# What's so great about an Amex Platinum?



## 3kids4me (Jan 9, 2011)

I recently went out to lunch with two former co-workers, and when it came time to pay the bill and we all whipped out our credit cards, they both had platinum Amex cards. (It was actually a bit funny as I looked like the poor cousin with my plain AA Mastercard!)

I have a regular Amex card that I only use for Costco, and otherwise put all charges on a card that gives me airline miles.  My former co-workers were telling me that the Amex platinum was much more flexible than a mileage card.

I know I can research this myself, but I'm hoping that some of you have already done the math.  For someone who is looking primarily for airline miles (and maybe some hotel stays), is the Amex a better deal than a regular mileage card?

Thank you for any guidance or opinions!

Sharon


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## Sea Six (Jan 9, 2011)

Check out the Starwood board for some info on this subject!  In general, I think AMEX offers its customers better value, but they do charge a higher membership fee and they do charge the retailers more than VISA or MC for each transaction.  This is why you will find more places that do not accept AMEX than VISA or MC.  As for me, I get what I want from AMEX mainly because of how much I use it and what the points get me.  I'm in it for the Hotel stays (W, Westin, etc) and I've been able to stay at some NICE PLACES because of AMEX that I never would have paid for out-of-pocket.


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## CMF (Jan 9, 2011)

The membership for the Amex platinum card is $465 a year. That gets you access to concierge service and airport lounges and maybe a companion air ticket; $465 is still real money in my world, so I throw their glossy invites in the recycle bin.

Charles


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## DeniseM (Jan 9, 2011)

The Starwood AMEX is not the Plat AMEX.  I think the fee is $50.  It earns 1.25 airline miles per dollar spent, when transferred to most airlines, in increments of 20K.  
1 dollar spent = 1 Starpoint = 1.25 airline miles


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## siesta (Jan 9, 2011)

they have been soliciting me for years to switch, but I prefer my gold amex.  I dont want to spend $350+ more annual fee just for their concierge service and access to "platinum member offers."  The gold actually had benefit to me over the regular (green) that is only reason I upgraded then.


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## MichaelColey (Jan 10, 2011)

I also recommend the Starwood AmEx as a better deal than a Platinum AmEx.


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## Elan (Jan 10, 2011)

Why don't use use your Costco Amex elsewhere?  You get 3% back on gas, dining, etc and a minimum of 1% everywhere.  Beats almost all mileage cards that I'm aware of, without having to deal with restrictions, etc.


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## DeniseM (Jan 10, 2011)

The last time I looked, in the fine print on the Costco AMEX Card application it said you only get 1% back on Costco gas?


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## Elan (Jan 10, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> The last time I looked, in the fine print on the Costco AMEX Card application it said you only get 1% back on Costco gas?



  That could be true on Costco gas.  Our Costco is across town, so we never get gas there.


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## Eli Mairs (Jan 10, 2011)

Another vote for the Starwood Amex card. 
Starwood points are wonderful, especially for the very expensive European hotels. In the last couple of years we have stayed at Westins in Amersterdam, Rome and Copenhagen.


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## Bourne (Jan 10, 2011)

If you are a frequent flyer i.e. atleast 50K+ base miles per year, Amex Plat makes sense for the airline lounge benefits. 

Ohter than that, Starwood Amex works just fine if you need your miles "fix".


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## sstamm (Jan 10, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> The last time I looked, in the fine print on the Costco AMEX Card application it said you only get 1% back on Costco gas?



On my Costco Amex card, we get 3% on gas, up to the first $3000 purchased, at Costco gas, or stand-alone gas stations.  The 1% applies after $3000 in gas purchases.

The exceptions are single purchase of more than 75 gallons, and gas purchases at superstores, convenience stores, and warehouses other than Costco.

That being said, I have gas purchases at stores I would consider convenience stores (7-11, Royal Farms, etc) and have always received 3%.  So not sure if those are convenience stores with gas available, or gas stations that also have convenience stores?

The rest of the rebate is 3% on restaurants, 2% on travel and 1% on everything else.


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## bellesgirl (Jan 10, 2011)

If you have the Business Costco Amex card (also free) you get 4% on gas plus the mentioned perks.  I agree I would rather have the cash rebates and decide how I want to use it.


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## K&PFitz (Jan 10, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> The Starwood AMEX is not the Plat AMEX.  I think the fee is $50.




The annual fee is now $65.


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## shortykb (Jan 10, 2011)

sstamm said:


> On my Costco Amex card, we get 3% on gas, up to the first $3000 purchased, at Costco gas, or stand-alone gas stations.  The 1% applies after $3000 in gas purchases.
> 
> The exceptions are single purchase of more than 75 gallons, and gas purchases at superstores, convenience stores, and warehouses other than Costco.
> 
> ...



Also the rebate check from Costco you can cash at Costco and get real money back!  I took it and bought my tires at Sam's because they were cheaper LOL:rofl:


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## falmouth3 (Jan 10, 2011)

I have a free Hilton Amex card.  It works just fine at Costco.


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## JanT (Jan 10, 2011)

Ummm...I have a platinum Amex card and the yearly fee is not $465 per year.  It is $150 a year which is high, however, if we fly Delta we can check one bag each for free and a couple of trips makes up for that.


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## MichaelColey (Jan 11, 2011)

The Platinum AmEx card is $450 per year: link.

You probably have a Platinum DELTA AmEx card ($150 per year): link.

There's a HUGE difference between the two cards.


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## Jennie (Jan 11, 2011)

I've had the Amex Gold Membership Rewards card for years. It costs about $100. a year, depending upon how many extra users are on it. There are several different double points promotions each year. There are also several times when I can transfer Amex points into the frequent flyer program of many airlines and receive double points. The points can also be used for gift cards and merchandise. 

There are two features that keep me loyal to this card. One is the free roadside service and towing provided for up to 4 incidents a year. That saves me the cost of having AAA or similar. The one time I needed towing, the agent answered within a couple of rings and asked if I knew of any local company that I'd like them to call. Once I provided the info, the tow truck arrived in less than 10 minutes. What a difference from the 1-2 hours I have waited in the past through AAA.

The other benefit that one must call and ask for involves the rental of a car. Once you sign up for the program, you are automatically charged $24.95 each time you rent a car and use the Amex card. The charge is the same whether the rental is for a day or a month. I know that most credit cards claim to provide this coverage when you use their card for a rental. But when Alamo tried to scam me last year sending a letter weeks later claiming non-existent damage, Amex took over and handled the whole matter. Alamo failed to provide the proof requested and the case eventually "died a natural death" with no payments made. 

I had a friend who wound up in the same situation, around the same time. She had to fill out endless paperwork for the car rental insurance company and wound up with a lot of out-of-pocket expenses for all the extras that were not covered in the fine print. But worst of all was that they were not interested in fighting hard to prove it was a bogus claim.

Needless to say, I will never rent again from Alamo nor their "sister" companies National and Enterprise. Do a google search and see how many thousands of complaints there are about the same thing I went through. 

Amex was caring and supportive from Day One and assured me that if any payments were due to Alamo, they would cover it completely. They sent updates once a month by Email, and in the end closed out the case with no payment because Alamo never sent the routine documentation requested e.g. pix, and work logs etc...


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## Elan (Jan 11, 2011)

falmouth3 said:


> I have a free Hilton Amex card.  It works just fine at Costco.



  I would guess that all Amex cards work at Costco.  I can't imagine why they wouldn't.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jan 11, 2011)

When we rented from Hotwire a few times, our $24.95 wasn't charged to our AMEX automatically.  I am concerned about it, because we have a new trip coming up on 2/20, and I am afraid the charge won't happen, and we will not be covered.


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## JanT (Jan 11, 2011)

Michael,

Thanks for clarifying.  I can't imagine paying $465 per year for a credit card!!!  

J



MichaelColey said:


> The Platinum AmEx card is $450 per year: link.
> 
> You probably have a Platinum DELTA AmEx card ($150 per year): link.
> 
> There's a HUGE difference between the two cards.


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## MichaelColey (Jan 12, 2011)

And that's not even the most expensive AmEx.  The Centurion (a.k.a. Black) Card is invitation only and costs $2500/year plus a one-time fee of $5000.


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## jodie.scales (Jan 12, 2011)

*AMEX Blue*

I have an AMEX Blue.  It's the 'step child' I guess, but works at Costco and where ever else I need an AMEX and has no annual fee.  I mostly use my CapitalOne Visa for airline miles and it's only $19/year.  Can't imagine paying such HUGE fees.  JMHO....


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## Gracey (Jan 12, 2011)

rickandcindy23 said:


> When we rented from Hotwire a few times, our $24.95 wasn't charged to our AMEX automatically.  I am concerned about it, because we have a new trip coming up on 2/20, and I am afraid the charge won't happen, and we will not be covered.



Thank you for posting this Cindy,  I always wondered about this if I rented a car from priceline or hotwire if that added primary auto ins would be added or not.  I'm not comfortable renting if its not.  I know supposedly my regular auto insurance would cover rental cars but i just prefer not to get them involved.


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## Kagehitokiri2 (Jan 12, 2011)

these let you transfer to multiple airlines >

american express 
$65 starwood 
$95 green 
$125 gold   
$175 premier gold
$450 platinum

~$100? diners club

***

brand new platinum benefits include >
- of the above cards, only one that will soon have no foreign exchange fee
- each year you can pick an airline and have up to $200 in airline fees paid for


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## aliikai2 (Jan 12, 2011)

*4& for busness members, 3% for regular members*

1% for any single gas purchase over $75 
fwiw,
Greg



DeniseM said:


> The last time I looked, in the fine print on the Costco AMEX Card application it said you only get 1% back on Costco gas?


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## LAX Mom (Jan 12, 2011)

I have the Costco American Express card. We use it for all Costco purchases and gas (Costco or anywhere else). 

For everything else I use my Chase Marriott VISA to accumulate Marriott Reward points. Love those Marriott Points!


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## Sandy VDH (Jan 12, 2011)

MichaelColey said:


> The Platinum AmEx card is $450 per year: link.
> 
> You probably have a Platinum DELTA AmEx card ($150 per year): link.
> 
> There's a HUGE difference between the two cards.





I have crawled through the link and it only says partner airline lounges, but nowhere can I find the partner list.  Can someone provide the specific link to the clubs, that is what I am most interested in.


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## am1 (Jan 12, 2011)

Delta, US Air, American.  I think Continental and United use to be a part of it.   A few Amex lounges in Mexico/South America, Plaza Premium lounges in Toronto/Asia.  Lounge in Winnipeg.  Calgary?


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## Sandy VDH (Jan 12, 2011)

I want AA and US/CO lounge access.  It would be worth it too me if they were all accessible not but worth it if half were not.

I did finally find a link and CO is dropping out sept 11.  So it will not be the option I am looking for....
https://www295.americanexpress.com/...late=template_b&benefitId=platinumbenefitnews


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## 3kids4me (Feb 24, 2011)

Interestingly, I got an invitation in the mail today for an AmEx platinum card.  The offer includes 100,000 points if you spend $1,000 within the first four months.  Flyertalk (I Googled) says this is a "screaming good deal", even though the annual fee is $450. Trying to decide how screaming is screaming for $450....


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## learnalot (Feb 24, 2011)

rickandcindy23 said:


> When we rented from Hotwire a few times, our $24.95 wasn't charged to our AMEX automatically.  I am concerned about it, because we have a new trip coming up on 2/20, and I am afraid the charge won't happen, and we will not be covered.



Hi Cindy,

Just following up on this.  My assumption would be that the charge for the insurance doesn't go on until you actually pick up the car and that you would see the charge appear at that point.  Is that what happened?


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## CatLovers (Feb 24, 2011)

*I love my Amex Platinum card*

Mine is affiliated with Air Canada's frequent flyer program.  Because I am in Canada, the card benefits may differ from those in the US, but generally speaking I think the "level" will be the same.  Here's most of what I get:

1.25 frequent flyer miles on purchases up to $25K in a calendar year
1.5 frequent flyer miles on purchases over $25K
One free companion ticket on Air Canada
Access to all kinds of Air Canada benefits - lounges, priority check-in
Concierge service
All kinds of insurance benefits - I don't remember them exactly, but when I researched them, they were the best of all the other cards

I pay $500 annually for this card.  For me the high fee is worth it because I run my company's expenses through on the card and rack up the frequent flyer miles.  Plus ... and I didn't realize that this was such a benefit until I needed it ... their customer service is AWESOME, far far better than anything I've experienced with any other credit card company.  Over the years, I've had various issues -- damage to a rental vehicle, unauthorized charges on my card, errors made by vendors in other countries -- and the Amex folks are an ABSOLUTE JOY to deal with.  They really focus on making the customer's life easy -- they do all the leg work and don't make you jump through hoops to get things accomplished.  Right there, worth every penny I pay!!!

If you are seriously considering this card, then I recommend that you go to Flyertalk to find out more. The folks there are far more knowledgeable about the features of the card and its benefits.  In fact, now that I think about it, that's where I did my research before I got my Amex Platinum.  I think you'll find that if your annual spend on the card is over $30-40K, it might be worth it for you.


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## ArthurN (Feb 25, 2011)

+1 for Starwood AMEX....
Following are a sample of free stays enjoyed by my clan:
Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon, CO (3 stays)(another in 3 weeks)
The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman (2 stays)
W Fort Lauderdale (2 stays)
Westin Fort Lauderdale
Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
Westin Maui
W Seattle
U.S. Grant, San Diego

and many other great places....all for free, just charging everything to my *Wood AMEX that I would have to pay for regardless.  It's been a beautiful ride.


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## MuranoJo (Feb 26, 2011)

I have a bunch of old Starwood pts about to expire (from hosting customer events for my company).  Does anyone know if getting a Starwood card would save them from expiration?


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## MichaelColey (Feb 26, 2011)

It will, assuming you have enough time.  Any activity (using or earning Starpoints) will extend them.  I don't think you get your bonus Starpoints until your first statement, but you might want to check that.

I'm sure there is a thread on FlyerTalk.com about ways to extend Starpoints, and you'll probably find the best options for you by looking through that.


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## Talent312 (Feb 26, 2011)

As a Hilton-guy, my primary is thier Am-Ex affiliated card.
... _spending $20K/year gets you Hilton's gold-tier perks_ ... 
But I must endorse Starwood, as well. Just a month's use and
initial bonus points got us a room at the Frankfurt airport hotel
... _for which, I will remember it kindly_ ...


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## MichaelColey (Feb 26, 2011)

Talent312 said:


> As a Hilton-guy, my primary is thier Am-Ex affiliated card.
> ... _spending $20K/year gets you Hilton's gold-tier perks_ ...
> But I must endorse Starwood, as well. Just a month's use and
> initial bonus points got us a room at the Frankfurt airport hotel
> ... _for which, I will remember it kindly_ ...


If you spend enough (and aren't Diamond already from stays), you might look at the relatively new Hilton Surpass AmEx card.  When you spend $40k in a calendar year, it gives you Diamond status.  You also get triple points (instead of double) for Hilton spending.  Worth the annual fee for me.

I find the Starwood AmEx a little more valuable than the Hilton AmEx for me, but I use both.  Starpoints can be transferred to air, and I get a little more value per dollar spent on the Starwood card.  If you use both, the Hilton is best for gas, groceries, pharmacy, phone, and Hilton spending, as you get double points in those categories.


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## mas (Feb 26, 2011)

If you do anything with Ameriprise and you have Achiever level status ($500k in investments with Ameriprise) you get their World Elite Mastercard for free (they waive the $150 annual fee).  One of the perks of the card is gratis membership with Priority Pass which give you access to airport lounges.  They have several levels of membership.  The Ameriprise corporate membership appears to be different and affords free access to member lounges.  One negative is several major airline lounges (such as Delta) are not members. 

I don't believe you have to have a financial account with Ameriprise to sign up for the card, however, if you don't have achiever level status the annual $150 fee applies.


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## 3kids4me (Feb 27, 2011)

Just wanted to thank everyone for the input! I'm going to go ahead and get the card, and see if the benefits are worthwhile for me.  I probably wouldn't have done it if they weren't offering 100,000 points though.

CatLovers, did you have to identify which airline you wanted to tie in with your card in advance?  It's hard when you live in the New York area like I do...there are so many airlines that service different locations (although not all are affiliated with AmEx).


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## CatLovers (Feb 28, 2011)

3kids4me said:


> CatLovers, did you have to identify which airline you wanted to tie in with your card in advance?  It's hard when you live in the New York area like I do...there are so many airlines that service different locations (although not all are affiliated with AmEx).



This card is known as the Amex Aeroplan Platinum so it is a pre-arrangement between Amex and Air Canada.  So no choice of airline ... but I knew that I wanted to be affiliated with the Air Canada frequent flyer program (I live in Calgary AB) so it was easy for me to pick this one.  

I believe that in the U.S., you would use your earned "Membership Rewards points" to cash in on a variety of airlines, which would give you far greater flexibility when it came to using your points.  Perhaps an American TUGger could chime in, or do a search on FlyerTalk -- the die-hard afficionados are there!


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