How my American Express Platinum card saves me thousands of trips

• As someone who travels for work, I’m always looking for ways to make travel more cost-effective.
• Although my Platinum® Card from American Express charges a $695 annual fee, I find that it saves me money.
• In addition to travel benefits, my card gives me over $1,000 in credits for Uber, hotels, and more.

As a full-time content creator on the go, I practically live in airports and am always looking for ways to make my travel experience easier.

From trying out the latest packing cubes to searching for flight deals, I’m all about efficiency and saving money.

So it might come as a surprise to learn that one of my biggest travel changers involves spending money with a travel credit card. Like the 41% of Americans with a travel card, I use mine to save money on hotels, flights and more.

While the $695 annual fee for my American Express Platinum card seems steep at first glance, it actually saved me money in the long run. And more importantly, it made my travels a lot smoother.

Here are just a few of the benefits of The Platinum Card® from American Express that I use most often.

My American Express Platinum card gives me access to the Centurion Lounge

Because I travel frequently, lounge access is important to me. Call me bougie, but I like having a quieter space to sit down and enjoy a meal and a drink before my flight.

As a Platinum cardholder, I can access Centurion and Priority Pass lounges worldwide. Of course, this benefit is only worth it if, like me, you enjoy eating and drinking in airports and your home airport has a Centurion Lounge.

With airport restaurants and bars charging sky-high prices for basic food and drinks, enjoying free gourmet food in the Centurion Lounge is a treat.

I also get a $200 air tax credit

As a Platinum cardholder, I can choose an eligible airline and register to receive up to $200 in statement credit for airline incidental charges each year.

This includes checked baggage fees, in-flight purchases, seat assignments, and airport lounge day passes when paid with my American Express Platinum card. While these fees may seem small, they add up quickly when you travel frequently.

The $240 digital entertainment credit can be used on things like streaming services and news sites

As a frequent flyer, I rely on digital entertainment, and luckily my card offers $20 in credits each month to draw on some of the most popular digital entertainment services upon signup.

Peacock, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal are all services that can be refunded if I pay for them using my Platinum card.

I always take advantage of the $200 annual hotel credit

With my American Express Platinum card, I get a one-time credit of $200 toward a prepaid reservation with Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) or The Hotel Collection (THC) through American Express Travel.

They also get perks like a free daily breakfast for two, room upgrades (if available), and a $100 property credit on top of their statement credit. This can generally be used at hotel restaurants or even spas, but may vary by property.

I use the FHR benefit every year for a special stay – this year, I stayed at the historic Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki. I received a $200 credit after paying for my room, early check-in and late check-out, free breakfast, a room upgrade, and a property credit that I used for a nice dinner and drinks at the pool.

With my card, I can be reimbursed for Clear Plus, TSA Precheck, and/or Global Entry

In my opinion, the worst part of the airport experience is going through security. That’s why I take every step possible to make things easier for myself.

With my card, I can sign up to be reimbursed for the $100 global entry fee, which expedites customs checks for international arrivals to the US. Global Entry also includes TSA PreCheck, making the internal airport security process faster.

I also receive a $199 credit toward CLEAR® Plus, a paid membership program that uses facial recognition or fingerprints for ID verification at some airports, upon enrollment.

I even get credit for Uber Eats and Saks purchases

Another perk of my credit card that I can sign up for is a monthly Uber Cash benefit. Every month, $15 is deposited into my Uber account to use on rides – or my favorite, Uber Eats. I also get an additional $20 credit in December.

When I’m traveling and want to stay, or I’m coming back from a trip and don’t want to go to the grocery store, I’ll use the Uber benefit to get delivery using Uber Eats. Make sure you use the benefit every month as it is non-recurring.

I also get $50 in credit from Saks Fifth Avenue every six months after signing up. I use this to buy gifts or small items, offset the cost of a larger purchase, or get something special for an upcoming trip.

My card covers rental car and trip delay insurance

When I use my Platinum card, I don’t spend extra money on rental car insurance or travel delays.

If I rent a car using my card and enroll in the program, I get secondary rental car insurance that can cover some damage beyond what my primary insurance would.

I also have peace of mind when it comes to travel delays or interruptions.

If I book a trip with my card and the flight is delayed more than six hours for an eligible reason, I can be reimbursed for purchases that resulted from the delay – up to $500 per trip. This could include meals, accommodation and personal items. I hope I never need to use it, but it feels good to know I have it.

I find the card pays for itself in benefits

All in all, the benefits I get from being an American Express Platinum cardholder are worth the $695 annual fee.

Since I travel so often for work, it’s nice to know I have access to amenities like lounges and expedited security programs.