At 450 dollars a year annual membership, I still turn a profit on my Platinum American Express Card. I receive Gold Status at both Hilton and Starwood properties for hotel upgrades such as the concierge lounge. I have Global Entry and TSA Pre check saving me time at the airport. I have unlimited access to the Delta airport lounges and Centurion lounges worth 50 dollars a visit. I receive free on board Go Go wireless for my Delta flights and a flight credit of 200 dollars per year toward my incidentals and paid upgrades.
Below is some information from #thepointsguy. Check it out 🙂
As I was sitting in the American Express Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia the other day, Instagramming how much I was enjoying the fried chicken, I couldn’t help but think about how much I value the benefits of my Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN.
At a time when many credit cards, including the Citi ThankYou Premier, are lowering annual fees, and some of the most popular travel rewards cards (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard) are waiving their fees for the first year, it might seem strange that I continue to have such high regard for a card that charges a whopping $450 annually just for the privilege of carrying it. However, the benefits I get from my Business Platinum far outweigh that annual fee, and make it worth every penny.
Here are my favorite benefits of the card, ranked in order of the enjoyment I get out of them, with the value I place on each one.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXgiPRoZ
1. Centurion Lounge access (and food!) — While the Platinum cards lost access to Admirals Club lounges and restricted Delta SkyClub access to cardholders (without guests), Amex has been steadily adding Centurion Lounges at major airports across the country as well as international locations such as Buenos Aires and Sydney — and in my opinion, they blow domestic US airline lounges out of the water. Cardholders get access for themselves and up to two guests or their whole family when traveling together.
Not only are the Centurion Lounges better designed than your average club lounge, with contemporized mid-century modern flair that alludes to the golden age of travel, but also their other amenities (including mini-spas, showers, children’s play areas and food) are so much better!
For example, Amex recently opened a Centurion Lounge in Miami with an amazing menu designed by James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, including slow-braised beef short rib with green faro, lavender crisps with candied pecans and lemon-ricotta pancakes.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXgqAFID
$200 Airline Rebate — As with the personal Platinum card, my Business Platinum offers a $200 airline rebate once per calendar year, meaning every January I get $200 to spend on the airline I designate. The rebate is automatic; when I use my card to pay for any of the following items directly from an airline, the charge should be automatically rebated from my statement:
Checked baggage fees
Overweight/oversize baggage fees
Change fees
Phone reservation fees
Pet flight fees
Airport lounge day passes and annual memberships
Seat assignment fees
In-flight amenity fees (beverages, food, pillows/blankets, etc.)
In-flight entertainment fees (excluding wireless internet)
The rebate does not extend to airline tickets. However, it is usually triggered when you purchase airline gift cards or vouchers, which you can then use on t
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXh1PvWL
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application reimbursement — One of the best developments in the travel industry in recent years has been the advent of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck in the US. These expedited security services allow me to breeze through Customs & Immigration and security at US airports (and some foreign airports). Plus, by getting Global Entry, you’re automatically registered for TSA PreCheck (though you have to manually enter this into your various airline traveler profiles). The Business Platinum card will issue you a statement credit to cover your application fee for either of these services, which makes signing up a no-brainer.
Furthermore, even if you already have Global Entry, you can use your own Business Platinum card to pay for another person’s application, and each additional cardholder you add can also use his/her card to be reimbursed for their own application, so this represents a tremendous value. You can get a Global Entry credit once every five years.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXh6KqKI
30% Pay With Points rebate — Earlier this year, Amex announced that the Business Platinum Card would lose its 20% Pay with Points rebate, a perk that gave cardholders 1.25 cents per point in value when redeeming points directly through Amex Travel for airfare on any airline. However, the company quickly backpedaled, sort of. As of July 1, Business Platinum cardholders specifically earn a 30% Pay With Points rebate for a designated airline, which must be the same one designated for the $200 annual airline fee credit.
That means Business Platinum cardholders can redeem Membership Rewards points for flights on their preferred airline and get a value of about 1.43 cents per point. For example, if you were to redeem points for a $500 flight, you’d redeem 50,000 points and then get 15,000 of them back, for a total cost of 35,000 points. While that’s a larger discount than before, the restriction to a single airline limits its value in my opinion.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXhEhDdI
Fine Hotels & Resorts Program — The Fine Hotels & Resorts program for American Express Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders is a luxury hotel-booking site that includes a slate of added benefits and perks for stays. Benefits include availability-based room upgrades, free night offers, free in-room Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, early check-in and guaranteed 4pm check-out, and resort credits for purchases like restaurant tabs or spa treatments.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXhJFysB
Boingo Wi-Fi access — Last summer, Amex announced that personal and Business Platinum cardholders will receive complimentary, unlimited access to Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide, provided by Boingo Wireless. The Boingo American Express Preferred Plan (or AXP Plan) gives Platinum cardholders access to approximately one million land-based global hotspots in airports, retail locations and hotels. Once enrolled in the plan, each eligible, authenticated card member can have simultaneous internet access for up to four devices without data caps or roaming fees. The coverage is equivalent to the Boingo Global Plan, which costs $39 a month and includes similar access, but allows only up to 2,000 minutes per month.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXhMtjbe
10 Free Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi passes — Last December, Amex also announced that Business Platinum cardholders specifically would receive 10 complimentary Gogo Wi-Fi passes each year. These passes can be used to access internet on any Gogo-equipped flight segment, regardless of the flight length and whether it’s domestic or international. Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi generally costs $16 for an all-day pass, and can be well worth it if you don’t want to lose a day of work while flying.
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXhQVWzD
While these valuations are based on my own habits and usage, I like to think that I’m a fairly typical (though always savvy!) business traveler who doesn’t have to go too far out of his way to maximize the benefits of his Business Platinum Card. Naturally, your own valuations may differ based on your travel habits. Based on my experience, here’s the total value I pull from my Business Platinum Card each year:
Lounge access — $300
Airline rebate — $200
Global Entry application reimbursement (once every five years) — $100
30% Pay With Points rebate — $100
Fine Hotels & Resorts — $500
Boingo Wi-Fi — $200
Gogo In-Flight WiFi — $160
Amex OPEN Savings — $200
Starwood Gold Status — $100
TOTAL — $1,860
Next step #Centurion 🙂
Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2015/08/why-i-love-amex-business-platinum/#ixzz3pXhZ3V3D
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/platinum/28000
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