American Express Platinum Card

The Platinum Card by American Express remains as one of the true prestige credit cards in the market. From the branding, the incentives, and enticing benefits, it is an aspirational milestone for many of us.

While there is a broad amount of content related to this card throughout blogs and YouTube, the depth of the brand and the coveted experience of holding this card in your hand is worth of ongoing exploration.

Our travel experience has been dramatically enhanced with the addition of this card to our wallets, both physical and digital.

Access

Access is one word that defines this iconic card. From the moment you activate it and read through the gorgeously designed welcome brochure, so see a long list of member-only perks related to travel and business.

Hilton Honors Gold

Next up is activating your Hilton Honors Gold Membership which will often give you free upgrades and incentives. Before the hotel, you will want to enroll your card in the Hertz Gold membership program for (again) free upgrades and included (secondary) damage protection.

Global Entry / TSA PreCheck

After that, it’s time to dive into your TSA PreCheck/Global Entry incentive. This one is time-intensive on the front end in terms of completing the online application and scheduling your in-person interview at your nearest international airport. But once this is done, you receive your statement credit and the card is valid for 3 years. The crucial choice here is to to for Global Entry, which INCLUDES TSA PreCheck. This is the best of both worlds whether you fly domestic or international.

Amenities

The Centurion Lounge

This is a sensory experience from the first whiff of their signature curated fragrance provided by 12.29. This firm creates original room fragrances for the world top brands. From there, the beautifully designed interiors beckon you in to find a cozy or productive seating venue from which you can then explore the drink selections, curated breakfast/lunch/dinner offerings, and consider expanded options such as a shower or a massage. The CL remained virtually undiscovered for several years, but has eventually become a true destination before one’s flight. In order to scale back capacity, new limits have been placed on access for guests. To read our in depth review of the Centurion Lounge, please Click Here.

Uber

With $15/mo. in Uber credits, you can put those toward general around town travel, airport runs, of Uber Eats in the comfort of your home. While this may seem a small incentive, it does add up over the year and if you travel frequently, its a nice cost offset that also adds to your Uber status for additional incentives on Comfort and VIP tier rides.

Streaming

With $240 in annual streaming credits, this incentive came online during Covid and seems to be well-received. You can choose from several services that fit your media consumption habits, ranging from Netflix to Peacock to Sirius to Audible. You can mix and match to your preference and enjoy not paying for several of your daily-use media platforms.

Equinox / Peleton

This one seems somewhat polarizing to the newer additions to the Amex Platinum ecosystem, but it is fully on-brand in terms of promoting wellness and luxury in one package. While Equinox may not fit everyone’s daily lifestyle due to their location or opinion on what a gym is worth, please trust us that once you go Equinox, you won’t want to go back to any other gym. As for Peleton, the past 2 years greatly contributed to the value placed on this type of high-quality home workout centerpiece.

Other Amenities 

Each person values the access and amenities of the card in different ways, depending upon your level of travel and general lifestyle. The list is even longer than we are sharing here, but is well worth some investigation to see what works best for you.

To learn more about the American Express Platinum Card, simply Click Here.