American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Changes: Milestone Rewards and Lounge Access Revised

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card is primarily known for its milestone-based rewards. Currently, the card offers milestone-based Membership Rewards points on achieving annual spending thresholds of Rs. 1.9 Lakh, Rs. 4 Lakh and Rs. 7 Lakh. However, American Express is changing this structure from September 10, 2026. In addition to this, effective October 1, the card will no longer offer complimentary domestic lounge access by default. Cardholders will need to meet a quarterly spending milestone to avail complimentary lounge visits.

Changes Related to Milestone Rewards w.e.f September 10, 2026

• 7,500 Membership Rewards points at Rs. 1.9 Lakh annual spends will be removed
• 10,000 Membership Rewards points at Rs. 4 Lakh annual spends will remain unchanged
• Rs. 7 Lakh milestone will no longer offer the existing 22,500 additional Membership Rewards points
• Rs. 7 Lakh milestone will instead offer a Rs. 20,000 Taj Experiences e-Gift Card (Instead of Rs. 10,000 Taj Experiences e-Gift Card)

Changes Related to Domestic Lounge Access w.e.f October 1, 2026

• Complimentary domestic airport lounge access will be linked to quarterly spends on the card
• To avail up to 2 complimentary domestic airport lounge visits in a calendar quarter, cardholders will need to spend Rs. 1 Lakh or more in the preceding calendar quarter

The table below shows the detailed comparison of existing and revised benefits on the Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card:

The impact will vary depending on how much a cardholder spends and how they use their rewards. Consumers who spend between Rs. 1.9 Lakh and Rs. 4 Lakh annually will lose the 7,500 Membership Rewards points that were previously offered at the Rs. 1.9 Lakh milestone. Consumers who spend around Rs. 4 Lakh annually will continue to receive 10,000 Membership Rewards points. However, cardholders should still assess whether the card’s annual fee is justified based on the overall value and existing benefits.

The major impact will be on cardholders who spend Rs. 7 Lakh in a year. A cardholder who previously spent Rs. 7 Lakh in a year could earn a total of 40,000 Membership Rewards points along with a Rs. 10,000 Taj benefit. After the revised structure, the cardholder will receive only 10,000 Membership Rewards points, along with a Rs. 20,000 Taj Experiences e-Gift Card. However, consumers who prefer to stay at Taj properties while travelling can maximise the benefits through the Taj Experiences e-Gift Card.

In addition to this, from October 1, 2026, cardholders will need to spend at least Rs. 1 Lakh in the preceding calendar quarter to avail up to two complimentary domestic airport lounge visits in the following quarter. These changes will particularly impact cardholders who use this card occasionally for travel.

Overall, the latest changes make American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card considerably less valuable for cardholders who primarily utilise the benefits through milestone-based rewards. The removal of the milestone benefit at Rs. 1.9 Lakh reduces the overall value for moderate spenders. Apart from this, while the benefits at the Rs. 7 Lakh annual milestone are also significantly reduced, the increase in the Taj voucher from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 means that consumers who are loyal customers of Taj and its partner properties can still derive maximum value from the card.

In addition to milestone rewards, the shift to spend-based domestic airport lounge access from October 1 is another important change. Cardholders who route a significant portion of their regular expenses through the card may find it relatively easy to meet the quarterly spending milestone of Rs. 1 Lakh. However, consumers with lower quarterly spends may find it harder to avail complimentary lounge visits.

As a result, the revised card is likely to be more suitable for cardholders who value Taj hotel benefits and can meet the quarterly spending milestone to avail complimentary lounge visits.