About American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is the world’s leading B2B travel platform, providing software and services to manage travel, expenses, and meetings and events for companies of all sizes. We have built the most valuable marketplace in B2B travel to deliver unrivalled choice, value and experiences. With travel professionals in more than 140 countries, our customers and travelers enjoy the powerful backing of American Express Global Business Travel.
Visit amexglobalbusinesstravel.com for more information about Amex GBT, and follow @amexgbt on Twitter , LinkedIn and Instagram .
What is American Express Travel?
Benefits of using the amex travel portal, american express membership rewards cards, how to use the american express travel portal.
- Book flights through Amex Travel
Book hotels through Amex Travel
Book flight + hotel packages through american express travel, book car rentals through the amex travel portal, book cruises with american express travel, how to use the amex travel portal to book flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and more — and make the most of your membership rewards points.
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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: American Express® Green Card, Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card, Amex EveryDay® Credit Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
- The American Express Travel Portal works much like an online travel agency for Amex cardholders.
- You can use Membership Rewards points, cash, or combine both to book flights, hotels, cars, and more.
- Some cardholders get exclusive deals, including luxury hotel benefits and premium flight discounts.
- Read Insider's guide to the best American Express cards .
The American Express Travel Portal is a third-party booking site where you can book flights, hotel stays, rental cars, cruises, and vacation packages. If you have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points , like The Platinum Card® from American Express, American Express® Gold Card, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, or American Express® Business Gold Card, you can redeem your points for travel through the site.
American Express Membership Rewards is one of the most flexible and valuable credit card programs. You can use your points in a variety of ways , including toward statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, food delivery, and more, in addition to booking travel through the Amex Travel Portal.
You can also transfer Membership Rewards points over 20 Amex airline and hotel partners , including Delta , British Airways, and Hilton . Even if you're staying close to home right now, flexible Amex points are a great currency to focus on, whether you want to use points for everyday purchases or stockpile rewards for travel once the pandemic is over .
Here's what you need to know about booking airfare, hotels, and more through the Amex Travel Portal — and how to make the most of your Amex points.
Amex Travel functions much the same way as Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), and allows you to search for and book flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, and cruises. Anyone can use Amex Travel, but the best deals and benefits are reserved for American Express cardholders.
When you have a card that earns Amex Membership Rewards points, you'll have to option to pay for your booking with points (if it's prepaid), your Amex card, or a combination of both. Additionally, you'll earn bonus points when you pay for travel with a Membership Rewards card.
The Amex Travel portal is also where Amex Platinum Card, Amex Business Platinum Card, Amex Gold Card, and Amex Business Gold Card members can access The Hotel Collection to receive room upgrades and an onsite credit to use at participating hotels. And if you have a Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card, you'll have access to the International Airline Program , which offers lower fares for international premium-class travel on over 20 airlines, and the Fine Hotels & Resorts collection for hotel stays.
Like any online travel agency, there are pros and cons to using Amex Travel. One of the biggest benefits is being able to redeem your points for travel without having to worry about award charts, blackout dates, or transfer partners. Amex Travel makes it simple to use your points, even with independent hotels and smaller airlines without a popular loyalty program.
Read more: Hotel programs from Amex, Chase, and more can get you freebies like room upgrades and on-property credits — here's how
One major downside is using points for hotel stays. Because hotels consider Amex Travel a third-party booking site, reservations made this way will not earn loyalty program points or elite credits, and you may not have your hotel elite status benefits recognized during your stay. This won't matter as much at smaller chains or boutique hotels, but if these perks are important to you it's something to be aware of.
There are a few other key benefits to know:
- You'll still earn airline miles and elite-qualifying miles: Even though you won't earn points or elite night credits when you book a hotel with Amex travel, you can earn airline and work toward elite qualification on flights, as long as your frequent flyer number on the reservation.
- When you pay with certain Amex cards, you'll earn bonus points: When you have an Amex card that earns Membership Rewards points, you can earn bonus points for booking travel through the site. For example, the Amex Platinum Card earns 5x points per dollar spent on airfare booked with Amex Travel or directly with airlines (on up to $500,000 in spending per year), and the Amex Gold Card earns 3x points in the same categories with no cap. The Amex Platinum Card has an annual fee of $695, and the Amex Gold Card has an annual fee of.
- Platinum cardholders get discounts on premium airfare: Amex Platinum Card and Amex Business Platinum Card members can access discounts on international premium-class flights through the International Airline Program, and sometimes save hundreds of dollars per ticket.
- Book luxury hotels and get extra perks with Fine Hotels and Resorts and The Hotel Collection: Platinum cardholders can book through Fine Hotels and Resorts, which gets you upgrades, free breakfast, and elite-like benefits at participating properties. Gold and Platinum cardholders can also book through The Hotel Collection to get extras including onsite credits and other perks.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Points on other purchases.
See Pay Over Time APR
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points
Good to Excellent
- Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Long list of travel benefits, including airport lounge access and complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)
- Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual statement credits with Saks and Uber
- con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Bonus categories leave something to be desired
- con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. One of the highest annual fees among premium travel cards
If you want as many premium travel perks as possible, The Platinum Card® from American Express could be the right card for you. The annual fee is high, but you get a long list of benefits such as airport lounge access, travel statement credits, complimentary hotel elite status, and more.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- 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 with American Express Travel when you pay with 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, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
- $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: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
- $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 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.
- $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. 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.
- Terms Apply.
To get the most from the Amex Travel Portal, you'll need a card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points . There are a number of options, including premium cards, small-business cards, and cards with a low or no annual fee.
Personal cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards points include:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (read our Amex Platinum card review )
- American Express® Gold Card (read our Amex Gold card review )
- American Express® Green Card (read our Amex Green card review )
- Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card (read our Amex EveryDay Preferred card review )
- Amex EveryDay® Credit Card (read our Amex EveryDay card review )
Small-business Amex Membership Rewards cards include:
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (read our Amex Business Platinum card review )
- American Express® Business Gold Card (read our Amex Business Gold card review )
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (read our Amex Blue Business Plus card review )
Now let's take a look at each part of the Amex Travel portal.
Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points on the first $150,000 spent each calendar year in combined purchases from the top 2 business categories where your business spent the most each billing cycle (then 1x points per dollar). Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com. Earn 1x Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
19.49% - 27.49% Variable
Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points
- Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. You can bonus points on the categories where you make the most purchases (from a list of options)
- Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 25% points rebate when you use rewards to book an eligible flight through Amex Travel
- con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. High annual fee
The American Express® Business Gold Card is a good choice if your business spends a lot in certain categories and you want to earn Membership Rewards points for travel or other redemptions. It's got a high annual fee, but if you can use the card's benefits to your advantage, it can be well worth it.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.
- Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
- Get $12.95 back in statement credits each month when you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. $12.95 plus applicable taxes.
- Your Card – Your Choice. Choose from Gold or Rose Gold.
- *Terms Apply
Book flights through Amex Travel
To get started, navigate to American Express Travel and click the "Flights" tab on the homepage, then enter your departure airport, destination, travel dates, and the number of passengers. You'll also select whether you want a round-trip or one-way flight, class of service, and if you prefer non-stop flights.
On the next page, you'll see a list of flight options with a set of filters on the left side of the screen. You can filter based on the number of stops, departure and arrival time, airline, fare type, and any available benefits from your cards.
American Express has a preferred relationship with Delta, so you'll see Delta flights listed first when they're available. Further down the list, flights are arranged by price, starting with the lowest. Next to each option, you'll see how many bonus points you'll earn as well as any other perks you'll receive.
For example, I have the Amex Platinum Card and see a note that says I can enter the Delta Sky Club or Centurion Lounge when I fly out of LaGuardia in New York. The search results also remind me that Delta is a featured airline and I'll earn 5x points on my booking.
The fares you'll see are often the same as what you'll find on other websites, including booking directly with the airline. Sometimes they're an extra few dollars so it's worth double-checking, but for the most part, they're similar.
Note that Amex normally charges a fee of $6.99 per domestic ticket and $10.99 per international ticket you book through the website. This fee is waived if you have a Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card. You can purchase a maximum of nine tickets per transaction.
When you book flights through any third-party site, including this one, you'll still earn miles and have your airline elite status recognized when you fly as long as your frequent flyer number is attached to your reservation. If you forget, you can always add it through the airline later on.
Also, keep in mind you will not see budget airlines listed on amextravel.com. That includes popular options like Norwegian, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, and others. Because of this, there may be cheaper options available that aren't displayed, so it's worth double-checking directly if you have a low-cost airline you like to fly.
Book with cash, points, a combination of both, or set up a buy now, pay later plan
If you have a Membership Rewards-earning card, you can use your points to partially or completely pay for travel on the Amex Travel portal, including flights, hotels, cruises, and car rentals.
You can also choose to pay entirely with your Amex card, and there's a new payment option. Amex personal cardholders now have the choice, at checkout, to pay for their flight over time with Plan It — Amex's buy now, pay later feature.
Plan It is an existing program, but the ability to set up a payment plan directly at checkout with Amex Travel is brand new. Cardholders can create up to three plans to pay for flight purchases of $100 or more in monthly installments with a fixed monthly fee and no interest.
You'll see each option on the final payment screen: select to use all points, all cash, a combination of both, or set up monthly installments with Plan It.
Note that when you use points and cash, you have to redeem a minimum of 5,000 points. Each point is worth 1 cent toward airfare, so this comes to at least $50 toward your trip.
No matter how you pay, you'll be able to earn miles and credit toward elite status when you fly because they're all treated as cash bookings by the airlines.
If you have the Amex Business Platinum Card and choose to use points to pay for your flights, you'll receive 35% of your points back as a rebate for economy fares on your selected airline , up to 500,000 points per calendar year. You'll get this same rebate on business or first-class flights on any airline as well.
And if you have the Amex Business Gold Card, the rebate you'll get is 25% of your points, up to 250,000 points per calendar year.
About Insider Fares displayed on the Amex Travel Portal
The exception to the rules above is flights with Insider Fares.
For those flights, your points are worth a little more than 1 cent each, and the exact value varies based on the flight. These fares are only available with points bookings, and you must use your Membership Rewards points to cover the entire fare cost. Because of that, if you don't have enough points to cover the flights, you won't see these fares as an option.
Don't forget the International Airline Program if you have a Platinum Card
If you have the Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card, you also have access to the International Airline Program , which offers lower fares on premium-class international travel. So far, over 25 airlines participate in the program and the savings can be substantial compared to published fares.
You can get savings for premium economy, business, or first-class flights through this program. The exact savings you'll get varies based on the airline and route, but can often be several hundreds of dollars. That's a great deal if you're someone who books paid travel to fly overseas.
Read more: You can transfer Amex points to 22 loyalty programs to book travel, from first class to Japan on ANA to hotel stays with Hilton
Through my Amex Platinum Card, I ran a test search from Dallas to Madrid in business class, and found round-trip fares for $2,968 and $2,971. Below the prices, Amex tells me the retail cost for these tickets is $3,128 and $3,131, respectively.
However, when I looked them up on Google Flights, the prices showed up as $3,496 and $3,499 — over $500 more per ticket!
This is just one example, but values like these are common when booking through the International Airline Program. You stand to cover much of the card's annual fee with one well-priced booking. There's also no limit to how much you can take advantage of the lower fares offered here.
Booking a hotel stay functions much the same as the flight booking process. Make sure the "Hotels" tab is selected, then enter your trip details.
Again, you have the opportunity to use cash, points, or a combination of both to pay for your stay (the Plan It feature isn't available through Amex Travel for hotel bookings). Prices are usually similar to booking directly, but some of the big-chain hotels cost a few dollars more, presumably because Amex is adding their commission to the cost.
An important reminder: There is one major caveat to booking hotels through American Express Travel, or any third-party booking site for that matter. You will not earn hotel points or elite status credit and likely will not have your elite status recognized when you book through the portal. If you care about earning points and elite status, you should avoid booking through third-party sites like this one.
However, if you're booking an independent or boutique hotel that isn't part of any rewards programs or like the simplicity of booking this way, this isn't an issue. And sometimes the hotel you choose is based on location or other personal preferences.
About Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts
Those with the Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card have access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program , which is a collection of over 1,000 hotels worldwide that offer special perks when booking through Amex, including:
- Noon check-in when available
- Guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout when available
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade upon arrival when available
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Experience credits, like property credits to use at a spa, dining credits, or another unique amenity (often worth $100 or more)
Exact benefits vary by property and can add serious value to your booking.
Read more: Amex's Fine Hotels and Resorts program offers exclusive benefits to cardholders at luxury hotels around the world — here's how it works
I've used this benefit a couple of times and was pleased by how seriously the hotels considered their part in the program. Having late checkout at 4 p.m. can essentially add an extra day to your stay and comes in handy when you have a late flight. And early check-in can help you get settled sooner if you have a morning arrival.
Again, you likely won't earn points and elite status if the hotel has its own rewards program. Some people report earning hotel points despite booking through Amex, but it's not guaranteed and I wouldn't count on it.
That said, the perks you get can be substantial, so it's worth considering on a case-by-case basis whether you want to earn hotel points or use Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts. You can use your benefits to book up to three rooms at a time, and you'll be able to use your perks on all of them.
There's also The Hotel Collection to consider
If you have the Amex Platinum Card, Amex Business Platinum Card, Amex Gold Card, or Amex Business Gold Card, you can also access the Hotel Collection, which also offers room upgrades and a $100 onsite credit for dining, spa, or resort activities at 600+ hotels.
The Hotel Collection is entirely separate from Fine Hotels and Resorts, and has different hotels that participate with minimal overlap. When you book through Amex, Platinum cardmembers will earn 5x points per dollar on prepaid bookings, and Gold cardmembers will earn 2x points.
You can pay with cash at the time of booking or at hotel checkout after your stay. Or you can pay with points, or a combination of points and cash on prepaid bookings only. And there's the same guidance about earning hotel points here, too. You might decide you'd rather have the $100 hotel credit rather than points, depending on the hotel.
To use this benefit, you must book a minimum stay of two nights, and can't book consecutive stays within 24 hours of each other. This benefit is available for up to three rooms per stay. So if you book three rooms at the same time, you can get a total onsite credit of $300 between three rooms maximum.
The point of booking a vacation package is usually to save money, take advantage of a promotion, simplify the booking process, or all of these. You can search for a flight and hotel, then pay one price for everything.
Amex doesn't give you a breakdown of how much the flights and rooms cost, and only shows savings on selected hotels. However, when you search for flights and hotels individually and compare the prices, you'll find the savings are often hundreds of dollars, especially on longer trips.
To book, select the "Flight + Hotel" tab and enter where you want to go, along with the number of travelers and how many rooms you want to reserve.
You'll see a list of hotels, along with the price per person, total price, and cost if you want to pay for the trip with your Membership Rewards points. Select the hotel you want to stay at, then you'll see a list of flight options. The cheapest flights are already included in the price, but you can select alternate flights for an upcharge.
Likewise, the cheapest room options are displayed in the base price, but you can pay more for a different room, like a mountain or beach view, a double or king room, or a suite, depending on what's available at the hotel you select.
I priced out a couple of packages. For the first, I didn't find any notable differences. Booking flights and hotel separately cost nearly the same. But for another, the savings were substantial even though they weren't explicitly stated on the Amex Travel portal. It's worthwhile to compare, especially if you're interested in earning points if the hotel participates in a loyalty program. Otherwise, prices are comparable or better in most cases.
Similar to booking airfare separately, for each airline ticket you purchase as part of a package, you'll pay $6.99 per domestic ticket and $10.99 per international ticket. This fee is waived if you have a Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card. You can purchase a maximum of nine tickets per transaction.
Personal and business Platinum cardholders will earn 5x points on their package, and other Membership Rewards cards earn 2x points.
You can also rent cars through American Express Travel. Just type in the city or airport where you want to pick up a car and the dates and times you'll need it under the "Cars" tab.
You'll see a list of your options starting with the lowest price. At a glance, you can see the price per day, total price, and what's included with the car. On the left side, you can add filters for the car type, price, rental car company, and any special features you're looking for (like an automatic transmission and four-wheel drive).
Prices are usually the same or comparable to other booking sites or booking directly. However, I always check a couple of different places to make sure I'm getting the best deal. It's worth comparing, especially if you're looking to add a second driver to the reservation, or need to drop the car off later in the day. I've found different sites can vary a lot in pricing, so recommend shopping around.
You can use cash, points, or a combination to pay for prepaid rentals, or use cash to pay at the counter.
When you use your Membership Rewards card to pay for your rental, you'll earn 2x points.
You're able to book a cruise on most of the popular cruise lines around the world through American Express Travel under the "Cruises" tab on the homepage. I found the prices were similar to other booking sites with the main difference being the specific promotions, like onboard credits or prepaid gratuities. Certain websites also run sales, so it's worth shopping around if you're not committed to a particular route or ship.
After you enter where you want to go and how many nights you'd like to spend on the water, you're taken to a list of results, along with a prominent section for special offers, which are mostly onboard credits. This is worth exploring to get some ideas if you're open.
And if you have a Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card, you can also take advantage of the Cruise Privileges program, which partners with several big-name cruise lines. When you book through Amex Travel, you'll receive an onboard stateroom credit worth up to $100 to $300, and another exclusive amenity that varies by cruise line like premium wine or extra food options.
If you have the Amex Green Card, you'll earn 3x points per dollar spent booking your cruise through Amex Travel. All other Membership Rewards-earning cards earn 2x points.
Harlan Vaughn is a freelance writer who has written about credit card rewards, personal finance, points and miles, and travel loyalty programs for nearly a decade.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
*All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Business Insider.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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Review: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
February 16, 2024
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Who is The Business Platinum Card® from American Express for?
If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to travel in luxury and style, the Business Platinum Card® from American Express may be the right fit for you. But prepare yourself for some sticker shock when you see the annual fee!
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Quick Facts
Annual fee: annual_fees ( See Rates and Fees )
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- 5X Membership Rewards® points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com
- 1X points per each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Recommended credit: credit_score_needed
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
- Huge welcome offer—if you can meet the eligible spending in time
- Card gives you access to airport lounges, including the American Express Global Lounge Collection and Priority Pass Select (enrollment required for select benefits)
- Credits for travel perks like Global Entry, CLEAR Plus , airline incidental fee (enrollment required)
- Eye-popping annual fee
- Few spending categories earn bonus points
- Other American Express business cards offer higher earning rates on common spending categories
The Business Platinum Card offers an impressive range of travel benefits and business statement credits that more than offset the hefty annual fee. Outside of the card perks and welcome offer, there are other cards that are more rewarding for routine business expenses, though.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Review
card_name is an excellent option for frequent business travelers. It comes with a sizable annual fee, but this top-of-the-line luxury card comes with all the perks: You’ll get lounge access, statement credits that will let you zip through security and customs, and elite status with several major hotel chains, just to name a few. (Enrollment required.) Plus, the Amex Business Platinum offers a range of statement credits you can use to grow your business.
New cardholders can bonus_miles_full . That’s quite a steep spending requirement, but if you can swing it, the treasure trove of Membership Rewards points you’ll earn from this welcome offer could very well translate into a free flight—or two!
Earning points with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The sweet spot for earning points with the Business Platinum Card from American Express is on purchasing flights directly with airlines and on purchases through the American Express Travel portal. Eligible purchases on those categories will get you 5X Membership Rewards points per $1 spent.
You’ll also able to earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. So, if your business spends a decent amount in these categories, this card could be a rewarding option.
Finally, you’ll also earn 1X point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Redeeming points with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The best way to redeem the Membership Rewards points you earn with your American Express Business Platinum is by transferring to American Express travel partners. American Express has 18 airline and 3 hotel partners that you can transfer points to in order to redeem for free travel. Our guide to American Express transfer partners walks you through the process.
You can also redeem your points through American Express Travel, the card issuer’s travel portal. This card also offers a 35% Airline Bonus (up to 1 million points per year) when you use your Membership Rewards points to pay for a flight through Amextravel.com. According to the card’s terms and conditions, the airline you select for this bonus must be the same airline you select for your $200 airline credit.
What this means in plain English is that for every 10 points you pay for an eligible flight through American Express Travel, you’d receive 3.5 points back, getting a maximum of 1 million points back annually. In effect, it gives you a discounted rate, allowing you to purchase eligible flights with 6.5 points. If you met the terms of this Airline Bonus, for a roundtrip flight costing 100,000 points on paper, you could pay 65,000 points.
Additional card benefits
Where the Amex Business Platinum card really shines are in the host of credits and perks that this card offers. They include:
- $189 CLEAR Plus credit
- $200 airline fee credit
- Credit for application fee to Global Entry (up to $100 every four years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85 every 4.5 years)
- Various statement credits with Dell, Indeed, and Adobe through 12/31/24.
- Up to $10 per month wireless bill statement credit
- Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection® and lounges through Priority Pass Select™
- Access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts collection on American Express Travel
- Hotel elite status: Marriot Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold statuses
Enrollment is required for many of these benefits.
Alternatives to The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The platinum card® from american express.
American Express offers a consumer version called card_name . Both cards have the same annual fee annual_fees ( See Rates and Fees ), access to the Global Lounge Collection, and offer comparable credits for airline fees, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and CLEAR Plus. (Enrollment is required for select benefits.) They both also earn 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked with airlines or on purchases made through American Express Travel.
However, the two cousins differ in terms of welcome offers and some of their other perks. The consumer Platinum’s welcome offer is somewhat lower, currently: bonus_miles_full .
However, the consumer Amex Platinum also offers a digital entertainment credit (up to $20 per month) and Uber cash credits for $15 per month, plus a bonus of $35 in December for a total of up to $200 annual Uber savings.
American Express® Business Gold Card
The American Express Business Gold Card comes with a lower annual fee ( annual_fees ( See Rates and Fees ). This is significantly lower than its Platinum siblings, but as a trade-off, the welcome offer is lower. The current offer is: bonus_miles_full
However, the Business Gold card offers a much wider range of opportunities to earn points. With the Business Gold card, you’ll earn 4X Membership Rewards points in the two categories your business spends the most in each billing cycle (from six eligible categories). Your top two categories can change each month, but you’ll earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each year (then 1X afterward).
So while you give up some of the glitzy travel perks that the Business Platinum card offers, like credit for a Global Entry application (once every four years) and the $200 airline fee credit, the Business Gold card could potentially earn you more points each month to redeem for future travel.
Chase Ink Business Preferred Card
If you’re looking for a business travel credit card that still offers a stellar welcome offer, but a lower annual fee, consider the card_name . Its annual fee is annual_fees and its current welcome offer is: bonus_miles_full . While it’s not quite as high as the Business Platinum Card, you’re also paying a much more modest annual fee.
Another benefit of the I nk Business Preferred Card is that it earns 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points in a wide range of categories. You’ll earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, and phone services, and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
That’s a lot more bonus categories than the American Express Business Platinum, but also a lot simpler to keep track of than the Business Gold card.
See Rates and Fees for the card_name
Published February 16, 2024
Last updated February 16, 2024
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Credit Cards > Reviews
American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card 2024 review: Travel rewards for no annual fee
Sarah Brady
Glen Luke Flanagan
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
Updated 6:38 a.m. UTC Nov. 14, 2023
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The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (terms apply) is likely a good credit card for small business owners seeking travel rewards at no annual fee. It also has a solid intro APR offer on purchases. But if you want robust benefits, look elsewhere.
All information about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers small business owners the chance to earn Amex Membership® Rewards points , a coveted travel award currency, for no annual fee.
While American Express offers other business rewards credit cards with more points multipliers, this card charges no annual fee and offers an introductory APR on new purchases.
The main drawbacks to the Blue Business Plus Card are that it comes with an annual spending cap, after which the reward rate dips, and it has very limited travel benefits. It also charges foreign transaction fees, which is unfortunate on a travel card . Still, it’s a solid rewards card option in the right wallet.
Blue Business Plus Card basics
- Annual fee: $0.
- Welcome bonus: 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership.
- Rewards: Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases up to the first $50,000 spent per year, then 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, then a variable APR of 18.49% to 26.49% applies.
- Other perks and benefits: Global Assist Hotline¹, Expanded Buying Power program, dispute resolution on The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
- Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? No.
- Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.
Why trust our credit card experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of credit cards and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best card for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 50+ cards analyzed.
- 8 data points considered.
- 5-step fact-checking process.
About the Blue Business Plus Card
If you’re seeking an American Express credit card to help your business earn rewards and manage cash flow, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is worth considering. It earns Membership Rewards points at a competitive flat rate (until you hit the annual spending cap, after which the rate drops). And those points are flexible travel rewards you can use to book travel in the Amex portal or transfer to nearly two dozen airline and hotel partners.
You can add up to 99 employee cards. And you’ll earn rewards on purchases your employees make, too.
The card also provides a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, then a variable APR of 18.49% to 26.49% applies. If you need to finance a big-ticket purchase, this gives time to do so without paying interest.
- No annual fee. There is no cost to carry this card.
- Intro APR on purchases. Not all business rewards cards come with an intro APR period, so this is a useful feature that sets The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. apart.
- Rewards. Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases up to the first $50,000 spent per year, then 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- Expanded Buying Power. This feature allows you to spend over your credit limit with no over-limit fees, as long as you pay off the excess balance each month (it will be due as part of your minimum monthly payment). If you fail to pay that amount, a penalty APR will apply to the balance.
- Employee cards. You can add up to 99 employees to your primary card account.
- Limited travel benefits. The card comes with just the Global Assist Hotline¹ and secondary car rental insurance². Frequent travelers seeking protections like baggage delay insurance won’t find them here.
- Late payments can impact both business and personal credit. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. requires both joint and several liability. That means both the individual cardholder and the business can be held responsible for balances owed. That said, this is fairly standard. Getting a business credit card will involve a personal guarantee in almost all cases, unless you’re able to qualify for a corporate card.
- Foreign transaction fees. You’ll be charged 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars.
Blue Business Plus Card rewards
Cardholders earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases up to the first $50,000 spent per year, then 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. There’s also a welcome offer of 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership on The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
The value of Membership Rewards points depends on how you redeem them. For example, you can book flights through American Express Travel at a value of 1 cent per point. But using your points to cover past charges on your card only nets you a value of 0.6 cents per point. You can also transfer points to nearly two dozen travel partners, many at a 1:1 rate, then book award travel directly with your preferred airline or hotel.
Amex’s list of transfer partners includes popular programs such as Delta SkyMiles® and Marriott Bonvoy®.
Blue Business Plus Card APR
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, then a variable APR of 18.49% to 26.49% applies. There is no intro APR offer on the card for balance transfers.
Cardholders can also take advantage of the Expanded Buying Power feature, which lets you make purchases over your credit limit as long as you pay the amount over your credit limit in full by the statement closing date. If you do not pay the entire minimum payment due by the closing date, you will be subject to the penalty rate. Note, what you can spend isn’t unlimited, but adjusts based on card use, payment history and other factors.
Blue Business Plus Card benefits and perks
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. comes with some basic benefits listed below, but comes up short compared to other business cards, as it doesn’t offer benefits such as return protection, cellphone insurance, lost or stolen baggage protection when traveling nor trip delay/trip interruption protections.
- Extended warranty. Your purchases are covered for an additional year, on original warranties of five years or less, up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account³.
- Purchase protection. Your purchases are covered for up to 90 days against damages or theft up to $1,000 per item and up to $50,000 per account⁴.
- Car rental damage and theft coverage. This is secondary insurance, meaning you’ll have to file a claim with your primary insurance carrier first².
- Global Assist Hotline. Get assistance when traveling, from pre-trip arrangements to emergency services. Third-party charges will apply. Note, you must be traveling more than 100 miles from home to take advantage of emergency assistance and coordination services¹.
- Employee cards. Add up to 99 employees to the account at no additional cost. You can set up spending limits on those cards as well.
How the Blue Business Plus Card compares to other business rewards credit cards
Blue business plus card vs. american express® business gold card * the information for the american express® business gold card has been collected independently by blueprint. the card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer..
If you don’t mind paying a $375 annual fee in exchange for more enhanced benefits and a more generous rewards program, you may want to consider the American Express Business Gold Card (terms apply) instead. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. doesn’t have an annual fee.
Cardholders can earn 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year on the 2 select categories your business spends the most each month, 3 points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com and 1 point per $1 for other purchases. Eligible categories include transit purchases, U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio), U.S. purchases made directly from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud solutions providers, U.S. purchases at gas stations, U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery and monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
There’s a welcome bonus of 70,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership on the American Express® Business Gold Card * The information for the American Express® Business Gold Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
All information about American Express® Business Gold Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees and the card provides coverage for trip delays⁵ and baggage loss, damage or theft⁶.
Blue Business Plus Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
For just a $95 annual fee, the Ink Business Preferred Card offers new cardholders 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening as well as a generous ongoing rewards program.
Cardholders earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. Points are worth 1 cent each if redeemed for cash back, but you can redeem them for travel bookings in the Chase portal for 25% more value or transfer them 1:1 to travel partners.
The Ink Business Preferred does not come with an intro APR offer. However, it does offer robust benefits including trip cancellation and interruption insurance and primary rental car coverage. Those protections, along with earning flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® points , make this card a great choice for frequent travelers.
Finally, there are no foreign transaction fees.
Blue Business Plus Card vs. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card * The information for the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Blue Business Cash (terms apply) is another $0-annual-fee American Express business rewards card.
Cardholders earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases (automatically rewarded via statement credits), up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%.
There is a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, then a 18.49% to 26.49% variable APR.
The cash back you earn is automatically redeemed as a statement credit, but some business owners may prefer that simplicity. And the benefits on the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card * The information for the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. are comparable to those offered by The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
All information about The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Welcome bonus.
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Regular APR
Credit score.
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Editor’s Take
- No annual fee.
- Rich rewards rate in areas where businesses are likely to spend the most.
- Employee cards at no additional cost.
- There’s a foreign transaction fee.
- Bonus categories are capped at $25,000 in spending each account anniversary year.
- Lackluster rewards outside of bonus categories.
Card Details
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
How do I apply for the Amex Blue Business Plus Card?
You can apply for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. online, or by calling 1-800-223-2670. Be prepared to provide the following information:
- Business information: Details include your business name, address, industry and DBA if applicable.
- Personal information: Provide your address, SSN, role and income information.
- Documents: Amex may request bank statements, company financial statements or other documents.
American Express may provide your credit card decision in as little as a few seconds after your application is submitted, unless further information is needed for their application review.
Methodology
Our credit cards team has spent hours analyzing hundreds of credit cards. We took a deep dive into the details of each product and that analysis, combined with our years of experience covering credit cards, informed us as we developed these credit card rankings. Factors we considered include:
- Annual fees.
- Rewards rates.
- Welcome bonuses.
- Any intro APR offers.
- Credits for services business owners might find helpful.
- Any protections and insurances like cellphone coverage, purchase protection or extended warranty coverage.
- Any other perks that make the card useful to the cardholder.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Both positive and negative account information for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is reported to the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE) and Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). When there’s negative information, it’s also reported to the consumer credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.
When you apply for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. , American Express may conduct a hard pull, also known as a hard inquiry, on both your business and personal credit reports. When your personal credit reports are pulled, your scores can potentially drop by up to five points for a year.
American Express doesn’t disclose a maximum credit limit for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. , but this card comes with an Expanded Buying Power feature that allows you to spend over your credit card limit without penalties, as long as you pay off the over-limit amount in full each month.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. can help you build your business credit, with account activity reporting to the commercial credit bureaus Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) and the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE). Make sure to practice healthy credit habits with the account, such as staying current with your monthly payments and keeping your balance low.
However, the Amex Blue Business Plus Card is not a good choice for those hoping to build their personal credit scores. Activity on this card will only be reported to the consumer credit bureaus if there’s negative information, such as late payments. If you’re seeking a card to help you improve your personal credit score, take a look instead at our recommendations for credit-building cards .
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
³When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
⁴When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
⁵Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
⁶Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
*The information for the American Express® Business Gold Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
Sarah Brady is a personal finance writer and educator who's been helping individuals and entrepreneurs improve their financial wellness since 2013. Sarah's other publications include Investopedia, Experian, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), Credit Karma and LendingTree and her work has been syndicated by Yahoo! News and MSN. She is also a former HUD-Certified Housing Counselor and NFCC-Certified Credit Counselor.
Glen Luke Flanagan is a deputy editor on the USA TODAY Blueprint credit cards team. Prior to joining Blueprint, he served as a deputy editor on the credit cards team at Forbes Advisor, and covered credit cards, credit scoring and related topics as a senior writer at LendingTree. He’s passionate about helping people understand personal finance so they can make the best decisions possible for their wallet. Glen holds a master's degree in technical and professional communication from East Carolina University and a bachelor's degree in journalism from Radford University.
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American makes big changes to earning miles, jacks up bag fees
American Airlines doesn't really want you shopping around.
The Fort Worth-based carrier announced on Tuesday a slew of changes to the booking and travel experience that revolve around getting you to transact directly with the airline.
Many of these updates have been teased in recent months, but things like earning miles and Loyalty Points will soon only be possible when booking through an American-approved channel.
Furthermore, the airline is raising checked bag fees across the board — a no-notice devaluation sure to irk many of the airline's customers.
You'll find all the details below.
Related: American Airlines unveils 10 changes to the AAdvantage program
Earning AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points
Starting with tickets issued on May 1, 2024, American will exclusively award AAdvantange miles and Loyalty Points for flights booked through select partners and preferred travel agencies.
American didn't share the full list yet — that's dropping in April — but the carrier did outline the three booking channels that will qualify for earning miles and status credits, including:
- Book directly with American and eligible partner airlines.
- Book travel anywhere as an AAdvantage Business member or as a contracted corporate traveler.
- Book through preferred travel agencies.
Basic economy tickets will earn miles and Loyalty Points exclusively when booked directly with American.
For the average traveler, this move means that any trips booked through non-preferred travel agencies will no longer earn miles or Loyalty Points.
It remains to be seen which agencies will qualify as "preferred," but hopefully this includes some of the biggest names.
This could be especially big news for those who like to redeem transferable credit card points directly through the Amex, Chase or Capital One platforms.
Hopefully, these partners will be on the list because otherwise, booking through those portals may no longer earn miles or status credits.
All told, this is a big move from American, the first of any U.S. airline to limit mileage earnings to certain booking channels.
From the airline's perspective, the move makes sense — it allows the carrier to keep tighter control of the overall experience, and it can lead to additional upsell opportunities, such as upgrades and preferred seats, during the booking process.
It remains to be seen if other airlines match, but this move shouldn't necessarily be surprising to industry insiders.
In recent years, American has been rethinking how it does business with travel agencies, forcing many of them to adopt the latest tech standards if they even want to sell American flights.
"We want to just make sure that customers understand what they're getting when they book with their specific agency... So it's really for the customer so they understand that there is a better way to find products and understand what they're buying," said Scott Chandler, American's senior vice president of revenue management and loyalty, in an interview with TPG.
American raises checked bag fees
Beginning on Feb. 20, 2024, American is raising its checked bag fees.
The new fees for domestic flights are:
- $35 for the first checked bag purchased online
- $40 for the first checked bag purchased at the airport
- $45 for the second checked bag purchased online or at the airport
Short-haul international flights, including Canada and Mexico routes, will see a different fee structure:
- $35 for the first checked bag purchased online or at the airport
With this move, American now holds the title of the most expensive checked bag fees of all the major U.S. network airlines.
A few weeks ago, Alaska raised the first checked bag fee from $30 to $35, and now American is one-upping its Oneworld partner. It remains to be seen if other U.S. airlines match these increased fees.
"We haven't adjusted domestic baggage fees since 2018. Due to inflationary pressures, we are making our first adjustments since that time," Chandler explained to TPG.
The new fee structure is effective immediately for tickets purchased as of Tuesday. Tickets that were already issued before Feb. 20 will maintain the previous fee structure before Tuesday's announcement.
The good news is that American will maintain all of the existing bag fee waivers that it does today.
Those with AAdvantage or Oneworld elite status , or those flying in a premium cabin, will continue to receive their allotment of complimentary checked bags, as will those who hold one of American's cobranded credit cards.
With this move, American is making it more attractive to pick up one of the carrier's credit cards to avoid the higher first checked bag fee. We'll see if this actually translates to more sign-ups, though.
Note that the aforementioned bag fees exclusively apply to standard-size checked bags. Bags that exceed the standard dimensions (62 linear inches) and weight restrictions (50 pounds) will be on the hook for additional fees, as you can see below.
Related: American Airlines baggage fees and how to avoid paying them
American's new overweight and oversize bag fees
Along with the increased bag fees, the airline is changing how it prices overweight and oversized bags.
Previously, any bag heavier than 50 pounds but lighter than 70 pounds would cost an additional $100 to $200. (The same is true for bags that were bigger than 62 linear inches.)
Now, effective for travel on or after April 17, 2024, that fee will be broken down into two bands, as you can see in the table below.
As part of the move, American is reducing the oversize limit from 126 linear inches to 115 linear inches — meaning that the biggest bags will no longer be accepted on American flights.
Javelins, pole vaults and hang gliders will also no longer be accepted starting on April 17.
More AAdvantage-only benefits
At the beginning of the year, American shared its big 2024 loyalty update , which included news that some benefits would soon be restricted to AAdvantage members.
Now, the airline is ready to make good on that promise with the following news.
- Same-day standby : Beginning on March 1, any AAdvantage members can stand by for an earlier domestic flight free of charge.
- Extended Trip Credit : Beginning March 11, AAdvantage members will have six more months to use Trip Credits when canceling online. Non-AAdvantage members will only receive six months to use Trip Credits.
- Cancel basic economy tickets : American already rolled out the ability to cancel basic economy tickets for a partial Trip Credit (less a $99 cancellation fee). This benefit is exclusive to AAdvantage members.
- Transfer AAdvantage miles : American says that transfer costs for moving miles between AAdvantage accounts is now 66% cheaper than it was before.
- Upgrade with partners : American teased this big update in January. The airline declined to provide any additional details, but it said that you'll be able to redeem miles for upgrades with "select partners" later this year.
- Redeem miles for Wi-Fi : Unlike some of its biggest competitors , American has done nothing to make its Wi-Fi offering more attractive. Flight passes still start at around $19 for domestic flights. That said, the airline will introduce the ability to redeem AAdvantage miles for Wi-Fi later this year at an undisclosed rate.
Several other AAdvantage-only perks and benefits were announced in January, such as free 24-hour holds and the ability to purchase lounge passes.
Though American says these benefits are now an exclusive perk of being an AAdvantage member, the airline used to offer all of these perks to every traveler, regardless of AAdvantage membership.
As such, American seems to be focused on growing its member base with these new benefits, and it seems that the airline is going full steam ahead with adding new perks and restricting access to other benefits for AAdvantage members.
Bottom line
American is making some major changes to how you do business with the airline.
The carrier is limiting the ability to earn miles and Loyalty Points depending on how you book your flights, and it's raising bag fees to unprecedented levels in the U.S. airline industry.
Furthermore, the carrier is adding more perks and limiting certain benefits to AAdvantage members, as it continues to double down on its mission to boost loyalty program sign-ups and engagement.
The carrier has long said that loyalty program members transact more with the airline, and with Tuesday's announcement, American has sweetened the deal to become an AAdvantage member and book directly with the carrier.
Whether this translates into more AAdvantage sign-ups and direct bookings is anyone's guess, but that sure seems to be the airline's focus right now.
After all, loyalty members tend to be more engaged with the airline and more likely to sign up for the cobranded credit card — ultimately boosting the airline's bottom line.
Related reading:
- Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage
- Best credit cards for American Airlines flyers
- What is American Airlines elite status worth?
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- Everything you need to know about flying basic economy on American Airlines
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