The American Express Travel portal is Amex’s travel booking website for American Express cardholders which can be used to book a wide variety of travel, including airfare, hotels, rental cars and cruises. In this guide, we’ll explore what you need to know about Amex Travel as well as the benefits and any potential drawbacks to using the site.
What is Amex Travel?
The American Express Travel portal is Amex’s website for booking travel arrangements. Only cardholders with eligible Amex cards earning Membership Rewards points can book through this site.
Eligible cards include:
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Making travel arrangements through Amex Travel is similar to how you might book travel with any other online travel agency, like Booking.com or Expedia, except with one big advantage: You can redeem Membership Rewards points to pay for all or a portion of your booking.
This can be a significant advantage for anyone looking to reduce the cost of their travel by redeeming their Membership Rewards. Additionally, depending on both the card you have and the type of travel you’re booking, you may receive discounts, perks and other cardholder and portal benefits. In most scenarios, redeeming your Amex travel points through Amex Travel will yield a value of 1 cent per point on flights and 0.7 cents per point on rental cars, hotel bookings and cruises.
Hotel booking benefits
The benefits of booking through Amex Travel will depend on which card you have and what hotel you’re booking. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Holders of the Amex Platinum Card, the Amex Business Platinum, Amex Gold Card and the Amex Business Gold who book a stay of two nights through Amex with a property in The Hotel Collection are eligible for up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals with a qualifying airline.
- Holders of the Amex Platinum Card and the Amex Business Platinum who book a stay through Amex in the Fine Hotels and Resorts collection are eligible for a $100 credit toward eligible charges, room upgrades when available, daily breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, guaranteed 4 p.m. check out and early check-in when available.
- Lowest hotel rates guarantee for all Membership Rewards-earning cards. Amex will refund you the difference if you find the same room in the same hotel for the same number of children and adults, not including taxes and fees, for a lower price.
- Terms apply.
Depending on the property, you may also be offered a complimentary night if you book a certain number of nights in addition to any cardholder perks.
Airline booking benefits
The benefits of booking flights through Amex Travel will depend on which card you have and the route you’re booking. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Holders of all Membership Rewards-earning cards get access to Insider Fares on select flights when booking the entire fare with points.
- American Express Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders can access lower fares for both cash and points redemption prices via Amex’s International Airline program on International First, Business, and Premium Economy seats when you book through American Express Travel with a Platinum or Business Platinum card.
- Business Platinum cardholders will receive a 35% points rebate when they redeem their points for a First or Business class on any airline through Amex Travel or an Economy flight on their selected qualifying airline, which can offer incredible value. In the example above, someone with a Business Platinum card would be able to book the above flight for just 32,863 Membership Rewards, saving 17,694 for another adventure.
- Terms apply.
However, those who don’t have a Business Platinum and are eligible for the 35% points rebate are likely to find better value in transferring their points to one of Amex’s travel transfer partners and booking their flights directly with the airline. This often yields a value of greater than 1 cent per point.
Cruise booking privileges
You can book cruises through Amex Travel. Holders of the Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum cards are eligible for additional perks when booking cruises of five nights or more, including a $300 onboard credit per stateroom to use toward dining, the ship spa and more; one unique amenity per stateroom; and earning 2X Membership Rewards per dollar per booking. Booking a cruise through another method with a Platinum or Platinum Business card would typically earn just 1X Membership Rewards point per dollar. Terms apply.
How to use the Amex Travel portal
Using the Amex Travel portal is easy. First, navigate to the AmexTravel.com page. In the top right-hand corner you’ll see an option to log In. Use the same username and password as you would if you were logging into your credit card account.
Once logged in, choose the tab for the type of travel you want to book from the top of the page. Options include flights, hotels, vacation rentals, hotel and flight packages, rental cars and cruises.
Enter the information for what you want to book, the locations and the dates and the Amex site will pull up a list of options. The difference between Amex Travel and other booking sites is that in addition to the cash price for your trip, you’ll also see how many Membership Rewards points it would take if you choose to redeem your points to pay for your travel.
If you have a qualifying Platinum card, the first listings that appear will include any additional benefits you’ll get by booking through Amex Travel.
When you find the property, flight, or other type of travel arrangement that fits your needs, click on the “select” button. If there are any Amex-specific benefits with your booking, the details will be included on the booking page.
Once you’ve selected whether you want to pay with your card, Membership Rewards or a combination of the two, you can check out and you’re done.
Is Amex Travel worth it?
Although Amex Travel is a convenient way to book travel, it’s not always the best way. Your mileage will vary depending on what you’re booking and which card you hold.
Most of the time booking flights by transferring your Membership Rewards to one of Amex’s travel transfer partners will yield a better value than booking with points directly through Amex. However, if you’re a Business Platinum cardholder, it’s worth comparing both ways of booking to compare the rewards price of a flight with the 35% points rebate to the number of points it would take to book the same price with a travel transfer partner.
Booking hotels via Amex Travel can offer great value for cardholders who are eligible for any of the Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection credits and perks. Outside of those potential benefits, your mileage may vary when it comes to booking your travel. For example, if you hold elite status with a hotel chain, it may not be recognized when you book via Amex Travel. Or you may find a better price by booking directly with either the supplier directly or even another online travel agency with a special rate. It pays to research before you make the final click on your travel plans.
