✈ How This Card Has Earned a Place in My Wallet, a New ‘Home-to-Gate’ Chauffeur Service & More From TPG ✈

March 20, 2026

For me, it pays for itself

by Tanner Saunders, Senior hotels reporter

Late last year, I finally jumped in and got my own premium travel card, the American Express Platinum Card®, after years of being an authorized user on my late husband Matthew’s account.

With his unexpected loss, I had to have a serious reckoning with my finances, but after looking at the benefits we used most in our extensive travels and day-to-day life, the card’s benefits still made sense for it to claim a spot in my wallet and justify the $895 annual fee (see rates and fees).

For starters, there were things I just didn’t want to give up, like extensive lounge access around the world (I am a travel reporter, after all!), which saves me serious cash on in-airport food and drinks and gives me a place to relax during long layovers or delays.

But the more subtle benefits have really been the icing on the cake, especially in this heavy season of life for me.

With the $400 Resy statement credit (distributed as up to $100 per quarter for eligible U.S. Resy purchases; enrollment is required), I have a reason to “splurge” on a nice dinner with my Amex Platinum Card every few months. Often, I use it to treat friends to meals at places Matthew and I loved to eat at together.

And the card’s $600 annual hotel statement credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings (allotted as up to $300 semiannually; THC requires a minimum two-night stay), plus its benefits when booking through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, like complimentary breakfast and a food-and-drink credit, saved me over $500 on a much-needed spa retreat in Morocco.

I also get benefits when I use my Amex Platinum for purchases I already make on the regular, including:

An up-to-$120 statement credit each year for Uber One (when I pay for my Uber membership using my Amex Platinum; subject to auto-renewal), plus $200 in Uber Cash per year* (split into monthly up-to-$15 credits, plus an up-to-$20 bonus in December)
Statement credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (up to $85 every 4 1/2 years for TSA PreCheck or $120 every four years for Global Entry) and Clear+ (up to $209 annually; subject to auto-renewal)
The ability to earn valuable and transferable American Express Membership Rewards points on my spending so I can travel even more

Remember: Enrollment is required for select benefits.

For me, the math makes sense to carry this card. The way I see it, I’m going to be spending money on a lot of these things either way, so why not get it back in statement credits, take advantage of the lounges and earn points while I go?

Here are even more reasons to consider carrying this card.

And if you want to see where my card takes me, keep up with my travels over on Instagram.

*Note: Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Platinum as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card.Valid on U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.

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Photo Credit: TANNER SAUNDERS/THE POINTS GUY.

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