Platinum Card from American Express Worth it?

The other day I was asked:

“Platinum Card from American Express Worth it? What are the benefits of the Platinum Card from American Express and is it worth the $450 annual fee?”

Before I answer this question, lets take a look at what you get from carrying the Platinum card in your wallet:

• Earn 40,000 points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. This bonus is worth at a minimum $400 which can be stretched when you transfer your points to Airline or Hotel partners. Make sure to check if you can get a better offer through the Card Match Tool.

• $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select a qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 a year in statement credits when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^® account. This benefits applies per calendar year, so if you apply now, you can get $200 before the end of the year and another $200 at the beginning of 2016. Even though it clearly says in the terms and conditions that this credit applies to incidental fees only, many including me have had success in receiving the credit towards purchasing airline gift cards.

• Enjoy complimentary access to over 800 airport lounges, including The Centurion^® Lounge, Delta Sky Clubs^®, and Airspace Lounges. You can also enroll in Priority Pass^™ Select.

• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓. Receive a statement credit, up to $100 every 5 years, as reimbursement for your application fee for Global Entry or TSA Pre ✔

• Hilton HHonors^™ Gold Status Enrollment. With Hilton HHonors^™ Gold Status, you can enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio and earn reward stays faster with HHonors Bonus Points.

• Starwood Preferred Guest Gold. Upon check-in and when available, you can receive upgrades to enhanced rooms with Gold status.

• The Hotel Collection. Stay a minimum of two consecutive nights and receive a room upgrade, if available and a $75 hotel credit on qualifying dining, spa or resort activities.

• Boingo American Express Preferred Plan. Enjoy complimentary access to unlimited WiFi at more than a million hotspots worldwide. Connect up to four devices.

• No foreign transaction fees on purchases

Bottom Line:

The Platinum Card from American Express is one of the most famous high end credit cards. However, right now the Citi Prestige card is the hottest credit card on the market with a lot more benefits for the same $450 annual fee. Having said that, the Platinum card is worth it for at least the first year where you can enjoy all the statement credits and maybe a few visits to the Centurion lounge or the Delta Sky Club.

If you have any questions please tweet me @pointspointers or email me at pointspointers@gmail.com