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One of the newest trends we have seen over the past couple of years is credit cards offering cell phone protection or cell phone “insurance.”
This benefit can help you feel better about repairing or replacing a cell phone since the vast majority of your expenses can be covered after you pay a small deductible.
But how exactly does this perk work and what type of coverage can you get with American Express? In this article, I will break it all down for you.
What is Amex Cell Phone Protection?
Amex cell phone protection will cover you if your cell phone is stolen or damaged, subject to certain limitations and restrictions. It is definitely one of the stronger cell phone protections when compared to other credit cards.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Amex cards with cell phone protection
The major drawback to this benefit is that it only applies to select premium American Express cards.
This means that in order to take advantage of this protection you are going to have to cough up a pretty high annual fee ($250+).
Popular American Express cards that come with cell phone protection include:
Other Amex cards with coverage include the following:
Centurion Card from American Express
Business Centurion Card from American Express
The American Express Platinum Card for Schwab
The Platinum Card from American Express for Goldman Sachs
The Platinum Card from American Express for Morgan Stanley
The Platinum Card from American Express for Ameriprise Financial
All of the cards above come with so many benefits that it is often easy to justify their higher annual fee. Still, it is worth noting that there are some non-Amex cards with no annual fee that still provide cell phone protection.
Triggering coverage
Coverage for this benefit is not automatically activated.
Coverage is only activated when your cell phone is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month’s wireless bill was paid entirely by an eligible card.
Notice that it states that the bill must be paid entirely by an American Express card. If you are splitting up your bill this means that you could invalidate your coverage.
You are eligible for coverage the first day of the calendar month following the payment of your Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone bill using your card.
Cell phone coverage limits
You can be reimbursed for the cost to repair or replace your stolen or damaged cell phone up to a maximum of $800 per claim. A common limit for your claim amount is $600 so this is better than your average claim amount.
You are also limited to two claims per 12 month period.
That means that you are effectively limited to $1,600 in coverage per year. That is a pretty competitive annual limit on coverage but some cards may offer a slightly higher annual coverage limit at around $1,800.
Deductible
There is a $50 deductible that will apply to each approved claim.
Some cards have a deductible as low as $25 such as those offered by Wells Fargo so it is possible to get a better deductible. Just note that some of those Wells Fargo cards may have lower claim limits such as $600 per claim.
Bonus points
One weakness to the cell phone protection is that it is not attached to any cards that earn extra points on cell phone bills.
Compare that to a card like the Chase Ink Business Preferred which earns 3X on phone bills.
But this isn’t a huge loss and I’ll show you why.
Let’s say your cell phone bill was $300 per month. That comes out to $3,600 per year. By earning 3X on your bill you would be earning 7,200 more points every year than a card that earns just 1X.
At a valuation of 1.73 cents per point, 7,200 points comes out to about $125 in value.
The coverage limit for the Platinum Card is $200 higher than the Chase Ink Business Preferred.
So it would be a matter of getting $600 in coverage plus $125 in rewards versus getting $800 in coverage plus ~$40 in rewards. If you actually have to use the benefit the latter scenario is obviously the better one.
Of course, if you don’t use the benefit then you would be losing out on all of those extra points.
The other reason why it is not a major deal is that American Express often comes out with Amex Offers that provide you with a discount on your phone bill. So in some cases the value you lose in earning extra points can be outweighed by the Amex Offer savings.
Exclusions
Just like other cell phone protection benefits, you will find a lot of items excluded from coverage.
Accessories
Accessories other than the standard battery and standard antenna are not included.
Resale or for professional commercial use
If you purchased the cell phone for resale or for professional or commercial use then you may not get coverage but this only applies to consumer card accounts.
Lost or mysterious disappearances
This is one of the most important terms to be aware of.
Basically, if your cell phone is not stolen but goes missing, chances are you will not get coverage because it will be deemed lost.
This is why it helps to file a report if your phone is ever stolen because you will have documented evidence of the event that cannot be attributed to a “mysterious disappearance.”
Common carrier
If your phone was under the care of a common carrier such as the United States Postal Service or an airplane you may not get coverage.
If your phone has been rented, least, or borrowed or received as part of a prepaid plan you will not qualify for coverage.
Cosmetic damage
Cosmetic damage is superficial abrasions or scuffs to the phone that do not impact its ability to make or receive phone calls. These are not covered but note that cracked screens are covered.
In some cases, it might be a little bit of a gray area when trying to decide if you are dealing with cosmetic damage or something that truly interferes with the ability to use the phone.
In these instances, you might have to plead your case.
Specific acts
Damage resulting from certain acts such as abuse, intentional acts, fraud, etc. will exclude coverage.
The cell phone protection provided by American Express is extremely competitive compared to other products.
First, the $50 deductible is on the lower side as some other leading credit cards would require a $100 deductible.
The maximum claim of $800 is not the highest that you can find but it is higher than the common $600 limit found on many other cards.
Getting limited to two claims per 12 month period is pretty standard and hopefully you will not have to go beyond that each year. So overall I would have to say that the cell phone protection is very strong with American Express.
How to file a claim
To begin the process of filing a claim, call 1-833-784-1467.
You should know that you must file your claim within 90 days of the loss or as soon as reasonably possible. If you wait too long to file your claim it is possible that the claim may not be honored.
After you have filed your claim, you will be provided with the necessary instructions for filing your proof of loss.
This proof of loss must be submitted to a benefit administrator within 120 days of the loss.
Required documentation may include but is not limited to the following:
Your account statement reflecting the monthly phone payments for the month preceding the date the phone was stolen or suffered damage;
A copy of your current phone service provider’s billing statement;
Copy of the original phone purchase receipt
Copy of the insurance claim to the Eligible Person’s homeowner’s, renter’s or personal automobile insurance or
Any applicable cellular telephone insurance, or in the event that the claim amount is less than the Eligible Person’s deductible, a copy of the policy’s declarations page;
If a claim is due to damage, a copy of the repair estimate and photos of the damage;
If the claim is due to theft, a copy of the police report filed within 48 hours of the theft; and
Any other documentation or information reasonably requested by us to support the claim.
Amex Cell Phone Protection FAQ
Do I have to enroll in this benefit?
No, you do not have to enroll. However, you need to pay your cell phone bill with an eligible American Express card in order to trigger the coverage.
Can I get coverage for a cracked screen?
Yes, you can get coverage for damage to your cell phone which includes a cracked screen.
What is the deductible for American Express cell phone protection?
The deductible is $50 and is required for each approved claim.
What is the claim limit for American Express cell phone protection?
The claim limit is $600 and you are limited to two claims per 12 months.
Does the Amex Gold Card have cell phone protection?
No, unfortunately the Gold Card does not have cell phone protection.
Final word
Cell phone protection offered by American Express is very competitive. It has a pretty low deductible and high limits making it an attractive way to protect your cell phone. The only major drawback is that you can only get this coverage on premium American Express credit cards.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Amex Business Platinum & Gold Airline Bonus Guide [2021]
Offers contained within this article maybe expired.
Two of the best business credit cards have to be the Amex Business Gold and Amex Business Platinum. These cards have a lot of perks and benefits but one of the perks that stands out is the airline bonus (25% and 35% rebate).
But what exactly is this perk and how does it work?
In this article, I will give you a full breakdown of how to use this perk and what to expect in terms of value.
What is the Amex Business Platinum & Gold airline bonus?
The airline bonus perk allows Amex Business Platinum and Gold card holders receive a 25% or 35% rebate when using Membership Rewards to book flights with certain airlines via Amex Travel.
If you have the Amex Business Gold, you will receive a 25% rebate on your points. If you have the Amex Business Platinum, you will receive a 35% rebate on your points.
You can only get the 25% rebate for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with your selected qualifying airline.
Here some of the airlines you can choose:
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
JetBlue Airways
Spirit Airlines
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
For the Amex Business Gold you will only be able to receive up to 250,000 bonus points per calendar year and for the Amex Business Platinum, you will only be able to receive up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
That means that after you redeem 1 million points for the Amex Business Gold you will no longer have the bonus (for the year) and for the Amex Business Platinum, you will lose out on the bonus after redeeming 1,428,571 points.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Is the bonus worth it?
The standard redemption rate for airfare with Amex Travel is 1 cent per point.
For the the Amex Business Gold, the airline bonus allows you to effectively redeem your points at a rate of 1.33 cents per point and for the Amex Business Platinum you can redeem your points at an effective rate of 1.54 cents per point.
So that is the type of value we were talking about with his benefit. To determine if it is worth it or not, we first have to look at the best alternative.
The best way to get the maximum value for your American Express Membership Rewards is to transfer them to travel partners and use your points to book business class or first class flights.
I have redeemed tons of flights this way over the past six years and in some cases I’ve gotten close to 20 cents per point. This type of redemption results in ridiculous aspirational value.
For example, 100,000 Membership Rewards redeemed at that rate comes out to $20,000 in value. That is just insane.
The problem is it takes a bit of work to understand the different transfer programs and to confidently execute many high value redemptions.
There is a learning curve involved and if you act before you know what you are doing you could end up screwing up big time by stranding points.
And that is sort of the beauty of the airline bonus with these cards.
It allows you to use your points to book flights without having to worry about learning award charts, booking procedures, and trying to find open award seats.
So from a value perspective, there is a lot of intangible value found in the simplicity and convenience.
But while that is true there is still some decent value in the actual cents per point redemption as these bonuses allow you to redeem your points at pretty respectable levels.
The 1.33 cents per point is a little bit less impressive but still better than some options out there.
1.33 cents is also pretty close to the value of many airline miles so this essentially allows you to get the same or similar value you would get if your points were already airline miles.
The 1.54 cents per point rate of the Business Platinum is much more impressive.
It’s slightly better than the 1.5 cents per point redemption rate you get in the Chase Travel Portal with the Sapphire Reserve so this is one of the most lucrative ways to use your points to book flights through a portal.
But once again you have to remember the limitations with his benefit.
If you are using your points to fly business class or first class you can use your points on any airline.
Obviously, those tickets are going to be much more expensive so you may have to use a lot of points for those redemptions.
Let’s say you have the Amex Business Gold. If you redeem points for a $5,000 flight you would spend 500,000 points and then receive a rebate of 125,000 points.
That easily offsets the annual fee but it means you have already used 50% of your allowed rebate potential. For people racking up a lot of points and doing a ton of flying, they could potentially max this benefit out pretty quickly with the Amex Business Gold.
Personally, I like the idea of using this benefit for domestic first class and business class flights because the prices are still reasonable and pretty obtainable.
Remember, you can only redeem at these increased rates on your selected airline for other tickets such as economy tickets.
So if you are somebody that often switches up your airline, this benefit could be much more difficult to use than you would like.
How to use the airline bonus
Choose your airline
The first step you may need to do is select your airline. You can do this anytime by logging into your account and then clicking on the benefits tab at the top of the screen. Then search for the tile with “Airline Bonus” in the title. You will then be able to select from a number of different airlines.
Note: Only the Basic Card Member or Authorized Account Manager on the Card Account can select the qualifying airline.
Selecting your airline only takes a few seconds.
If you have already selected your qualifying airline you will be allowed to change your choice one time each year in January by calling the number on the back of your card. If you do not call to change your airline, the airline selected from the prior year will become your current airline.
In some cases, American Express has allowed cardholders to change the airline more than one time in a year but this tends to be a case by case scenario so my suggestion would be to not push it.
Find your flight
You will proceed through the normal booking process on Amex Travel and all you have to do is select to use your Membership Rewards as your form of payment.
If points redeemed do not cover the entire amount, the balance of the purchase price will be charge to your card.
Note: A flight booked as part of a travel package or booked with the American Express U.S. Representative Travel Network is not eligible for the 25% Airline Bonus.
To book flights with Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or AirTran Airways, to receive your 25% Airline Bonus you must call American Express Travel at 1-800-428-0253.
Pay with Points requires a minimum redemption of 5,000 points.
One of the biggest things to remember is that you will not see discounted flight prices because this perk is a rebate.
This is one of the drawbacks to the program. You have to have enough points to book the flight at the standard redemption rate of one cent per point in order to trigger your rebate.
After your booking it may take up to 6-10 weeks after charges appear on your billing statement to receive your points back.
I would not get too hung up on using just this benefit to decide between the Amex Business Gold and the Amex Business Platinum.
These two cards are very different and it can make sense to hold onto both of them.
The Gold Card is more about earning points for your spend and it has the ability to earn 4X on the two categories that you spend the most on. These categories include:
Airfare purchased directly from airlines
U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
U.S. purchases at gas stations
U.S. purchases at restaurants
U.S. purchases for shipping
The 4X points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. After you max out that limit, you will only be earning one point per dollar spent.
If you think you will be maxing out the rebate for the Gold Card then it could make sense to apply for the Business Platinum solely on the basis of using the airline bonus perk.
If you used 1 million points you would receive 350,000 points back with the Amex Business Platinum. That is 100,000 points more than what the Amex Business Gold would offer. 100,000 Membership Rewards could easily come out to over $1,500 in value.
So yes you would be paying the $595 annual fee for the Business Platinum but you would be getting almost $1,000 more value with the addition of the Amex Business Platinum than you would by just sticking with the Amex Business Gold.
Airline Bonus FAQ
Can I change my airline?
You are allowed to change your airline once per year in January although sometimes exceptions are made to this rule and multiple changes are allowed.
What airlines can I choose from?
Alaska Airlines American Airlines Delta Airlines Frontier Airlines Hawaiian Airlines JetBlue Airways Spirit Airlines Southwest Airlines United Airlines
When do I receive my rebate?
It might take up to 6 to 10 weeks after your charge posts for you to receive your rebate.
How much is the airline bonus rebate?
For the the Amex Business Gold, the rebate is 25% and for the Amex Business Platinum the rebate is 35%.
How many cents per point does the rebate amount to?
For the the Amex Business Gold, the rebate allows you to redeem your points at a rate of 1.33 cents per point and for the Amex Business Platinum it is a rate of 1.54 cents per point.
What are the limits for the rebate?
The rebate limit for the Amex Business Gold is up to 250,000 bonus points per calendar year and the rebate limit for the Amex Business Platinum is up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
Final word
The airline bonus is a great perk because it allows you to redeem your points at very competitive levels without losing a lot of flexibility.
The drawback is that this perk can be a bit restrictive. For economy tickets you can only use it on your selected airline, the rebate is applied after the fact, and you can only receive a certain amount of points back each year.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Offers contained within this article maybe expired.
The Amex Hilton Aspire card is one of the best hotel credit cards on the market. That’s because the card is full of valuable benefits for Hilton members like top-tier elite status and airport lounge access. But some of the most valuable perks of this card are the travel credits which total up to $600.
That means you could literally turn a profit each year by fully utilizing the travel credits for the Hilton Aspire. However, there are some restrictions with these credits that you’ll definitely want to consider when placing value on them. Here’s everything you need to know about the Amex Hilton Aspire travel credits, which include the $250 resort credit, the $250 airline credit, and the $100 property credit.
14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio worldwide
7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and at U.S. restaurants
$100 on property credit at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts when booking the exclusive Aspire Card package
$450 Annual Fee
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Amex Hilton Aspire Travel credits
There are three main travel credits for the Hilton Aspire.
$100 Hilton on-property credit
$250 Hilton Resort Credit
$250 Airline Fee Credit
Note that there is NO Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit for the Hilton Aspire.
$100 Hilton on-property credit
The $100 Hilton on-property credit is pretty limited in use, so you’ll have to make sure to abide by the restrictions for it. Also, some of the restrictions diminish the value of the credit a little bit so you’ll want to be aware of that.
Book through the right portal/phone line
In order for this credit to work, you need use your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to book through HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard or by call Hilton Honors at (855) 292-5757. You will need to confirm you are booking a room package eligible for the $100 property credit benefit at time of booking and if you are booking via phone you need to reference ZZAAP1.
2 night stay at Waldorf or Conrad
You must be booking a two-night minimum stay at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, and Conrad Hotels & Resorts.
You will receive a property credit of up to $100 per booking. Back-to-back stays within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay so don’t try to book multiple nights in a row as separate bookings.
The property credit will be applied as hotel credit on your bill at checkout (and not on your American Express billing statement), so don’t be looking for a statement credit after you use the property credit.
What purchases qualify?
It’s really important to note that qualifying charges do NOT include property fees, taxes, gratuities and the cost of the room. So this credit is to be used for things like spa treatments, dining, etc. and not for room rates.
Stays booked by either the Basic or an Additional Card Members on the eligible Card account are eligible for the $100 property credit benefit.
Buy flexible routes
When you shop for properties online, you’ll notice that you’ll need to book the flexible room rates.
This means that you won’t be able purchase the cheapest rates so you’ll need to factor that into your savings. When I searched for the Waldorf in Chicago, I was given a rate of $530 per night for the Aspire rate but the Hilton Honors rate was $514 and the Honors discount semi-flex rate was $493 — $37 per night cheaper.
So if you went for the $100 Aspire credit in this case, you’d only be netting about $25 worth of savings on a 2-night stay, which is a huge cut into the value of the $100 property credit. And if you chose to book three nights, you’d actually be losing money! Unless, you normally book the flexible rates, this credit will not offer you the face value of $100.
Use the property credit for spa treatment at the Conrad Maldives.
$250 Hilton Resort Credit
During each year of your Card Membership (“reward year”), you are eligible to receive up to $250 total in statement credits for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts with your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card during that reward year.
Your first reward year begins on your account opening date. Each subsequent reward year begins on the anniversary of your account opening date.
Eligible properties
You can visit hilton.com/resorts for the list of participating Hilton Resorts. At the time of this writing, there were 226 resorts in the database so there’s a pretty wide selection of options to choose from.
There are reports of the credit working for at least one resort that does now show up on the link above and that’s for the Hilton Waikiki Beach. There are probably other “hidden resorts” but you’d just have to test it out to find out.
Eligible Hilton Resort purchases must be made directly with the participating Hilton Resort and charged to your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card account for the benefit to apply.
What purchases qualify?
What’s great about this credit is that even room rates qualify for your credit. So if you have any plans to stay at a Hilton hotel and spend at least $250, this credit is truly offering you $250 worth of tree travel which knocks down the annual fee.
Note that incidental charges (including charges made at restaurants, spas, and other establishments within the hotel property) must be charged to your room and paid for with your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card at checkout in order for them to be recognized as Hilton Resort purchases.
Since the charges must be made to your room, you probably can’t get this credit to work on purchases you make at hotel restaurants, bars, etc. and you’re not staying at the property.
Eligible rates
Be aware that purchasing advanced room rates (pre-paid rates) for US properties has complicated the process for others in the past and not allowed the credits to post due to billing quirks. So you probably want to purchase a flexible rate to avoid issues, although the credit seems to work with advanced rates on international properties.
Purchases made by both the Basic and Additional Card Members on the eligible Card Account are eligible for statement credits. However, each Card Account is eligible for up to a total of $250 per renewal year in statement credits across all cards.
Allow 8-12 weeks after the eligible Hilton purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the Account. Please call the number on the back of your Card if statement credits have not posted after 12 weeks from the date of purchase. Card Members remain responsible for timely payment of all charges.
After our stay at the Maldives, our credit posted the day after check-out so this credit can post very quickly.
$250 Airline Fee Credit
The Hilton Aspire offers a $250 airline credit for various airline expenses. This is the same type of annual airline credit offered by other Amex cards like the Platinum Card and the Gold Card but the Aspire offers the highest credit out of all of those cards.
Before you make any purchase, you need to select the airline that you’ll be making the purchase with. When you receive your card you can go online at www.americanexpress.com/airlinechoice or call the number on the back of your card to select an eligible airline for the credit.
Qualifying airlines include:
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Delta Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
JetBlue Airways
Spirit Airlines
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
American Express officially states that the following qualify for the airline credit:
In-flight entertainment fees (excluding wireless internet because it’s not charged by the airline)
Airport lounge day passes & annual memberships
The following items are explicitly excluded:
Airline tickets
Mileage points purchases or mileage points transfer fees
Gift cards
Upgrades
Duty–free purchases
Award tickets
It’s best to do some research on FlyerTalk to see what the most current qualifying purchases are for a respective airline since it can differ dramatically between airlines.
FlyerTalk has individual threads for different airlines with specific breakdowns of the different types of purchases that were successful and it usually provides a date that they were last successful. So you can check on the status of purchases for things like gift cards and upgrades.
For example, here are some of the threads for the major US airlines.
Amex states that you’ll receive a statement credit covering those fees, typically 2–4 weeks after you pay for them. In reality these credits usually only take a couple of days to hit my account. (In some cases, it’s almost like a back-log occurs and it takes longer.)
Card Members who have already selected one qualifying airline will be able to change their choice one time each year in January at www.americanexpress.com/airlinechoice or by calling the number on the back of the card. Note that Amex will also usually allow you to switch your airline later on in the year as a “one time exception.” You can even switch you airline after you’ve used some of the credit in some instances!
Use your credit for a day at the United Club Lounge.
Final word
These credits can offset the entire $450 annual fee and $500 worth of these credits are very easy to use. For that reason, these travel credits provide the Aspire card with a lot of its value. With the addition of Diamond status, 14X on Hilton purchases, and Priority Pass, the Aspire is one of the most rewarding hotel cards.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Marriott 15 Elite Night Credit Benefit Guide [2021]
One of the benefits that you find on virtually every Marriott credit card is the Marriott 15 elite night credit. But what exactly are these elite night credits and how do they work?
In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Marriott 15 elite night credits.
What are the Marriott 15 elite night credits?
The Marriott 15 elite night credits are a credit card benefit attached to certain Marriott credit cards that allow you to receive 15 annual nights credited towards elite status.
It is basically a benefit that helps give you a shortcut to higher elite status levels with Marriott.
These benefits typically post within 60 days of credit card approval and for subsequent years, at the beginning of the year in January or February.
Tip: To jumpstart your Marriott elite status consider a card like the Marriott Boundless for Silver Status.
How does the Marriott 15 elite night credit work?
If you have an eligible Marriott credit card, you will receive 15 elite night credits every year that will automatically post to your account.
You can check on the status of your elite night credits by logging into your Marriott account and following these steps:
Click on your name in the upper right hand corner
Click on “Activity”
Click on “Details” under Nights Earned
Once you click on that, you should see a pop-up window breaking down your qualifying nights. Look for the nights next to “Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards.”
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Eligible Marriott credit cards for the 15 elite night credit
You can receive the 15 elite night credit with credit cards such as the:
Ambassador: 100 nights + $20,000 U.S. dollars in qualified annual spend
So if you receive one of these credits, your new requirements will look like this:
Silver: Automatically achieved
Gold: 10 nights
Platinum: 35 nights
Titanium: 60 nights
Ambassador: 85 nights + $20,000 U.S. dollars in qualified annual spend
This is a nice way to get a shortcut to a higher elite level status. But note that it is very different from what the World of Hyatt Credit Card offers.
With that card, you can receive credits for your spend that allow you to climb all the way to the highest elite level status.
Multiple Marriott cards and credits
You might be wondering if you can combine elite qualifying nights from other credit cards in order to climb up the elite status levels. Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no because Marriott states:
A maximum of 15 Elite Night credits will be awarded through this benefit per Marriott Bonvoy program member account even if the member has more than one Credit Card linked to their Marriott Bonvoy account.
There is an exception though.
If you have both a personal and a small business Marriott credit card, you can get a total of 30 credits.
This is made clear by the Amex terms and conditions:
A maximum of 15 Elite Night Credits will be provided per Marriott Bonvoy Member Account, unless you have both a small business Marriott Bonvoy Card account and a consumer Marriott Bonvoy Card account; then, you may receive a combined maximum of 30 Elite Night Credits (15 per Card account).
So if you have both a personal and a small business Marriott credit card, your elite requirements will look like this:
Silver: Automatically achieved
Gold: Automatically achieved
Platinum: 20 nights
Titanium: 45 nights
Ambassador: 70 nights + $20,000 U.S. dollars in qualified annual spend
All of a sudden, it’s really easy to earn Marriott Platinum status.
The 15 elite night credit is a credit card perk that allows you to receive 15 qualifying nights towards Marriott elite status.
What credit cards offer the 15 elite night credit?
Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Marriott Bonvoy(not available to new applicants) Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold Chase Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card(not available to new applicants) Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Card (not available to new applicants) Chase Ritz-Carlton Credit Card (not available to new applicants)
Do I need to activate the 15 elite night credit?
No, you do not have to activate the credit. It will automatically post to your linked Marriott account.
When does the 15 night credit post?
Your 15 night credit should post to your account within 60 days of credit card approval. Each year after that, your credits should appear before March 1 as long as your account is open as of December 31 of the prior calendar year.
Can I use multiple 15 night credits?
You are allowed to stack a 15 night credit from a personal and a small business credit card for a total of 30 nights.
Do the Marriott 15 elite night credits count towards lifetime status?
The 15 elite night credit is a great perk to help you obtain elite status quicker. It’s very convenient that you can get a 15 night credit from both a personal and a small business credit card. It allows me to easily obtain Platinum status with only a handful of days and is one of the reasons I’ve kept both personal and business Marriott cards.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Chase Travel Portal Review: (Airlines, Hotels, Car Rentals, Cruises) [2021]
The Chase Travel Portal can be one of the best ways to utilize your hard-earned reward points.
But how exactly does the Chase Travel Portal work and is it worth using?
This review article will walk you through step-by-step on how to use the portal for all forms of travel (airlines, hotels, rental cars, cruises) and I’ll also look at if travel through the portal is more expensive.
But most importantly, I’ll show you when to use and NOT use the Chase Travel Portal in order to maximize the value of your points!
What is the Chase Travel Portal?
The Chase Travel Portal is an exclusive online travel agency (OTA) powered by Expedia that allows select Chase cardholders to book travel with their Ultimate Rewards or by paying via a credit card.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
How do I get access to the Chase Travel Portal
This travel portal is only for Individuals with Ultimate Rewards earningChase cards. So if you had a card like a Chase Southwest credit card you would not get access. Instead, you would need one of the following cards:
When you use your Ultimate Rewards points to book travel you’ll get different levels of value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards earning credit cards, depending on the type of card that is used.
Take a look at how each point is valued based on the card you are using:
Chase Freedom: 1 cent per point
Chase Freedom Unlimited: 1 cent per point
Chase Ink Cash: 1 cent per point
Chase Ink Unlimited: 1 cent per point
Chase Ink Business Preferred: 1.25 cents per point
The Sapphire Reserve with the 1.5 cents per point redemption rate is one of the top benefits of the Sapphire Reserve. It makes it much more tempting (and worthwhile) to use your points for travel redemptions when using the Chase Travel Portal.
But the Sapphire Reserve comes with a number of other stout perks including:
All of these perks make the Sapphire Reserve one of the top travel credit cards on the market without a doubt.
Point values compared to to other programs (Amex)
You can get a sense of how great the value is with the Sapphire Reserve’s portal redemption rate by comparing its rate to other programs.
Just take a look at the Amex Travel portal. For airfare you can redeem Amex Membership Rewards at a rate of 1 cent per point but things aren’t as good for other travel redemptions. For hotels, vacations, and cruises you’ll be redeeming at 0.7 cent per point.
So as you can see, redeeming points through the Chase Travel Portal with the Sapphire Reserve is much more lucrative than utilizing points with some other travel portals.
Chase Travel partners
Chase allows you to use your points to travel in different ways. You can either use the Chase Travel Portal or you can transfer your points out to transfer partners.
Chase travel partners
Chase has a great line-up of airlines and also has the best hotel selection out of any other major transferrable points program, in my opinion.
Here are all of the current Chase transfer partners:
Chase Ultimate Rewards Airlines
Aer Lingus
British Airways Executive Club
Emirates
JetBlue
Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
Iberia Airways
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
United MileagePlus
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Chase Ultimate Rewards Hotels
World of Hyatt
IHG Rewards Club
Marriott Bonvoy
Whether or not you should transfer points to these partners depends on a few factors and I will discuss those below when giving advice on when to use and not use the travel portal.
How do I use the Chase Travel Portal?
Log-in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards dashboard
Click on the travel button on the side panel
Select your type of travel
Book and enjoy!
Log-in to your Chase account
The first step to access the travel portal is to simply log-in to your Ultimate Rewards dashboard. You can log-in to the travel portal here.
Click on the travel button on the side bar
Once you are in the Ultimate Rewards dashboard you need to pull up the Chase Travel Portal by selecting travel. Simply navigate to the side panel and you will see the travel menu button.
How to enter the Chase Travel Portal.
Select for your type of travel
Once you are in the travel portal, you will need to select the type of travel that you were interested in booking. Here are the different types of travel that you can choose from:
Flights
Hotels
Cars
Cruises
Things to do
Vacation rentals
You can choose from all major forms of travel.
Book!
The last step is to simply book your travel.
Keep reading below for more details on how to get to that step.
When to NOT use the Chase Travel Portal
There are a number of reasons why you might not want to use the portal.
Outsized value
One of the biggest reasons to NOT use the Chase Travel Portal is because you can get so much more value when transferring points to travel partners.
When you book through the Chase Travel Portal you are limited to the point value of the credit card account that you are using for the portal.
So if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’re only going to get 1.5 cents per point out of your redemptions. That sounds impressive until you realize that if you transfer your points out to travel partners you could be getting redemptions at well over 10 cents per point.
So the benefit of transferring points is that you can receive amazing outsized value for your points that’s just not possible with the Chase Travel Portal.
Unforgettable travel experiences
And it’s just not about the monetary value, transferring points out to airlines allows you to experience some truly unforgettable flying experiences.
That’s because you’re able to fly in business class and first class cabins in some of the top airlines. You can experience your own private suites and live the high life rather than being stuck in economy.
These tickets can also get you access into some of the top airline lounges in the world for an unforgettable luxury experience. I’ve had some of my most memorable flights because of Chase Ultimate Rewards and some of the experiences that stick out are:
If I would have used my points to book travel through the Chase Travel Portal, I would have never gotten a chance to experience those amazing flights.
Hotels can offer cases of outsized value, too. I recently finished a stay at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vedome and received over 3 cents per point in value.
I would have been limited to 1.5 cents per point with the Chase Travel Portal so transferring points would have made a lot more sense.
Hotel perks
One of the main reasons why you’d want to avoid the travel portal is when booking hotel stays.
That’s because when you use an OTA, there’s a chance that you won’t receive all of your elite benefits/credits and you won’t earn hotel points for the stay.
So if you’re a Hilton Gold member for example you might not receive your free breakfast and potential upgrade that you would have had. Some programs won’t even allow you to get complimentary wifi unless you book directly.
You just need to call into the hotel beforehand and give them your elite information. If you do that and work a little charm at check-in you might be surprised to receive your elite benefits.
Korean Air First Class on the A380 courtesy of Chase Ultimate Rewards.
When to use the Chase Travel Portal
There are sometimes when it really makes sense to use the Chase Travel Portal.
Cheap domestic flights
Sometimes flights are pretty cheap and it makes way more sense to just use the portal to book them.
For example, if you wanted to fly on United Airlines from Houston to Orlando, you may have to transfer 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards for a roundtrip flight in economy.
But if you used the travel portal, you’d be able to book that Orlando flight for much cheaper during many times of the year and potentially save thousands of points.
You will still earn your frequent flyer miles, too, so there’s no loss in value there.
Cheaper hotels
The same principle applies to hotel stays as well. Sometimes it will just be cheaper to book through the portal than to transfer your reward points.
The major exception to this is Hyatt which often has point redemptions worth over 1.5 cents per point.
You’ve also got to really think about the value you might be losing out on if you don’t receive your elite benefits. It’s not hard for two free breakfasts to add up quick on a trip and if you’re giving that up, it might be more worthwhile to ditch the portal for that booking.
Not good with points
The thing about transferring points is that you need to aware of how the process works. You need to know how to transfer your points and how to use those points efficiently once you have them.
Then you’ve got to deal with finding award inventory, black-out dates, and the actual booking process which can be tricky with some foreign airlines.
Not everybody has the time to learn how to do that (or even the desire to do it). And for those people, the Chase Travel Portal is often a much better suited option.
First class on the Singapore A380.
Booking different travel types
Since this is powered by Expedia, you’ll find robust filters for searching and filtering your particular type of travel. But just to give you an idea of all the possibilities, I’ve broken down some example search filters below for the different types of travel.
Chase Travel Portal Flights
The Chase Travel Portal allows you to easily search for flights.
Simply input your departure location and your destination, along with dates and passengers. You can also choose to search with your preferred airline or preferred class by using the “Advanced options.”
When I searched, the Chase Travel Portal pulled prices listed from the cheapest flights (which was directly on par with the lowest prices found in Google Flights).
I should note that many people complain about the pricing found on the portal and claim that many flights are also missing. So I would always double check the pricing with Google Flights and if I still had questions then I would just call the Chase Travel Portal number at 1-866-418-8872.
Also, be on the lookout for basic economy fares like the one below which state “Basic Economy” under Select.
You can utilize several filters to narrow down the results including nonstop flights and also by airlines and preferences for departure time and arrival time.
You can also search the prices with the flexible dates feature. I prefer this search feature as it’s easy to spot the cheapest roundtrip prices and compare them to other websites.
Once you select your flights, you’ll be taken to another screen where you’ll need to confirm or upgrade your fare class. You’ll see the prices for upgrades and be able to confirm the options that your fare has or doesn’t have, such as seat choice.
At the next screen you’ll need to enter the names of the travelers and you’ll have a chance to enter in credentials for things like TSA Pre-Check and frequent flyer information.
You’ll also be able to choose how you want to pay for the travel. You can choose to pay with points, credit card, or a combination of the two. You’ll then confirm your booking on that screen.
Note that all booked flights can be canceled within 24 hours.
Booking flights on Southwest
Southwest flights do not show up on the Chase Travel Portal. However, you can call in to request a booking with Southwest Airlines if you’d like.
Where can I view my flight booking confirmation?
Go to My Trips to view, email, or print your itinerary or receipt.
View your confirmation email.
How to change your seat
For most flights, you can choose your seat during booking. Chase should send your seat selection to the airline at the time of booking, but they note that they cannot guarantee your seat assignment.
Hotel pricing might be on the cheaper side sometimes or it may not.
For the most part, I’ve always found competitive prices but I would highly recommend that you check the prices with other OTAs before booking. Just like with airfare, there are plenty of reports of the portal not displaying the best prices for hotels.
Whenever you finally find the hotel you were interested in, be sure to view the cancellation policy. You should find it in green next to the room description and also under “price details.”
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Chase Travel Portal Rental Cars
Searching for rental cars is pretty straightforward as well.
There are advanced search options for searching for car by type and by rental company. You can also filter for special equipment for things like infant seats, snow chains, navigation system, etc.
The Chase rental car itinerary selection.
Things to do
You can also find things to do in the Chase Travel Portal. You’ll find many of the major tourist options in the search results but there will be some unique things to do like craft beer tours.
What’s cool about these activities is that you can truly travel for free if you use your points. It’s pretty easy to cover hotels and airfare with points but it’s much more difficult to cover an entire trip with points (including activities).
With the Travel Portal, this is a possibility though.
What kind of activities show up?
When I searched for San Francisco, it pulled “154 things to do.”
Some examples of the things to do that popped up were:
Golden Gate Bridge Tour
Alcatraz Tour
San Francisco Mega Pass
Yosemite National Park tour
Napa Valley wine tasting tour
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
You can then sort the activities based on certain criteria.
Recommendations
Local Expert Picks
Family Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
New on Chase Travel
Tours
Tours & Sightseeing
Walking & Bike Tours
Day Trips & Excursions
Cruises & Water Tours
Air, Balloon & Helicopter Tours
Hop-on Hop-off
Private Tours
Activities
Attractions
Food & Drink
Sightseeing Passes
Nightlife
Multi-Day & Extended Tours
Adventures
Water Activities
Transportation
Shared transportation
Vacation rentals
You can also book vacation rentals through the portal.
Chase Travel Portal Cruises
You can book cruises with points, your Chase card, or both. Here are some examples of cruise lines and cruise ships you can find in the Chase Travel Portal.
Under your Travel profile you can edit your travel details including:
Frequent Flyer Membership
This is where you’ll enter your frequent flyer numbers for various programs like United, Delta, American Airlines, etc.
Personal Info
This is where you can enter your personal contact information.
Flight Preferences
You can set your flight presences for things like window or aisle seats (sorry, no preference available for the middle seat).
TSA Info
Known Traveler Number and Redress Number. The Known Traveler Number will allow you to receive benefits like TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry if you are signed up for them.
Chase Travel Portal Promo code
Chase will sometimes send out emails with special promo codes for the Chase Travel Portal.
For example, there once was a code for $100 off $300.
However, it’s not clear who exactly gets targeted for these offers and they seem to be pretty rare so I wouldn’t go around expecting them to arrive in your inbox.
I’m not aware of publicly available promo codes.
If you do get a code it can be entered at checkout.
Price match
Others have tried their luck with seeking a price match from Chase but they haven’t been successful.
If you have any luck report back with your data points!
Chase Travel Portal (in the App)
You can use the Chase Mobile App to search and book travel through the Chase Travel Portal.
First, you just need to log-in to your Chase app on your mobile device.
Then select the “…” next to the card that you’d like to use and select “Redeem rewards.”
Next hit the three bars at the top of the screen and then select “”Travel” and that will take you right to the Chase Travel Portal on the mobile app.
Chase Travel Portal on the mobile app.
Refunds and Cancellations
There are always a lot of non-refundable options when dealing with booking travel through an OTA so you always want to be on the lookout for any bookings that won’t allow you to collect a refund.
Flights
You can cancel most flight bookings online.
Keep in mind that for airfare if you cancel within 24 hours, there are usually no cancellation fees.
If you cancel a non-refundable flight reservation, the airline may issue you a flight credit for a future booking instead of a refund.
But note that some flight reservations are not eligible for a flight credit after cancellation. Canceling one of these will force you to lose the value of your ticket.
In Upcoming, select the itinerary you wish to cancel.
Select Cancel Flight under Manage Booking
Hotels
Chase allows you to cancel most hotel bookings online.
If your hotel’s free cancellation deadline has passed, you will have to pay a cancel fee and if you booked a non-refundable hotel, you will have to pay the entire cost of your stay.
In Upcoming, select the itinerary you wish to cancel.
In Manage Booking, select Cancel Room and follow the instructions.
Chase Travel Portal Phone Number
To speak to a Chase Travel Specialist, call 1-866-418-8872.
Advisors specializing in flights, hotels, car rentals and activities are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Advisors specializing in cruises are available Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Other OTAs
The Chase Travel Portal is just one of the many type of OTAs that you can find online. Here are some other OTAs and OTA aggregators you might consider trying out:
Since the Chase Travel Portal is powered by Expedia you’d expect their results to be identical but I know from experience that things can get tricky on OTAs so I’d always double check the prices elsewhere before booking.
Chase travel notifications/alerts
The Chase Travel Portal will have travel notifications for certain countries if applicable and you should be able to see those when you log-in.
You should obviously do follow-up research with the US State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure there are no travel advisories even if the Chase travel portal doesn’t mention these.
Also, if you’re wanting to set Chase travel notifications so that your debit card or credit card won’t have issues abroad, you can read how to do that here.
Chase Shopping portal
If you’d like to utilize Ultimate Rewards to shop you can use your points at Amazon or to purchase gift cards. But if you’d like to earn more Ultimate Rewards via your shopping then consider trying out the Chase Shopping Portal where you can earn points when you shop at retailers including:
For the longest time I though that the Chase Travel Portal was down but it turns out that there was caching issue with my computer.
All I had to do was clear out my browsing history (or use an Incognito browser) and I was able to log-in and search for travel.
The portal might not be working from time to time but I’d also try to clear your browsing history/cache and see if that works if you ever run into performance issues.
Final word
The Chase Travel Portal is a great way to truly travel for free and in many instances it can be a much more valuable use of points.
The key is to be aware of what benefits you might be missing out on and to always compare prices across OTAs so make sure you’re getting a great deal.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
More and more credit cards are now offering special credits. The trick with these credits is knowing how to use them and ensuring that you don’t forget to use them or forget when to cancel them.
In this article, I’ll break down the Chase Peloton credits and explain to you how they work and how you might be able to optimize them even if you don’t own a Peloton bike.
What is Peloton?
Peloton is a brand that sells exercise equipment, including exercise bikes and treadmills, and also provides an array of different fitness related classes via its app.
The exercise equipment comes with HD touchscreen monitors and speakers that allow you to get immersed in classes, including live classes with world-class instructors.
You can track your performance metrics and also monitor your position on the leaderboard as you compete with others.
The exercise bikes are known for being high-quality but they are also pretty pricey ranging from around $1,900 to $2,500. You can apply for financing though which can result in payments of around $50 to $65 a month.
As explained in more detail below, you do not have to purchase a Peloton exercise bike in order to use the app or the Sapphire credit.
What is the Chase Peloton credit?
The Chase Peloton credit offers you a statement credit for Peloton Digital Memberships and All-Access Memberships.
So the credits do not go towards the price of the hardware but instead are used for the monthly memberships.
There are two different types of monthly memberships you can sign up for.
The Peloton Digital Membership costs 12.99 per month while the All-Access Memberships cost $39 per month.
The more expensive All-Access Membership is designed for those who purchase the hardware equipment.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
What cards get the Chase Peloton credit?
The following cards will receive the Chase Peloton credit:
The Chase Sapphirre Preferred will offer you a $60 statement credit through December 31, 2021.
Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the JP Morgan Reserve will offer you $120 in statement credits through December 31 of 2021.
If you are going with the basic $12.99 Digital Membership Monthly Subscription, another way to look at this is that you can get up to 4.6 months free with the Chase Sapphirre Preferred and 9.2 months free with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
If you are going with the $39 All-Access Membership, another way to look at this is that you can get up to 1.5 months free with the Chase Sapphirre Preferred and 3 months free with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
How to use these credits
The first thing to be aware of is that these credits are only good through December 31 of 2021.
So if you have the Chase Sapphirre Preferred, you want to be sure to start triggering your credit about six months from the end of the year.
If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve you want to start triggering your credit about 10 months from the end of the year.
Tip: If you are a new member, you should be able to receive a free 30 day trial for the digital membership monthly subscription. So remember to factor that in when beginning a membership.
How to optimize these credits
If you already are using or already were thinking about subscribing to a Digital Membership Monthly Subscription or the All-Access Membership, then you will save with these credits and your savings are pretty straightforward (but see the below FAQ).
If you currently do not use Peloton there still may be some value to be had with these credits.
That’s because you don’t have to have a Peloton bike or treadmill in order to sign up for and use the Peloton Digital Membership classes.
You can simply obtain a membership and participate in these classes via the app even if you do not own a Peloton exercise equipment.
You can access these classes on the peloton app using your phone, iPad, android device, Fire TV, or even on the web.
They have many courses that you might be interested in well.
For example, there are classes for things like strength, yoga, cardio, meditation, running, stretching and even walking.
There are thousands of classes and some are live while others are on demand.
My advice would be to download the app from the App Store and browse through the different classes to see if anything interests you.
Increased bonus categories
Chase recently announced that Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn 5x on Peloton purchases and Sapphire Reserve cardholders can earn 10x through March 2022. There is a limit to the total number of points you can earn and it is limited at 25,000 for the Sapphire Preferred and 50,000 points for the Sapphire Reserve.
Also, there is a minimum purchase amount of of $1,800 that applies to your purchase of Bike, Tread, and accessory purchases.
In order to trigger your credit, be sure that your payment method is one of the eligible Chase cards.
Note: If you purchase your membership through the Apple App Store or Google Play App Store you will not qualify for the offer.
What if I am already a Peloton member?
If you are already a member, go here to read about instructions on what to do.
Basically, you might have to switch who manages your membership from something like the App Store to Peloton but this is pretty easy to do.
Do I have to use the credit in consecutive months?
No, the great thing about this credit is that you do not have to use it in consecutive months and can pause your membership if you would like.
Just keep in mind the deadlines mentioned above because if you wait too long to use your credits you will run out of time and not be able to optimize them.
Will I be billed after I use the credits?
After you have used all of your credits, you will continue to be charged for your membership so if you want to avoid getting charged you will need to cancel the membership.
When will the statement credit show up?
You should see the statement credit post to your account the same day you make your qualifying Peloton transaction.
It may take one or two billing cycles for it to show up on your credit card billing statement.
Do authorized users get the credit?
Authorized users do not get an additional $60 or $120 credit.
However, if an authorized user card is used on a membership they can trigger the credit attached to the primary cardmember.
Final word
This is a fantastic way to save money if you are already a Peloton customer.
If you are not a Peloton customer but are interested in fitness, this could still be a very worthwhile credit to use because you can get access to thousands of classes, including live classes.
If you are more of a couch potato then this credit does not do you much good but perhaps you could use it on somebody else?
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Is the Amex International Airline Program Worth It? (Review) [2021]
The Amex International Airline Program might be one of the best kept secrets of the Amex Platinum Card. It offers opportunities to save hundreds or even thousands on premium airfare, making it one of the most valuable perks of the Platinum Card.
However, there are some restrictions on this program that you should know about.
This review article will discuss everything you need to know about the Amex International Airline Program, including how to book your tickets and what kinds of discounts you can expect to receive.
What is the Amex International Airline Program (IAP)?
The Amex International Airline Program is a special program available to Platinum cardholders and Centurion cardholders that allows you to receive special discounts on up to eight first class, business class, and premium economy fares when booking through Amex. (Noticeably missing from eligibility is the Corporate Amex Platinum Card.)
Of course, the Platinum Card offers other solid benefits like 5X on airfare, lounge access, and many others that help to offset the card’s annual fee.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
What about the American Express Platinum Companion Fare?
The Amex International Airline Program used to allow you to purchase a 2-for-1 business class fare and so it functioned as a sort of premium companion pass. One of the big drawbacks to this program was that you were forced to purchase a full-fare business class ticket.
This perk had limited value to many people because full fare business class tickets can be very pricey and so the amount saved was often minimal. For example, you might be charged close to 2X the price for a full fare business class ticket versus a discounted rate.
There was a small subset of folks who likely benefited from booking these full fares for work and who were reimbursed but with a companion fare to go along with them. But this group of people was not very large, which made the International Airline Program one of the least interesting features of the Platinum Card.
Well, in the summer of 2017, Amex revamped the Amex International Airline Program. This program is much more useful and practical for cardholders and in my opinion adds a tremendous amount of value to the Platinum Card.
LATAM business class on the 787 Dreamliner.
The Amex International Airline Program rules
While this program has the potential to save you a lot of cash on your first class, business class, and premium economy tickets, there are some rules that you need to be aware of in order to take advantage of the savings.
Refundable or non-refundable fares
This is a very welcomed change. With the new program you can purchase either refundable or non-refundable fares and still receive your discount.
First class, business class, and premium economy
As stated, the deals apply to first class, business class, and premium economy fares.
Flights must originate in the US
Travel must originate in and return to U.S. gateway (may exclude certain overseas territories) and select Canadian gateways. One-way travel permitted on some airlines where routing originates in U.S. or select Canadian Gateways
Ticket service fee
There is a $39 per ticket service fee per booking, so make sure to factor in that fee for your savings. Also, if you need to make any changes or rebook your flight, you will likely have to pay the $39 fee each time.
This service fee is waived for Amex Centurion members.
Membership Rewards can be used
Membership Rewards can be used to cover the cost of the ticket via Pay with Points. You’ll need to redeem a minimum redemption of 5,000 points. Your card will first be charged with the full price of the ticket and then Amex will reimburse you based on the value of your Membership Rewards.
Remember that if you book with the Business Platinum Card you’ll be able to get 35% Membership Rewards points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 500,000 points back per calendar year. So using points with the Business Platinum Card allows for even more lucrative redemptions.
If you choose to pay with points, you will still be able to earn your frequent flyer miles so it’s a sweet deal.
You can find the official terms and conditions here.
Qatar business class on the A350.
How to book the Amex International Airline Program
To take advantage of these special fares, you no longer need to call American Express Travel speak with an agent. You can now search and book flights online here.
If you still want to book over the phone, there are two phone numbers for the International Airline Program, depending on whether you have a personal card or a business card. Here are the hone numbers:
1-800-525-3355 for Platinum Travel Service
1-800-553-9497 for Business Platinum Travel Service
One of the great features of this program is that they allow you to put a flight on hold free of charge for up to 48 hours. Once you’ve found your potential itinerary, you should also be able to have the itinerary sent to your email address for your review and reference.
If you do put a booking on hold you should verify with the rep that the pricing will remain the same and be sure to closely monitor the price at all times since there are reports of the pricing fluctuating on some cardmembers.
Book via Amex chat
Amex also recently made a change so that you can now book your flights via chat! Simply log-in to your account and open up a chat and after verifying your details, you’ll be able to make your search request.
What kind of discounts can you get with the Amex International Airline Program?
The big question about this program is what kind of discounts are you able to get through it to make it worth it or not. Generally, when you find a deal, you’re probably going to be looking at discounts around 5 to 15% off but you can certainly find discounted fares that will offer even more off than that.
For example, you can find reports of people receiving discounts of close to 50% off on certain flights. Those awesome deals are going to be less common but there’s an insane amount of value to capture if you can snag one of those fares.
I recommend checking out the Flyertalk thread/Wiki on this to get a sense of the discounts found on different airlines.
Note that you should never take it for granted that these rates will be cheaper than publicly available rates and should always compare pricing since sometimes these discounts leave a bit to be desired and sometimes there are no discounted rates offered (compared to what the airlines are offering). I recommend a simply price search with Google Flights for easy comparisons.
You can see the price comparison between Google Flights $3,413 and Amex IAP $2,385 below on a one-way flight to Tokyo– a difference of over $1,000 or 30% off!
An example of how you can save hundreds of dollars.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
What airlines participate?
Not every airline participates in the program. Currently, here is the list of airlines that participate:
AeroMexico
Air China
Air France
Air New Zealand
Alitalia
ANA
Asiana Airlines
Austrian
British Airways
Brussels Airlines
Cathay Pacific
China Airlines
Delta
Emirates
Etihad Airways
Iberia
Japan Airlines
KLM
LATAM
Lufthansa
Qantas
Qatar
Singapore
South African Airways
Swiss
Virgin Atlantic
You’ll notice that notably absent are domestic carriers United and American.
Can you earn 5x with the International Airline Program?
Both the personal Platinum Card and the Business Platinum Card will earn 5X the points when booking flights with Amex Travel.
The personal Platinum Card earns 5X with the International Airline Program but the Business Platinum Card does not according to Amex reps.
Keep in mind that the Business Platinum Card only earns 5X through the Amex Travel portal while the personal Platinum Card earns 5X on airfare purchased directly with the airlines. Amex chat reps state that the Business Platinum does earn 5X with the IAP but I haven’t been able to personally verify that.
5X the points is a lot of points. If you value Membership Rewards at 1.8 cents per point then that’s like earning just under 10% back on your purchase. So that’s an additional discount that you want to factor into your analysis if you’re using a Platinum Card to pay for your airfare.
The 5X on airfare is only one of the key benefits to the Platinum Card. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the major Platinum benefits.
Yes, you will earn 5X Membership Rewards when you use your Platinum Card for the International Airline Program. But, the Business Platinum Card will not earn 5X.
Can I use Membership Rewards to pay for the flight?
Yes, you can use Membership Rewards to pay for your flight. You’ll need to redeem a minimum redemption of 5,000 points.
Can I still earn frequent flyer miles with the International Airline Program?
Yes, you will still earn your frequent flyer miles when you book with the International Airline Program.
Can I book non-refundable fares?
Yes, you can book either refundable or nonrefundable fares with the IAP.
Is there a fee involved?
Yes, your booking will be subject to a $39 ticket service fee.
Final word
The International Airline Program has the potential to be the most valuable benefit offered by the Platinum Card if it’s one that you would normally put to use. With just one booking you could potentially save hundreds or thousands of dollars which would instantly offset the high annual fee (which is already pretty easy to offset).
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Citi Premier $100 Annual Hotel Savings Benefit Guide [2021]
The Citi Premier comes with an interesting hotel benefit that can save you $100 on certain hotel bookings. But is this benefit really that valuable or should you pass on using this perk? In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the $100 annual hotel savings benefit.
What is the Citi Premier annual hotel savings benefit?
The Citi Premier $100 annual hotel savings benefit is a special perk that will save you $100 on bookings of $500 or more as long as you make your booking through Citi and comply with other eligibility criteria. Below, I will break down all of the rules and restrictions for using this perk.
Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!
Citi Premier overview
Before getting in too deep on the details, it’s a good idea to take a look at the overall package of the Citi Premier.
Solid welcome bonus (usually)
3X on air travel and hotels
3X on dining
3X on gas stations
3X on supermarkets
1x on other purchases
$100 Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
$95 annual fee
No Foreign transaction fees
In addition to the great bonus earning potential on dining, gas, and groceries, one thing that should stand out is the $95 annual fee.
That stands out because this benefit can save you $100 which means it is an instant way to come out on top with the annual fee. Sure, it may only be a $5 difference but anytime you can completely neutralize an annual fee with the single use of one perk that is something to be aware of.
Citi Premier annual hotel savings benefit rules
Like most credit card perks, the Citi Premier annual hotel savings benefit comes with a number of rules and restrictions. Luckily, the rules are pretty straightforward so you shouldn’t get surprised by anything. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know.
Once per calendar year
This benefit can only be used once per calendar year. This means that it will expire every year on December 31st whether or not you put it to use. As far as I know, there is no ability to reinstate this benefit once it expires.
I would recommend that you use WalletFlo to help you to remember to use perks like this.
$100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more
In order to trigger this discount, you’ll need to book a hotel stay of $500 or more. Keep in mind that this is excluding taxes and fees.
There are a few things to note here.
First, you should absolutely compare prices with booking directly because you might be able to save a good amount of money with member rates, etc. Many times the OTA prices are competitive when compared to booking directly but that is not always the case.
The second thing to note is that because there is a $500 minimum, this discount is not well suited for shorter, cheaper stays. If you typically stay two or three nights at hotels costing around $150 or so, this benefit may become difficult to use.
Book through thankyou.com or 1-800-THANKYOU
You must make your booking through thankyou.com or 1-800-THANKYOU.
The big factor to consider here is that your booking will amount to a typical OTA booking. This means you will almost certainly lose out on elite night credits and points for your stay.
You may or may not receive your elite benefits like free breakfast, upgrades, etc. To maximize your odds of getting those be sure to call the hotel ahead of time and ask them to add your loyalty number to your reservation.
Because receiving elite benefits can sometimes be hit or miss when booking through an OTA, there is a risk that you can lose out on more value than you are saving.
For example, assume you had a four night stay and you would normally be receiving a free breakfast every morning for you and your spouse valued at $40 per morning. Normally, you would be getting $160 in value from breakfast alone but if you pursue that $100 discount you might lose out on that in addition to other benefits like upgrades.
This is one reason why I think this type of discount is best suited for non-chain hotels or hotels that you don’t have any status with.
Prepaid stay
To receive the $100 annual hotel savings, you must pre-pay for your complete stay with your Citi Premier Card, ThankYou Points, or a combination thereof.
The bummer is that you have to pay using your Premier Card if you are not going to use points. This means that you will not be able to utilize things like property credits from other hotel credit cards like the Hilton Aspire or Marriott Brilliant.
But the cool thing here is that you can use points to cover the booking and receive the discount. When I tested out the perk, it showed me that my 4,396 points were worth $54.95. That comes out to a value of 1.25 cents per point, which is actually not bad at all. That puts it on par with the Chase Sapphire Preferred (at least when it comes to hotel stays).
You could make the argument that with the $100 discount, you’re getting more value from your points.
For example, 32,000 points could get you a $500 hotel stay when you factor in the discount. That would come out to closer to 1.56 cents per point which is pretty impressive but not everyone likes to calculate value that way.
Reservations must be made by the primary cardmember
The reservations must be made by the primary cardmember but you can make reservations in the primary card member’s or authorize users’ name.
Package rates
Packaged rates such as air and hotel or hotel and car rental do not qualify.
Can’t be combined with other offers
Unfortunately, this benefit cannot be combined in the same transaction with the Citi Prestige card’s complimentary 4th night free if you have both the Citi Premier and Citi Prestige cards. This benefit also cannot be combined with any other promotions or discounts on thankyou.com.
How to use the Citi Premier annual hotel savings benefit
It is very easy to use the annual hotel savings benefit. Simply head over to thankyou.com and log into your account. Click on “Travel” and then “Hotels” on the top navigation bar.
Now, all you have to do is go through the normal booking process. Simply search for the hotel you want to book. If you don’t see your hotel then you can try inserting the name of the hotel chain into the “preferred hotel” field which may show you more results.
If your booking qualifies, meaning that the total of the hotel stay is $500 or more, you will see verification of your discount displayed in the price breakdown (as shown in the image below).
If you would prefer to not use your hotel benefit on the booking, you can simply uncheck the check box that states “apply my annual Citi Premier hotel benefit.” (Citi provides a helpful reminder about the expiration of the perk here.)
Just below that you can choose whether or not to use your points for the booking. In my case, I only had 4,386 ThankYou points and so I could have only used my points to cover a partial payment.
It shows you exactly how much your points are worth and how much of the remaining cost will be charged to your card so it is a helpful and easy to use feature.
Canceling a booking
If you happen to cancel your booking that you used the $100 benefit for, the benefit will remain available for use in that same calendar year.
Final word
Overall, the $100 benefit is an interesting hotel perk but I would make sure to remember the following:
If you take a lot of short cheap stays with only two or three nights, you might find it difficult to use this benefit.
If you are interested in earning elite credits and points and/or receiving your elite status benefits you might be losing more value by chasing this discount
The hotel prices may be higher than booking directly
However, if you are not staying at properties where you have elite status, prices are more or less equal, and your booking price is $500 or more, I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t want to consider using this benefit.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is one of the most popular premium credit cards out there. It is a premium hotel card with a high annual fee but also some valuable credits that you can use to offset much of the annual fee. In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the credits attached to this card.
Bonvoy Brilliant overview
$300 in Marriott statement credits (issued on card anniversary)
$100 property credit
1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary for redemption levels at or under 50,000 points
Bonus earning:
6x at Marriott properties
3x at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines
2x on all other purchases
Complimentary Gold Elite status
Earn Platinum Elite status after making $75,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year.
Receive a statement credit every four years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or TSA Preè ($85) with your Card. (Read about these programs here)
No foreign transaction fees
Annual fee: $450
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
What is the $300 Bonvoy Brilliant Credit?
The Bonvoy Brilliant $300 credit allows you to offset select purchases made at Marriott hotels, which includes room rates. This means that you can use your $300 credit to bring down the price of a hotel stay by $300, making this one of the easiest travel credits to utilize.
What other type of purchases can you use the $300 credit for?
You can use your credit for incidental expenses which are things like charges at hotel restaurants, spas, and other establishments within the hotel. However, you need to make sure that the charges are charged to your room and that you charge the purchase to your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card in order for it to apply.
The purchases you make need to be made directly with the eligible Marriott property so don’t think that you can use an online travel agency like Expedia and have this credit work.
The terms and conditions do exclude Marriott gift cards purchased online and also purchases at Homes & Villas by Marriott International home share properties.
When do I receive the credit?
As soon as you open up your card, you will be eligible to use your credit. The credit is issued based on your anniversary year which means that it will reset each year on your card member anniversary date. If you upgraded to the Brilliant card then your anniversary date will likely be set based on the card that you upgraded from. It never hurts to confirm this though.
Can authorized users use the credit?
Both primary cardmembers and authorized users can trigger the credit. However, the primary cardmember and all authorized users will be utilizing the same $300 credit every year so it is a $300 credit across all accounts.
How long will it take for my credit to post?
The terms and conditions state “Please allow 8–12 weeks after the eligible Marriott Bonvoy purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the Account.” However, in reality your credit might post much quicker than that. If for some reason you never see your credit post then simply call the number on the back of your credit card.
Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit
In addition to the $300 credit, you can also be issued a $100 property credit (just like the Aspire).
In order to use this credit, you must use comply with the restrictions.
First, you must use your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card to book through www.marriottbonvoy.com or by calling Marriott Bonvoy at 1-800-450-4442.
Second, you must book a two-night minimum stay at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis using the Member rate named “$100 Property Credit, Luxury Credit Card Rate.”
When you are booking online, make sure that your Bonvoy account is linked to your card account to be eligible to book the rate. Also, if you choose to book by phone then reference the “$100 Property Credit, Luxury Credit Card Rate” Member rate.
You need to confirm that you are booking the $100 property credit at the time of booking otherwise you could run into trouble.
Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong Club Lounge.
Something to always be on the lookout is how much more expensive the property credit rate is than an advanced purchase rate. If you are set in your plans and you know that you will not be canceling, then you might want to book an advanced purchase rate. These are going to be the cheapest rates and sometimes it can be worth it to forgo your property credit in order to take advantage of cheaper rates.
You will be eligible to receive a property credit of up to $100 per booking to be used on qualifying purchases on property. The credit will be applied as a credit on your bill whenever you check out. So this is not a statement credit that you should be looking to find on your American Express billing statement.
Are there excluded charges?
This credit will not work for the following charges:
Property fees
Taxes
Gratuities
Cost of the room
The big exclusion here is the cost of the room. Unlike the $300 credit that can be used on room rates, this $100 credit cannot be used on room rates.
Keep in mind that some hotels may also have additional exclusions. If you ever are in doubt, you should just ask the front desk at the hotel and they should be able to provide you with clarification.
Can I use any card when I check out?
In order to take advantage of the credit the terms state that you must use your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card to pay your bill upon checkout.
Can authorized users use this benefit?
Yes, authorized users can also take advantage of this benefit.
How many credits can I get?
You will be limited to one $100 property credit regardless of how many rooms you end up booking.
What if I don’t use my credit?
If you fail to take advantage of your $100 property credit, it will expire at check out and will not be carried over to any other stay. Also, you cannot redeem it for cash or points.
What if I have multiple stays?
Back-to-back stays within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay. So if you make two separate bookings and expect to receive two $100 credits, that is not how this is designed to work.
Final word
These two credits can help offset the $450 annual fee of the Brilliant card down to just $50. Personally, I am a huge fan of the $300 Marriott credit because it can be used on room rates which makes it extremely easy to use. The $100 property credit can be nice as well but it is not as practical or easy to use since you have to book a minimum two night stay at select luxury properties like the Ritz-Carlton.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) Complete Guide: (Free Nights, Upgrades) [2021]
Offers contained within this article maybe expired.
Despite having the potential for offering a serious amount of value, the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts program does not receive as much attention as it probably deserves.
This comprehensive article will show you all of the benefits that this program offers and also give you an idea of how valuable all of those benefits can be to your personal travels. I also compare hotel prices to see if the FHR is really worth it.
If you’re more of a video person, check out the YouTube video at the bottom of the article for more!
Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!
AMEX Centurion Lounge in Hong Kong (HKG).
What is Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR)?
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts, also known as “Amex FHR,” is a luxury hotel program that offers special perks at over 975 world-class properties all around the world.
The perks are very similar (and some are identical) to what you receive as a typical hotel elite member but the perks get even sweeter with free nights, hotel credits, and other additional benefits.
Tip:Looking for the best hotel credit cards? Check out the full list here.
How do you get access to Amex FHR?
You can access the Amex FHR online here or via phone by calling Platinum Travel Service at 1-800-525-3355. However, you have to have one of the following cards issued by American Express to use the FHR:
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts offers an entire suite of benefits which include:
Noon check-in, when available
Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
Daily breakfast for two people
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Special amenity unique to each property
I will go into detail about these benefits below.
Check-in and guaranteed late check out
Amex FHR offers noon check-in when available and guaranteed 4pm late check-out.
The noon check in is nice, since many hotels have check in time at around 3pm which can be very inconvenient when arriving early. While the early check-in benefit is not guaranteed, at least it gives you a shot of getting into your hotel room earlier than normal.
It’s also worth pointing out that other luxury hotel programs don’t offer an early check-in option so the FHR is unique in that regard.
The late check out on the other hand is guaranteed and pretty darn late: 4 pm.
For example, I have top-tier status with Hilton (Hilton Diamond), and the latest I usually get for late check-out is 1pm or 2pm. Also, other luxury hotel programs like the Chase LHRC only offer late checkout subject to availability.
So compared to other programs, this 4 PM late checkout is a very solid perk.
Upgrades
Upgrades are probably going to be hit or miss with this program since they are subject to availability but a lot of people have success with getting upgraded.
Generally, you will be limited to upgrades to a better view or a single category above your booked room. So, for example, if you book a standard room then you might get an upgrade to something like a room on a higher floor, a corner room, or deluxe room.
I probably would not be expecting suite upgrades and I would also be aware of the fact that I might not even receive an upgrade since they are based on availability and are not guaranteed.
If you have elite status with one of these properties then obviously that will help your upgrade chances and you should definitely bring that to the attention of the hotel property.
Tip: As a general tip for upgrades, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the types of room categories at your hotel so that you can check on the hotel’s website shortly before check-in and see the real-time availability.
Don’t be afraid (to kindly) point out to the front desk that there’s availability for rooms one category up that you could be upgraded to.
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts offers daily breakfast for two people.
At a minimum this will include a true continental breakfast but at many properties it will be a full hot breakfast. In fact, the quality (and value) of the breakfast might blow you away at major hotels.
Depending on how long your stay is at the hotel, this benefit could end up saving you upwards of a couple of hundred bucks.
For that reason, this is a very valuable perk, especially for those who don’t have status with some of the hotel loyalty programs that do offer complimentary breakfasts.
For example, I have Hyatt Discoverist status via the Hyatt card and I’m not offered complimentary breakfasts so booking Hyatt hotels through the FHR makes a lot of sense.
Complimentary Wi-Fi is provided in room, with the exception of select properties where in-room Wi-Fi is included as part of a mandatory daily resort fee or is not available.
In these instances, complimentary Wi-Fi will be provided in a common space on property. Contact Platinum Travel service for property specific details regarding Wi-Fi.
Special amenity
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts offers a special amenity unique to each property that is valued at a minimum of $100.
This is often a $100 food and beverage or spa credit but sometimes it comes in a different form. Here are some examples of what the special amenity could consist of:
A complimentary 50-minute massage, for two people per room, once during your stay
A complimentary one way private sedan transfer from hotel to airport for two people per room, once during stay
A complimentary dinner, for two people per room, excluding alcoholic beverages
$150 property credit
If you are somebody that likes to enjoy a meal or a drink at your hotel, then this benefit really does save you $100 per hotel visit.
If you combine the $100 savings with the free breakfasts allowed, then you can see how quickly the value of the FHR program can start to add up.
The Conrad Maldives, part of Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts.
FHR Special Offers (huge value potential!)
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts offers special offers for various properties that you can take advantage of for special savings. This is what really separates FHR from other luxury programs, since you can save so much.
Many of these offers will have specific time periods for which you have to book your hotel stay and also a specific time that you need to actually stay at the hotel for.
For example, the Baglioni Hotel Carlton offered a complimentary 3rd night when booking a paid stay of at least three nights at Baglioni Hotel Carlton, Milan when booked from July 8 through December 28 for hotel stays from July 8 and completed by December 31.
You can search for which properties are currently offering special offers here.
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Free nights
One of the most valuable perks of the Amex FHR program is that you can get free nights during your stay. You can find hotels offering the 3rd night free, 4th night free, 5th night, and 6th night free at different properties.
Out of all of the perks offered by the FHR program, the free night benefit is definitely where you have the potential for the most value. One free night could easily save you hundreds of dollars and potentially even offset the annual fee of the Platinum card which is pretty incredible.
For example, the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort had nights priced at $569, which would completely almost offset the $695 annual fee of the Platinum Card with a free night!
A few hotel programs offer the 5th night free on award stays and the Citi Prestige offers the 4th night free but it’s rare to see a 3rd night free offered. For people like me who rarely stay in one location for longer than three nights, this is a fantastic perk.
Be aware that some types of rooms may be excluded from these special categories.
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts free nights.
Property credit
Not all of the special offers are for free nights.
Some of the special offers will offer a “property credit.”
The property credits usually range from $100-$200. Just like the free nights, they also have time restrictions for when they can be used, so make sure to always pay attention to the timeframes for booking and travel.
One of the cool things about these property credits is that they are offered in addition to the hundred dollar property credit that is often given out as unique benefit.
So in the case shown below there’s actually an ability to get $300 worth of free travel just with these two perks alone. When you add in breakfast for two along with a potential upgrade, free Wi-Fi, and even guaranteed late checkout, you can see how the value of just a single stay could very well exceed $500.
It just goes to show how valuable this hotel program can really be.
An example of a $200 credit.
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts List
It is very easy to search and locate properties that participate in the FHR.
You can click here to go to the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts directory, where you will input the hotel name or the city where you are looking to book a hotel.
You can also choose an entire state or country if that’s what you would like to do.
Also, you can the call Business Platinum Travel Service at 1-800-553-9497 to arrange your booking.
After you input a destination, you can see the number of search results pulled up for that location. From there, you can click on the hotel property to find out more details and to book it.
The website will show you some basic details regarding the hotel. But what is helpful is that you can see what the unique amenity is at that given property. For example, below is the unique amenity offered by the Conrad Maldives.
As you can see it is not a $100 resort credit but instead they are offering a complimentary lunch or dinner for two people per room. If you have ever stayed at the Conrad Maldives (or any hotel in the Maldives before), then you know how much value a complimentary dinner for two people could hold. Hint: it’s a lot!
I’m not sure exactly which restaurants at the Conrad Maldives they allow you to use this perk at, but I could see this benefit offering well over a couple of hundred dollars worth of value based on their prices.
As mentioned there are over 975 world-class properties in the program so writing out a complete list would be a little excessive for this article.
But to give you a sense of what kind of properties you can expect, here are some of the properties you can find in major international cities.
Hong Kong
Conrad
Four Seasons
Mandarin Hotel
The Peninsula
Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
Bangkok
Park Hyatt
Mandarin
The Peninsula
San Francisco
Fairmont
Four Seasons Hotel
Loews Regency
The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco
St. Regis San Francisco
Las Vegas
Aria Sky Suites
Bellagio
Delano Las Vegas
Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
Mandarin Oriental
The Cosmopolitan
New York
Four Seasons Hotel New York
Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
Mandarin Oriental
Loews Regency
Park Hyatt New York
The London NYC
The Peninsula
St. Regis New York
Hawaii
Halekulani
The Ali‘i At Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
The Kahala Hotel & Resort
The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort
Trump International Hotel Waikiki
Four Seasons Resort Hualālai
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua
Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa
The St. Regis Princeville Resort
Paris
Four Seasons Hotel George V
Hotel Lancaster
Le Bristol
Mandarin Oriental
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome
The Peninsula
As you can see, there are a lot of the premier brands from the major hotel chains within the FHR like Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Park Hyatt, etc.
Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
Do you earn elite points with Amex FHR?
One of the great things about the Amex FHR is that you’ll often still earn your elite points with your loyalty program because the rates are usually considered “qualifying rates.”
In addition to points, you should still be able to earn your elite qualifying nights, too. Another cool perk is that you should be able to utilize special elite perks like upgrade certificates.
But note that there are mixed reports about people receiving their elite qualifying points and nights when booking through FHR. Getting those perks doesn’t seem to always be guaranteed.
Therefore, in some cases you’ll have to work those things out with the hotel, so if you plan on doing that it’s a good idea to call the property ahead of time and inquire about it.
Do you have to prepay for FHR hotels?
You usually will not pre-pay for these hotels and will instead pay at check-out.
But that doesn’t mean you can use any credit card.
The terms state:
Payment must be made in full with an American Express Card in the Platinum Cardmember’s name.
This means that you can use any Amex card for payment!
This is big for people with cards like the Hilton Aspire since it has a $250 Hilton Resort Credit. So you could use FHR to book a stay at a Hilton property and receive a special $100 amenity on top of the $250 Hilton Resort Credit.
Note that the cardmember must travel on the itinerary booked to be eligible for benefits described.
There are some reports of others booking rooms for others and not showing up and still receiving the benefits but I would generally try to follow the terms and conditions here since a hotel could easily deny you the benefits if the Platinum cardmember is nowhere to be found at check-in.
When you use your Amex card to book a pre-paid hotel room through FHR, you’ll earn 5X Membership Rewards, which is extremely rewarding!
Some value Membership Rewards at around two cents per point so that would be like getting 10% back on your hotel stays which is very impressive.
A couple of things to note:
You should note that just because you are pre-paying that does not mean that you lose the flexibility with your cancellation policy.
If hotel reservations are made or modified directly with the hotel provider, the reservation will not be eligible for 5X!
Selecting the 5X option is very simple. After you select the property and select the specific type of room you are interested in booking, you should see the selection for earning 5X the points show up with the option to “Pay Now.”
Are the FHR hotels the same price?
One of the biggest questions is whether or not the FHR hotels are the same price as what you could find on the hotel website or other source. I did some research on a handful of different properties, comparing the FHR price to booking directly, and the results were pretty interesting.
I found that some of the prices were virtually identical but in other cases the FHR was more expensive. In fact, in the Maldives the FHR was significantly more expensive! Check out the results below.
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney — Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, City View (flexible)
FHR: $349.30
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney: $348.89
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco — Deluxe Room with one king bed (flexible)
FHR: $1,391.52
Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco: 1,391.58
St. Regis Hong Kong — Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, City View (flexible)
FHR: $772.73
St. Regis Hong Kong: $715.98
Conrad Maldives — Superior Villa, 1 King Bed (flexible)
FHR: $2,670.40
Conrad Maldives: $1,410.48
Park Hyatt Bangkok — Room, 1 King Bed (flexible)
FHR: $388
Park Hyatt Bangkok: $331.17
So for the most part the prices were pretty similar or the FHR was a bit more expensive (with one ridiculous outlier).
When the FHR price is more expensive, you need to tabulate how much value you put in the benefits like free breakfast, food credits, etc. In many cases a slightly higher price can be easily justified due to the benefits you will receive through FHR.
But remember, just because you’re given a $100 credit, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re saving $100 if you normally would not have spent $100 at that hotel.
I always compare prices with at least two other sources when paying cash for a hotel so I recommend doing the same when booking though FHR.
The Park Hyatt Bangkok rooftop terrace.
How much is the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts worth?
You can get a ton of value from the Amex FHR program.
I’ll break down what that could look like at a hotel called the Baglioni Hotel Carlton in Milan, Italy, where I was able to pull up the third night free.
$357 for free night
$80 breakfast for two people ($40 each) x 3 days = $240
$100 food and beverage credit
Three-night upgrade estimate: $300
Early check-in/late check-out: $50
As you can see, it’s very easy to get over $700 worth of travel from this benefit when you can utilize one of the free nights.
But even if you can’t find a hotel offering a free night that you can utilize, it’s still very easy to get a couple hundred dollars worth of value just from the breakfast and the food and beverage credits offered at these hotels.
So if you’re in the market to stay at luxury properties for about three nights per year, I’d say this benefit is easily worth around $300 to $400, with the potential for even more value as seen above.
It really does amaze me that more people don’t use this program.
Tip: Check out the free app WalletFlo so that you can optimize your credit card spend by seeing the best card to use! You can also track credits, annual fees, and get notifications when you’re eligible for the best cards!
Amex Travel vs FHR
A drawback of booking through Amex Travel is that you typically will not be able to earn elite points or elite credits when staying at a hotel. In fact you might also be denied your elite status benefits!
That’s a major difference between the two programs and it’s one reason why people with hotel status actually don’t mind booking through Amex FHR.
Back to back bookings
Because you’re given some perks per visit, many people think about booking individual nights back to back with the hopes of getting extra benefits.
The terms and conditions state that “back-to-back stays within a 24-hour period at the same property considered one stay.”
So if you make two separate bookings for back to back nights under the same name at the same property, those bookings will be counted as a single stay.
Some people get creative and alternate nights by using a spouse or partner with a Platinum Card so that their bookings are not back to back. I don’t think this is majorly frowned upon but I wouldn’t take it too far.
If you book five nights and you and your spouse are checking in and out of the same hotel each morning, it’s going to start looking very odd and could lead to an awkward confrontation.
Using points to book FHR
You can now use your American Express Membership Rewards to book hotels though the FHR! Points will be worth one cent per point so 50,000 points would cover you for $500 worth of hotel stays.
If points redeemed do not cover the entire amount, the balance of the purchase price will remain on your card. Minimum redemptions are 5,000 points.
Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts FAQ
Do you get free breakfast with Amex FHR?
Yes, you will be offered at a minimum a continental breakfast for two people. At many properties, you can get a full hot breakfast as well.
Do you get upgrades with Amex FHR?
Upgrades are subject to availability so they are not guaranteed. Typically, if you get an upgrade it will be to a single category above your booked room which could be a room on a higher floor or a room with a better view.
Do you get late check out with Amex FHR?
Yes, one of the great perks of the FHR program is that you get guaranteed late check out at 4pm.
What is the special amenity for FHR?
The special amenity is usually valued at $100 or more and it can come in many different forms.
You might receive something like a spa credit, a complimentary massage, complimentary dinner, etc.
When you check the hotels webpage in the FHR portal, you might be able to find details about the special amenity.
How can I get the free nights?
Select properties will offer you free nights such as the third or fourth night free when you make a booking. In some cases, this could end up saving you hundreds of dollars on your booking.
Be sure to check out the special offers which will show you the free nights available.
What type of hotels are part of the Amex FHR?
You will find many of the top luxury brands in the FHR directory. You can click here to go to the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts directory and find hotels that participate.
How much can you save with Amex FHR?
When you combine the savings for all of the perks such as free breakfast, $100 credits, upgrades, and early check-in and late checkout, it’s easy to save several hundred dollars on a stay.
And if you are able to capitalize on a free night, you might be saving over $1,000 during your stay.
Can I use points to book the FHR?
Yes, you can use your American Express Membership Rewards to book hotels though the FHR. Points will be worth one cent per point.
Final word
As you can tell, the Fine Hotels & Resorts program offers the potential for a ton of value. Booking a hotel through this program is essentially like getting an elite status upgrade for that specific property because you are given so many elite-like benefits.
For that reason, I think that this program is great for those people who don’t have elite status with any of the major hotel programs but still want to get a taste of those elite benefits.
And, even if you do have elite status with some of these hotels it can still be worth it to go through this program so that you can capitalize on additional benefits like free nights and special credits for food and beverages.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
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