American Express® Platinum Travel Credit Card is a suitable choice for travelers. Unlike most travel-centric cards, this one stands out due to its milestone benefits. The best benefits on the card can be utilized on spending Rs. 1.9 Lakh to up to Rs. 4 Lakh in a year. Thus, you get the maximum return by putting the maximum spends on the card. But does the card justify the annual fee of Rs. 5,000, beating other travel cards in a similar fee range? Read on to find out.
American Express® Platinum Travel Credit Card: ★★★
|
|
 |
|
| Travel Benefits |
★★★★ |
| Rewards Program | ★★★ |
| Lifestyle Benefits | ★★★ |
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card offers value-back to travelers in the form of reward points on general spends, along with bonus points on reaching spending milestones. On spending Rs. 4 lakh in a year, cardholders will get a Taj voucher worth Rs. 10,000, over and above the bonus rewards, as a milestone benefit. This comes as a major win for the card, as such high-end hotel benefits are usually offered on premium credit cards that come with a higher fee. The activation benefit on the card is also decent. Though there is a minute difference in the value back and joining fee, the good part is that users have the flexibility to use it for shopping at Flipkart or for travel bookings.
The combined value of regular rewards, bonus rewards (as milestones), and Taj vouchers will help travelers save up to Rs. 24,000 in a year. An earn-rate of 2% is good enough, but the redemption ratio is where the card lacks. A 2:1 redemption ratio is offered on most airlines, except Vistara, where you get a 3:1 redemption. The best redemption is offered at Marriott (1:1) and Hilton (10:9). At the same annual fee, Axis Atlas offers 10% value-back on travel spends and an excellent point-to-mile transfer ratio of 1:2. Even the latest entrant to the list of airline credit cards, Axis Horizon, offers a similar line of benefits to Atlas around rewards earning and redemption, along with international lounge access. Another card, SBI Miles Elite, also focuses on travel benefits with redemption against airlines but additionally offers a low forex markup of 1.99%.
International travelers will have to figure out ways to maximize the benefits if they own a single credit card ie. Platinum Travel. While users can save a significant amount by making the most of the additional benefits, a better redemption value on American Express Platinum Travel could have helped them get better value, especially around international travel considering the card’s annual fee of Rs. 5,000.
Additionally, despite being a travel-focused card, the lounge access benefit is limited to domestic lounges. Though users get a complimentary Priority Pass membership, visits to these international lounges will not be complimentary. This puts the card in a tough spot, as such benefits are extended even by some all-round cards like HDFC Regalia Gold, SBI Card Prime, etc, that too at a low annual fee. However, the real differentiator over these cards for American Express Platinum Reserve will always be its redemption value.
Considering all the benefits and drawbacks, the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card can be an ideal choice for travelers who are also high-spenders who can reach the milestone of Rs. 4 lakh every year in order to maximize the benefits.
| On this page |
