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How will airlines rebuild their route maps after the coronavirus?
Edward Russell is a contributor for TPG. An AvGeek at heart, he covered the airline business at FlightGlobal for eight years and previously covered finance in New York and Hong Kong.
April 3, 2020 • 15 min read
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
Airlines are significantly reducing flight schedules and capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a recovery to pre-pandemic travel levels not expected until at least 2021.
Current strategies focus on maintaining connectivity to all previously served destinations, but with far fewer daily flights, especially at major hubs.
Some hubs and routes, particularly those deemed less profitable or "strategic" pre-crisis, may not return, as airlines retrench to core markets.
Domestic and international networks will likely become smaller and more focused, with secondary routes and point-to-point services most at risk of being cut.
What to consider
Carriers receiving government aid must maintain service to all destinations served as of March 1, though only one daily flight per city is required.
Network reductions will primarily affect flight frequency and non-core hubs, with older aircraft being retired early to cut costs.
The pace and extent of recovery remain uncertain, and airlines are prioritizing flexibility in adjusting capacity and routes.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed analysis of how specific airports and routes may be impacted, and insights into the decision-making process behind network changes.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
The sun is streaming through the windows and over rows of chairs. Several people are seated. One is reading, another looks at a phone. A teenager wears headphones to drown out the world. A plane sits outside, several more tails visible in the distance. A gate agent calls passengers for Flight 123 to New York. It's a travel day like every other in mid-summer, 2021.
Yes, 2021. That's when airline planners think commercial air travel will begin to look "normal" again worldwide after recovering from the novel coronavirus pandemic.
For now, airlines are in triage mode, pulling down thousands of daily flights from their schedules in somewhat orderly fashion as passenger numbers plummet. On April 2, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened just 5% of the number of travelers that passed through checkpoints a year ago.
“This is 9/11, SARS and the Great Recession all rolled into one,” is how Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian described the crisis to employees at the end of March.
Airline maps, like the airlines themselves, will come out the crisis smaller and leaner than when they went in. It will be a hard reset, so to speak, with each carrier really reevaluating what works and what does not in their networks. Networks formed largely by stapling together the maps of six different carriers into today's "Big 3" U.S. airlines.
“We’re going to be smaller coming out of this. Certainly quite a bit smaller than when we went into it, and we’ll have the opportunity to grow," Delta Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson told employees on March 19. The sentiment is shared by others in the industry.
How much smaller is the question. After 9/11, Delta flew 7% less capacity in 2002 than in 2001, but 12% less than in 2000 — the last full year prior to the attacks -- according the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data via Cirium. But, as Bastian said, the COVID-19 crisis is worse than 9/11 and the cuts will be deeper.
The $2 trillion CARES Act aid package includes strings to ensure airlines maintain connectivity across the country. To receive the aid, carriers must keep serving all of the destinations they served as of March 1, though they are allowed to pare back schedules to as little as one daily flight to any city they previously served daily. That's one daily flight per destination, not per route.
In the short term, these pared-back schedules will likely look something like what United has done in Spokane (GEG). The Star Alliance carrier has cancelled four daily flights — to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) and San Francisco (SFO) — and kept just flight between the eastern Washington city and Denver (DEN).
Multiply what United did in Spokane, effectively an 80% cut, across every city in America and you get a sense of the scale of potential service reductions.
United has seven domestic hubs each of which, it says, has unique strengths as shown in this 2017 presentation map. This raises the question of where it cuts when it comes back smaller post-crisis. (Image courtesy of United Airlines)
Fewer frequencies
Airlines are already slashing flights, or frequencies, while maintaining connectivity at their largest hubs. Travelers can still connect through major airports like Atlanta (ATL), Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), but with fewer — in many cases far fewer — flights to choose from.
It is much easier for an airline to fill a plane at a hub, which benefits both from local flyers and from passengers coming and going from other cities.
Frequency reductions with continued connectivity through major hubs will feature in carriers' schedules as they recover. Cutting the number of "banks," specified periods of time when a number of flights are coordinated to arrive and depart to facilitate passenger transfers, is low-hanging fruit when it comes to rapidly cutting an airline's capacity but not its map.
How many flyers really want to take American's 5:30 a.m. departure from Washington Reagan National (DCA) to Charlotte (CLT)?
“In a slow recovery, I don’t think you initially restore the primary hub to the same level of frequency as before," Kevin Healy, president and CEO of Campbell-Hill Aviation Group, an air service advisory firm, said in an interview. "You ensure that you have the necessary amount of network breadth and connectivity."
Healy knows what he is talking about. He led AirTran Airways' planning team during the recoveries from both 9/11 and the Great Recession. After 9/11, the airline initially cut its schedule by 20%, he said. It reduced frequencies but maintained service to every destination in its network.
In other words, AirTran maintained connectivity over Atlanta and its broader route network, while achieving capacity cuts simply by thinning schedules on many of its routes there.
AirTran cut frequencies but not destinations from its route map, here in June 2002, after 9/11. (Image by Edward Russell/TPG)
Not all hubs will come back equally
Each airline has a set of hubs that are at the core of its map. For American, that includes Charlotte and Dallas/Fort Worth. At Delta, it's Atlanta and Detroit and, for United, it's Chicago and Denver. These are the backbones of their domestic flight networks that millions of passengers traverse every year.
The coronavirus recovery will be something of a back-to-hub-basics for airlines. At American this could mean that its Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington Reagan National (DCA) hubs, where management has focused new growth in since 2018, come back first.
“That’s where American has been growing and will probably grow there [again]," said Brett Snyder, founder of the travel service Cranky Concierge and author of the Cranky Flier blog, in an interview. "It’s the stuff around the edges that will go.”
Asked what American's "edges" could be, Snyder pointed to Los Angeles (LAX) as a possibility. The hub has underperformed financially for the airline since its rapid build-up there after American's merger with US Airways in 2013. Executives even acknowledged at the outset of the coronavirus crisis that the carrier could permanently end service to China from the airport, a move that would be a setback for the carrier's long-held desire to build a gateway to Asia in Los Angeles.
A map from late 2018, showing American's plan to focus growth at its hubs in Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington. (Image courtesy of American Airlines)
“Think of DCA, LaGuardia, LAX and JFK as spoke-like in May," American vice president of network planning Brian Znotins told TPG on the airline's schedule next month. A spoke is a destination that only has flights to an airline’s hubs.
Asked what the longer-term plans are for these hubs-turned-spokes, Znotins said: “One thing I’ve learned through this crisis is trying to forecast the pace and severity of the way things will be, no one can do that. We’re just going to try to remain as flexible as possible so we can drive capacity where it’s needed the most.”
Some hubs may not come back at all. This was a repeated theme of past airline industry crises. US Airways dropped its MetroJet operation and Baltimore/Washington (BWI) hub after 9/11, and United and Delta closed hubs in Cleveland (CLE) and Memphis (MEM), respectively, following the Great Recession.
"You'll see many of the things which were labelled 'strategic,' in other words money-losing, pre-crisis on the chopping block," a senior airline planner told TPG. They were one of several high-level airline executives who spoke of potential map changes on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the possible changes.
Strategic growth can refer to numerous moves carriers made in recent years. For Alaska Airlines, it could be some of the mid-continent flying from California added after its 2016 merger with Virgin America and already being pared back before COVID-19. For Delta, it could be its secondary transatlantic gateway in Boston. And for United, it could be re-evaluating some of its overlapping international services.
Los Angeles comes up frequently as an airport where the coronavirus could reshape airline service. American, Delta and United all call it a hub, though none of them controlled even a fifth of the airport's 88.1 million passengers last year, LAX data shows. Alaska and Southwest Airlines also maintain sizable presences there.
Who might cry uncle there is anyone's guess. So far, American has pared its LAX schedule the most in April, according to Cirium schedules. However, not all of the cuts being made by Delta, Southwest and United have been fully loaded into schedules. Delta is investing billions of dollars to rebuild Terminals 2 and 3 at the airport but benefits from two other western hubs. United sits in the No. 3 spot at LAX, where much of its flying overlaps with its strong Pacific gateway just up the coast in San Francisco (SFO).
Boston and Seattle are other hot spots of U.S. airline competition. Delta and JetBlue are facing off in Boston, while Alaska and Delta are duking it out in Seattle with American joining the fray at the 11th hour. Looking at the basics, Boston is core to JetBlue and Seattle is home for Alaska. Delta plays second fiddle at both airports and may focus more on its own core hubs if forced to retrench.
That said, Delta is not a carrier that backs down lightly. “Delta’s a ruthless competitor," Healy says.
Alaska, American, JetBlue and United jets at LAX, one of the most hotly contested airports in the U.S. (Photo by Alberto Riva/TPG)
Spokes
Airlines' spoke routes are seen as less consequential to their maps post-crisis. The very nature of being a spoke — be it Delta's service between Indianapolis (IND) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or JetBlue's flight between Buffalo (BUF) and Los Angeles — means an airline can maintain the breadth and depth of its hub-focused network with or without those so-called "point-to-point" routes.
Craig Jenks, head of the New York-based Airline/Aircraft Projects consultancy, has analyzed the market between Europe and the U.S. for years. He said that after previous slowdowns, U.S. airlines have repeatedly retrenched to serving major cities, like London or Paris, and partner hubs in Europe while dropping routes to secondary destinations, like Lyon (LYS), France. He anticipates a similar shift in transatlantic flying once the coronavirus crisis passes.
American, just days after TPG spoke to Jenks, published a summer schedule that suspends all of its seasonal routes to secondary European destinations. Now off the schedule until at least 2021 are the airline's planned flights to places like Berlin (TXL), Casablanca (CMN) — due to be its first ever route to Africa — and Prague in the Czech Republic (PRG).
The future of domestic spokes is an open question. Cutting them only moves the needle a little for airlines that are looking for double-digit reductions, but such routes are also not core to their network strategy.
Take for example Delta's focus city in Raleigh/Durham (RDU). All of the flights from the North Carolina airport to non-Delta hubs add up to about 50 daily departures in July. That's only about 10 fewer departures than the average bank at its Atlanta hub, according to Cirium.
Instead, Delta could cut one bank in Atlanta and achieve about the same capacity savings as chopping its Raleigh/Durham focus city.
Delta has four "core" hubs (red widgets), four "coastal hubs" (gray widgets) and five focus cities (stars) as shown on this 2019 slide. Will all of them return after the coronavirus crisis? (Image of Delta's presentation at the ACI-NA Jumpstart conference in June 2019 by Edward Russell/TPG)
The calculus for deciding which spokes get cut and which ones stay will likely be some kind of trade-off involving available aircraft — older jets are being retired early in large numbers — profitability, and market-specific sales relationships and recovery expectations.
"Airlines are going to ask, ‘Do we really need to fly this?’” said one of the airline executives. "Everyone is going to contract. Hubs are going to be smaller... [and] airlines are going to be forced back into their core.”
at American Express's secure site. Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
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Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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5X
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
3X
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
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Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
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As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
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Pros + cons
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Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption
More details
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
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Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
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Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
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Pros
Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
at American Express's secure site. Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
Rewards rate
Rate
Category
4X
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4X
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
5X
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
3X
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
2X
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
1X
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Intro offer
As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
Annual fee
$325
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended credit
Excellent to Good
Pros + cons
Pros
Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption
More details
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.
Pros
Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.
American Express® Gold Card
TPG editor's rating4
TPG editor's rating4
at American Express's secure site. Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
Rewards rate
Rewards rate
Rate
Category
4X
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4X
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
5X
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
3X
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
2X
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
1X
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Intro offer
As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
Annual fee
$325
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended credit
Excellent to Good
Pros + cons
Pros
Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption
More details
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.
Pros
Valuable dining and food-related credits
Points are transferable
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Difficult credit redemption
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
