Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card Features & Benefits (Old)

By | November 23, 2022

Note: Content below is outdated, Please refer to the latest article for the updated review.

One of my friend recently reviewed about his Amex Gold Charge Card and from the responses and queries i received on that card, it appears that many are interested in it even though its very much less rewarding card. Well, Amex does their cool marketing magic to sell those gold charge cards. However, its still a charge card, means, your credit limit can be really high which is one of the major reason that you might consider holding one. Here, lets see a bit of details about the Amex Platinum Travel credit card.

Amex Platinum Travel Card

To put in short, American Express Platinum travel Card is useful only for frequent flyers, especially Indigo flyers, because most of the milestone rewards on this card gives you only Indigo vouchers. You can also redeem your rewards points from over 600 other redemption options, but the point value is high only when you opt-for Indigo vouchers.

American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card Rewards:

  1. Welcome Gift: Rs.4,000 Worth Indigo Vouchers
  2. Spend Rs.1.90 lakhs in a year to get: Rs.7,700 Worth Spicejet Vouchers
  3. Spend Rs.4 lakhs in a year to get: Rs.11,800 Worth Spicejet Vouchers + Rs.10,000 Voucher from the Taj Group

So basically you spend Rs.4 Lakhs and get Rs.23,500 worth of Indigo Vouchers & Rs.10,000 Voucher from the Taj Group = Rs.33,500 in Total.

That’s an awesome ~8% Reward rate and stands above all premium cards like HDFC Regalia, HDFC Infinia and Diners Club Black. That makes this card to be the best travel credit card in India if you can utilize it properly on Indigo & Taj. Though, there might be few hidden terms in utilization of these vouchers.

Whatsoever, how i see it is, its a great Credit card for frequent flyers which gives 6% reward rate if we neglect Taj voucher as its not the day-to-day expense. However, the disadvantage is that you wont get anything good above 4 Lakhs spend as there are no more milestone benefits beyond that.

Amex India Vs Amex USA – Where Do we Stand?

American Express in USA is known for its generosity in issuing thousands of Signup bonus Miles. While we don’t get anything of that sort in India even with Amex, i see that the competition is picking up in past 1 year or so in Indian credit Card industry and this card is kind of validation of the fact that Amex India is trying to do some good in Indian Frequent Flyers Segment.

Features of American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card:

  • CardExpert Rating: 4.5/5 [yasr_overall_rating]
  • Reward rate: Upto ~8%
  • Complementary Airport lounge access: Yes, 4 Lounges per year. Most Mastercard Lounges are allowed in this Program.
  • Foreign Exchange Markup fee: 3.5% + Service Tax
  • Special Features: Spend based Bonus Milestone Rewards & Zero Lost Card Liability.
  • Personal Concierge Service: Amex is known for its unmatched service with 24×7 Platinum Assist and Emergency Card Replacement, anywhere in the world.

Interestingly, I don’t see even their top-end Plat Reserve card to be of this rewarding one (or, maybe i’m wrong), but i guess days are not too far for companies to issue 1000’s of rewards/airmiles as Indian Credit Card user base is growing up at a very great rate.

Wanna say something? Leave a comment below 🙂

180 thoughts on “Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card Features & Benefits (Old)

  1. chandru

    Hi Siddarth – Keep up the great work. Your blog made me consider for this card. I already have a gold card since 2010 and now I got this card as well.

    Which card in these two AMEX brands is worth to spend – Gold or Platinum Travel?
    As the movie blockbuster offer has ended, it makes not much motivation to use AMEX cards, isn’t ?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Chandru,
      Amex Plat Travel is the great one if you fly in Indigo. Gold card gives far way less value back compared to plat travel card.

      Reply
      1. Sameer

        I got this card recently. However i am not able to see high reward rate travel voucher (67ps) as only option I am getting is rs 2000 ATO for 5000 points? Is this voucher reward rate account dependent

        Reply
    2. Amrendra Kumar

      Platinum Travel is best among all travel card in India. Its mine 4th Yr and i am able to utilize all rewards of Indigo + Taj every year.
      I understand that its more beneficial for Delhi NCR and other Metro cities specially Bombay, Bangalore, Chennai & Kolkata or in nutshell the cities with maximum Indigo service.
      With Taj voucher you will generally get 1 night only. Which i had utilized once in Kerala (Kumarakom) then Jodhpur (Hari Palace), Goa (Vivanta-Panaji). Usually this may be utilized for last day of your vacation.

      1 thing correctly pointed out above that after spending Rs 4 lakh no reward milestone left so you may loss interest to spend more after that.

      Reply
      1. Ankit

        Do vouchers have any restrictive terms and condition to use?

        Reply
  2. Bijit

    Hey Sid,

    Thanks for the review. Am a bit confused which card to go for… Am a bot confused with the Amex Platinum Travel and Citi Premiere miles…The things i am looking in a card are
    – Points Points and Points which can be used against air tkts
    – Complimentary airport lounge access
    – Discounts on holiday bookings and cash backs
    – Movie tkts

    Could you please advice

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Well, you need multiple cards for this 😀
      – Amex plat travel is good for flying Indigo
      – SBI signature card will give u movie tickets + lounge access via VISA program
      – Premier miles gives points to be redeemed for tickets + lounge access via VISA program
      Tip: Get all 😉

      Reply
  3. Parth

    Just started visiting your website. Thank you for your assessments. Please be advised that you have put up photo of american express platinum reserve card in your review of platinum travel card.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Thanks man. Yes, aware of it. Added a note so readers are not misguided 🙂

      Reply
      1. Parth

        Actually thank you! I appreciate your insights and assessments. I have an american express platinum reserve card. Which do you suggest is best travel card? I only use Air India but I did not opt for SBI AI card as they’ve dropped AI FF status. Any other suggestions?

        Thanking you in anticipation,
        Parth

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          Amex plat travel is good and Any HDFC diners card would do as it has ongoing 10X rewards offer.

          Reply
          1. Parth

            Thanks a lot for this. I have amex plat reserve and I fail to see any travel benefits except 12 times a year lounge access at Mumbai (domestic terminal where AI does not operate) and Delhi (T3). 99$ waived off for Priority Pass membership but you still have to pay USD 27 for everytime you decide to use the lounge. I respect how you’re helping everyone optimize their spending. But I realize that it’s very hard to keep track of which card to use and when. Do you automate this in anyway?

            Are there cards which give $249 or $399 memberships of priority pass. I’m thinking of Citibank all miles. Would you recommend it for an AI flyer?

            Thank you very much for answering my questions.

          2. Siddharth Post author

            All HDFC Diners cards gives unlimited lounge access to domestic airports. For Priority Pass, check out infinia/regalia/allmiles/citi prestige. To me amex plat reserve doesn’t have any advantage except hotel deals. Amex Jet card is good if you need amex lounge access.

        2. Pranay

          Actually, the Amex Platinum Charge card comes with a full access Priority pass (no fees to be paid).

          But considering that the annual fees are ridiculously high for the Plat Charge, you’re better off buying the PP instead if you travel a lot and don’t have Elite Airline status.

          Reply
  4. Christopher Hanvey

    Would you be doing a review of the AMEX Platinum Reserve Credit Card anytime soon ? I am particularly looking at Golfing benefits on any card.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes, its in pipeline. You could also try HDFC cards for Golfing benefit.

      Reply
  5. Kunal

    Best site to know anything about credit cards, even granularity of it.

    Reply
  6. Mohit Gupta

    Hi Sid,

    Can you tell me that the milestone perks are recieved in between the year or only after completion of the year ?

    If after completion that means, one need to renew the card for the second year to avail benefits earned in the first year ?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Its received as soon as you complete the milestone. you don’t need to wait until year end, or renew.

      Reply
  7. Deepankar

    Hi Sid,

    The above mentioned milestone rewards are not showing on website –
    Spend Rs.1.90 lakhs in a year to get: Rs.7,700 Worth Indigo Vouchers

    I can only see this one – “Spend Rs.4 lakhs in a year to get: Rs.11,800 Worth Indigo Vouchers + Rs.10,000 Voucher from the Taj Group”

    Is Spend Rs.1.90 lakhs rewards withdrawn?

    Reply
  8. Subhankar

    Hi Sid,

    I use this card and it’s amazing until 4 lakh spend; after that I spend with Citi premiermiles and HDFC Regalia (I find Regalia more rewarding so far). Now Regalia is getting devalued in Nov; so what other card would you suggest which can give benefits at par current Regalia? I had considered HDFC Diner Black but it probably has acceptability issues in majority of places I believe (please correct me if I am wrong).

    I am a fan of your blog; keep up this hard work.

    –Subhankar

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Yes Bank Preferred Card is equally good as Regalia if you’re fine with the redemption options they have.

      Reply
  9. Harish

    Hi, would you be able to clarify if the Indigo and Taj Vouchers be useable only by the card owner or can be used for making bookings for family & friends too?

    Also, the Taj vouchers that they give, are they of any use or the kind which are for name sake?

    Thanks.
    Regards,
    Harish

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Indigo Vouchers are more like cash vouchers and anyone can use.
      Reg. Taj Voucher, I’ve recently used it to stay with my friends, but not sure if they would allow if my name is not present there.
      Mostly likely they wont, as its obvious.

      Reply
      1. Harish

        Thanks for the update. Been using Regalia and gives good rewards for the use and recently acquired the SBI Signature card to give it a go for an year, loving the BookMyShow free tickets offer. But now the returns on both cards have be reduced so was looking to get the Diners Black or this Amex Platinum Travel card. Wouldn’t be dumping the Regalia as its a lifetime free card.

        Apart from the landmark vouchers the rewards are not the tempting for the Amex card coz the required points for redemption is quite high. I still have the Taj vouchers that came with Regalia/Taj combo 😀

        Reply
  10. Dr. Kuladeep Reddy

    My experience with Amex Jetairways Card & Amex Gold Card is very bad. Even though i hold Make my trip card also. This card is value for money. Where as Amex Jetairways & Gold Charge card chages your a hefty Annual Charges. Which you cannot escape even if you are spending on your Amex cards high, But no benefit on either of this cards. I need to see if i am going to use the Amex Platinum Travel Card and give me any benefit.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      lat travel card is worth it, if you’re flying in indigo often.

      Reply
  11. Karan

    Hi Sidharth, I currently have HDFC Regalia as well as AMEX Platinum Travel Credit Card. How would you suggest the usage considering I do use Indigo for personal travel a lot. Other than that just movies and occasional online shopping? I figured looking at their offers, It is wise to spend the first 4 lacs on AMEX and continue with Regalia for the rest. is my assessment correct? any other suggestions?

    Reply
  12. Kunal

    Hi Siddharth,

    I think it’s time to update the review. Amex Plat Travel started offering 4 complimentary lounge access in a year (no of lounges where it can availed are more than visa).

    Reply
  13. Chetan Dholu

    Hi Siddharth, What will be foreign transaction mark up fee on AMEX Platinum Travel Credit card?

    Reply
  14. Arjun

    Went ahead and applied for one after reading your review. Thanks for the comprehensive analysis of credit cards, Siddharth!
    Looking forward to having my first Amex card! The indigo vouchers policy is attractive to me because I do a lot of domestic travel and its mostly Indigo (I used to pay a little extra and book 9W because of JP Miles, now I wouldn’t have to).

    Reply
    1. Arjun

      the two major downsides I see now is the limited lounge access and foreign currency markup fee. My existing Regalia card gives me 12 International Lounge Access per year and 2% mark up fee as opposed to the 4 and 3.5% on amex.

      Reply
      1. ROHITH

        hi sid

        presently i am using HDFC Regalia… I am quite comfortable with it, now i received AE Plat Travel card as pre-approved with first year fee waived off. can i go for it….

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          Ofcourse, worth it. May i know how its sourced with first year fee being waived off?

          Reply
          1. hari

            Hi Siddarth,

            Keep up the good work. I received an invite today for a platinum travel card with 1st year fee waived. I already hold Gold charge & companian credit card.

          2. Siddharth Post author

            That’s Great!
            Was that a corporate offer?

  15. Prashant

    I recently received the card and have crossed the milestone of 1.9 l. Can I use the all the vouchers joining + milestone for single ticket booking or in one transaction of multiple tickets.

    Reply
  16. Karthik

    now i received AE Plat Travel card as pre-approved with first year fee waived off. can i go for it….

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Someone is giving free credit line, why bother, go for it 😉

      Reply
  17. kamat

    Is any option or condition is applicable for annual fee waiver from second year onward in case of American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card? As same is quoted by the sales person from amex in case of annual expenditure b/w 65-70k same will waived in 2nd year. Is any one have experience in this regard?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      70k is way too less for waiver. Anywhere around 4-5L is good enough to approach for waiver.

      Reply
      1. Shantanu

        There is no waiver even if your spend cross 5lacs . Hence I am cancelling Amex Travel card

        Reply
        1. Siddharth Post author

          Really? Didn’t they offer a discounted fee even?

          Reply
  18. Pjain

    Hi siddharth !
    What a blog man ! Super work !

    I have three cards currently
    1. Citi premier miles card – flexibility to use miles on any airline/hotels
    2. Amex Jet
    3. Diners jet (recently acquired)

    Travel a lot internationally so you see all cards aim at collecting more miles and other travel benefits like lounge etc.

    However, now I feel the Amex jet is not such a great card specially after diners. Could you suggest any other card which can offer more benefits and I am particularly looking for complimentary lounge access for my Spouse as well.

    Any suggestions ?

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Diners Black is good as it has 10x rewards.
      and you can take add-on on your diners jet for lounge access for your spouse.

      Reply
  19. Vijender

    The American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card has Annual fee –

    First year fee: Rs.3500 plus applicable taxes.
    Second year onwards: Rs.5,000 plus applicable taxes.

    Is there a way we can get the fee waived off like spending some specified amount annually? Otherwise it makes a big dent in the Rs.33,500 that I can earn in a year 🙁

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Renewal fee waiver is possible if you can spend high on the card. Am not sure about that exact amount though.

      Reply
  20. Rahul singh

    Hi,

    I have 75K Points collected on my regalia card. Want to jndersyand two things:

    1. Validity of points
    2. What is the optimism usage to the points as I don’t see much of travel benefits in their catalogue. All other listed items, I am not too keen to redeem.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Flight/recharge redemptions are the best.
      Validity is usually 2 years from date of accrual.

      Reply
  21. Balabharathi

    Applied for this card in corporate offer
    1St year joining fee waived off
    Spend 30 k in 3 months to get 4k indigo vouchers
    Spend 1.9 L in a year and get 50% renewal fee waived and spend 4 L to get 100 % renewal fee waived .

    Feels good , applied for the same today. Lets see

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Nice that you grabbed a corporate offer. Congrats.

      Reply
  22. Varun

    I have recently taken Amex Platinum travel credit card. I have been given an indigo voucher of Rs. 4000/-. My question is once i reach the spending point of Rs. 1.9 lac and 4.0 lac, i will be elligible for indigo vouchers of Rs. 6000 and Rs. 10000. Can i use all these thre vouchers for one ticket or at one time while booking multiple tickets.

    Reply
  23. Himanshu Aggarwal

    Dear Sid,
    Amex staff told me that once I cross the spend of Rs. 4 lacs, points structure changes and you even get 2 points per Rs. 50 for fuel spends. Though you can earn 5 – 7 points per Rs. 50 on other spends, depending upon the spend category.
    Do you have any views on this….

    Reply
  24. Malavkumar Patel

    If you apply for American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card through Bankbazaar then first year fee is waived but you don’t get welcome reward points and you get renewal fee charges like anyone else. still it’s a good deal if you ask me, Get a card for one year and if you don’t like it then cancel before second year renewal.

    Reply
  25. Amit

    Do you get bonus points after completing an year, and paying the membership fee charges? I just paid my annual membership charges of Rs 5,000 + taxes, and I’m not sure if I would get bonus points for renewal.

    Reply
  26. Praveen Perumalla

    Got an email yesterday that starting June 9, Indigo vouchers will not be available for redemption. Instead we can redeem for spicejet vouchers (for same value, 1 MR = Rs. 0.5 ) or from and online travel agency (for a slightly lower conversion value. 1 MR = Rs. 0.4)

    Reply
  27. Arul

    I applied this card on yesterday. Indigo vouchers will be provided up to 9th JUN 17 after that it will be spice jet voucher.
    I can’t attach T&C images in this comments.

    Reply
  28. jai shah

    Hi Sid,

    I wanted to clarify one point. The welcome bonus as well as the spend based bonuses for 1.9L and 4L are given in the form of membership reward points or in the form of indigo vouchers? And what is the exact number of membership reward points that you do receive?

    Reply
    1. Praveen Perumalla

      The bonuses will be given as MR points. You can you use them to pay for your card expenses as cash credit in the ratio of (1RP =Rs.0.25). However, you get the best benefit if you redeem them for travel vouchers (1RP = Rs.0.5 fpr Spice Jet) and (1RP=Rs.04 for Amex vouchers that can used for any operator)

      Reply
  29. TEJINDER SINGH

    Hi Siddharth,
    Amazing job being done by you to help people decide on credit cards. I have a AMEX Gold Card. Am considering going in for a Platinum Travel Card. My usage is not so much for travel but routine expenditure and I like to redeem points for cash / bill pay. I have 2 questions:- A. Will I benefit by going in for the Plat Travel Card. B. If I make an annual spend of say 5 lakhs with the Platinum card will I be able to get the annual fees waived.
    Thanks

    Reply
  30. Praveen Perumalla

    My family (with kids) was supposed to travel least week on a sleeper bus and it seems the RTO guys have stopped all the sleeper buses since a couple of weeks now. The travels office has informed us about it only on the day of journey. I called Amex, redeemed my vouchers, and was able to get the flight tickets booked covering the entire cost of 16k using the vouchers.

    This is the first time, I had such a huge benefit from a credit card and wanted to share with you guys about the usefulness of this card and Amex for the quick turn around with the vouchers.

    Reply
  31. Arun

    I was misleaded by this article to buy AMEX Platinum Card. No Offense, On further inspection. this card is less rewarding like anywhere card. so i changed my Decision

    First 8 % Reward Rate is Applicable only on First year, You dont get 4000 Indigo vouchers every year

    Next on Spending 1.9 lakhs you get 6000 worth of vouchers and the rest 1700 is reward points that is which should not be in Fuel, Utilities, Insurance category, which is what most people spend on.

    Ok Lets say you managed to spend over two lakhs without this category you will get 6000+1700 ie 7700 worth of vouchers

    At this point annual fee of 5000+taxes takes away most benefit.

    Only if u make it to 4 lacs without Fuel, Utilities, Insurance, which is very tough according to me. you might get slight benefit with this card.

    Reply
    1. PRIYESH

      Hi,

      They consider all spends for 4Lac threshold, you just don’t receive rewards points for Fuel, Utilities, Insurance

      Priyesh

      Reply
    2. Praveen Perumalla

      Arun, the fact is people spend less on fuel and utlities compared to dining, groceries, shopping etc. Your spends on fuel, utlities, and insurance get considered for the milestone benefit but you don’t get RPs.

      If spending 4L is tough for you and you can only manage to spend 1.9L, even then the reward rate is 3.9% after considering the annual fee which is still a good rate. While reward rate is just one factor, Amex is known for their aggressive offers and at least for that reason, it is probably worth keeping one Amex card.

      Reply
  32. Arjun

    My Amex Platinum Travel card is up for renewal in 2 months. I’ll be hitting the 4L spend before that as well, if my calculations are right.
    However, I am confused if renewing it by paying 5k is worth it. I have Yes First Preferred and HDFC Regalia cards as well. Both of them LTF.
    Whats your opinion?

    Also, how much time does it take for the bonus reward points to be credited after the milestone spends are hit ?

    Reply
    1. Praveen Perumalla

      Arjun, the milestone reward points got credited within a week for me. I didn’t have to follow up either.

      Even with a 5k fee + 1k tax, the reward rate is still over 7%. If you are able to spend 4k with ease and if travel vouchers are useful for you, then it is worth renewing the card. It’s your decision though.

      Reply
  33. Bern

    Hi, I have a couple of questions. By 4 complimentary lounge access does it mean only at the domestic departures or I can use it also at the International departure . Because I was told If I’m boarding an international flight I won’t be able to use the complimentary lounge access since the 4 are only meant for domestic lounge

    Reply
  34. Ameya

    Hi Sid
    I want to know about the Complimentary Priority Pass membership associated with this card.
    Does it give any complimentary access at all?
    Or it charges some discounted rates for lounge entry?

    Reply
  35. Prashant Gupta

    Ameya the membership is free not the lounge access. It will be charged.

    Reply
    1. Ameya

      Thanks Prashant!
      Not very useful IMHO then!
      How much do they charge for the lounge access?

      Reply
  36. vicky

    now card is poor as spicejet have less routes and also 2x-3x exepnsive vs indigo

    Reply
      1. Sreehari

        Guys you can get vouchers worth 5k for any other airline on completion of 1.9 lakh milestone and vouchers worth the 10k for any other airline on completion of 4 lakh, if you don’t prefer SpiceJet.

        Reply
    1. Prashant Gupta

      i dont think so. I have found spicejet to be cheaper many times. They are there in all major routes and tourist destinations.

      Reply
    2. Gaurav

      As of now vouchers can be used with any airline or hotel, but if we go for Spicejet you get slightly higher value.

      Reply
  37. MD saleem

    Hi
    Sid
    Last month recived new America express platinum travel card my income 1005800 but limit only 75000
    Can apply gold charged card wait 6 month plz sagest
    Thanks

    Reply
  38. Rajat

    Hey Sid

    I will be relocating to Mumbai from Delhi very soon and would be travelling to and fro atleast once a month. The benfits for this card look enticing but the fact that redemption value is good only for Indigo makes me vary. I have the Citibank Shoppers Stop First Citizen card and the condition that rewards can be redeemed only at Shoppers Stop discourages me to use it. If I would want to be flexible in terms of choice of airline then which one would you suggest?

    Reply
  39. Manish Soni

    I called the bank today about my discomfort on this card with no threshold benefit after 4L. That’s demotivating.
    They did mention that many customers have cited this issue and bank is already working to add more threshold based spend benefits. This is just an FYI for everyone.

    Reply
  40. Rasesh

    Hi Siddhartha !
    Amex has introduced 4 complimentary domestic lounge visits per calendar year on their platinum travel card apart from the $99 priority pass membership fee waived off. can you please clarify this part – whether the access is truly complimentary and in which cities.

    Reply
  41. Lakshminarayanan

    Hello Sid, After using Amex gold charge card for a year and crossing 4 lacs spend now I decided to Upgrade to Amex platinum card! Guys from sales team talked to me and convinced me to apply a platinum travel card and asked to retain gold charge card! Am confused now!your views ??

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      You can only “upgrade” a “charge card” with Amex. Others need to be applied separately.

      Reply
  42. Praveen Krishnakumar S

    i live in chennai but my business is in amex non servicable area, how to get this card

    Reply
  43. Sasikiran

    Over the times, the card has lost its shine. I have used this card for about 7 years and closed it couple of months back. They stopped points for all utility bill payments and fuel transactions. Now points cannot be redeemed for Indigo but for spice-jet and the redemption site is now the one built by clear-trip and cannot use in combination of any other coupon. In spite of being Amex, we have to call them for vouchers, not sure why they went back from online redemption to offline redemption.

    However, I had made best use of the card for 6+ years where every year I got 20-30K worth of indigo tickets and 10K worth Taj voucher + several BMS vouchers + couple of Tanishq vouchers.

    I have just received my Yes First Preferred, hope to make use of it (reason to opt was airport lounge access)

    Reply
    1. Prashant Gupta

      Tru that sasikaran. I have stopped using this card and will close this year. One biggest drawback is only domestic booking and also using cleartrip platform. The offers in yes bank and hdfc are making this card lose its market and use.

      Reply
  44. NISHANT

    Hi Sid , you are doing a great work, i have a query thought you can help
    i want to do cheap foreign trips which i can buy using points or miles or whatever reward credit card offers, though i travel in domestic airlines and like normal indians i consume mainly on Departmental stores and McD, burger king, dominos like franchise, i would like you to please recommend me credit cards so that i can travel & stay in hotels for cheap. i understand if there would more than 2-3 credit cards you recommend.

    THanks a lot 🙂

    Reply
    1. Vikram Khanna

      Hi Nishant,
      I have been using credit cards since 2005. What you need to worry about is not where you spend, but how much you spend and what are the validity of the rewards programs you choose. Looking at your specific requirements of low cost international travel, the AmEx Platinum Travel card reviewed here makes sense as none other than Diners Club Black or one of the premium JetPrivilege cards, would be able to provide such a high travel redemption value.

      Through Diners Club Black, you can expedite points on accelerated 10X categories and earn at 33% rupee value for travel, but daily spends will not easily fall in that category. Remember this card does not reward wallet spends but utility payment transactions are rewarded at the usual 3.3% anyway. There is a catch with all HDFC cards. As the reward criterion is 150Rs. block fixed, if you do a lot of smaller value(<1000) transactions, then you tend to get rewarded only for 80-90% of your spends.

      Through a premium JPMiles card, best choice being ICICI JetAirways Sapphiro AmEx variant you can earn about 30000 miles in an year on spends of 4 Lakhs. 10000 initial miles and 5000 miles per 1 Lakh. This should also be sufficient to afford you a return trip to South East Asian destinations from Bangalore and Chennai. Contrary to HDFC, wallet payments are awarded in ICICI, but utility spends are not hence no benefit on rent payments.

      There is another trump card here. The HDFC Jet Airways World Card gives 6 JPMiles per 150 and annual fee is waived on 3 Lakh spend, while you also get a starting bonus of upto 7500 JP Miles. If you pay rent on RedGirraffe through this card, you will easily meet this threshold along with other utility and bill payments. No rewards for PayTM and other wallets though. Being a Visa card acceptability is not an issue unlike Diners/AmEx and *BONUS* Priority Pass 6 complimentary usage for Primary Card Holder.

      Reply
  45. Emme

    First of all, Sid, thank you for your comprehensive articles. I have learnt a lot from them. 🙂
    I just got a mail from American Express saying that now, even though the cap on lounge access still remains 4 per year, one can use the service only once per quarter. Plus, the number of lounges has been reduced from 31 to 12. After checking the list of lounges, most lounges at domestic terminals have been excluded. Only a few lounges at international terminals are included. As someone who took the card primarily for lounge access, that somehow does not justify the Rs 5000+ fee that Amex charges for the card. What are your thoughts?
    Also, could you suggest any other card that offers lounge access both domestically and internationally but has a reasonable fee?

    Reply
  46. nitn agarwal

    Hi Emme
    Yes preferred/ HDFC regalia card is best for this purpose that come with Priorirt pass with 6/12 free visits per year and domestic lounge access through their visa/mastercard program. You can also get both of them LTF through your relationship managers or calling their customer care.

    Reply
  47. Pranav

    I am little confused with their travel reward structure.

    1. Welcome 5000 MR = Rs 4000 spice jet. (2.5k MR – 2k)
    2. 1.9L spends 7500 MR = Rs 6000 spice jet (2.5K MR – 2k)
    3. 4L spends 10000 MR = Rs 10000 spice jet. (2.5K MR – 2.5K)

    If I accrue points redeem it at the end of an year, how do they give vouchers if I redeem 22500 MR. Ratio was different for different points. Please clear my doubt. AmEX customer care was unable to resolve this query.

    Reply
  48. Shakti

    I applied for this card after reading the review. They have now changed to Spice Jet instead of Indigo.

    Reply
  49. Swapnil mehta

    Hi sid,
    Does Amex taj vouchers can be used at taj gateway hotels?

    Reply
    1. Mouli

      Yes, you can use at any Taj properties in India.
      Present the voucher during the payment. Even if your voucher is expired still you can extend the validity by calling to Amex customer care

      Reply
  50. Keyur Mavani

    What if I spend less than 1.9 lacs a year? Is there no general reward system for this card?

    Reply
  51. NAGARAJA D

    Anyways to redeem 10k taj vouchers into cash or wallet money if I don have any plans of staying in Taj?

    Thanks,
    Nagaraj

    Reply
    1. Mouli

      You need to use in Taj property only , no way to redeem in cash or wallet unless someone is ready to buy your voucher

      Reply
      1. Siddharth Post author

        I don’t think it can be sold either. As they verify the name on check-in.

        Reply
  52. Mrinal T

    does wallet recharging count towards the 4 lakh rupees spend goal ? i am really getting confused in the MR point system now

    Reply
  53. Anshul

    If all Rs 4 lakhs on this Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card are spent on insurance/fuel/utility transactions, do we still get milestone benefits, inspite of not getting regular membership rewards?

    Reply
        1. Abhishek Roy

          Yes. Even NPS Contribution will be counted too however, NPS contribution requires 0.9%+GST as fees for using credit card as source to fund your NPS. If you are okay with that then it’s a small price to pay.

          Reply
          1. FrequentFlyer15

            Vicky, mnaufactured spend is using your card to generate fake spends which you intend to convert to cash and use else where. For eg, buying gift cards, filling, wallet, etc. Amex is one of the few merchants who encourage filling your wallets.
            NPS is an investment Avenue and is not considered a manufactured spend. Hence, Amex has no issue with it. In fact you will get Membership Rewards for it too.

  54. Purna

    I have 2 Taj vouchers each worth 10000 from amex.Can I use both to settle the amount for single booking.

    Reply
    1. Mouli

      Purna,

      Yes you can, last week I did the same.Two 10000 amex vouchers for one stay but ensure that voucher validity is not expired.
      If expired also you can still call amex customer care and request them to extend the validity,this can be done only once and they will extend the validity to 3 months

      Reply
  55. Maheem G

    Amex has been giving out MRCC as a companion card for Amex Plat Travel card holders. MRCC will be LTF as long as we keep the Amex Plat Travel card and pay the yearly fees. I had applied for my new Amex Plat Travel card in Jan-19. After the card got approved, I received a phone call stating about this offer. I was not interested at that time, so I politely refused the MRCC LTF offer. However today I got the offer via email and this time I applied for it.

    Points to Note:

    1. I think this offer is only for new applicants of Amex Plat Travel. (offer valid till 31st March 2019)

    2. You don’t get the usual 4000 Welcome Bonus MR points upon accepting the companion offer.

    3. You do get the 1000 Bonus MR points for using your MRCC card 4 times in a month for a transaction above
    Rs.1000.

    4. This is a strategy adopted by Amex to persuade their Amex Plat Travel holders who stop spending after the 4lac
    milestone benefit. Amex wants them to continue spending so that they can reap the benefits of the 18 karat & 24
    karat gold collection.

    (only to those who got the communication via email)

    Reply
    1. Vineet

      Hi Maheem,
      I am a bit confused. I have a MRCC and was recently offered a platinum travel card after a year of using MRCC. Now I have two questions. Since my MRCC requires a threshold of 1.5 lakhs for fee waiver, will I have to pay fees for both or one card. Secondly will points accrued on platinum trelavel card be life long or expire after 3 years

      Reply
        1. Harshal

          1. From Amex : ‘Your existing Amex MRCC will be lifetime complimentary as long as you continue to pay the fee for the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card. The lifetime complimentary Amex MRCC will become fee-bearing (Rs.4,500 plus applicable taxes) in case membership of the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card is cancelled’

          2. Points will expire after 3 years

          Reply
        2. Vineet

          Hey,
          I got the answers myself. You will have to pay the fees for just the plat travel. And points accumulated expire on the third expiry year

          Reply
        3. AB

          @prabhash MRCC is complimentary for platinum travel card holders. Platinum Travel card points valid for 3 years.

          Reply
  56. Atul Anand

    Do fuel, insurance and rent payment count towards the 4L threshold?

    Reply
    1. Abhishek Roy

      Yes, ANY payment that you can do with your AMEX Platinum CC is counted towards your spend threshold of 4L.

      Reply
    2. Anshul

      Where are you using it for rent payment? Redgiraffe does not accept Amex. Where else?

      Reply
  57. Vishal

    Please anyone suggest how someone else can use the Taj voucher?
    My Taj 10000 GV is expiring in next 10 days(given that it is already extended for 3 months) and I don’t plan to use it for me.

    Is there any trick so that this voucher can be used for someone else?

    And, as it is an e-gift card, do they still check the name?

    Please suggest as I don’t want this voucher to go in vain

    Reply
    1. MT

      you need to book and pay /gurantee the stay using the same AMEX card you got the voucher from , i think you should be able to get away with your parents or really close relative staying there and using your amex card to pay for the stay , but remember , the 10k will only be set off against room rent , not against taxes and other amenities

      Reply
  58. Naveen

    If we were to cancel the card post redemption of the milestone rewards, would the issued vouchers (I.e. Spicejet, Taj etc) still hold valid? Or would it be the case that they would also lapse once the card is cancelled?

    Reply
  59. Dr Patil

    I received a new offer. 25% off on brands like Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Paul Smith etc. Maximum discount 1.5 lakh per transaction. Valid from April 7 to July 7.

    Reply
  60. Krishan Kant Sharma

    Any trick to get SpiceJet e gift voucher validity extended? My SpiceJet gift voucher is expiring on 13th May 19 and this time all flights are very costly.

    Reply
  61. Anuj Mhatre

    Hi, is the complimentary airport lounge access free for international airports as well?

    Reply
    1. Kaivalya

      No. The list of lounges is given inside the packaging of the Amex Plat Travel CC. The lounges are at Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai DOMESTIC airports.

      Reply
  62. Nakul

    Hello Sidharth, If you can clarify about the validity of ‘milestone rewards points’ and ‘membership rewards point’. whether both the points can be merged for getting indigo/spicejet vouchers.

    Reply
  63. Rakesh Singh

    Hi, I have both Amex Gold charge card as well as Amex platinum travel card, lately I am thinking of getting rid of the Gold charge card.
    Please advise if it the right decision to make.

    Reply
    1. SH

      I would say keep it, and try to negotiate the fees during renewal (Amex usually agrees to waive off for Gold). The reason I say that is because you can score an easy 1000 MRs every month, get a high limit when you need it, but more importantly an additional card increases your chances of landing the targetted, spend based Amex offers that they run from time to time. One such offer is worth more than the fees.

      Reply
    2. Neo

      Hi Rakesh,
      Why would you get rid of the Gold Charge ? 6 txns *1000 each month gets you 1000 MR points every month.
      Regular, consistent usage probably puts you on track for an invite to the Plat Charge card.
      Infact, I would suggest getting an MRCC which would mean 10 txns * 1000 each month to net a cool 2K points every month.

      Reply
  64. Sunil P

    Dear Guys,
    Please let me if Amex has a policy of not reissuing cards to customer who has previously closed their accounts. I had closed my Amex Card in 2013 but my reapplication rejected in 2017 and 2019. No issues in Cibil but currently holding 7 different banks Cc .
    My Credit Cards:
    1) HDFC Business Regalia;
    2) SBI BPCL Card;
    3) BOB Card Select;
    4) RBL Platinum Maxima;
    5) ICICI Amazon Pay CC;
    6) ICICI Platinum;
    7) Citi Rewards.

    Reply
  65. Rakesh Singh

    Thank you Neo and SH!
    I am in fact planning to replace my Amex GC card with HDFC Regalia and that is the reason why I was planning to discard Amex GC and just keep the platinum travel card and Regalia.
    I already have an old Citibank IOC.

    Reply
  66. Mehul

    Hiii,

    Can someone please confirm that the bonus spicejet vouchers worth 6k on 1.9lac spend & 10K on 4lac spend are single use voucher and we cannot select smaller denomination vouchers?

    The helpline people say that a single one time voucher code shall be issued for 6k we cannot select multiple vouchers of smaller denominations!!!

    Isnt this strange/

    Reply
    1. Alok

      Not sure if this has changed recently (I think not), but I was able to redeem vouchers worth 2k. Any one voucher was a one-time-use voucher IIRC.

      Reply
    2. Gautam

      Hi,

      Earlier they were accommodative but now they simply refuse to entertain any denomination related queries and give 1 voucher of Rs. 10,000 (on achieving Rs. 4 lac milestone).

      Reply
  67. Mehul

    Thanks alok … If someone else can pour in more information would be helpful.

    Reply
  68. Gautam

    Friends, I need your views.

    I have been holding SBI AI Signature and Amex travel platinum for some time now. Recently, I have acquired HDFC DCB (no joining fee) and Axis Vistara Infinia (with joining fee). Thinking of closing both amex and sbi and moving all spends (Rs-12-16 lacs p.a) to DCB and Axis. Is it a good idea or should I spend a few lacs on SBI/Amex too? How much CIBIL damage is likely to happen if I decide to close the 2 cards?(my score a few months ago was ~ 850, may have come down now as I have acquired cards back to back)

    By closing these cards I will also save about Rs. 12k on fees too. Not to mention I have the following other cards
    1. Yes First (LTF)
    2.Amex Rewards (free till the time I hold Platinum travel else Rs. 1500 or Rs. 4500; not sure)
    3.ICICI Amazon pay
    4. CITI PM (only recently closed)
    5. RBL Loan pass card

    Reply
    1. Ankit

      I would recommend you shift expenditure to DCB and Vistara. 12-16 lakhs is quite high and you will easily get ~1 lakh in rewards with both.

      Reply
  69. Praveen

    Hello,

    Has anyone been lucky on the annual fee waiver on Amex platinum Travel given the current situation ? i was offered a waiver for 10,000 regular points . Is it a good deal? or is there someone who got a better deal?

    Reply
    1. Sree

      This is the usual alternate option given during renewal for most Amex plat travel users. I think we can push for better given the current situation

      Reply
      1. Praveen Kumar

        Have got 2 options now, to spend 2lakhs in 60 days or 10k reward points for 100% waiver. If I choose the first option will I get my regular points?

        Reply
  70. Ankit

    Given the covid situation, does the card offer alternative to Indigo and Taj voucher?

    Reply
    1. Ankur

      There are no indigo voucher, it was before spicejet and they are also going away now.

      Taj is fixed benefit at 4lac spend

      Reply
  71. Pratik

    I have Infinia and ICICI Emeralde, both with 8 lac limit, and Amex has offered a “generous” credit limit of 50K on Tranve Platinum to me. Not sure, what are the Target Segments Amex looking to acquire

    Reply
  72. Vikrant

    Paytm has started charging 2% extra for wallet loading using credit cards. But phonepe is not charging anything. Plus I was able to get the reward points for wallet loading using my travel card. Unfortunately HDFC PAYZAPP does not allow to add amex card to the wallet but has anyone tried loading the payzapp card using amex card? Also what is the best way to pay for insurance using amex cards?

    Reply
  73. Ayush Agrawal

    The latest update on milestones is AMAZING. On spending 4 lakhs a year you get almost 50,000 points and the 10k Taj voucher. Even at the worst redemption (pay with points) you’re getting a 5%+ reward rate. Sid, I think it deserves a dedicated post.
    Here’s what the email says:
    You earn 7,500 Threshold Membership Rewards Points and 7,500 Bonus Membership Rewards Points on spending ₹1.9 Lacs, and 10,000 Threshold Membership Rewards Points and 15,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points on spending ₹4 Lacs, in a Cardmembership year. Bonus Membership Rewards® points will be credited to you only when you reach out to us via chat through the Amex App or call the number at the back of your Card once you reach the spend milestone.

    Reply
    1. ManzB

      True. It is a good offer.

      But I can’t figure out why one needs to reach out to CC to get the points. It should have been automatic. They are making life difficult for the cardholder by creating such nonsense rules.

      Reply
      1. Ayush Agrawal

        The chat option in the app is really seamless. It’s a strange request (to make customers call the customer care) but only a minor step. Will take only 1-2 minutes.

        Reply
    2. Rahil Shah

      The reward rate used to be around 7% earlier.

      Remember, the renewal fee of 5k plus tax [total around 6k] reduces the reward rate significantly, unless it is waived off or adjusted in lieu of 10k regular points. My card is up for renewal next month and have to wait and see what happens.

      Reply
  74. Neville Joseph

    Hi Sid,
    Would really appreciate it if you could update this article so as to reflect the new milestone and bonus Membership Reward Points. Also, any suggestions as to whether I should go for Plat Travel or MRCC.

    Reply
  75. Amey

    Will I get reward points for loading wallets (paytm, phonepe etc.) using Amex Platinum travel credit card?

    Reply
  76. Jay

    One thing that I noticed under Taj Stay terms and conditions is that voucher is now valid for 360 days from the date of issuance. Seems COVID effect but much needed relief than 6 months validity provided previously for the same.

    Reply
  77. charan

    I have an unused taj voucher that was about to expire in a month and I decided to check with Amex support if they can extend the validity. They informed me that they can extend the validity by a maximum of three months. But the best part was this extension can be done even after the expiry :).

    So what it exactly means is, let your voucher expire, and whenever you have plans to stay at a Taj hotel, call up Amex customer support(preferably a week prior to your stay date) and ask them to extend your voucher validity. It stays valid for 3months from the date of the request. NOTE: This extension of validity is not perpetual, this can happen only once.

    Reply
  78. Shivam

    It seems there have been some changes in the milestone benefits and welcome benefits since 22nd January 2021.

    They are now offering MR points redeemable as :
    “Flipkart voucher or Travel benefits on ATO”

    Don’t know the value we will get with Flipkart vouchers but as far as the ATO (Amex Travel Online) is concerned here is what their website says :

    1. Welcome offer 10k MR = ₹3000 on ATO
    2. 1.9 lacs milestone benefits 15k MR = ₹4500 on ATO
    3. 4 lacs milestone benefits 25k MR = ₹7500
    Also Taj Stay Voucher worth ₹10,000 on 4 lacs milestone.

    Seems like now it’s devalued to around ~6.7% returns in 1st year .

    Which btw includes the normal MR points accrued during the year and redeemed on ATO which, as the Amex website mentions, will amount to almost ₹2100.

    Also keep in mind this is after you get the card for free in the first year. If you pay the mentioned ₹3500 first year fee then the reward rate falls to ~5.9% in the first year.

    From 2nd year onwards without any fee waiver it will be ~5.5%

    But still a very sweet deal in the credit card world.

    And what if the Flipkart voucher option is even better. Please anyone who has any idea do post regarding this.

    As for Siddharth can you please update the page with these recent changes?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      It requires a fresh re-review. Will do soon. Thanks.

      Reply
  79. Abhi

    All this while I was accumulating RPs on my Amex PT waiting for the next Mariott Bonvoy bonus round. But from 1Sep they are now offering Taj vouchers at 50ps value per point, making it equally lucrative as Bonvoy, atleast on domestic circuit.
    With 50ps conversion rate, 4L spends on PT along with milestones, translates to 34K Taj vouchers a year or 8.5% returns.
    They have even bettered the lounge offer to twice a quarter from once.

    Reply
  80. NSY

    seems Amex has providing more bonus points as compared to last year. I ahve received below email from Amex:
    Make the most of all the benefits that come with your
    American Express® Platinum Travel Credit Card.

    Bonus Rewards
    Reach spend threshold of ₹1,90,000 in a cardmembership year and earn 15,000 bonus points worth up to ₹7,500.
    Reach spend threshold of ₹4,00,000 in a cardmembership year and earn 25,000 bonus points worth up to ₹12,500
    and a Taj stay voucher worth ₹10,000
    Redeem your points for Flipkart Vouchers or Pay with Points on Amex Travel Online.

    Reply
  81. nsy

    indeed, I called amex care today and asked to credit these bonus point into my account. Amex care not only added for this year, they have added for last 2 years as well.

    Reply
  82. Abhi

    Copy pasted from Amex website:
    Beginning 3 May, 2022, the Membership Rewards Points that have been accrued onto your American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card will no longer expire till the card is active and in good standing .

    Reply
  83. Abhi

    Amex need to do something about the milestone RPs on the platinum travel card. They still do partial credit until you ask for the remaining. On reaching 1.9L spends, they still credit 7500 bonus and on 4L they still credit 10000 bonus. One still needs to ask them to credit the remaining 7500 and 15000 resp, which some people could easily miss.

    Reply

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