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The Guide to the AmEx Travel Portal 

Elina Geller

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Table of Contents

Who can use the American Express Travel portal?

Benefits of booking travel on amex travel, how to book travel in the portal, is travel insurance included when booking through amex travel, downsides of booking via amex travel, final thoughts on the amex travel portal.

The American Express Travel portal is similar to many other online booking sites in that it allows you to purchase flights, hotels and other travel reservations. The main difference is that only those who hold an American Express card can use it.

Certain cards come with additional perks for booking in the portal. For instance, some AmEx cards allow travelers to earn extra points for bookings, receive a 35% points rebate, pay for a portion of the reservation with points, get room upgrades and more. Terms apply.

Here's a look at what the AmEx Travel portal offers and how to use it to maximize your benefits.

American Express Travel flights, hotels and other reservations are available for American Express cardholders. Depending on which American Express card you have, you may earn additional points on your reservation or unlock additional features. Terms apply.

For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders earn 5x points on flights booked directly with an airline or through AmEx Travel and 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through AmEx Travel. They also have access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts collection through the travel portal. Additionally, American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders can book room reservations with The Hotel Collection . Terms apply.

amex travel what airlines

Here are eight reasons why booking with AmEx travel could be a good idea.

1. Earn up to 5x points

When you book flight through the AmEx Travel portal, your credit card may earn additional points for the purchase. In addition, prepaid hotel reservations through the AmEx travel portal also earn extra points. These are a few of the cards that offer a bonus when making reservations through AmEx travel:

The Platinum Card® from American Express

on American Express' website

American Express® Gold Card

• 5 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 spent per year.

• 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

• 4 points per $1 at restaurant plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.

• 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).

• 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.

• 3 points per $1 on eligible travel purchases.

• 3 points per $1 on restaurants worldwide.

• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year.

• 1 point per $1 on purchases above $50,000 in a calendar year.

» Learn more: AmEx Membership Rewards: How to earn and use them

2. Pay for reservations using Pay with Points

With American Express Travel, flights, hotels and more can be paid for with points instead of cash. Members can even choose to pay a portion of the trip with points and the rest with cash. Once your reservations have been booked, the full amount of your trip will be charged to your American Express credit card, and then a credit will be posted for the points redeemed within 48 hours.

You must redeem at least 5,000 points in order to use Pay with Points. Points are redeemed at a value of 1 cent per point when booking flights or making Fine Hotels & Resorts reservations. Other eligible travel receives only 0.7 cents per point. NerdWallet values Membership Rewards points at 2.8 cents per point if you take advantage of transferring to and booking through travel partners, so the redemption rates in the travel portal are significantly below our ideal value.

If you need to cancel your reservation, you'll receive a statement credit on your card for the cash equivalent. Members who would rather have the unused Membership Rewards points returned to their accounts must contact American Express customer service at 800-297-3276. Terms apply.

3. Upgrade flights with points

Eligible flights booked with cash can be upgraded using your American Express Membership Rewards points. You'll receive 1 cent per point credit towards the cost when upgrading a flight with points (which is again below our AmEx point valuation ).

To upgrade your flight with points, select your airline and provide your reservation details in the AmEx travel portal. You will be notified if your flight is eligible or not. If your flight is eligible, you can submit an offer to the airline for the upgrade. The airline will accept or reject your bid between one and five days of your flight's departure and you'll receive a decision via email.

If your upgrade offer is accepted, the points will be deducted from your account. Your statement will show a charge and a credit for the corresponding points.

» Learn more: You can now use AmEx points to bid on flight upgrades

4. Discounted international flights through AmEx IAP

Platinum cardholders have access to discounted flights through International Airline Program (IAP) , which allows members to book first, business and premium economy at a discount on select airlines and routes. Plus, you'll receive 5x Membership Rewards points on the booking when using your The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to pay for the flight. Terms apply.

There are 25 airlines that participate in this program. You can book refundable and nonrefundable tickets for up to eight passengers through the IAP. Tickets can be paid with your card, points or a combination of the two. You will have to pay a $39 nonrefundable ticketing fee, however the discount received on these tickets should outweigh the fee.

5. Cancel For Any Reason insurance

CFAR is shorthand for an insurance policy that allows you to cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever and receive a refund. In May 2022, AmEx launched its own version of CFAR coverage for airfare booked through the travel portal using an AmEx card.

This feature, called Trip Cancel Guard, will get you up to a 75% reimbursement on nonrefundable airfare costs, provided you cancel at least two calendar days out from your departure. You'll need to purchase Trip Cancel Guard coverage at the point of booking and if you cancel, whether through the airline directly or through AmEx Travel, you can request reimbursement online or over the phone.

» Learn more: The guide to Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance

6. 35% points rebate with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

When The Business Platinum Card® from American Express cardholder book flights using points through the AmEx travel portal, they can receive up to 35% of their points back . The benefit is available on first or business class flights on any airline and all economy flights with their chosen airline. This benefit provides up to 500,000 points back per calendar year.

However, as with all AmEx credits , it's not as straightforward as you may hope. You will have to designate the airline for the 35% rebate and the airline must be the same as the one chosen for the $200 airline incidental credit .

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

7. Fine Hotels & Resorts

amex travel what airlines

The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando. (Photo by Sally French)

Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) is a collection of resorts and benefits available only to Platinum Card members. There are over 2,000 properties worldwide that participate in this program. When making reservations with Fine Hotels & Resorts for one night or more, you'll receive the following benefits:

$200 statement credit provided once per year.

Noon check-in (when available).

Room upgrade upon arrival (when available).

Daily breakfast for two.

Guaranteed 4 pm late checkout.

Complimentary in-room WiFi.

Unique property benefit valued at least $100.

These benefits rival those that many travelers receive when booking directly with hotels to obtain elite status perks. Some locations also offer a last-night free benefit, depending upon when you make your reservation. And some of the best hotels to book using FHR credits offer especially-unique amenities.

For example, many theme park fans consider Loews Portofino Bay Hotel as the best FHR hotel in Orlando . That's because — on top of all the above benefits — guests receive complimentary Universal Express Unlimited ride access, which allows you to skip the lines inside the Universal theme parks .

8. The Hotel Collection

amex travel what airlines

The Loews Sapphire Falls at Universal Orlando falls under The Hotel Collection. (Photo by Sally French)

AmEx Gold and Platinum cardholders receive elite status-level perks at more than 600 hotels worldwide. When you stay for two nights or more, you'll receive a $100 resort credit and an upgrade upon arrival (when available). In addition, you can use your AmEx Membership Rewards credit card to book and pay for your reservation entirely or partially with your points.

While you can book travel over the phone with an agent, it is often quicker and more convenient to make your reservations through the AmEx Travel portal.

amex travel portal header

Here's how to book travel in the American Express travel portal:

Go to americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/ .

Log in with your username and password.

Select flights, hotels, flight + hotel, cars, or cruises.

Enter your travel dates, cities and other relevant information.

Choose options based on your trip.

Pay with your American Express credit card, points, or a combination.

Since you need an American Express card to make reservations through AmEx travel, you may already hold a card that offers complimentary travel insurance . If you don’t get travel insurance perks through your AmEx card, you can purchase Trip Cancel Guard through when making your booking.

Trip Cancel Guard works similarly to CFAR in that it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever and get up to a 75% reimbursement of your travel costs as long as the cancellation is made two full days before your trip.

What is the AmEx Travel cancellation policy?

When you book travel through the American Express travel portal, you may be eligible to cancel your reservation within 24 hours and get a full refund. However, the cancellation policy is determined by the airline.

As such, AmEx instructs travelers to refer to the cancellation policy on the itinerary or reach out to customer service with any questions. Terms apply.

There are many appealing reasons why travelers want to book reservations with the AmEx travel portal. However, there are some downsides as well. These are some of the most common reasons why you shouldn't:

Low value for your points. Redeeming points through the AmEx travel portal yields a value of 1 cent per point or less. That's at least a 50% reduction compared to our value of Membership Rewards points.

Complicated customer service. Resolving flight or hotel reservation issues becomes more complicated when you book through a third party such as AmEx travel. The airline or hotel blames the booking agency and may not immediately resolve the problem in some instances. However, providers have no scapegoat when you book direct.

No hotel elite status benefits or loyalty credits. Most hotels require you to book directly to receive elite status benefits, stay credits or earn points. For travelers looking to take advantage of their elite status or earn status for the next year, booking AmEx travel hotel reservations is not a good idea.

Despite the above policy, hotels booked through Fine Hotels & Resorts allow you to earn elite night credit and earn loyalty perks associated with your elite status level on any hotel reservations — regardless if you book in the portal or not.

The AmEx travel portal offers numerous benefits for all American Express cardholders. If you have a Membership Rewards credit card, you can pay for all or part of eligible travel reservations using your points.

And any portion that you pay with your Membership Rewards card can earn up to 5x points. AmEx Travel also offers two hotel collections that provide additional perks similar to elite status benefits.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

amex travel what airlines

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How to use the amex travel portal: booking flights, hotels and more, you can use amex points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and more through its travel portal..

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit  americanexpress.com  to learn more. Information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

Using American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points to book prepaid flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages through the Amex Travel portal can be a great way to save money on your next vacation. But are you really getting the best value by redeeming your hard-earned points this way?

Whether you use the portal or transfer points to an American Express travel partner is up to you, as are other factors — from travel date flexibility, award availability and the type of credit card you're using to personal preferences for brands, seat class and comfort level. These will all come into play during the booking process.

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the best ways to book prepaid flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages with Amex points through the Amex Travel portal.

Our best selections in your inbox. Shopping recommendations that help upgrade your life, delivered weekly.  Sign-up here .

Earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards points

You can access the Amex Travel portal and pay for flights, hotels and other travel needs with cash as long as you have an American Express branded credit card, but you will need one that earns Membership Rewards (MR) points to view the number of MR points required for a booking.

Luckily, American Express has several travel rewards cards that you can earn lucrative welcome offers to help you get started:

  • The Platinum Card® from American Express : Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership.
  • American Express® Gold Card : Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 6 months of card membership.
  • American Express® Green Card : Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
  • Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express : Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership.
  • The Business Platinum Card® from American Express : Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership.
  • American Express® Business Gold Card : Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership.

Depending on which credit card you have, there may be opportunities to earn bonus points or receive partial rebates when redeeming MR points for flights. The Platinum Card , for instance, lets cardholders earn 5X points on flights booked through the Amex Travel portal or directly with the airline on up to $500,000 worth of flights per calendar year.

The Business Platinum Card also gives cardholders redeeming MR points for economy flights with their preferred airline or booking premium-class flights through the portal a 35% points rebate (up to 500,000 points per calendar year). Those booking with the American Express Business Gold Credit Card receive a similar rebate of 25% back on up to 250,000 points each year.

Another valuable perk of having The Platinum Card or The Business Platinum Card is the up to $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 the Card. You can use these credits to cover checked bag fees, change fees, charges for pet's flights, choosing your seat and inflight amenities with your preferred airline, all of which can quickly add up.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

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, 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 1X points on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

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.

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Balance transfer fee

Foreign transaction fee, credit needed.

Excellent/Good

See rates and fees , terms apply.

Read our The Platinum Card® from American Express review .

Getting started with the American Express Travel portal

Start by logging in to your American Express account. If you're coming from your account's dashboard page, click "Menu" in the top left corner, then select "Travel" to access more options (pictured below) and select "Book a Trip" to head to the main travel portal.

The Amex Travel portal's front page resembles your average travel booking interface, with options to search for flights, hotels, vacation packages, rental cars and cruises.

Below the main search engine, you'll find current information about cancellation policies and other important pandemic travel details. There's also an interactive map showing Covid-19 testing and vaccination requirements around the world.

Hovering over the "Book" button at the top of the page opens a separate menu with shortcuts to various portal perks, like the International Airline Program (IAP), Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection.

Hovering over the "Explore" button in the main menu leads to many of the same shortcuts, plus options for finding a Travel Insider, Special Offers through Fine Hotels + Resorts and information about destinations and premium hotel packages.

Whether you're booking flights, hotels or other travel through the portal, you'll be given an option to "Use Only Points" or "Use Points + Card" so it's up to you if you want to redeem all your points or just some. Either way, your credit card will be charged the full amount and you'll see a credit for the value of the points used posted separately to your account within 48 hours. Be aware that you will have to use an Amex credit card that's enrolled in the Membership Rewards program and redeem at least 5,000 MR points in order to activate the Pay with Points feature. 

Should you need to cancel a booking made with MR points, call 1-800-297-3276 to get them returned. You'll receive a statement credit for any bookings made with your American Express Membership Rewards card through the portal.

How to book flights through the American Express Travel portal

While you're more likely to get the best redemption value by transferring MR points to one Amex's airline partners and taking advantage of airline alliances (Oneworld, SkyTeam, Star Alliance) to book flights, there are still some considerations to keep in mind when it comes to booking through the portal. 

Note that with most Amex Travel Portal bookings your MR points will only be worth 1 cent each towards flights. So if you were booking a $100 flight, you'd need to redeem 10,000 points to cover the cost.

For starters, you'll have more flexibility as far as travel dates and brands, which comes in handy when award availability is limited on certain dates through certain airlines. Flights booked with MR points through the portal are treated as paid bookings, so you won't miss out on earning elite miles or status credits. You'll also be able to see which type of seat you're booking right away, as it's listed on the right side of each search result. 

It's always a good idea to shop around before settling on a redemption method, so price out how many points each flight costs through the Amex Travel portal vs. on the airline's website. Taxes and fees may also be tacked on. Unless you have the Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card , be aware that airline ticket fees of $6.99 for domestic flights and $10.99 for international flights apply when you're booking through the Amex Travel portal.

Note that low-cost carriers like Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines aren't part of the Amex Travel portal, though you will be able to find flights with other major American carriers like Delta and United, among other international airline partners.

During the booking process, you'll have a chance to use MR points to upgrade from economy to nonrefundable or refundable seats in premium classes, though it may not provide the best redemption value. If, however, you do have plenty of MR points lying around and crave a fancier flight experience, this is a good option. Again, it all comes down to personal preference and comfort level.

Deals on international flights can also be found by booking through the International Airline Program (IAP), which offers discounts on non-economy tickets when you book flights through one of 26 participating airlines through the Amex Travel portal with a Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card . Flights must begin in the U.S. or select cities in Canada in order to qualify for this perk and you'll have to pay a $39 service fee per ticket.

Filter search results by the number of stops, departure and landing time, airline or flight number, or sort them according to lowest price, flight duration, departure time or Amex recommendation (which usually means Delta flights will appear first, even if they're not necessarily your cheapest option).

Consider the example below, a search for a round-trip nonstop flight from Washington, D.C. to Paris from November 5-12, 2021, booked with the Amex Platinum Card. The results included a Delta flight from $674 or 67,425 MR points.

Alternatively, if you wanted to transfer your Amex MR points directly to Delta (since it's one of American Express' travel partners and you can switch them over at a 1:1 ratio) and redeem them through Delta's website, a round-trip flight would set you back 58,000 Delta SkyMiles plus another $96 in taxes and fees.

In this case, for 9,425 miles less, you'd end up with a better redemption by transferring MR points to Delta instead of going through the Amex Travel portal. But that's not necessarily the case for every flight, so always test it out first to see if using the portal makes the most sense for your travel needs.

To finish booking your flight through the portal, chose your desired route(s), review the details, select your upgrade option and pick how many MR points you'd like to put toward your purchase.

How to book hotels through the American Express Travel portal

As with flights, it's important to make sure you're getting the best deal on your MR points redemption. Consider transferring them to one of Amex's three hotel partners — Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio, Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio, or Choice Privileges (Choice Hotels) at a 1:1 ratio, though there's a special promotion now through October 31, 2021, that bumps up Hilton and Marriott transfers by 30 percent.

Note that with most Amex Travel Portal bookings your MR points will only be worth .7 cent each towards hotel stays. So if you were booking a $100 hotel you'd need to redeem about 14,300 points to cover the cost. However, if you book a stay through Amex's Fine Hotels & Resorts program your points will be worth a little more, at 1 cent apiece.

Unlike MR points redemptions for flights, hotels booked through the portal are viewed as third-party reservations, so you won't be able to earn hotel points or enjoy status-related perks you'd have by booking directly through the hotel.

Begin your search by plugging in your travel dates and destination. Then, filter results by hotel or brand, star rating, price per night, neighborhood, amenities or accessibility, and sort by name, price, star rating or Amex recommendation.

For the following example, we searched for a seven-night stay booked November 5–12, 2021, with the Amex Platinum Card . The Renaissance Paris Arc De Triomphe Hotel, a Marriott Bonvoy property, was one of the best options, with rates from $306 or 43,723 MR points per night.

When booking the same stay through the Marriott website, you'd need 340,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for seven nights (which breaks down to 48,571 points per night), with nightly cash rates starting at 367 euros or $433. In this case, it would make more sense to book it through the portal. You could also earn 5X points for the stay by paying with the Amex Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card.

Make it a habit to compare the number of points required by the portal with the number of points needed to redeem through each hotel's website, as pricing may be affected by location and time of year, among other factors. To complete your booking through the Amex Travel portal, choose your room type, review the details and select how many points you'd like to use.

Premium cardholders also have access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which adds extra benefits per stay at more than 1,200 properties around the world, based on availability:

  • 12 p.m. check-in and guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out
  • Complimentary room upgrades and Wi-Fi
  • Daily breakfast for two
  • A $100 credit to use toward on-property activities, dining or other perks like airport transfers, depending on your hotel

Additionally, those with the Amex Gold Card, Business Gold Card, Platinum Card, Business Platinum Card , and in some cases, the Centurion Card, can book trips through The Hotel Collection. Note that Amex Gold Card members earn 2X points, while Platinum Card members earn 5X points on such bookings, but all receive the following benefits per stay of two or more nights:

  • A credit of up to $100 to use toward on-property dining, spa, or activities
  • Room upgrades (based on availability)
  • Discounted rates, depending on the hotel

The Amex Travel portal also lets you search for and book vacation packages, which, depending on what kinds of sales are happening at the time, can save you a bundle or end up costing about the same as it would be to book your flight and hotel separately. If you do book a package, note that the same airline ticket fees apply as when you book separately (not for Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders, who have them waived). Cards earning MR points will score 2X points on packages, while those with Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cards will earn 5X points.

How to book cruises and car rentals

While cashing in a ton of MR points for a cruise or car rental may not yield the best redemption (your points will be worth just .7 cents each), it may still be a good option depending on your travel needs.

Click on the "Cruises" tab of the Amex Travel portal homepage to search by cruise line, destination, travel dates and sailing duration. Below, for example, are some results for Mediterranean cruises in November 2021. 

The prices shown reflect the cost per person, based on double occupancy cabins. Depending on which card you're using and the cruise options available, you should be able to redeem Amex MR points for a portion of or all of your sailing. 

Those booking with Membership Rewards credit cards can earn 2X points per dollar spent on cruises booked through the portal, while folks with Platinum Cards or Business Platinum Cards can score stateroom credits of $100–$300 and other onboard perks through the Cruise Privileges program.

As far as car rentals, it's a pretty similar search process — just plug in your destination, whether you want to drop the car off in the same place or in a different location, your dates and the time you want to begin and end your rental.  

Once the results appear, you can filter by the type of car (standard, compact, premium, etc), the option to pay now or later, price per day, pick-up location, rental car company and features like unlimited mileage, automatic vs. manual transmission, Hybrid/Electric cars or 4WD. Sort results by distance or total price.

After choosing your car, you'll be asked if you want to pay now, which means you'll be able to use MR points to book part of or all of your prepaid rental, or pay later, which means you'll have to pay cash at rental car counter — doing so can earn you 2X points per dollar, so it's an easy way to rack up some more MR points.

Next, enter information about the driver, pick how you want to pay (how many points or with cash), and review the rental car policies. As always, it doesn't hurt to comparison shop, so run the numbers through the actual rental car companies before you book to make sure you're getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Bottom line

Booking through the Amex Travel portal is a simple way to redeem your MR points, however you'll usually get much more value from Amex points if you transfer them to an airline or hotel partner's loyalty program. If you do book through Amex's Travel Portal remember that your points are worth 1 cent per point towards flights and .7 cents apiece towards other travel (except when booking a Fine Hotels + Resort property).

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Amex Membership Rewards Transfer Partners & How To Use Them [2024]

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Amex Membership Rewards Transfer Partners & How To Use Them [2024]

Amex Airline Transfer Partners

Amex hotel transfer partners, how to transfer membership rewards, american express transfer bonuses, earning amex membership rewards, should you transfer or book through amex, other ways to use your points, combining membership rewards from different accounts, redeeming membership rewards, final thoughts.

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If you’re looking for a way to earn lots of points to redeem for some amazing travel, you can’t go wrong with American Express Membership Rewards credit cards. Amex provides a number of ways to earn Membership Rewards points and plenty of fun ways to redeem them for some great flights.

In this post, we’ll show you all of the American Express transfer partners, how to transfer Membership Rewards to these partners, and much more. With this guide in hand, you’ll be ready to book some amazing vacations!

The American Express Membership Rewards program has a ton of airline transfer partners.

Make sure you check the transfer rate (see below) since not all transfers are done at a 1:1 ratio.

Membership Rewards can also be transferred to 3 hotel rewards programs.

Like American Express airline partners, transfer ratios vary (see below), so make sure you check them before transferring.

Hot Tip: Use our transfer partner tool to see how many points you’ll get when you transfer your Amex Membership Rewards to their partner airlines and hotels!

With some Membership Rewards points in your account , it’s time to decide where you want to transfer your points so you can start traveling. Here are the simple steps to make the transfer process easy.

Step 1:  Select Earn and Redeem  from the menu.

Amex Membership Rewards

Step 2: Select Transfer Points under Redeem .

Earn and Redeem Amex Membership Rewards Points

Step 3: Choose your desired airline or hotel transfer partner and select Transfer Points . If you haven’t already, you will need to link your frequent flyer account to your Membership Rewards account. In the example below, we chose Delta Air Lines.

American Express Transfer Link Account

Step 4:  Once you have linked your airline or hotel account to your Membership Rewards account, choose how many points you would like to transfer. Transfers must be made in increments of 1,000.

Transfer Amex

Step 5: Confirm the number of points you are transferring and complete the transfer.

American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Confirm

Step 6:  Head over to the appropriate airline or hotel program to book your award flight or award stay.

Bottom Line: Transferring Amex points to partners is easy. Just have your loyalty program numbers handy and your Amex card details, and you’ll be good to go!

Transferring your points when there is a bonus is an ideal situation. Getting the most value out of every point you have is the key to getting those high-level redemptions!

Amex has previously offered both public and targeted transfer bonus offers of 15% to 40%. For example, if you were to transfer 10,000 points when a particular partner is offering a 40% bonus offer, your points would be worth 14,000 points after transfer.

However, you shouldn’t transfer points JUST because there is a bonus. It’s best to keep your points in a transferable account (like Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, or Marriott Bonvoy) until you have a specific redemption in mind.

American Express provides tons of opportunities to earn Membership Rewards points . Pick the card or combination of cards that will help you earn the most points and get the benefits that matter to you.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card ® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card ® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card  is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access , hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

  • The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
  • 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
  • 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
  • Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment ( airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit )
  • TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
  • Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
  • Access to Amex International Airline Program
  • No foreign transaction fees ( rates and fees )
  • $695 annual fee ( rates and fees )
  • Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
  • 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, 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. Terms Apply.
  • $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.

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American Express® Gold Card

American Express ® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

The American Express ® Gold Card  is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

  • 4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
  • 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
  • 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
  • Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com , Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
  • Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash : get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
  • No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees )
  • Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
  • Access to American Express transfer partners
  • $250 annual fee (see rates and fees )
  • No lounge access
  • Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards ® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards ® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards ® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards ® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express ® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
  • Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
  • Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $250.
  • Find the Amex Gold 75k or 90k Welcome Bonus Offer
  • Benefits of the Amex Gold
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  • Amex Gold vs Blue Cash Preferred
  • Amex Platinum vs Amex Gold
  • Amex Gold vs Delta Gold

If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Amex business credit cards .

A fun and easy way to boost your earning potential is to maximize Amex Offers , which grant additional Membership Rewards for your purchases at select merchants.

Booking Travel With the AmexTravel.com Portal

If you’re booking economy flights or hotels, don’t forget to check out AmexTravel.com , where you can book cash flights with points. Points are generally worth 1 cent each.

With The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express , each point is worth about 1.54 cents when booking on your preselected airline.

The boost is applied in the form of a 35% rebate , so you’ll still need the total points in your account at the time of booking. You can get up to 1 million points rebated per calendar year.

Let’s check out an example (below). If you have the Amex Business Platinum card and Delta Air Lines is your selected airline, this booking will cost 22,516 Membership Rewards points initially.

Once the rebate is applied, American Express will return 7,880 Membership Rewards to your account, which means this booking would actually cost you 14,636 points.

JFK to LAX Amex Travel Pay with Points

You might have noticed in the example above that the booking is a Membership Rewards Insider Fare .

This can make your bookings through AmexTravel.com even more valuable since American Express sometimes discounts flights if you pay entirely with points .

Consider the flights we discussed above. Booking this itinerary through AmexTravel.com costs 14,636 Membership Rewards points, and the booking still earns Delta SkyMiles as a paid fare rather than an award ticket.

If you were to transfer Membership Rewards to Delta and book this same itinerary as an award ticket, you would have to transfer 25,000 points to your SkyMiles account to book it. In this case, booking through the portal would be a much better deal.

This is clearly a time to book through AmexTravel.com rather than transferring points. To ensure you get the most out of your points every time, it’s important to check both the portal and transfer options when booking economy class.

AmexTravel.com also allows you to book hotels at up to 1 cent per point in value through Fine Hotels & Resorts .

You can also redeem your points for gift cards to merchants like Nike, Saks Fifth Avenue , Walmart, or Amazon , or use your points to shop for items from the Membership Rewards site.

Unfortunately, these are generally terrible uses of your hard-earned Membership Rewards points. To get the most value out of them, stick with travel redemptions!

If you have multiple cards that earn Membership Rewards, they can each be linked to the same account so your points will automatically collect in one place.

Generally, when you apply for a new card that earns Membership Rewards points, it will automatically be linked to your account.

One downside is that points cannot be transferred to your spouse or significant other’s Membership Rewards account.

However, you can transfer points to a frequent flyer program owned by any authorized users on your account, as long as they have been an authorized user for at least 90 days .

American Express Authorized User

While this isn’t a perfect solution, it still allows you to help friends and family book award flights.

Using your Membership Rewards points for travel is clearly the best way to use your points.

With so many airline transfer partners and tons of ways to redeem your points, it’s almost overwhelming!

To make the process a bit easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best ways to redeem your Membership Rewards for some amazing travel experiences.

American Express Membership Rewards points are tremendously useful if you want to travel. With so many ways to earn and redeem points, you can book award flights to just about anywhere in the world!

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here . For rates and fees of the American Express ® Gold Card, click  here . For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

What airlines can membership rewards points be used for.

There are multiple different airline and hotel partners that you’re able to transfer your Membership Rewards points to. Refer to our table in the post for the most up-to-date transfer partners!

Can you transfer your Membership Rewards points to another person?

You cannot transfer your Membership Rewards points to anyone else. However, you can transfer your Membership Rewards to someone’s frequent flyer account so long as they are an authorized user on one of your cards and have been so for at least 90 days.

Can you transfer your Membership Rewards between your Amex cards?

American Express pools all of your Membership Rewards points into 1 account, so there is no need to transfer them back and forth between cards.

Can you transfer points from an airline to Membership Rewards points?

You cannot transfer miles or points from an airline to Amex Membership Rewards points. You also cannot get back any Membership Rewards points that you have already transferred to an airline partner — all transfers are final.

Do Membership Rewards points expire?

Your Membership Rewards points will not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

How much are Membership Rewards points worth?

Generally, your Membership Rewards points will be worth 0.6 cents toward cash-back, 1.10 cents when cashing them out into a Charles Schwab investment account (depending on which card you hold), or 2+ cents for redemptions made through transfer partners.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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19 Best Ways To Earn Lots of American Express Membership Rewards Points [2024]

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How to save hundreds on airfare with Amex’s International Airline Program

Kyle Olsen

Editor's Note

The American Express International Airline Program is a lesser-known benefit for cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express , The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or the Centurion Card from American Express .

The IAP has undergone positive changes in recent years, making it more accessible and useful. It offers discounts on first-class, business-class and premium economy tickets, which you can book directly through Amex Travel.

Here's how to make the most of the IAP and save money on your next premium cabin flight.

The information for the Centurion Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

What is the International Airline Program?

amex travel what airlines

The IAP lets eligible cardholders book premium-cabin flights for up to eight people on the same reservation (the cardmember plus seven additional travelers). To receive the savings, the cardmember must be one of the passengers.

While there are two dozen participating airlines, not all offer discounts consistently. Delta Air Lines and other SkyTeam partners typically provide discounts, but the amount saved can vary depending on the fare and route. Here is a list of the participating IAP airlines:

  • Air New Zealand
  • Brussels Airlines
  • Cathay Pacific
  • China Airlines
  • Japan Airlines
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic

Related: The ultimate guide to Amex Membership Rewards

What tickets are eligible for the International Airline Program?

amex travel what airlines

Eligible fares for the IAP include first-class, business-class and premium economy tickets with participating carriers. This benefit applies to both refundable and nonrefundable fares. The only major restriction is that the trip must originate and return in the U.S. or certain Canadian gateways, including Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Remember, Amex Platinum cardholders earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent when booking revenue fares through this program (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). Meanwhile, Business Platinum cardholders also earn 5 points per dollar spent on IAP purchases — plus, they'll receive a 35% rebate in points for booking first and business-class flights using Amex points, up to 1 million points per calendar year.

Additionally, since these are paid tickets, you should be eligible to earn points or miles with your preferred airline loyalty program, and they should count toward elite status qualification .

Related: Your guide to Amex's travel insurance coverage

How to book flights with the International Airline Program

After finding an inexpensive business-class fare on Google Flights , check if it can be replicated using the IAP.

It's relatively easy to book flights through IAP. You must be logged in to your American Express Platinum or Business Platinum Card account and head to the Amex Travel portal . You can filter IAP fares on the left side of the page.

amex travel what airlines

The IAP can be hit or miss, with some airlines offering cheaper fares than others. While the discount is available starting with premium economy, you'll generally find the savings jump as the fare increases.

Also, even if your airline doesn't participate in IAP, you can sometimes save money by booking a codeshare flight. For example, a round-trip United business-class flight from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) costs $2,884.05. However, you can book this same flight as a codeshare Austrian Airlines itinerary for $2,816.95, representing a savings of $67.10.

amex travel what airlines

In general, you can expect to see the most significant savings on expensive flights, like this first-class ticket from Newark to Frankfurt Airport (FRA). On this itinerary, booking through the IAP saves $524.50.

amex travel what airlines

On a round-trip, business-class Japan Airlines itinerary between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT), booking through the IAP saves $2,025 (approximately 20%).

amex travel what airlines

However, the price on IAP may be higher than on Google Flights and its suggested online travel agencies (OTAs) . For example, this flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) on ANA's business class is about $300 less expensive on Google Flights.

amex travel what airlines

The fare you prefer may not appear as an IAP fare, even if it belongs to an IAP airline. The flight or seat may be unavailable if you cannot find IAP flights in your search results.

Related: Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights

Paying with points

amex travel what airlines

While you can pay for IAP tickets using your American Express card (or any other travel credit card ), Amex members can also use Membership Rewards' Pay with Points feature to cover these tickets. During checkout, you can choose the Pay with Points option with a minimum redemption of 5,000 points. We normally don't recommend this option as you'll get a fixed 1 cent-per-point rate, and we value Amex points at 2 cents apiece when you can maximize Amex's transfer partners. If the points you redeem don't cover the entire amount, you can charge the remaining balance to your American Express card .

Business Platinum cardholders should remember that they earn 35% of their Membership Rewards points back after using points for all or part of an eligible flight, up to a maximum of 1 million points per calendar year. For example, the United-Austrian codeshare flight from Newark to London would require 281,695 Amex points for a round-trip journey. When using your Business Platinum card, you would receive over 98,000 Amex points back, which is a significant benefit.

Even if you use Pay With Points, the tickets you book should still count as revenue tickets and thus earn you miles.

Related: Amex Business Platinum for flights: When to transfer vs. when to pay with points

Bottom line

The IAP may appear complicated and difficult to understand initially. If it doesn't work, it can be overwhelming and more convenient to book your flight directly with the airline.

However, you can obtain fantastic discounts on premium cabin seats. Additionally, when you pay with your eligible card, you may receive various travel protections . Just keep in mind that the primary cardholder or an eligible authorized user must be traveling on the reservation to be eligible for these benefits.

Additional reporting by Benji Stawski and Victoria Walker.

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Credit Cards

United Airlines credit cards have a secret perk that makes it easier to book awards

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“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

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Robin Saks Frankel

Published 5:12 a.m. UTC April 22, 2024

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Sometimes the best reason to have an airline credit card isn’t necessarily for the miles you can earn and redeem, it’s for the perks. 

You can earn far more points using Chase credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Freedom Flex℠ * The information for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. than you will from the cobranded United credit cards issued by Chase. And since you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points into United MileagePlus miles, there’s little reason to use a United card just to earn miles. 

Instead, you should have a United MileagePlus card for its benefits, including free checked bags and discounts on in-flight purchases. 

But there’s one other important benefit that you rarely see mentioned by Chase or United. MileagePlus cardmembers are eligible for “special member pricing” that’s otherwise reserved just for those with elite status. Just by having a United MileagePlus credit card, you’ll get the same, lower pricing that United elite status holders have access to, which can mean significant mileage savings on award flights.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Welcome bonus.

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

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

  • Flexible points that can be transferred to 14 travel partners or redeemed through Chase Travel℠ at 1.25 cents each.
  • $50 annual statement credit toward Chase Travel hotel bookings.
  • Valuable travel protections.
  • $95 annual fee.
  • Category bonuses are limited and not competitive against other travel cards.
  • Transfer partner list is limited compared to programs like Amex Membership ® Rewards and Citi ThankYou ® .

Card details

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
  • Member FDIC

What is “special member pricing”?

Let’s say you wanted to fly from Denver to Paris this summer. When I searched for flights on July 11, 2024, and filtered out options with more than one stop, I found flights starting at 70,000 miles.

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But once I added my card to my MileagePlus account and logged in as a cardholder, the same options were available starting at just 40,000 miles.

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You’ll notice that the lower priced options have a small notation indicating that it’s granted “special member pricing.” And true travel nerds might notice that the higher priced option shows a fare code of YN, while the lower priced option shows the code of XN, which is reserved for cardmembers and those with elite status.

Which credit cards offer United’s special member pricing?

All United MileagePlus credit cards issued by Chase include this benefit, which includes:

  • United Gateway℠ Card * The information for the United Gateway℠ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
  • United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
  • United Quest℠ Card * The information for the United Quest℠ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
  • United Club℠ Infinite Card * The information for the United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
  • United℠ Business Card * The information for the United℠ Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
  • United Club℠ Business Card * The information for the United Club℠ Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Except for the no-annual-fee Gateway card, all of these cards have an annual fee — starting at a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 for the Explorer card and topping off at $525 for the United Club Infinite card. 

If you’re just looking for access to lower-priced flight awards, you might be tempted to get the Gateway card, which comes with a welcome offer of 20,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Instead, I’d recommend getting either the Explorer card, which currently has a welcome bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, the Quest card, which offers 60,000 miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, or the Club Infinite card, which comes with 80,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

After having the card for a year, you might decide that you want to keep the card for its other perks. But you can always request a downgrade to the no-annual-fee Gateway card. This move allows you to keep your miles and account open, eliminate the annual fee and continue to enjoy lower-priced flight awards. 

Looking to get the most out of your United rewards? Read our guide on how to earn and redeem United miles

Final verdict

The hardest part of award travel isn’t always earning the points and miles, it’s finding efficient ways to spend them. United makes this easy for those with elite status and anyone who holds one of their credit cards. By signing up for the best card offer available and longer-term keeping a no-annual-fee United card open at all times, you can be assured of the lowest prices when you book your United award tickets.

*The information for the Chase Freedom Flex℠, United Club℠ Business Card, United Club℠ Infinite Card, United Gateway℠ Card, United Quest℠ Card, United℠ Business Card and United℠ Explorer Card 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.

Jason Steele

Jason Steele is a freelance writer specializing in credit cards and award travel. Since 2008, Jason's work has appeared in over 100 outlets and he's been widely quoted in the mainstream media. Jason also produces CardCon, which is The Conference for Credit Card Media.

Julie Stephen Sherrier is a personal finance writer and editor based in Austin, TX. She is the former senior managing editor for LendingTree, responsible for all credit card and credit health content. Before joining LendingTree, Julie spent more than a decade as the managing editor and then editorial director at Bankrate and CreditCards.com. She also served as an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards lead editor at USA TODAY Blueprint. Previously, she was a credit cards and personal finance deputy editor for Forbes Advisor. She has also covered credit cards and related content for other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, NASDAQ's Trade Talks and has appeared on or contributed to The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. She holds an M.S. in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks.

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Flights to Europe with American Airlines

Home   ›   American Airlines flights   ›  Flights to Europe

Experience the most amazing European destinations while enjoying premier services offered by American Airlines with our flights to United Kingdom , France , Spain , Germany , Italy , and much more!

                                                    

When you fly American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, or Iberia you get access to more destinations across Europe. With more flights, flexibility, rewards, and partners, there’s nothing holding you back from traveling. In a partnership and in life, everything's better when done together. So, let's go together.

*Fares displayed have been collected within the last 24hrs and may no longer be available at time of booking. Fares listed may be Basic Economy, which class is subject to additional terms and conditions. Additional baggage fees and charges for optional products and services may apply.

Round trip flights to Europe

*Fares displayed have been collected within the last 24hrs and may no longer be available at time of booking. Some fares listed may include one or more connections that are Basic Economy, which class is subject to additional terms and conditions . Modifying this information may result in a different fare. To find the most updated fare, please visit aa.com. Additional baggage fees and charges for optional products and services may apply.

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It’s back by popular demand — Delta and American Express unveiled the next iteration of the limited-edition Boeing 747 Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card on the heels of the overwhelming response from Card Members when first launched in 2022 .  

The new limited-edition cards are cloud-white in color and made from two Delta Boeing 747 aircraft 1 that were retired after more than 27 years of service and feature each plane’s history, including their first and last flights, tail number and number of miles flown.   

The new limited-edition Delta SkyMiles Reserve Cards are cloud-white in color and made from two Delta Boeing 747 aircrafts that were retired after more than 27 years of service and feature each plane’s history, including their first and last flights, tail number and number of miles flown.  

The card is available exclusively for new and existing Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business Card Members from April 25 through June 5, 2024, while supplies last. The new design comes after recent enhancements made to the Delta SkyMiles American Express Cards to improve the travel experience and deliver everyday value to Members, both in the air and on the ground. 

“At Delta, innovation and experience are at the core of everything we do,” said Prashant Sharma, V.P. of Loyalty at Delta Air Lines. “Each card carries the legacy of countless journeys and embodies the spirit of exploration that drives our customers and all of us at Delta. When combined with the recently upgraded benefits, these cards provide a nod to our storied past and symbolize the elevated experiences our customers can expect in their future travels.” 

In 2022, Delta and American Express launched the first iteration of the limited-edition Boeing Delta 747 Card design, one of the most iconic airplanes in aviation history. The new design is made with 33% metal from a retired Delta Boeing 747 plane and has a white glossy finish, which is inspired by clouds.  

American Express Reserve Card

“We’re bringing back one of our most popular Card designs ever with a new look honoring the ‘Queen of the Skies,’” said Jon Gantman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cobrand Product Management at American Express. “Given the strong response from customers with our first Card design, we wanted to find another exciting opportunity for aviation enthusiasts and Card Members to have a piece of aviation history in their wallets.” 

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Cards offer premium travel benefits for Delta loyalists, including an enhanced Companion Certificate each year after renewal 2 , an MQD Headstart that helps you get closer to Status, miles accelerators, access to exclusive reservations through Global Dining Access by Resy 3 , and more. 

For more information about the Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business Cards, visit go.amex/747card . 

amex travel what airlines

1 The new limited-edition Boeing 747 Card design is made with 33% metal from retired Delta Boeing 747 aircraft.

2 The Companion Ticket requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.

3 Card Members must add their Delta Skymiles Reserve or Reserve Business American Express Card to their Resy profile to access Global Dining Access by Resy.

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Airlines must cough up cancellation cash and can no longer hide fees under new federal rule

A federal rule announced Wednesday will require airlines to quickly give cash refunds — without lengthy arguments — to passengers whose flights have been canceled or seriously delayed, the Biden administration said.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The rule from the Transportation Department says passengers who decline other reimbursement like travel credits are to get cash refunds.

Image: Salt Lake City travellers

It applies when a flight is canceled or has a “significant change,” the administration said.A “significant change” includes when departure or arrival times are three or more hours different from the scheduled times for domestic flights or six hours for international flights, and when the airport is changed or connections are added, it said.

Passengers are also to get refunds when their baggage is 12 hours late in delivery for domestic flights.

The new rule comes after promises to hold airlines accountable after major disruptions that made travel hell for passengers, including the 2022 Southwest Airlines meltdown , which resulted in almost 17,000 significantly delayed or canceled flights and a missing baggage nightmare.

The Transportation Department said that the new rule means refunds are automatic and that "airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops."

Also announced Wednesday was a rule requiring airlines to more clearly disclose so-called junk fees upfront, such as surprise baggage or other fees, the department said.

It said that rule is expected to save fliers around $500 million a year.

The surprise fees are used so tickets look cheaper than they really are, and then fliers get the unwelcome surprise of fees on checked bags, carry-on bags or reservation changes — or even discounts that are advertised but apply to only part of the ticket price, officials said.

Airlines will also have to tell fliers clearly that their seats are guaranteed and that they don't have to pay extra to ensure they have seats for flights, according to the Transportation Department.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said that its member airlines “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers from first search to touchdown” and that they do offer cash refunds.

The 11 largest U.S. airlines returned $10.9 billion in cash refunds last year, an increase over $7.5 billion in 2019 but slightly down from $11.2 billion in 2022, the group said.

“U.S. airlines are providing more options and better services while ticket prices, including ancillary revenues, are at historic lows,” Airlines for America said.

Left out of the federal changes announced Wednesday are those involving "family seating fees," but the Transportation Department said in a statement that "DOT is planning to propose a separate rule that bans airlines from charging these junk fees."

Travelers have complained to the Transportation Department that children weren’t seated next to accompanying adults, including in some cases young children, department officials said last year.

Fees on bags specifically have made up an increasing amount of airline revenues, the Transportation Department said Wednesday in announcing the new rules.

A Transportation Department analysis found that airline revenue from baggage fees increased 30% from 2018 to 2022, while operating revenue — which is from the flights themselves — increased by only half that amount, the department said.

Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.

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Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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These Are the Best Frequent Flier Programs of 2024

Only the best will do.

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Summer vacation is just around the corner, which means many of you will be taking to the skies to get to your dream destinations. But, before you do, make sure to sign up for a frequent flier program to ensure you maximize those travel benefits. But, which one should you be signing up for exactly? WalletHub has the answer.

The personal finance website released its report on the 2024 Best Frequent Flier Programs . The report ranks the 10 largest domestic airlines based on 21 key metrics, including everything from the "value of a point/mile" to "blackout dates for reward flights." The team also created three distinct consumer profiles, a "Light Flier," who spends roughly $355 on annual airline travel, an "Average Flier," who spends roughly $3,736 on annual airline travel, and a "Frequent Flier," who spends $7,117 on annual airline travel, so see how each program pans out for every traveler. 

After looking at all the data, WalletHub named Alaska Airline's program the best in the business. 

"Alaska Mileage Plan is the best frequent flier program of 2024, beating last year’s winner United MileagePlus," WalletHub wrote in its findings. The airline won thanks to its policy to never allow miles to expire, its high number of destinations and partner airlines, and the value earned by every category of traveler (light, average, and frequent). 

It was joined in the top five programs by United Airlines and its MileagePlus program in second, followed by Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles, Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles, and American Airlines' AAdvantage. 

The good news is, no matter which program you choose you'll likely be winning. According to WalletHub, seven of the 10 largest airlines are "offering more rewards value in 2024 than in 2023. On average, the top 10 airlines are offering 18 percent more value than they did last year."  

"For any good and sustainable airline rewards program, it has to be a win-win situation. Consumers get perks such as priority boarding and free check-in luggage; gradually, they become more loyal to that specific airline, make more purchases, and spread more positive Word of Mouth over time," Wan Yang, an associate professor and associate editor of International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, The Collins College of Hospitality Management, shared in the findings about what makes one program better than another. "Meanwhile, they will accumulate more miles with that company, which makes 'switching brands' more costly. Eventually, the airline company will gain great long-term benefits from those loyal consumers, also known as more 'Lifetime Value' from consumers." 

Beyond the study, WalletHub also shared a custom calculator that allows travelers to personalize the results of the best frequent flier programs based on their own budget. This way, you can always pick the one that's right for you. 

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Search criteria, terms and conditions, 2x membership rewards ® points.

Membership Rewards-enrolled Card Members get at least 1 Membership Rewards ® point for every eligible dollar spent on their Membership Rewards program-enrolled American Express ® Card. Those same Card Members will also get at least 1 additional point for each dollar of eligible travel purchases made on amextravel.com on their Membership Rewards program-enrolled American Express Card. Corporate Card Members are not eligible for the additional point. Eligible travel purchases include all travel purchases made with your Membership Rewards program-enrolled American Express ® Card on amextravel.com , including air, prepaid hotels, prepaid car rentals, vacation packages (flight + hotel packages) or cruise reservations, minus returns and other credits. Platinum and Business Platinum Card Members are only eligible for 1 additional point on cruise reservations. Eligible travel purchases do NOT include non-prepaid car rentals, non-prepaid hotels, ticketing service or other fees, or interest charges. Bonuses you may receive with your Card on other purchase categories or in connection with promotions or offers from American Express may not be combined with this offer, such as 5X bonuses for Platinum and Business Platinum Card Members or 3X bonuses for Business Gold Card Members. Any portion of a charge that you elect to cover through redemption of Membership Rewards points is not eligible to receive points. If you have an Amex EveryDay Card product, additional points awarded under this offer will not be included in the extra points benefit. Additional points will be credited to the Membership Rewards account 10-12 weeks after final payment is made.

3X Membership Rewards Points Business Gold Card

Basic American Express ® Business Gold Card Members will get at least one Membership Rewards ® point for each dollar of eligible travel purchases on their Card and on any Employee Cards on their Card Account. Basic Card Members will get 2 additional points (for a total of 3 points) for each dollar spent on eligible travel purchases on their Business Gold Card Account from American Express. Eligible travel purchases include scheduled flights and prepaid flight+hotel packages made online at amextravel.com , minus returns and other credits. Additionally, eligible travel purchases include prepaid hotel purchases made through American Express Travel over the phone with our Travel Consultants or made online at amextravel.com , minus returns and other credits. Eligible travel purchases do NOT include non-prepaid hotel bookings, scheduled flights and prepaid flight+hotel packages booked over the phone, vacation packages, car rentals, cruise, hotel group reservations or events, ticketing service, cancellation or other fees, interest charges, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. To be eligible for the 3X Membership Rewards ® points, the booking must be both reserved and charged on the Basic or Additional/Employee Card on the Card Account. To modify a reservation, you can cancel and rebook your reservation on amextravel.com or by calling a representative of amextravel.com at 1-800-297-2977 . To be eligible for the 3X Membership Rewards ® points, any changes to an existing reservation must be made through the same method as your original booking. Cancellations are subject to hotel cancellation penalty policies. If hotel reservations are made or modified directly with the hotel provider, the reservation will not be eligible for this 3X Membership Rewards ® point benefit. To be eligible to receive extra points, Card Account(s) must not be cancelled or past due at the time of extra points fulfillment. If a booking is canceled, the extra points will be deducted from the Membership Rewards account. Extra points will be credited to the Membership Rewards account approximately 6-10 weeks after eligible purchases appear on the billing statement. Bonuses you may receive with your Card on other purchase categories or in connection with promotions or offers from American Express may not be combined with this benefit.

Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. We group certain merchant codes into categories that are eligible for additional points. A purchase with a merchant will not earn additional points if the merchant’s code is not included in an additional points category. You may not receive additional points if we receive inaccurate information or are otherwise unable to identify your purchase as eligible for an additional points category. For example, you may not receive additional points when: a merchant uses a third-party to sell their products or services; or a merchant uses a third-party to process or submit your transaction to us (e.g., using mobile or wireless card readers); or you choose to make a purchase using a third-party payment account or make a purchase using a mobile or digital wallet.

Please visit americanexpress.com/rewards-info for more information about rewards.

Gold Card Membership Rewards ®

Basic Card Members will earn one point for each dollar charged for an eligible purchase in each billing period on The American Express Gold Card or an Additional Card on their Account. Basic Card Members will earn: 3 additional points (for a total of 4 points) for each dollar charged at restaurants worldwide; 3 additional points (for a total of 4 points) on the first $25,000 of eligible purchases per calendar year at supermarkets located in the U.S. (superstores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and meal-kit delivery services are not considered supermarkets); and 2 additional points (for a total of 3 points) for airfare on a scheduled flight charged directly with passenger airlines (charter flights and private jet flights are excluded) and airfare charged directly with amextravel.com . Basic Card Members may not earn additional points for purchases at a restaurant located within another establishment (e.g. a restaurant inside a hotel, casino, or event venue) or for events held within a restaurant, or for purchases made through third-party food delivery services outside of the U.S. Basic Card Members also will NOT earn additional points for purchases at bars, nightclubs, cafeterias, supermarkets, grocery stores, caterers, theatre clubs, breweries, bakeries, meeting venues, and convenience stores. Please allow 8-12 weeks after the qualifying purchase is charged to your Card Account for points to be posted to the account. Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, cash advances, person to person payments, purchases of gift cards, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. We group certain merchant codes into categories that are eligible for additional points. A purchase with a merchant will not earn additional points if the merchant’s code is not included in an additional points category. Basic Card Members may not receive additional points if we receive inaccurate information or are otherwise unable to identify your purchase as eligible for an additional points category. For example, Basic Card Members may not receive additional points when: a merchant uses a third-party to sell their products or services; or a merchant uses a third-party to process or submit your transaction to us (e.g., using mobile or wireless card readers); or you choose to make a purchase using a third-party payment account or make a purchase using a mobile or digital wallet.

Green Card Membership Rewards ®

You will earn one Membership Rewards ® point for each dollar of eligible purchases charged in each billing period on the American Express ® Green Card. Travel: You will earn 2 additional points (for a total of 3 points) for each dollar charged on eligible travel purchases including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, travel purchases on third party travel websites, and travel purchases on amextravel.com . You will not earn additional points for purchases of timeshare properties. Transit: You will earn 2 additional points (for a total of 3 points) for each dollar charged on eligible transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways. Restaurants: You will earn 2 additional points (for a total of 3 points) for each dollar charged at restaurants. You may not earn additional points for purchases at a restaurant located within another establishment (e.g. a restaurant inside a hotel, casino, or event venue) or for purchases made through third-party food delivery services outside of the U.S. For example, purchases made at a restaurant located within a hotel may be recognized as a purchase at a hotel, not a restaurant. You also will NOT earn additional points for purchases at bars, nightclubs, cafeterias, and convenience stores.

Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, cash advances, person to person payments, purchases of gift cards, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. See www.membershiprewards.com/terms for the Membership Rewards program terms and conditions.

5X Membership Rewards ® Points Platinum Card

Basic Card Members will get 1 Membership Rewards ® point for each dollar charged for eligible purchases on their Platinum Card ® or an Additional Card on their Account and 4 additional points (for a total of 5 points) for each dollar charged for eligible travel purchases on any Card on the Account (“Additional Points”), minus cancellations and credits. Eligible travel purchases are limited to: (i) purchases of air tickets on scheduled flights, of up to $500,000 in charges per calendar year, booked directly with passenger airlines or through American Express Travel (by calling 1-800-525-3355 or through AmexTravel.com ); (ii) purchases of prepaid hotel reservations booked through American Express Travel; and (iii) purchases of prepaid flight+hotel packages booked through AmexTravel.com . Eligible travel purchases do not include: charter flights, private jet flights, flights that are part of tours, cruises, or travel packages (other than prepaid flight+hotel packages booked through AmexTravel.com ), ticketing or similar service fees, ticket cancellation or change fees, property fees or similar fees, hotel group reservations or events, interest charges, or purchases of cash equivalents. Eligible prepaid hotel bookings or prepaid flight+hotel bookings that are modified directly with the hotel will not be eligible for Additional Points.

Bonuses that may be received with your Card on other purchase categories or in connection with promotions or offers from American Express cannot be combined with this benefit. Any portion of a charge that the Basic Card Member elects to cover through redemption of Membership Rewards points is not eligible to receive points. Additional terms and restrictions apply.

Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. We group certain merchant codes into categories that are eligible for Additional Points. A purchase with a merchant will not earn Additional Points if the merchant’s code is not included in an Additional Points category. Basic Card Members may not receive Additional Points if we receive inaccurate information or are otherwise unable to identify your purchase as eligible for an Additional Points category. For example, you may not receive Additional Points when: a merchant uses a third-party to sell their products or services, a merchant uses a third-party to process or submit your transaction to us (e.g., using mobile or wireless card readers), or you choose to make a purchase using a third-party payment account or make a purchase using a mobile or digital wallet.

To be eligible for this benefit, the Card Account must not be cancelled. If American Express, in its sole discretion, determines that you have engaged in or intend to engage in any manner of abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with this benefit in any way American Express may remove access to this benefit from the Account. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card or visit americanexpress.com/rewards-info for more information about rewards.

5X Membership Rewards Points for Business Platinum Card

You will get one point for each dollar charged for an eligible purchase on your Business Platinum Card ® from American Express. You will get 4 additional points (for a total of 5 points) for each dollar spent on eligible travel purchases. Eligible travel purchases include scheduled flights and prepaid flight+hotel packages made online at amextravel.com , minus returns and other credits. Additionally, eligible travel purchases include prepaid hotel purchases made through American Express Travel, over the phone with our Travel Consultants or made online at amextravel.com , minus returns and other credits. Eligible travel purchases do NOT include non-prepaid hotel bookings, scheduled flights and prepaid flight+hotel packages over the phone, vacation packages, car rentals, cruise, hotel group reservations or events, ticketing service, cancellation or other fees, interest charges, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or purchases of other cash equivalents. To be eligible for the 5x Membership Rewards ® points, you must both reserve and charge the travel purchase with the same eligible Business Platinum Card ® . To modify a reservation you must cancel and rebook your reservation. You can cancel and rebook your reservation on amextravel.com or by calling a representative of AmexTravel.com at 1-800-297-2977 . Cancellations are subject to hotel cancellation penalty policies. If hotel reservations are made or modified directly with the hotel provider, the reservation will not be eligible for this 5X Membership Rewards ® point benefit. To be eligible to receive extra points, Card account(s) must not be cancelled or past due at the time of extra points fulfillment. If booking is cancelled, the extra points will be deducted from the Membership Rewards account. Extra points will be credited to the Membership Rewards account approximately 6-10 weeks after eligible purchases appear on the billing statement. Bonuses you may receive with your Card on other purchase categories or in connection with promotions or offers from American Express may not be combined with this benefit. The benefits associated with the Additional Card(s) you choose may be different than the benefits associated with your basic Card. To learn about the benefits associated with Additional Card(s) you choose, please call the number on the back of your Card.

Membership Rewards ® Pay with Points

To use Pay with Points, you must charge your eligible purchase through American Express Travel to a Membership Rewards ® program-enrolled American Express ® Card. Eligible purchases through American Express Travel exclude non-prepaid car rentals and non-prepaid hotels. Points will be debited from your Membership Rewards account, and credit for corresponding dollar amount will be issued to the American Express Card account used. If points redeemed do not cover entire amount, the balance of purchase price will remain on the American Express Card account. Minimum redemption 5,000 points.

See www.membershiprewards.com/terms for the Membership Rewards program terms and conditions.

If a charge for a purchase is included in a Pay Over Time balance on your Linked Account the statement credit associated with that charge may not be applied to that Pay Over Time balance. Instead the statement credit may be applied to your Pay in Full balance. If you believe this has occurred, please contact us by calling the number on the back of your Card.

Membership Rewards ® Program

Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards ® program apply. Visit www.membershiprewards.com/terms for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice.

The value of Membership Rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them. To learn more, go to www.membershiprewards.com/pointsinfo .

Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee

Valid only for American Express Card Members. If you book a qualifying hotel rate on amextravel.com and then find the same room, in the same hotel, for the same dates, the same number of children and adults, at a lower price online, before taxes and fees, we'll refund you the difference. For pre-paid reservations, your claim must be submitted prior to your stay, before the date of check-in. For verification of “pay later” hotel bookings, your claim must be submitted within thirty (30) days after you have completed the hotel stay, and the customer service representative may instruct you to mail a copy of your hotel receipt to American Express within that time period. American Express will honor the lower price for verified requests. The "Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee" policy applies only to online rates available to the general public and excludes (1) rates or discounts that are not available to the general public, including, but not limited to, corporate, group, charter, meeting/convention, AAA, government/military, and senior citizen rates/discounts; or (2) hotel rooms booked through or in combination with frequent stay, loyalty, points, coupon promotions, rooms won through contests or sweepstakes or transferred, or rooms booked on opaque websites that do not allow you to see the name of the hotel until your reservation is complete; or (3) promotional packages, deals, all-inclusive packages, or bundles that may include additional amenities such as parking, meals, or entertainment, or (4) rates booked through the Fine Hotels + Resorts ® and The Hotel Collection programs. Details .

$200 Hotel Credit

Basic Card Members on U.S. Consumer Platinum Card Account are eligible to receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when they or Additional Platinum Card Members use their Cards to pay for eligible prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts ® and The Hotel Collection bookings made through American Express Travel (meaning through amextravel.com , the Amex ® App, or by calling the phone number on the back of your eligible Card) or when Companion Platinum Card Members on such Platinum Card Accounts pay for eligible prepaid bookings for The Hotel Collection made through American Express Travel (meaning through amextravel.com , the Amex ® App, or by calling the phone number on the back of your eligible Card). Purchases by both the Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on the Card Account are eligible for statement credits. However, the total amount of statement credits for eligible purchases will not exceed $200 per calendar year, per Card Account. Fine Hotels + Resorts ® program bookings may be made only by eligible U.S. Consumer Basic Platinum and Additional Platinum Card Members. The Hotel Collection bookings may be made by eligible U.S. Consumer Basic and Additional Platinum Card Members and Companion Platinum Card Members on the Platinum Card Account. Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Card Members are not eligible for the benefit. To receive the statement credits, an eligible Card Member must make a new booking using their eligible Card through American Express Travel on or after July 1st, 2021, that is prepaid (referred to as "Pay Now" on amextravel.com and the Amex App), for a qualifying stay at an available, participating Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection property. Bookings of The Hotel Collection require a minimum stay of two consecutive nights. Eligible bookings must be processed before December 31st, 11:59PM Central Time, each calendar year to be eligible for statement credits within that year. Eligible bookings do not include interest charges, cancellation fees, property fees or other similar fees, or any charges by a property to you (whether for your booking, your stay or otherwise).

Statement credits are typically received within a few days, however it may take 90 days after an eligible prepaid hotel booking is charged to the Card Account. American Express relies on the merchant to process transactions within the same calendar year that you made the prepaid booking in order to apply the statement credit in the calendar year that it was intended. For example, if you make an eligible prepaid booking on the last day of the year, but the merchant doesn't process that transaction until the next day, then the statement credit available in the next calendar year will be applied to the Card Account, if the purchase is eligible. Statement credits may not be received or may be reversed if the booking is cancelled or modified. To be eligible for this benefit, your Card account must not be cancelled or past due at the time of statement credit fulfillment. If American Express does not receive information that identifies your transaction as eligible, you will not receive the statement credits. For example, your transaction will not be eligible if it is a booking: made with a property not included in the Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection programs, (ii) not made through American Express Travel, or (iii) not made with an eligible Card. Participating properties and their availability are subject to change. If American Express, in its sole discretion, determines that you have engaged in or intend to engage in any manner of abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with this benefit, American Express will not have an obligation to provide and may reverse any statement credits provided to you. If a charge for an eligible purchase is included in a Pay Over Time balance on your Card Account, the statement credit associated with that charge may not be applied to that Pay Over Time balance. Instead, the statement credit may be applied to your Pay In Full balance. Please refer to AmericanExpress.com/FHR and AmericanExpress.com/HC for more information about Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, respectively.

Fine Hotels + Resorts ®

Fine Hotels + Resorts ® (FHR) program benefits are available for new bookings made through American Express Travel with participating properties and are valid only for eligible U.S. Consumer, Business, and Corporate Platinum Card ® Members, and Centurion ® Members. Additional Platinum Card Members on Consumer and Business Platinum and Centurion Card Accounts are also eligible for FHR program benefits. Companion Card Members on Consumer Platinum and Centurion Card Accounts, Additional Business Gold and Additional Business Expense Card Members on Business Platinum and Centurion Card Accounts, and Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Card Members are not eligible for FHR program benefits. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express ® Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. The average total value of the program benefits is based on prior-year bookings for stays of two nights; the actual value varies. Noon check-in and room upgrade are subject to availability and are provided at check-in; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of experience credit or additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the experience credit will be applied to eligible charges up to the amount of the experience credit. Advance reservations are recommended for certain experience credits. The type and value of the daily breakfast (for two) varies by property; breakfast will be valued at a minimum of US$60 per room per day. If the cost of Wi-Fi is included in a mandatory property fee, a daily credit of that amount will be applied at check-out. Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay). Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional FHR benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the Property reserve the right to modify or revoke FHR benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you may have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your FHR benefits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in USD or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for FHR program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.

The Hotel Collection

The Hotel Collection (THC) benefits are available for new bookings of two consecutive nights or more made through American Express Travel with participating properties and are valid only for eligible U.S. Consumer and Business Gold Card, Platinum Card ® Members, and Centurion ® Members. Additional Card Members on Consumer and Business Platinum Card Accounts, and Additional Card Members on Consumer and Business Centurion Accounts are also eligible for THC program benefits. Delta SkyMiles ® Gold and Platinum Card Members are not eligible. Bookings must be made using an eligible Card and must be paid using that Card, or another American Express ® Card, in the eligible Card Member's name, and that Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. Room upgrade is subject to availability and is provided at check-in; certain room categories are not eligible for upgrade. The type of experience credit or additional amenity (if applicable) varies by property; the experience credit will be applied to eligible charges up to $100. Advance reservations are recommended for certain experience credits. Benefit restrictions vary by property. Benefits are applied per room, per stay (with a three-room limit per stay). Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional THC benefits (“Prohibited Action”). American Express and the Property reserve the right to modify or revoke the THC benefits at any time without notice if we or they determine, in our or their sole discretion, that you have engaged in a Prohibited Action, or have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with your THC benefits. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. Benefits must be used during the stay booked. Any credits applicable are applied at check-out in USD or the local currency equivalent. Benefits, participating properties, and availability and amenities at those properties are subject to change. To be eligible for THC program benefits, your eligible Card Account must not be cancelled. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.

Seller of Travel

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. is acting solely as a sales agent for travel suppliers and is not responsible for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. Certain suppliers pay us commission and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals and may provide incentives to our Travel Consultants. For more information visit www.americanexpress.com/travelterms .

California CST#1022318; Washington UBI#600-469-694

IMAGES

  1. Complete list of AMEX Transfer Partners

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  2. Complete list of AMEX Transfer Partners

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  3. Amex Travel Basic Economy

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  5. Amex Travel

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  6. Guide to Using the Amex Travel Portal

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VIDEO

  1. LGA Airport Lounge Showdown (Admirals Club vs. Amex Centurion) #shorts

  2. ✈️ Book American Airlines Flights with Amex Points #pointsandmiles

COMMENTS

  1. Book Flights

    International Airline Program . If you're ready to book your next flight to your favorite international destination, as a Platinum and Business Platinum Card Member, get exclusive access to lower fares for yourself and up to 7 travel companions traveling on your same itinerary when you book select First, Business, or Premium Economy class tickets on international itineraries through the Inter

  2. American Express Travel: Book Flights, Hotels, Cars, Cruises & More

    Eligible travel purchases are limited to: (i) purchases of air tickets on scheduled flights, of up to $500,000 in charges per calendar year, booked directly with passenger airlines or through American Express Travel (by calling 1-800-525-3355 or through AmexTravel.com); (ii) purchases of prepaid hotel reservations booked through American ...

  3. American Express Travel: Everything you need to know

    Amex Travel is the booking portal for most American Express cards. You can book flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises through the site, and you can pay with points, cash or a combination of the two. How to book flights on the Amex Travel portal. To find flights on American Express Travel, visit this webpage. The flight booking process on the ...

  4. American Express Platinum Benefits & Travel Perks

    From short flights to long hotel stays, you can use Pay with Points for all or part of the purchase through AmexTravel.com. Or, earn 5X Membership Rewards points when you book with your Platinum Card. This includes up to $500,000 per calendar year on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel and eligible prepaid ...

  5. AmEx Travel Portal: What You Need to Know

    • 5 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 spent per year. • 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express ...

  6. Amex Travel

    At its most basic, AmexTravel.com is an online travel booking portal (or "online travel agency") just like Expedia, Kayak, and Orbitz. You can use it to book a whole trip or just a flight, hotel (or flight + hotel packages), rental cars, or even cruises. If you'd like extra assistance from a customer service agent, you can book by phone ...

  7. The complete guide to the Amex Travel portal

    Earn 5 Membership Rewards® Points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and on flights booked directly with airlines or AMEX travel. The airline benefit is limited to the ...

  8. How To Use Amex Points For Flights

    3 points per dollar on travel and transit including flights, hotels, taxis, rideshare services, trains, parking and more, 3 points per dollar on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide ...

  9. The complete guide to Amex Travel for 2024

    Meanwhile, the same flight through Amex Travel's International Airline Program costs $2,573.75, for a nice $120 discount. American Express. Discounts vary by route, airline and other factors.

  10. How to use the Amex Travel Portal: Booking flights, hotels and more

    Using American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points to book prepaid flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages through the Amex Travel portal can be a great way to save money on ...

  11. American Express Travel

    Seller of Travel. American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. is acting solely as a sales agent for travel suppliers and is not responsible for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. Certain suppliers pay us commission and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals and may provide incentives to our Travel ...

  12. Full List of Amex Transfer Partners

    Step 3: Choose your desired airline or hotel transfer partner and select Transfer Points. If you haven't already, you will need to link your frequent flyer account to your Membership Rewards account. In the example below, we chose Delta Air Lines. Image Credit: American Express.

  13. Book Flights Simply

    The benefits associated with the Additional Card(s) you choose may be different than the benefits associated with your basic Card.Your Platinum Card ® from American Express will get 4 additional points (for a total of 5 points) on the first $500,000 on eligible air purchases of scheduled flights made directly with a passenger airline or ...

  14. How to use the Amex Platinum $200 airline fee credit in 2024

    5 suggestions on using the airline fee credit this year. Here are some ideas for using your Amex Platinum airline incidental credits throughout 2024: Pay for seat assignments and checked bag fees. Use it to splurge on food and beverages while inflight. Purchase airline lounge daypasses for future use.

  15. How to maximize the International Airline Program

    The American Express International Airline Program is a lesser-known benefit for cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express, ... While you can pay for IAP tickets using your American Express card (or any other travel credit card), Amex members can also use Membership Rewards' Pay with Points feature to cover these tickets. During ...

  16. Partner Airlines

    Fly farther with Membership Rewards. With the most airline points transfer partners of any major U.S. credit card loyalty program, Membership Rewards can take you where you want to go. Learn about our partners and where they fly.

  17. Did you know your airline elite status gives you perks on other

    For example, both the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card earn $1 MQD for every $10 you spend. Plus, both cards include ...

  18. United Airlines credit cards have a secret perk that makes it easier to

    Sometimes the best reason to have an airline credit card isn't necessarily for the miles you can earn ... That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 60,000 bonus points. Annual fee. $95.

  19. Best No-Annual-Fee Travel Credit Cards Of April 2024

    Using a travel rewards credit card has long been celebrated as an easy strategy to travel the world for less. Consumers can apply for rewards credit cards and earn points and miles on everyday ...

  20. Flights to Europe

    Europe vacation packages. Save with vacation packages and book a hotel and flight together! Plan your European dream vacation today! Find American Airlines flights to Europe with our many convenient options. Enjoy peace of mind travel experiences and fly in style! Book now.

  21. Delta Air Lines

    Delta Air Lines. Book a trip. Check in, change seats, track your bag, check flight status, and more.

  22. How to Snag a First-Class Seat With Credit Card and Airline Points

    Some frequent fliers insist you should only use your precious credit card points on first-class flights. New award-flight search companies help you figure out how.

  23. Flight Booking Support & FAQs

    American Express Travel Online will pass your requests to the airline but cannot guarantee that all requests will be honored. Availability may depend on the aircraft, the airline's policies, or the specific needs of the traveler.

  24. A storied return: Delta, American Express bring back popular airplane

    It's back by popular demand — Delta and American Express unveiled the next iteration of the limited-edition Boeing 747 Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card on the heels of the overwhelming response from Card Members when first launched in 2022.. The new limited-edition cards are cloud-white in color and made from two Delta Boeing 747 aircraft 1 that were retired after more than 27 years of service ...

  25. Airlines must cough up cancellation cash and can no longer hide fees

    The 11 largest U.S. airlines returned $10.9 billion in cash refunds last year, an increase over $7.5 billion in 2019 but slightly down from $11.2 billion in 2022, the group said.

  26. Flights on sale to 100+ Destinations with Aeromexico

    Seattle - Mexico City. Los Angeles - Cancun. Orlando - Mexico City. Denver - Mexico City. Atlanta - Cancun. Compare and book today your flight deals from the United States to +100 destinations worldwide with Aeromexico and the SkyTeam Alliance! Enjoy an extraordinary on board!

  27. WalletHub Just Named the U.S. Airline With the Best Frequent ...

    The team also created three distinct consumer profiles, a "Light Flier," who spends roughly $355 on annual airline travel, an "Average Flier," who spends roughly $3,736 on annual airline travel ...

  28. Book Flights, Hotels, Cars & Holidays

    Book Flights, Hotels, Car Rental and packages with American Express Travel. See our guides, find great deals, manage your booking and check in online.

  29. Delta Air Lines

    Search for a Delta flight round-trip, multi-city or more. You choose from over 300 destinations worldwide to find a flight that fits your schedule.

  30. American Express Vacation: Book a Vacation Package

    Eligible travel purchases are limited to: (i) purchases of air tickets on scheduled flights, of up to $500,000 in charges per calendar year, booked directly with passenger airlines or through American Express Travel (by calling 1-800-525-3355 or through AmexTravel.com); (ii) purchases of prepaid hotel reservations booked through American ...