How To Maximize The Amex Platinum Airline Fee Credit

The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) is a premium card with premium perks and a premium $695 annual fee. When you look at the fee, you might think, “Wow, no way would I pay that much for a card membership.” However, you might think otherwise when you see how much value you can get by using the card’s benefits.

The Amex Platinum offers card members annual statement credits, including up to $300 Equinox credit, up to $240 digital entertainment credit, up to $200 Uber Cash on U.S. Uber purchases, up to $200 hotel credits for prepaid Fine Hotels+ Resorts or The Hotel Collection made via American Express Travel (Hotel Collection bookings require a minimum two-night stay), $189 in statement credits for CLEAR® Plus membership, up to $155 Walmart+ credit and up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit.

The card also includes an up to $200 airline fee statement credit, which doesn’t cover airline tickets but is eligible for incidental charges. Enrollment is required for select benefits, and to maximize on this benefit, you’ll need to know exactly how you can use it.

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5X Reward Rate

Earn 5 Membership Rewards Points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and on flights booked directlyRead More

Welcome Bonus

Earn 80,000 points

Annual Fee

$695

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Score

Good,Excellent (700 - 749)

Editorial Review

The Platinum Card is destined for frequent travelers who intend to fully leverage the rich set of luxury travel benefits and Platinum Concierge service. In the right hands, the classic status card’s staggering annual fee is well justified.

Pros & Cons

• High reward potential on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel
• Multiple credits can help justify the fee
• Comprehensive airport lounge access
• Luxury travel benefits and elite status with Hilton and Marriott with enrollment

• Very high annual fee
• Maximizing the statement credits takes some work and could be impractical for many
• Reward rate outside of travel is sub-par for a premium card

Card Details

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, 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.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $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.
• $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• 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 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), 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.
• 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.

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

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.

What Is the Amex Platinum Airline Fee Credit?

The Amex Platinum airline fee credit is a credit up to $200 that comes as a benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express for one select airline. The credit applies as statement credits toward airline purchases that are considered incidentals, such as checked bags, seat selection and in-flight meals or beverages.

The Amex Platinum airline credit is available on the following cards:

• American Express Corporate Platinum Card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab*
• The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs*
• The Platinum Card® from American Express exclusively for Morgan Stanley*
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Considering the annual fees on all these cards are pretty high, an airline fee credit of $200 can put a dent into offsetting the membership fees. If you hold multiple cards with the Amex airline fee credit, make sure to claim it on each of your cards before it expires.

How To Claim the Amex Airline Credit

Before you can claim the American Express airline fee credit, you must enroll in the benefit and select an airline from the list of participating carriers. You’re able to change your selection each calendar year in January.

If you don’t change your airline, your previous selection will remain the same. After January, as long as you haven’t redeemed any of your credit, you can message Amex and ask to have your selected airline changed.

Qualifying airlines include:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Spirit Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

After you select the airline, you can claim up to $200 in incidental charges made by the chosen airline to the eligible card listed above. Charges made by the primary cardholder as well as by any authorized users are eligible for the airline fee credit, but the total must not exceed $200 per calendar year.

Note that it can take up to eight weeks for the statement credits to post to your American Express card account.

What Can I Use Amex Airline Credit For?

Unfortunately, the Amex airline fee credit can’t be used toward just any airline purchase. Ticket purchases are notably excluded from the list of qualifying charges. Additionally, upgrades, gift cards, duty free purchases, award tickets, wireless internet (if processed by a third-party), mileage purchases or mileage transfer fees don’t qualify either, so the credit isn’t as easy to use as you might have hoped.

The following charges typically qualify for the Amex airline credit:

• Airport lounge passes
• Checked baggage fees
• EarlyBird Check In (with Southwest)
• In-flight refreshments and entertainment
• Pet travel fees
• Phone reservation fees
• Seat selection
• Unaccompanied minor fees

When Does the Amex Airline Credit Reset?

The airline fee credit doesn’t roll over and resets every calendar year. In other words, make sure to use yours before December 31 every year you’re a card member. Otherwise, the credit will expire. You get a new airline credit January 1.

How To Maximize the Amex Platinum Airline Fee Credit

The Amex Platinum airline fee credit has quite a few restrictions and requires creativity to be used in full every year. Here are some ideas for how to maximize your credit before its expiration date.

Purchase Lounge Passes

Airport lounge passes have a pretty long shelf life, meaning they don’t have to be used the day of purchase. So, if your travel credit is expiring and you need to use it, purchase a lounge pass for the airline you know you’ll fly in the future. For example, American Airlines’ Admirals Club sells one-day passes for $79, and United Club sells one-time passes for $59. If you know you’ll travel with either airline in the future, why not treat yourself to lounge time?

Prepay for Checked Baggage

If you know for sure that you can’t survive with a carry-on bag during a trip you already booked, then consider prepaying for checked luggage to use your Amex airline fee credit. In some cases, you can even get a discount by prepaying for a bag online instead of at the airport. For example, United charges non-elite members $35 for the first bag when you pay for it in advance on domestic flights and $40 when you pay for it at the check-in counter.

Pick a Preferred Seat

Another way to use your Amex airline fee credit before it expires is by reserving a seat. For example, when you book a main cabin ticket with American Airlines, the airline charges extra for preferred seats, such as seats closer to the front of the cabin or seats with extra legroom. You can prepay for a premium seat selection and get reimbursed by American Express. If you book a basic economy ticket with Delta Air Lines, you can pick a seat a week before departure for an upcharge, and it would also be eligible for the Amex Platinum airline fee credit.

Bottom Line

Although the Amex Platinum airline fee credit is available annually, you might not find ways to redeem it every year because of its limited use. Use the airline fee credit to pay for checked bags, prepay for a seat or buy lounge passes. If you’re able to use up all $200 each year you’re a card member, it helps offset the card’s high annual fee.

To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.