amex uk travel points

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The Best Ways to Use AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Fly to the UK

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Million Mile Secrets reader, Andrew, tweeted :

@MilMileSecrets  Looking to use the AMEX 100,000 American Express Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus for flights for a golf trip to Scotland.  British Airways taxes and fees are crazy.  Best option?

Excellent question!  Andrew has 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points and wants to know how to get to the United Kingdom to play golf.

There are lots of ways to get to Europe with AMEX Membership Rewards points .

I’ll show you the best options.  And give you tips on how to save on golf!

About AMEX Membership Rewards Points

Link:   How to Use AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Get to Europe

Link:   Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express

Link:    The Platinum Card from American Express

Link:    The Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to  airline partners like British Airways, Delta, and Virgin Atlantic.

When you transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points, they become miles or points within each airline’s loyalty program.  And each 1 has its own set of pros and cons!

But when you use your points on certain airlines, you can get a lot of Big Travel with Small Money!

Read my series about all the ways to get to Europe with AMEX Membership Rewards points  for more ideas.

The Best Ways to Get to the United Kingdom

Andrew discovered certain airlines (like British Airways) have fuel surcharges and taxes, even on award tickets!  These extra fees can add up to hundreds of dollars, and I don’t like paying them!

But there are a few ways to reduce them.  Let’s see which programs Andrew should look into.

1.   British Airways

Even though British Airways has high fees on award tickets, they can still be useful to fly to Edinburgh or London from several US cities, or for short flights within the UK.

Flying out of the UK  is expensive because of the Air Passenger Duty tax and fuel surcharges.

British Airways only charges 26,000 British Airways Avios points for an off-peak, round-trip coach award ticket from New York to London.

Fuel surcharges from New York to London are $256.  But you’ll pay $338 to fly from London back to New York .

So Andrew might decide to use British Airways Avios points  to  the UK, and another program’s miles to get back home .

Or he can pay 40,000 British Airways Avios points for direct round-trip flights from the US to Scotland .  But he’ll end up paying nearly the same amount in taxes and fees.

Another option is to use British Airways Avios points to fly to Dublin  on Aer Lingus , and then connect to Scotland , either with British Airways Avios points or a cheap paid flight .  A nonstop round-trip award flight from Boston to Dublin costs  25,000 British Airways Avios points and ~$50 .

You can search Aer Lingus award seats on United.com .  And then call British Airways at 1-800-452-1201 to book the flights.

Keep in mind that British Airways uses distance flown to give you a price on an award ticket.  So the longer your flight, the more points you’ll pay.

And starting October 1, 2015 , the new transfer ratio will be 250 AMEX Membership Rewards points :  200 British Airways Avios points .  Or 5:4 .

Beginning October 1, 2015, you’ll need to transfer 32,500 British Airways Avios points for a round-trip coach award ticket from New York to London (instead of 26,000 British Airways Avios points like now.)

Even with the upcoming changes considered, British Airways charges the fewest points to Europe in coach from the East Coast.  So Andrew may decide to save his points and pay the extra fees.

It’s NOT worth it to pay for Business Class or First Class on British Airways.  You’ll pay 3 to 4 times more points, and the taxes are higher, too.

If Andrew wants to avoid paying fees, he should NOT consider using his points for British Airways Business Class or First Class, because they can add up to over $1,000 dollars per person!

A.   Use British Airways Avios Points for Short Flights Within the UK

Another terrific use of British Airways Avios points is to book award flights under 650 miles  within the UK.

That’s because British Airways only charges 4,000 to 4,500 British Airways Avios points for these flights!

Depending on where he wants to go in Scotland, Andrew can fly from London to Edinburgh…

That’s a good deal!

So even if Andrew flies to the British Isles with another airline, he may consider using British Airways Avios points to get to Scotland.

2.   Aeroplan

They charge 30,000 Aeroplan miles 1-way in coach from the US to Western Europe.  And 45,000 Aeroplan miles each way in Business Class.

Aeroplan is a part of the Star Alliance .  So you have your choice of many airlines!

Keep in mind that Aeroplan charges a lot of fuel surcharges for flights on Air Canada and Lufthansa.  So Andrew will want to avoid those airlines if he doesn’t want to pay extra fees.

I found award flights on Brussels Airlines to Edinburgh for 60,000 Aeroplan miles and $235 round-trip in coach.

Compared to British Airways, you’ll use more miles but pay less in taxes and fees when you transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan.

As always, do the math and decide which is best for you!

3.   Flying Blue Promo Awards

Link:   Flying Blue Promo Awards

Right now, you can fly from Boston or Dallas to the UK with a 25% mileage discount .

You can transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to Flying Blue instantly at a 1:1 ratio.

Compared to Aeroplan, this is an option if Andrew wants to use fewer points and pay a little more out-of-pocket.

Because each month has a new set of North American cities, it’s worth checking to see if 1 near you is on the list.

If the dates line up with your travel goals, this can be a good deal!

4.   Virgin Atlantic

AMEX Membership Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club .

Virgin Atlantic does not fly nonstop from the US to Scotland .  But you can connect in London.

From New York or Chicago , you can fly to Edinburgh for 35,000 Virgin Atlantic miles and ~$545 .

And from San Francisco to Aberdeen , you’ll pay 42,500 Virgin Atlantic miles and ~$753 in fuel surcharges and taxes.

I found plenty of available award flights from the US to Scotland  in September 2015 .

Like British Airways, there are hefty fuel surcharges.  But this could be helpful if Andrew can’t find an award flight on another airline on the day he wants to travel.

Virgin Atlantic is a partner of Hawaiian Airlines .  And you can transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines!

You will NOT pay fuel surcharges when you book Virgin Atlantic flights with Hawaiian Airlines miles.  Round-trip coach award flights  to London  cost 60,000 or 80,000 Hawaiian miles , depending on where you fly from.  So you’ll pay more miles but less cash.

Folks love the Virgin Atlantic experience.  I flew on Virgin Atlantic and had a fun flight !

Pay With the Right Card!

Link:    Citi Prestige Card

Link:    Chase Sapphire Preferred

Link:   Premier Rewards Gold  Card from American Express

The Citi Prestige card has an annual $250 credit to use on any  airline.  That’s valuable because you can use it for flights, upgrades, baggage fees, or award booking fees.

So in the examples above, Andrew could pay the award booking fees with the Citi Prestige  and subtract $250  from the fuel surcharges.  That helps a lot with getting to the UK!

The Citi Prestige also comes with 3 rounds of golf per year .  Not only can Andrew get to the UK more cheaply, but he can also get started playing golf once he gets there!

Read my review of this card .

Remember the  Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on travel.  And the  AMEX Premier Rewards Gold  card earns 3X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on airfare.

Start Golfing Before You Leave

Link:   Golfmiles & Million Mile Secrets 2,500 Mile Bonus Promotion

Link:   Visa Cardholders Save at Golfballs.com

Link:   SPG Moments – Golf

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest American Express (Personal)

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest American Express (Small Business)

If Andrew wants to practice his golf before he heads to Scotland, there are a few opportunities here at home.

Sign-Up for Golfmiles

Until August 15, 2015, Million Mile Secrets readers can earn 2,500 airline miles from their choice of 10 airlines when they use our link to sign-up for Golfmiles .    This is an exclusive offer for our readers!

All of the golf courses are in the US, but this is a great way to earn miles toward your next trip!

Get $10 off $50+ at Golfballs.com

Save on gear if you have a Visa card!  Until September 30, 2015 , Visa cardholders get $10 of a $50+ purchase at Golfballs.com .

To get the discount, you must click through the promotion page and enter promotion code “ VISABUCKS ” at checkout – and pay with a Visa card.

SPG Golf Moments

And don’t forget SPG Golf Moments.

Folks who like to play (and watch) golf can use Starwood points for VIP tickets to tournaments , exclusive access to championship courses and resorts, and golf clinics with professional golfers .

Some of these packages are auctions which go to the highest bidder.  Others can be purchased for a set number of Starwood points.  If you need more Starwood points, opening a Starwood Preferred Guest American Express ( personal or small business ) card is the easiest way to earn more!

Bottom Line

Andrew wants to go to the United Kingdom with his AMEX Membership Rewards points for a golf trip and does NOT want to pay fuel surcharges.  I don’t blame him – I don’t like paying those fees, either!

The next best option is with Aeroplan.  You’ll pay more miles, but less cash.  To get the best price, avoid flights on Air Canada and Lufthansa.

If you get to the UK a different way, remember that you can use 4,000 to 4,500 British Airways Avios points to fly from London to Edinburgh or Glasgow, Scotland .

And be sure to take advantage of golf offers  to earn miles and save money before tee time!

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The best way to spend your Amex points, according to the experts

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Your complete guide to being better off

American Express, or “Amex”, credit cards have made their way into millions of wallets since they first landed in Britain in 1963. Sixty years on and there are still tricks little known to most users that can boost your points far more than you might think.

In their flashy platinum, gold and British Airways branding, Amex cards have become one of the most popular cashback and rewards cards, as well as a status symbol. But are Amex as good as they seem, and are they worth it for everyone?

Here, Telegraph Money explains everything you need to know about the cards and how you can make the most of your points.

Where is Amex accepted?

You can use your Amex card in a large number of retailers across the country, and 66 million businesses globally, but not everywhere. 

For example, it’s accepted at every major supermarket chain in the UK, including Aldi and Lidl. You can also use your card at the Post Office, Argos and Airbnb (in most countries).

In the past few years B&M, Timpson, B&Q, H&M, Dulux and Lego have also started taking Amex payments. In 2023, Amex signed acceptance agreements with a host of further retailers including Savers, McColl’s and Morrisons Daily convenience stores.

Acceptance in charity shops has also recently expanded, and attractions such as Chester Zoo, The London Dungeon and Alton Towers now take Amex payments. 

Where can I use Amex points?

The Amex Membership Rewards scheme is available with certain cards, where you can earn points with eligible card spending.

You can spend your Amex Membership Rewards points online at over 1,000 retailers including Currys, Amazon and Holland & Barrett, order gift cards from a number of well-known brands and book travel on the American Express Travel website. 

You can also use the points as credit to clear your credit card balance. 

Alternatively, points can be donated to more than 9,000 charities via JustGiving or transferred to other travel and hotel loyalty programmes, such as Avios, Virgin Points, Emirates Skywards, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors points. Amex points converted to Avios can then be switched for Nectar points, too. 

The points you earn depend on what card you have, but the basic offering is typically one point per £1 spent on purchases. There is usually a generous bonus for signing up, which is currently as high as 60,000 points on the Platinum card.

Is it actually worth getting an Amex card?

Not for everyone, according to Rob Burgess, editor of travel and credit card rewards website Head for Points. 

While the lure of bonus points for signing up and making purchases are attractive, when it comes to spending them, the best rewards – flights, hotel rooms and Eurostar seats – require high levels of points. 

Mr Burgess said: “Unless you are spending £100,000 a year on credit cards, Amex points are likely to be used to top up an existing Avios or other travel rewards balance, rather than provide 100pc of the points you need for a free flight or room.  

“Once you’ve spent your card sign-up bonus, most people will struggle to generate enough points for free flights or hotel rooms purely from card spend.”

But if you’re not interested in travel, the best reward is probably a little known trick transferring Amex Membership Rewards to British Airways Avios to Nectar, Sainsbury’s loyalty reward scheme, which gets you 0.66p of Nectar points per Amex point.

This beats the 0.45p per Amex point if you take statement credit and 0.5p per Amex point if you redeem for retailer gift cards. Oddly, it also beats the 0.5p per Amex point you get if you move Amex points directly to Nectar.

Secondly, customers should be mindful of the cost of borrowing on an American Express card.

Mr Burgess said: “As all Amex cards have high interest rates compared to the cheapest cards on the market, they’re not a great option for anyone who doesn’t repay their bill in full every month. This knocks out the 65pc of the UK population who don’t clear their balance every single month without fail.”

Thirdly, as Amex isn’t accepted everywhere, you’ll always need to take an alternative debit Visa or Mastercard card out with you anyway. 

Would an Amex card work for me?

With some cards, you can work out yourself if they are worth it based on your spend and the points you can earn.

There are 16 Amex cards to choose from, so it can be quite tough to know which one best suits you. You need to make sure you pay them off in full each month as, in most cases, the interest rates are comparatively high.

Here is a selection of the most popular and their benefits.

Amex Rewards Credit Card 

One of the most basic of Amex credit cards is the Rewards card. It doesn’t have an upfront cost. 

New members receive 10,000 Amex Rewards points if they spend £2,000 in their first three months. For everyday use, you earn one point for every £1 spent. You can also earn 4,000 points if you invite a friend and they are approved for a card.

The Amex Rewards Credit Card’s representative APR is 31pc variable.

Amex Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card 

The Amex Gold card is free in the first year, but has an annual fee of £195 from year two onwards. In exchange, there are freebies and potential extra points up for grabs.

New cardholders get a bonus of 20,000 Rewards points for spending £3,000 in the first three months. You can get three points for every £1 spent on American Express Travel (where members can book flights, hotels and make other travel purchases), two points for each £1 spent directly with airlines, and one point for every £1 spent elsewhere. 

You can also get up to 12,500 bonus points each year.

The card comes with four free Priority Pass airport lounge visits each year, and the chance to get £5 back on eligible Deliveroo purchases twice a month.

The Amex Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card has a representative APR of 88.8pc variable.

Amex Platinum Card 

The next step up the ladder after gold is the platinum card, which comes with an annual fee of £650. This is predominantly aimed at big spenders who travel a lot.

For the high  price, there are a number of perks available, which repeat each year, including Priority Pass airport lounge access, £150 credit to spend at UK restaurants, £150 credit to spend at international restaurants, £100 Harvey Nichols credit and worldwide family travel insurance. The credit benefits alone add up to £600, more than covering the cost of the card – but they may not appeal to everyone.

If you spend £6,000 in the first three months on the Amex Platinum Card you can earn 40,000 Amex Membership Rewards points. 

The Platinum Card has a representative APR of 704.6pc variable.

The best ways to spend your Amex points

Transfer your points to air miles.

Consider switching Amex Membership Rewards Points to airline miles. The value depends on which scheme you opt for but expect 1:1 conversions for Avios, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Etihad, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Flying Blue, Qantas and SAS, and 3:2 for Singapore Airlines. 

The value of your points will depend on a number of factors including your destination, cabin and what class or airline you’d opt for if you weren’t using points. 

Be mindful, only high spenders will be able to earn enough air miles purely from card spend to get premium cabin free flights.

Switch to Club Eurostar points

Club Eurostar lets you use points on any train – if there is a seat available, you can pay for it in points. Mr Burgess values one Club Eurostar point at 12p and the 15:1 transfer rate from Amex points to Club Eurostar points means you are getting 0.8p per point. 

He said: “As with airline miles, you will find that your points have substantially more value if your lifestyle means that you are likely to need to travel at short notice when cash fares are higher.”

Convert to Nectar

Swap your Amex points to Avios and then to Nectar and get 0.66p per point if you use them at Sainsbury’s, eBay or Argos.

You can convert 50,000 Avios per month to Nectar at a rate of 300:400. This is more lucrative than transferring Amex points directly into Nectar which only gets you 0.5p per Amex point. 

Converting via Avios first results in a 32pc increase in points.

Amex does also offer a designated Nectar Credit Card, which is free in the first year (£30 in year two onwards). 

New members can get 20,000 Nectar points when they spend £2,000 in the first three months. You earn two Nectar points for every £1 spent.

This article was first published on May 7 2023, and has since been updated.

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Why the Amex Platinum Is the Only Card I’ll Use To Book Flights

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The Amex Platinum Card Earns Me the Most Points

The amex platinum card has excellent travel insurance, amex’s global lounge collection is industry-leading, amex points are my favorite flexible currency, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Although I’m not technically a digital nomad, I fly enough to qualify as one.

With trips taking me on roughly 100 flights per year, I’ve done a lot of research when it comes to booking airfare.

Though I have plenty of credit cards to spare, The Platinum Card ® from American Express always finds its way to the front when it comes time to pay — here’s why.

There are plenty of credit cards that earn bonus points on travel , and especially airfare. However, the Amex Platinum card personally beats out others, despite its $695 annual fee ( rates & fees ).

This is because it earns 5x American Express Membership Rewards points per $1 spent (up to $500,000 per year) on flights booked directly with the airline or via AmexTravel.com .

The Platinum Card ® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card ® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card  is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access , hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
• Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment ( airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit )
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
• Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
• Access to Amex International Airline Program
• No foreign transaction fees ( rates and fees )
• $695 annual fee ( rates and fees )
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards ® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card ® , Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards ® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards ® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts ® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card ® . The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card ® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card ® . Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card ® .
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card ® . Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
• $189 CLEAR ® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card ® . Learn more.
• $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck ® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card ® . Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card ® . That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card ® . An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card ® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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• Amex Platinum vs Delta Platinum
• Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Capital One Venture X vs Amex Platinum
• Amex Platinum vs Delta Reserve

If you travel often, you know that booking with a third party , such as Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz, or even an issuer’s travel portal, can save you some money. But it can also lead to huge amounts of headache s if your flight needs to be changed or canceled or if there are crazy delays and you need to be rerouted.

This is because booking through a third-party agency makes them responsible for your ticket rather than the airline, so they need to be the middleman.

Compare the Amex Platinum card’s earning rates to other premium travel rewards cards :

• Chase Sapphire Reserve ® : 5x points per $1 spent on Chase Travel; 3x points on all other travel purchases
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card : 5x miles per $1 spent on airfare booked with Capital One Travel,

In order to earn these elevated rewards, you’ll need to book your flights with either issuer’s travel portal, which means you’ll be using a third party. That opens you up to issues in the event your travel plans change, which mine often do.

While the Amex Platinum card does have a limit on your 5x earnings up to $500,000 annually, I’ve never even come close to hitting the cap. This means that I’m always able to book directly with the airline while still earning the most rewards.

I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest proponent of travel insurance . I know that it’ll protect you if you get injured, lose your bags, or have travel delays, but purchasing a policy goes against my “spend as little as possible” ethos when it comes to travel.

That’s another reason why I love the Amex Platinum card and use it for my flights. As a premium travel card, it offers complimentary travel insurance . For it to kick in, I need to pay for my travel with my card and it will apply in eligible scenarios.

What kind of travel insurance is offered? A lot:

• Rental car insurance (secondary)
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Baggage insurance plan
• Premium Global Assist Hotline (emergency medical evacuation and emergency medical transport)

There are two things that really stand out when it comes to the Amex Platinum card’s travel insurance: emergency medical evacuation and emergency medical transport as part of the Premium Global Assist Hotline. Neither of these has a cap, which isn’t something you’ll find often, even when purchasing a policy.

There is only one exception where I’ll use a card other than the Amex Platinum card to pay for my flights, and that’s when I’ve booked an award flight.

This is because Amex has limitations on its baggage insurance plan for award flights, whereas competitors, such as the travel insurance on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card , do not. In this case, the Amex Platinum card won’t cover lost luggage unless you’ve paid the ticket in cash or you’ve used Amex Membership points for your flight. Other award flights outside of this don’t count :

“Other loyalty programs (i.e. non-American Express) do not qualify on purchases redeemed in part or full or pre-arranged travel cost,” according to the terms of baggage insurance plan on the Amex Platinum card. “An example would be common carrier frequent flyer miles point redemption.”

I’m not a snob about a lot of things, but airport lounge access is certainly one of them. I know that as more credit cards offer lounge access, they can be crowded.

That’s one reason I value the Global Lounge Collection offered by Amex’s high-end cards.

This collection includes a Priority Pass Select membership (upon enrollment), Centurion Lounges, Escape — The Centurion Studio lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, Lufthansa lounges (when flying Lufthansa), Delta SkyClubs (when flying Delta), and more.

That’s far more than you’ll get with other credit cards and lessens the chance that you’ll find yourself in a standing-room-only situation.

This is probably not the most popular opinion, but I think Amex Membership Rewards beat out Chase Ultimate Rewards , Capital One Miles , Citi ThankYou points , and Bilt Rewards .

While each currency has their own strengths and weaknesses, Amex points fit my travel style better than the others. Sure, I love that Chase has World of Hyatt (and it’s where I use my points most often) and that Citi transfer to Choice at double Amex’s rate, but Amex has more usable transfer partners .

I’ll be even more unpopular and say that I’ll often transfer Amex points over to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio, especially when they’re offering a transfer bonus . This isn’t usually a good idea, but I spend my Hilton points at high-end resorts such as the Conrad Maldives and the Conrad Bora Bora , where I can easily net 5-10 cents in value per point. That makes it worth it for me.

Other transfer partners that I frequently use include:

• ANA MileageClub : For low-cost business class flights to Europe
• Avianca LifeMiles : For Lufthansa first class
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club : For first and business class redemptions on ANA
• Qantas Frequent Flyer : For cheap Air Tahiti Nui flights to French Polynesia

Beyond transfer partners and the Amex Platinum card, I also find Amex points easier to earn . This is due to a variety of reasons, including their robust lineup of Amex point-earning cards , Amex Offers (upon enrollment), and their Rakuten partnership.

I’m not going to throw out all my other credit cards in favor of the Amex Platinum card — I love points and miles too much ever to let that happen. But there’s certainly a strong case for it sticking around in my wallet.

Sure, it offers lots of statement credits (enrollment required for some benefits) and other perks. But I’ll keep the Amex Platinum card to book my airfare. And it’ll stay that way until someone else can match the high earnings and travel insurance offerings, which I don’t anticipate happening anytime soon.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the Amex Platinum card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of the Amex Platinum card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of the Amex Platinum card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of the Amex Platinum card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

For the premium global assist hotline benefit of the Amex Platinum card, you can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Plus, we may provide emergency medical transportation assistance and related services. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by premium global assist hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

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About Carissa Rawson

Carissa served in the U.S. Air Force where she developed her love for travel and new cultures. She started her own blog and eventually joined The Points Guy. Since then, she’s contributed to Business Insider, Forbes, and more.

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I Planned My Trip to the Paris Olympics to Rack Up Points and Miles—Here's How

By Harrison Pierce

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

As a full-time digital nomad , I like to follow the sun: I spend part of the year enjoying summer in South America and the other part spending summer in Europe. This year, however, European summer will look slightly different, as Paris is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics. Knowing I’d already be in Europe, there was no way I could miss an event of this caliber.

For a travel and credit card rewards writer, this felt like a challenge—how could I make a trip like this accessible with points and miles? My parents were eager to join me, and we’ve spent the last 13 months planning an unforgettable summer. Following dozens of FaceTime calls, hours of strategizing, and multiple credit cards in heavy rotation, we’ve finally solidified a month-long trip to France and Germany , with tickets to 11 Olympic Events and an Adele concert along the way.

Below, I'll outline my credit card and points and miles strategy for booking a summer in Europe around the Olympics, with tips shared along the way.

How I booked my flights to Europe for the Olympics

I am currently based in Lima, Peru . I’ve been traveling throughout South America for the past six months, but my time eating my weight in ceviche will end on May 30 when I fly nonstop on Iberia Airlines from Lima to Madrid . To book my one-way economy flight, I transferred 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to the Iberia Plus frequent flyer program.

There, I’ll spend over a month and a half in the Spanish capital before flying to Paris. I’m a Capital One Venture X cardholder, so I used part of my $300 annual statement credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel to purchase a $159 nonstop flight on Transavia France from Madrid (MAD) to Paris (ORY) on July 22.

On that same day, my parents will fly from North Carolina—a nonstop overnight flight from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) to Paris (CDG) in Delta One , the airline’s business class. Rather than spend hundreds of thousands of miles (at the time of booking) to secure their tickets, they paid the cash price and used their Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card , which nets them three Delta SkyMiles per dollar spent on Delta flights. Instead of booking a round trip flight, they're making a bit of a Eurotrip out of this summer by booking a multi-city flight to squeeze in the Adele concert in Munich after the Olympics conclude. They will return to North Carolina on August 16 from Munich (MUN) with a layover in Atlanta (ATL).

Munich Marriott Hotel

How I booked lodging in Paris for the Olympics

Millions of people are flying in from around the globe to attend the Olympics, and prices for hotels and vacation rentals reflect that. Paris is an expensive city to visit to begin with, so you can imagine how expensive it is to visit during the Olympics. We are staying in an Airbnb in Rueil-Malmaison for just over three weeks. For reference, it’s about 30 minutes by car or an hour by public transport from popular attractions like the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre. Since there are three adults and my cat , Isabelle, we booked an entire home rather than a room. It costs about $600 per night, which is certainly an investment. This was an excellent opportunity to accumulate points: We used a Capital One Venture X to book this stay, as it earns two points per dollar. (For what it's worth, you'd earn three points per dollar if you used the Chase Sapphire Reserve —and you'd get over 36,000 points for a stay like this one.) Those points can be put toward future travel (or other costs on the same trip, if you book early enough), which can help offset some of the cost of such an expensive trip.

Jessica Puckett

Anna Borges

Karthika Gupta

For our short Munich stay. we chose a hotel—the Munich Marriott Hotel , which is a quick ride on public transport to old town. To maximize points earned and take advantage of his Gold Elite status, we used my dad’s Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card for this stay; for four nights, the nightly rate averaged at 290€ (about $308).

How I bought tickets to the Olympics

My family secured three tickets each to 11 events, for a total of 33 tickets. It was nearly impossible to get tickets to the most popular events, like diving, swimming, and gymnastics, so we diversified and are going to see football, basketball, and tennis, among other events. Though our seats for a football match each cost us 260€ (about $276), tickets to certain events like rowing and sailing were shockingly inexpensive, starting at just 24€ (about $25). The opening ceremonies are open to the public and will follow the Seine River, so we didn’t need to purchase any tickets. We used a Capital One Venture X card for these purchases, earning two points per dollar.

(As of publication, tickets to Olympic events are still available. For what it's worth, though the opening ceremony is open to the public, you can purchase seats. Available tickets start at 2,700€ per person. After that, the closing ceremony has tickets available for 1,100€ per person.)

Other things of note

This will be my parents' first time in Paris, so I want to take them to all the most famous spots. Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the Champagne region , which is just a short 45-minute high-speed train ride away from Paris. I hope to use some of my aforementioned Marriott points at La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection in Reims for an overnight trip and bring my parents to Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte —right now, nights are hovering around 59,000 points per night for the property, which is to be expected for a five-star hotel. A quick escape from the hustle and bustle of Paris to sip on one of the most delicious Champagnes in the world seems like a worthy use of points.

While in Paris, we will strategize which cards we use for which purchases. For example, my Marriott Bonvoy Bevy will earn four points per dollar on dining, so I’ll likely put that down at any restaurant that accepts American Express. My Citi Premier card earns three points per dollar on transit purchases, so I’ll use that card to cover our month-long Metro pass.

The bottom line

There is no doubt that a trip like this is expensive. However, points and miles can help offset the cost. Even if you can’t use your points on a booking or purchase, you can strategize the amount you earn to help offset future travel spend.

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Delta bullish on 2024 demand, Amex partnership; less so on the Paris Olympics

Delta Air Lines is forecasting another busy summer travel season, buoyed by a sustained demand for leisure travel — not to mention a far more robust business travel sector that's been slow to improve in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The company reported its first-quarter 2024 earnings Wednesday, revealing it made $37 million — a modest profit, though that's not unexpected during the winter months.

During a conference call, executives at the Atlanta-based carrier shed some light on Delta's plans for this year and beyond.

The plans include a renewed focus on its longtime hubs, and a lot of anticipation for overseas travel — but a less-than-bullish view of perhaps the summer's biggest global event.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free biweekly Aviation newsletter .

Travel demand remains strong

As the calendar shifted to 2024, travel industry watchers wondered if the "revenge travel" craze witnessed ever since 2022 might finally begin to subside — or if the packed airport terminals and tourist hot spots seen the last two summers might be here to stay.

It appears to be the latter, at least as far as Delta is concerned.

During the first three-plus months of 2024, Delta has recorded its 11 highest sales days ever, CEO Ed Bastian noted during a conference call with analysts Wednesday.

Business travel finally rebounding?

Part of those surging sales, no doubt, are thanks to what Delta is characterizing as a "meaningful" step forward for business travel.

Ever since pandemic-related restrictions were lifted, travel's resurgence has been led by leisure travel and, more recently, "group" travel (think travelers headed to conferences). Classic, last-minute, one- or two-day business trips have consistently lagged behind pre-pandemic levels, though.

And the travel landscape's recovery across the U.S. has been uneven, as hospitality analytics firm CoStar noted in a February report . In 2023, the study showed, per-room hotel revenue surged over 2019 levels in some popular conference destinations like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tampa and San Diego ... but lagged far behind in the likes of San Francisco, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Might 2024 be different?

"Since the start of the year, we've seen a sustained acceleration in business travel," Delta President Glen Hauenstein said Wednesday, noting ticket sales via corporate accounts rose 14% during January, February and March over that same period in 2023.

Leisure travel not fading, either

But it's not just business travelers giving Delta reason for optimism this year.

"Delta's core consumers are in a healthy position, and travel remains a top purchase priority," Bastian added on Wednesday's conference call.

More broadly, there are signs of another big year for air travel; the Transportation Security Administration recorded its 10th-busiest day ever at U.S. checkpoints leading into the recent Easter weekend, suggesting a continued demand for leisure travel like weekend getaways and vacations.

A big part of Delta's summer 2024 plans involves international flying.

In June, July and August, Delta's seats to Europe will be up 11% versus 2019, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium (though by a more modest 6% over last summer), reflecting the sustained interest in overseas trips.

This summer, Delta is also planning year-over-year seat growth of more than 20% to transpacific destinations in Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan collectively, per Cirium.

"For many, many years, the Pacific was a drag on our earnings," Hauenstein told investors at an industry conference last month, noting transpacific travel is among the factors Delta leaders are "most excited about" this year.

Paris 2024 won't be a boon

When you combine big overseas plans with a sustained appetite for travel, Delta must be ecstatic about the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games ... right?

After all, among the Big Three U.S. carriers, Delta has a bigger presence in Paris than American Airlines and United Airlines combined, with 2.3 million seats to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) scheduled for this summer, per Cirium.

Let's just say, the prospects are a little more lukewarm than you might expect.

"Generally, the Olympics are not good for airline revenues. And this year, I think, is no exception to that," Hauenstein said Wednesday, noting that business travel typically takes a back seat during the weeks surrounding the games.

"So I wouldn't say that's going to be a windfall," Hauenstein said. "It's actually going to be a bit of a head wind for us."

Despite that, Bastian was quick to say Delta is firmly behind the U.S. Olympians.

"We're very excited as a sponsor for Team USA," he said. "We'll get through it."

Delta's Amex partnership is as robust as ever

Delta made $1.7 billion through its partnership with American Express during the first quarter, executives said this week.

The company hopes to make a whopping $7.5 billion through its Amex tie-up in 2024, topping last year's equally eye-popping $6.8 billion.

Last month, Delta leaders reiterated a factoid that's both a common talking point and a staggering statistic: If you add up all the spending every Delta-Amex customer charges to their card, the total approaches 1% of the U.S. gross domestic product, the company says.

Delta also noted how the company has worked with Amex to expand the number of retail locations where the issuer's cards are accepted, sometimes a pesky hurdle bemoaned by Amex cardmembers.

Amex cards are accepted at an "all-time high" number of mechants domestically, Hauenstein said. And increasingly, Delta and Amex have focused on this in cities overseas — particularly where the airline flies its SkyMiles members.

"We worked with [Amex] on prioritizing those places that Americans like to go for vacations," Hauenstein added.

That could mean even more places abroad where you can swipe your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card when buying a souvenir, or earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar by charging your dinner out to your American Express® Gold Card .

Responding to industry safety concernsdel

The aviation industry has faced its share of negative attention in recent months, ever since the midair blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet in January.

The incident reignited a spotlight on quality control at Boeing, helping fuel a major leadership shake-up at the plane-maker.

Recently, United has also been at the center of attention amid a series of maintenance problems that prompted Federal Aviation Administration scrutiny (though a top aviation expert TPG spoke with questioned whether the series of incidents on United truly strayed from the routine).

Those events led United executives to pen letters both customers and staff reaffirming the carrier's commitment to safety.

Asked broadly about maintenance challenges elsewhere in the industry, and whether Delta has plans for any similar communications, Bastian said this:

"Safety is job one at all times, every single day. We don't send out special messages around safety. Every day is safety day around here."

For its part, Delta said it had already committed significant resources to maintenance over the last year, and noted Wednesday that maintenance-related flight cancellations were down significantly, year-over-year, in the first quarter.

Focusing back on its core cities

Over the last few years, Delta has grown at a breakneck pace at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), solidifying itself as a top player in the market after first announcing the city as a hub in 2019.

In 2024, Delta's domestic seats out of Boston will be up a striking 34% from 2019, Cirium data shows.

But it's come at the cost of restoring capacity to its longtime stalwart cities, Delta executives said Wednesday.

"Coming out of COVID, we had to allocate the resources we had available." Hauenstein told analysts. "And those resources went to our once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to take leading positions in places like Boston and Los Angeles, at the expense of rebuilding our core hubs."

To his point, 2024 domestic seats from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) are down more than 5% versus 2019 levels, Cirium shows. They're down by 13% at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW).

But that may improve in the near future.

"Our ability to now go back and put seats back into our core," Hauenstein explained, "is where we're focused for the rest of this year."

Among other steps, Delta hopes to continue improving its usage of regional jets. Amid a pilot shortage at regional airlines, Delta leaders estimate the airline's network currently has 50 to 100 parked or underutilized regional jets.

Related reading:

• Your complete guide to the Delta SkyMiles program
• Best Delta credit cards
• Delta Medallion status: What it is and how to earn it
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• How to survive basic economy on Delta Air Lines