Changes to how you use your $450 Travel Credit

[Ken1]

I've received an email this afternoon regarding the $450 travel credit for the Amex Platinum Charge card.

"We want to let you know about some changes being made to the way you use your Travel Credit on your American Express® Platinum Card.

Beginning 1 May 2023, you will need to use your annual $450 Travel Credit on a single travel booking of $450 or more on your eligible Card, made through American Express Travel Online. Your booking will be charged in full to your American Express Platinum Card and American Express will then credit $450 to your Account within 3 business days.

You will still receive your $450 Travel Credit each year, and your Travel Credit anniversary will remain the same."

I recently redeemed the $450 Charge card credit and the $400 Platinum Reserve credit. The fares we booked with the $450 credit came to $431.76 but we were able to use the $450 travel credit and just lose the $18.24 difference but we wouldn't be able to do that after these changes in May. We were purchasing QF tickets to fly SYD-DRW and the fares on the QF site were $417.00 while on the Amex site the same flights were $431.76 but we were wanting to use the credits as my Wife had QF credits that were originally used to book SYD-DRW flights for March 2020 using Platinum Charge credits and we had to use them by the end of 2023 so we paid the extra fares to use them all. Previously you could call Amex Travel and book things not on their website (like when we booked Air Tahiti inter-island flights with our travel credits last year) but when I enquired this time I was told that the travel credits can only be redeemed by booking online now and not over the phone.

 

[sudoer]

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[Ken1]

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I'm wondering the same thing about the Platinum Reserve credit.as well.

 

[Human]

I'm wondering the same thing about the Platinum Reserve credit.as well.

I received the same email today about the Platinum Reserve credit — so yes, it’s changed as well.

 

[drron]

Also got the email re the Plat reserve card today as well. I generally use it on hotels with a cost above $400 so no difference to me,

 

[pangwen]

Also got the email re the Plat reserve card today as well. I generally use it on hotels with a cost above $400 so no difference to me,

Got the Charge and Reserve emails; will the Edge be next?

 

[SOPOOR]

i got it as well, so the old process was pay the difference, now its pay the full, get a credit later

does it make redeeming harder now? doesnt seem like amex to make a change to make things harder

 

[knagelli]

does it make redeeming harder now? doesnt seem like amex to make a change to make things harder

Only catch here , as already mentioned by some one else is to make the booking for a minimum of the travel credit value. Earlier , if you were okay to let go of the remaining credit for lower value bookings it was still possible but not any more.

On the flip side , we will now get the required points even for bookings in lieu of travel credit.

 

[SOPOOR]

Only catch here , as already mentioned by some one else is to make the booking for a minimum of the travel credit value. Earlier , if you were okay to let go of the remaining credit for lower value bookings it was still possible but not any more.

On the flip side , we will now get the required points even for bookings in lieu of travel credit.

i just checked my statement to check that refunds dont get the points deducted, and confirmed its all good,no points deducted

i wonder if the system is going to reject your booking if its below the travel credit, or they will accept it , and decline it later

 

[Colin 2905]

Got the same e-mail for my only Amex card, the Explorer, this morning. I was already leaning towards downgrading it to the Essential card once I'd found something worth using the TC on, and this only strengthens my resolve.

 

[Happy Dude]

No material difference for me on my explorer as I've always booked something for more than $400. Never saw the point in booking something for less and losing the difference.

 

[Human]

i just checked my statement to check that refunds dont get the points deducted, and confirmed its all good,no points deducted

i wonder if the system is going to reject your booking if its below the travel credit, or they will accept it , and decline it later

Remember that this new system won't be starting until May. But if your booking is below the travel credit threshold, it won't reject or decline your booking -- you just won't receive the travel credit for that booking (though you'll still be eligible to receive it for a later booking that meets the $450 or $400 threshold).

 

[Colin 2905]

Never saw the point in booking something for less and losing the difference.

I have for something a bit under, just to use the damn thing before it lapses.

One of my pet peeves about Amex Travel is that there's a hotel that we stay at semi-regularly that either shows no availability (when there is on the hotel's site) or limited room options (when there are more on the hotel's site). And booking direct with this hotel is always cheaper.

 

[oz_mark]

No material difference for me on my explorer as I've always booked something for more than $400. Never saw the point in booking something for less and losing the difference.

Sometimes, faced with a use it or lose it situation, one takes whatever they can get

 

[SOPOOR]

i found that flights were always overpriced, as for hotels, 2/3 were over priced compared to agoda etc.
1/3 would be about the same price, so i used to them for hotels on holidays and tried to book as close as I could to $400 for explorer

and if i lost $<10 it wouldnt be a big deal, as I still got pretty good value

the hardest part was finding these hotels

 

[Human]

i found that flights were always overpriced, as for hotels, 2/3 were over priced compared to agoda etc.
1/3 would be about the same price, so i used to them for hotels on holidays and tried to book as close as I could to $400 for explorer

and if i lost $<10 it wouldnt be a big deal, as I still got pretty good value

the hardest part was finding these hotels

The other side of the coin is that occasionally there's a bargain to be had. It doesn't happen all that often, but I've found accommodation via AmEx that's at a cheaper rate than anywhere else I could find.

 

[Spacetravel]

Looks like this move is going across all cards. Just received the same email 20 minutes ago about my QF Amex Ultimate Card for the $450 credit. My main concern about this change is what if you make a mistake with the transaction (not enough spend) and the credit doesn’t apply. Today you know if the credit will apply before making the booking.

 

[knagelli]

My main concern about this change is what if you make a mistake with the transaction (not enough spend) and the credit doesn’t apply.

On the flip side , you will still have another chance to redeem your travel credit for the next booking with required dollar value.

 

[Kremmen]

will the Edge be next?

Yes. I just received the email.

Never saw the point in booking something for less and losing the difference.

Amex Travel is over-priced for hotels. For airlines, it matches usual fares, but many airlines are missing so, again, that makes it way more expensive. I've used my $200 for a $199 air fare. Way better to get $199 credit than to have to buy something over-priced in order to get the credit.

 

[pangwen]

Amex Travel is over-priced for hotels.

Depends on the hotel. I’ve found deals on Amex travel that were cheaper than other sites (including some “stay X nights, get 1 free”).

Way better to get $199 credit than to have to buy something over-priced in order to get the credit.

If they gave you a credit with no strings attached, then that would effectively just be an annual fee reduction. I don’t think Amex will be in a hurry to do that.