive than FHR, but The Hotel Collection features a broader range of properties and is accessible to Gold Card members.
-
Step 5: Car Rentals and Cruises
Amex Travel extends beyond flights and hotels to cover other significant travel components.
Car Rentals
-
Booking through the Portal: You can easily search and book car rentals from various providers directly on AmexTravel.com.
-
Earn Points: You'll earn Membership Rewards points on car rental bookings made through the portal.
-
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: Many American Express cards offer secondary car rental loss and damage insurance when you pay for the entire rental with your card and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver (CDW). Always check your specific card's benefits guide for details, as coverage varies.
Cruises
-
Cruise Privileges Program: Amex offers a Cruise Privileges Program for eligible Cardmembers.
-
Benefits: These can include:
-
Onboard credits (e.g., $300 per stateroom).
-
Special amenities specific to the cruise line or itinerary.
-
Enhanced earning rates (e.g., 2x Membership Rewards points per dollar).
-
-
Booking: You can book cruises through the Amex Travel portal or by calling the dedicated Amex Travel service.
Tip: Reading carefully reduces re-reading.
Step 6: Redeeming Membership Rewards Points Wisely ✨
While paying with points directly on AmexTravel.com is convenient, it's not always the best value.
Transferring Points to Partners (Often Best Value)
-
Airline and Hotel Transfer Partners: American Express Membership Rewards points are highly valuable because you can transfer them to over 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs. This often yields a much higher value per point compared to booking directly through the Amex Travel portal, especially for business or first-class flights and luxury hotel stays.
-
Example: Transferring points to a program like Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer or Air Canada Aeroplan for a premium cabin flight could give you 2 cents per point or more in value, whereas booking the same flight on Amex Travel might only give you 1 cent per point.
-
Hotel Example: Transferring to Hilton Honors can yield 2 Hilton Honors points for every 1 Membership Rewards point, which can be great for high-end Hilton properties.
-
-
How to Transfer:
-
Log in to your Amex account and go to the Membership Rewards section.
-
Select "Transfer Points."
-
Choose your desired airline or hotel partner.
-
Link your loyalty program account (if not already linked).
-
Enter the number of points you wish to transfer.
-
Important: Transfers are usually irreversible, and processing times can vary, so plan ahead for award bookings.
-
Pay with Points (Convenient, but Lower Value)
-
Direct Redemption on AmexTravel.com: As mentioned, you can use points to cover travel expenses directly on the portal.
-
Flights: Typically 1 cent per point.
-
Hotels, Car Rentals, Cruises, Vacation Packages: Usually 0.7 cents per point.
-
-
Partial Payments: You can also choose to pay a portion of your trip with points and the rest with your Amex card.
-
When to use Pay with Points: It's best for situations where you don't have enough points for a full transfer, or when the cash price for a flight is particularly low, making the 1 cent per point value competitive. For hotels, it's generally not the best redemption unless you have specific credits (like the Platinum Card's hotel credit) that make it worthwhile.
Step 7: Leveraging Travel Insurance and Support ️
American Express cards, especially premium ones, often come with a suite of travel insurance benefits and support services that can provide peace of mind.
Travel Insurance Benefits (Check Your Card's Guide to Benefits)
-
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: Reimburses non-refundable travel expenses if your trip is canceled or interrupted due to covered reasons (e.g., illness, severe weather).
-
Trip Delay Insurance: Provides coverage for reasonable expenses (like meals and lodging) if your trip is delayed for a specified period (e.g., 6 hours).
-
Baggage Insurance Plan: Covers lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when the entire fare is charged to your eligible card.
-
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: (As mentioned earlier) secondary coverage for damage or theft of a rental vehicle.
-
Global Assist Hotline: A 24/7 hotline for emergency assistance when you're traveling more than 100 miles from home. They can help with medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wire services, passport replacement, and more.
Customer Service Excellence
-
American Express is known for its strong customer service. If you encounter issues with a booking made through Amex Travel, their dedicated travel specialists can often assist.
-
For Platinum and Centurion Cardmembers, there's a specialized travel service that offers personalized assistance and concierge-level support for complex itineraries or specific requests.
Step 8: Maximizing Your Amex Travel Experience
To truly get the most out of American Express Travel, consider these strategies:
QuickTip: Ask yourself what the author is trying to say.
-
Combine Benefits: Stack your card's benefits! For example, use your Platinum Card's annual hotel credit for a Fine Hotels + Resorts booking to get both the credit and the FHR perks.
-
Strategic Point Redemption: Don't always default to "Pay with Points" on the portal. Always compare the value you'd get by transferring points to airline or hotel partners, especially for higher-value redemptions like international business class flights.
-
Utilize Annual Credits: Set reminders to use your annual airline fee credits, hotel credits, or Uber Cash (for Platinum) to offset the annual fee and maximize value. These credits often reset annually, so don't let them go to waste!
-
Be Flexible: If your travel dates are flexible, you might find better deals or award availability, allowing you to stretch your points further or get more value from your benefits.
-
Stay Informed: American Express frequently updates its benefits and offers. Regularly check your online account and Amex emails for new opportunities to save or earn.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to Use American Express Travel for Flights?
You can book flights by navigating to the "Flights" tab on AmexTravel.com, entering your departure and arrival details, and selecting your preferred itinerary. You can pay with your Amex card, Membership Rewards points, or a combination of both.
How to Book Hotels with Amex Travel and Get Benefits?
Log in to AmexTravel.com, select "Hotels," and search for your destination. Look for "Fine Hotels + Resorts" or "The Hotel Collection" flags if your card qualifies, as these offer significant perks like daily breakfast, room upgrades, and property credits.
How to Use Membership Rewards Points for Travel?
You can use Membership Rewards points directly on AmexTravel.com (typically 1 cent/point for flights, 0.7 cents/point for hotels/cars/cruises) or, for potentially higher value, transfer them to Amex's airline and hotel loyalty partners before booking with the partner program.
How to Access Airport Lounges with My Amex Card?
If your Amex card (e.g., Platinum Card) offers lounge access, you typically just need to present your valid Amex card and a same-day boarding pass at participating lounges like Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment often required), Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), and more.
How to Get the Fine Hotels + Resorts Benefits?
QuickTip: Repetition reinforces learning.
You must be a Platinum Card® or Business Platinum Card® member and book an eligible Fine Hotels + Resorts property directly through AmexTravel.com. The benefits are automatically applied to your booking.
How to Apply Amex Travel Credits?
Many Amex travel credits (like the $200 airline fee credit or $200 hotel credit on the Platinum Card) are applied as statement credits after you make a qualifying purchase with your eligible Amex card. Some may require prior enrollment through your Amex online account.
How to Book Car Rentals with American Express Travel?
Go to the "Cars" tab on AmexTravel.com, enter your pickup and drop-off locations and dates, and select from the available rental car options. You can pay with your Amex card or points.
How to Change or Cancel an Amex Travel Booking?
You can typically manage your bookings by logging into AmexTravel.com and going to the "Manage My Trips" section. Alternatively, you can call the American Express Travel customer service line for assistance with changes or cancellations. Be aware of cancellation policies and potential fees from airlines, hotels, or rental car companies.
How to Maximize Points Earned on Amex Travel?
To maximize points, always use your Amex card for travel purchases, especially on categories where your card earns bonus points (e.g., 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels for Platinum Card). Consider using Amex Offers for additional savings and bonus points.
How to Get Travel Insurance through American Express?
Many American Express cards offer various travel insurance benefits (e.g., trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage insurance). These are typically automatic when you pay for your entire trip with your eligible Amex card. Always refer to your specific card's "Guide to Benefits" for exact coverage details, terms, and conditions.
 |
