American Express Platinum Cardholders Rumored to Receive Priority Pass Membership
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
There has been some chatter recently that US Amex Platinum cardholders are going to receive Priority Pass membership, which will be in addition to the current lounge benefits (America, Delta & US Airways clubs). This makes sense to me, since the impending departure of Continental in September is going to leave a pretty big void in the program. Already, Amex has beefed up the Platinum card benefits to include up to $200 a year in travel reimbursements (baggage fees, in-flight snacks/drinks, pet fees, taxes on award tickets, etc).
I had a full access Priority Pass that was valid until December 31, 2010 and I have to say I was pretty impressed with it. While it didn't include Delta lounges, I had access to Continental, US Airways, and United lounges, along with a lot of individual lounges like the JFK T4 Oasis. The Platinum card allows Delta lounge access, so the addition of Priority Pass Select (details here) should fill some of the gaps.
While we don't have the full details on what the Amex Platinum membership will look like, it will most likely exclude Continental lounges and guests will cost $27 each. Even so, its nice a nice benefit added to an already impressive lineup of perks for the frequent traveler.
If you are thinking about getting a Platinum card, check out my review of the card and if you decide it makes sense for you, you can now get the card (application link) with a 50,000 point sign-up bonus when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. I conservatively value 50,000 Amex points at $1,000, so the bonus more than covers the $450 annual fee, plus you get tons of other benefits (like the lounge access) that will make your travel more enjoyable.
[card card-name='The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN' card-id='22034405' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.