Of all the credit cards in my wallet today I find the American Express Platinum card to be the most valuable. Sure the card carries a $550 annual fee, but I honestly believe I get at least that much value from the card annually.
For starters, each year I get $200 in airline credits through the Airline of Choice program. Next, I receive another $200 in Uber Cash each year from the card ($15/month, $30/Dec). Finally, I also get a $100 credit for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases each year ($50 2X a year). With those credits alone I receive $500 back from the card which drops the effective annual fee to just $50 a year. That’s a small price to pay for all of the other benefits offered from the Platinum card.
In addition to the annual/monthly credits, the Platinum card also offers a ton of other benefits. For example, Card Members receive 5X Membership Rewards points on all airfare purchases, complimentary Marriott Platinum Elite status, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, and access to countless airport lounges. Personally, I value each lounge visit at $50 each which alone makes the card worth carrying.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points From Fine Hotels & Resorts Bookings
Well, the American Express Platinum card just got a little more rewarding. A few weeks ago American Express announced that card members will now earn 5X Membership Rewards points on all Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings!
Now, while this is an exciting announcement, it also caused a bit of confusion. See, in the email I received from American Express it appeared as though this was a brand new benefit. The reason it appeared new was mostly thanks to the email subject line:
New! You can get 5X points on Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings
Then, within the body of the email there was more language which made the benefit seem, well, New!
A little farther down in the email there was additional language which highlighted the benefits of booking a Fine Hotels & Resorts property for your next hotel stay.
Again, all of this appeared new, but I was under the impression that I was already earning 5X points on all pre-paid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com. However, that was not the case.
When American Express introduced the 5X MR points hotel benefit it only applied to pre-paid bookings made with AmexTravel and the benefit excluded FH&R bookings. Now, well as of at least November 2018, this benefit included Fine Hotels and Resorts bookings as well!
Final Thoughts
Including Fine Hotels and Resorts to the 5X MR points hotel category may seem like a minor change, but it’s actually quite appealing. The Fine Hotels and Resorts program is one of the more lucrative benefits offered from the American Express Platinum card today. When booking a FH&R room you often receive a complimentary upgrade, an on-site credit, and even a free night. This makes FH&R bookings very worthwhile if the rate is in line with what is publicly available or in line with nearby hotel rates.
I personally always look at Fine Hotels and Resorts first whenever I’m looking for hotels for an upcoming stay. However, in the past I did not know that these rates didn’t originally qualify for the 5X Membership Rewards hotel bonus category. So, all in all I’d say this is another positive change to the American Express Platinum card.
Keep in mind this benefit, and the 5X points on hotels benefit as a whole, still only applies to pre-paid hotel rates. Refundable rates do not qualify for 5X Membership Rewards points. Also, it’s worth noting that bookings made through AmexTravel often do not count as a qualifying night at certain hotel brands. If you book through AmexTravel you may missing out on earning hotel loyalty program elite nights or points.
