A Standout Travel Card in May 2025: 5x Points and Lounge Access

Updated - First published on May 12, 2025

Ryan Wilcox

By: Ryan Wilcox

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KEY POINTS

  • The Amex Platinum Card earns 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
  • You'll also get access to airport lounges around the world.
  • The card's $1,200-plus in statement credits and perks make it well worth the annual fee.

If you're a frequent flyer -- or just want to make the most of your next big trip -- The Platinum Card® from American Express is tough to beat. It's packed with premium perks, from airport lounge access to nearly $1,300 in annual credits.

And while it comes with a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), you can easily earn that back by making use of the card's many benefits.

Here's why the Amex Platinum Card is our pick for one of the best travel cards on the market today.

Ratings Methodology

The Platinum Card® from American Express

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The Platinum Card® from American Express
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Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms apply.

1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points

Annual Fee

$695

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • This luxury travel card has some of the most prestigious perks you'll find — access to over 1,400 airport lounges, elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required), and spending credits worth over $1,500 in value every year. Just be ready for the hefty annual fee, which can be offset in the first year with a welcome offer. Terms apply.

    Read Full Review
    • Big welcome offer
    • Substantial spending credits
    • Airport lounge access
    • Hotel benefits
    • Flexible travel points
    • Annual fee
    • Limited bonus categories
    • Spending credits can be complicated to manage
    • You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
    • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
    • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
    • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
    • Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
    • A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
    • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
    • $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
    • $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
    • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
    • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
    • Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
    • $695 annual fee.
    • Terms Apply.

High earning rates on travel

With the Amex Platinum Card, you'll earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®. That's one of the highest rewards rates available on travel purchases.

You'll also earn 1X points on all other purchases -- but the value is clearly in how you book travel. And those points are flexible: You can use them to book trips directly, or transfer them to over 20 airline and hotel partners for potentially higher value. Terms apply.

The card also comes with a lucrative welcome offer: Apply and find out if you are eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.. That's worth at least $800 in travel through American Express Travel® -- or even more if you can leverage Amex's transfer partners. Terms apply.

Apply for the Amex Platinum Card now (see rates and fees) to take full advantage of its valuable welcome offer and book your next getaway for cheap.

Access to elite airport lounges

One of the biggest perks of the Amex Platinum Card is airport lounge access. Cardholders get entry to:

  • The Centurion® Lounge network
  • Priority Pass™ Select lounges
  • Delta Sky Clubs® (when flying Delta)
  • Escape Lounges -- The Centurion® Studio Partner
  • Terms apply

It's impossible to place a value on this perk, but it's easily worth several hundred dollars per year if you use it. And -- if you fly even a couple of times a year, these lounges can make a huge difference. Complimentary food, drinks, wifi, and a space to relax can turn a travel day into something actually (gasp) enjoyable.

Nearly $1,300 in statement credits

The Amex Platinum Card also comes with a long list of annual credits. They include:

  • $240 in digital entertainment credits for subscriptions like Disney+, Hulu, and The New York Times
  • A $200 airline fee credit for things like baggage fees and seat upgrades
  • A $200 hotel credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings
  • $200 in Uber Cash ($15 per month, plus an additional $20 in December)
  • A $199 CLEAR® Plus credit
  • Walmart+ credit up to $12.95 each month
  • $100 in annual Saks Fifth Avenue credits
  • Terms apply; enrollment may be required

In total, that's $1,294 in potential value, nearly twice the card's $695 annual fee. If you're on the hunt for a card that easily justifies its yearly price tag, you've found it.

Even if you don't take full advantage of every single credit, just using a few -- like Uber Cash, the airline credit, and the entertainment credit -- will quickly add up.

What are you waiting for?

The Amex Platinum Card isn't for everyone. But if you fly often, enjoy luxury perks, or already use services like Uber, streaming apps, and Walmart+, the value of the card is obvious.

What are you waiting for? Apply for the Amex Platinum Card today.

Our Research Expert

Ryan Wilcox
Ryan Wilcox

Ryan is a full-time personal finance writer at Motley Fool Money. He’s been covering topics like credit cards and savings since 2022, focusing on helping people who are new to the world of personal finance.