American Express Announces Membership Rewards Credit Card Enhancement

Posted On: September 12, 2005

By Amy L. Cooper-Arnold, CardRatings.com Staff Writer


American Express recently announced an added benefit to their Membership Rewards program.   Cardmembers can now go to www.americanexpress.com/travel to redeem their points directly for any airline ticket, cruise, and lowest rate guaranteed hotel room.   This; new web site, powered by Travelocity, adds another layer of flexibility giving Cardmembers the assurance of some of the best fares and rates available.   In; addition, Cardmembers don’t have to worry about blackout dates or restrictions for travel, which can be found in some other Frequent Flyer Programs (FFP).

Cardmembers logon to the travel website, select their travel options, and during the checkout process get the option to use reward points to pay for either all or part of the purchase price. Making it simple and convenient, the website gives the number of points needed for the transaction and also the Membership Rewards points balance available.  &nbspCardmembers; can even use points to purchase travel arrangements for other people.

Rosa Alfonso, American Express spokesperson, expressed the excitement surrounding this new benefit:

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“We’re extremely excited about this benefit because it really takes our program to a bigger level and gives us a bigger breadth of airlines, hotels, and cruise members that we can now give our Cardmembers access to.”

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The new enhancement does not change previous benefits in any way. Cardmembers can still transfer earned points directly into an FFP of their choice or exchange them for a variety of certificates including free airline tickets.  &nbspAmerican; Express partners with over 140 merchants including Brendan Tours, Omni Hotels, Ticketmaster, Pottery Barn, and Gap.  &nbspCardmembers; earn 1 point for every dollar spent and have opportunities to earn bonus points.   In addition, points don’t expire.

Lynne Biggar, senior vice president, Consumer Travel Network, American Express commented,

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“Our goal is to give our Cardmembers the most comprehensive, flexible and hassle-free experience when booking their trips.   At; americanexpress.com, we’ve given consumers the best combination of ease of use, competitive rates, travel choices and booking options and (have) addressed the concerns many travelers have about booking travel online, giving them peace-of-mind before they travel.”

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More details about the rewards program along with a complete list of travel, entertainment, and shopping partners are available at http://www.membershiprewards.com/HomePage.aspx.

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