How These Amex Business Cards Have Changed the Way We Book Business Travel

The American Express brand has been synonymous with luxury travel for over a hundred years, ever since the company made its name in traveler’s checks back in the 19th century.

Since then, Amex’s influence on travel has persisted, from the 1950 launch of the Diners Club card (one of the first-ever travel charge cards) to the more accessible Gold Card in 1966, to the super-exclusive Amex Platinum, which made its debut in 1984.

Even today, its points cards, airline and hotel loyalty cards, and premium charge cards have drawn the eye of travelers everywhere.

Here are five ways Amex cards have changed how we view travel and travel credit cards.

1. Elite status is much more accessible.

Unless you’re a very frequent business traveler or a huge fan of a particular hotel chain, you probably thought hotel elite status was out of reach. The right Amex card, though, opens a lot of doors. The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN, for example, offers automatic Gold status at Starwood Preferred Guest and Hilton HHonors hotels.

If the Platinum’s $450 sounds daunting (or if you simply prefer loyalty credit cards), check out the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card. Its annual fee is $95 (waived the first year) and also comes with SPG Gold Elite status. The card comes with a signup bonus of 25,000 Starpoints when you spend $5,000 in the first three months and comes with access to the Sheraton Club Lounge and bonus rewards for SPG spending.

Alternatively, if you don’t mind using a consumer card for your business needs, the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card offers automatic Gold Elite status for a $75 annual fee. You’ll also get 100,000 Hilton Honors points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months, and a free weekend night after your first cardmember anniversary.

Whether with a branded loyalty card or a general travel card, Amex can help you achieve hotel elite status.

2. Airports are kind of awesome.

Gone are the days of arriving at the airport three hours before your flight and spending the next two and a half hours sitting in a hard plastic chair (or chancing a late arrival and missing your flight). The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN offers a respite from the typical pre-boarding experience.

First of all, you’ll get a reimbursement for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, both of which cost $100 and last for five years.

The former lets you skip the line and have a faster screening process on domestic flights, while the latter is a huge timesaver when going through customs (and usually gives the same domestic perks).

And once you’re past security, you can enjoy access to American Express’ network of lounges: Amex Centurion, Amex International, Delta Sky Club, and Priority Pass Select. You can put your feet up, load up on free food and drinks, enjoy fast Wi-Fi, and generally escape the stressed-out airport crowds.

Plus, Amex lounges have really stepped up their dining game. The menu at Dallas-Fort Worth’s lounge comes from Dean Fearing, a James Beard winner; Zagat 30-under-30 winner Cédric Vongerichten crafted the food served in New York’s La Guardia airport; and San Francisco International Airport’s menu was designed by Daniel Patterson, founder of the two-Michelin star restaurant Coi and a James Beard best regional chef winner.

Between bypassing security lines and getting pampered in lounges, Amex is changing the pre-flight experience.

3. Booking with Amex is worth your while.

Of American Express’ 100+ years of travel perks, this is among the newest.

As of late 2016, Amex Business Platinum cardholders can get 5 points per $1 spent on flights or prepaid hotel stays booked through Amex Travel. You’ll also get an extra 3.5 points for every 10 you redeem with their Pay with Points program toward your preferred airline, or for business or first class travel on any airline (up to 500,000 points per year). Since Membership Rewards Points are valued at 2 cents apiece, your rewards rate on travel booked through Amex is a pretty fantastic 10%.   

You’ll also enjoy a great signup bonus with the Amex Business Platinum: 50,000 points when you spend $10,000 in the first three months of cardmembership, and an extra 25,000 points when you spend an additional $10,000 in the same time period. Whether you transfer your points to one of Amex’s airline or hotel partners, or get the 35% airline bonus when you redeem with Amex Pay with Points, it’s a compelling signup bonus.

4. Airline fees aren’t (as) annoying.

While nothing short of spiritual enlightenment can make you shrug off airline fees entirely, the Amex Business Platinum’s annual $200 airline fee credit comes close.

You’ll automatically get a statement credit for bag fees; in-flight food, drink, and entertainment; and seat booking fees. This perk goes a long way toward offsetting the $450 annual fee, and makes traveling on Spirit, RyanAir, and other budget airlines more appealing.

5. Anyone can get a good travel card.

If you looked at the Amex of 30 years ago, you’d be forgiven for thinking that its offerings were only for the highest of high rollers. But today, even lower-spending businesses and infrequent travelers can get value from an Amex card.

Take, for example, the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card: it has no annual fee and comes with 15 months of 0% APR on purchases and transfers. It also earns 2 Membership Rewards Points on every $1 you spend on business purchases and dining up to $50,000 annually, and an unlimited 1 point per $1 thereafter. Since these are full Membership Rewards Points, you can transfer them at a 1:1 rate to Amex’s travel partners, bringing their value up significantly.

Even if you travel infrequently, or don’t want the hassle of an annual fee, you can still take advantage of Amex’s strong travel rewards program.

 

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from Fundera Ledger https://www.fundera.com/blog/amex-business-cards