****This card is no longer available for subscription. However, we are keeping this article as an archive.
On November 4, 2019, American Express introduced the changes announced in September on the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card. And Amex introduced a new welcome offer valid until January 20, 2020.
Here are the main features of the card (more details after that):
By applying for the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card BEFORE January 20, 2020, you could get a welcome bonus of up to 3,500 AIR MILES bonus miles.
Here’s how:
Thus, to earn the full welcome bonus of 3,500 AIR MILES Bonus Miles, you will need to spend $6,000 as follows:
Now let’s say you charge $500 a month to your new American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card:
Here, you still get the 1,700 miles welcome bonus, but by charging fewer monthly expenses, the additional welcome bonus is less attractive. In that case, it is still possible to earn 2,600 AIR MILES Bonus Miles by charging $3,000 in purchases to your card in the first 6 months.
Finally, if you only charge $1,500 in purchases to your card in the first 3 months, you will earn about 2,150 Bonus Miles.
As of November 4, 2019, current and new holders of the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card have two new purchase-based accumulation rates:
First, American Express significantly improves the earning rate for purchases made in some categories.
As of November 4, current and new Cardholder of the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card can earn 1 mile for every $5 of purchases in:
In Quebec, most Metro and Super C grocery stores accept American Express.
Most of the IGA grocery stores (AIR MILES sponsor) do not accept American Express. So here, this is a way for AIR MILES members to earn miles with their American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card for their grocery purchases at Metro or Super C, for example! It’s also an excellent way to earn AIR MILES bonus miles by purchasing gift cards at these grocery stores!
When it comes to gas stations, naturally, AIR MILES members go to Shell (AIR MILES Sponsor) and can double up by presenting their AIR MILES loyalty card and paying with their AIR MILESMD* American ExpressMD Platinum Credit Card!
But you could also choose other gas stations and get 1 mile per $5 in purchases!
Finally, it is nice to see American Express offering 1 mile for every $5 in Card purchases for public transit or ridesharing services (Uber, Lyft) as well as for restaurants/coffee shops/bars.
This improved earning rate of 1 mile per $5 in Card purchases is offered up to $30,000 annually. Beyond that, it will switch to 1 mile by $10 in Card purchases.
Previously, for all other types of purchases, the AIR MILESMD* American ExpressMD Platinum Credit Card earned 1 mile for every $15 in purchases.
Since November 4, it’s 1 mile for every $10 in purchases! A substantial improvement!
As of November 4, 2019, current and new holders of the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card have a new advantage: an annual travel credit exchange.
Once per calendar year, when you use Dream Miles with the AIR MILES program to book:
… you will be able to get Bonus Miles equivalent to 25% of the net number of Miles used (up to a maximum of 750 Bonus Miles)
Here, you will have to be strategic when using your Dream Miles, each calendar year!
With a maximum of 750 Bonus Miles, this means that your first annual use might be 3,000 miles or more!
For example, if you use 1,500 Dream Miles to buy a plane ticket, you will only get 375 Bonus Miles.
Here’s a table to sum up this benefit for your first annual reward booked with dream miles:
Since it’s a benefit offered per calendar year, you could use it twice as part of your first year!
As a result, American Express has made significant improvements to the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card, including the accumulation of AIR MILES bonus miles.
The Annual Travel Redemption Benefit can be attractive if you use Dream Miles. On the other hand, if you prefer Cash rewards, for example, to buy gift cards from Jean Coutu, it will not be useful to you.
American Express is trying to engage its customers to charge their monthly purchases on their credit cards. In the past, it was enough to charge a total of $1,500 in purchases to your card in 3 months to get 2,000 AIR MILES bonus miles. Now American Express offers more miles if you use your card more regularly.
If you would like more information or to apply for the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card, click here.
While American Express is not changing the main features of the Prestige AIR MILESMD* American ExpressMD Reserve Credit Card, it is offering a new welcome offer.
Here are the main features of the card, which we’ll detail below:
By applying for the American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card, you could earn a welcome bonus of up to 3,800 AIR MILES Bonus Miles.
To get the full 3,800 Bonus Miles welcome bonus, you’ll need to charge $9,000 in purchases to your card within the first 6 months.
The American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card has two purchase earning rates:
If you have a lot of purchases at grocery stores or gas stations (up to $30,000 per year), it’s best to get the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card, which offers 1 mile per $5 in Card purchases.
The American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card sets itself apart from other AIR MILES credit cards by offering:
Also, the American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card offers reliable insurance for your travels or purchases.
With a $299 annual fee, the American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card is primarily for those who earn many miles through purchases and frequently use the AIR MILES program withDream Miles.
The American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card gives them access to great benefits such as more reward ticket availability, an annual companion flight, 4 airport lounge access and Onyx status within AIR MILES program.
For a casual user of the program, we’ll recommend the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card.
If you would like more information or apply for American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card, click here.
After starting this monthly rewards mechanism based on card use card the Cobalt Card introduces a similar mechanism with the American Express® AIR MILES®* Platinum Credit Card Card and the American Express® AIR MILES®* Reserve Credit Card.
The goal is to encourage customers to charge their expenses to their American Express card rather than on their other card (s).
But if with the Cobaltᵐᶜ American Express card, the target was achievable ($500 per month for 12 months), here, to get the full bonus, we’re talking about $1,000 per month for 6 months for the American ExpressMD AIR MILESMD* Platinum Credit Card or even $1,500 for the American ExpressMD Prestige AIR MILESMD* Reserve Credit Card, which may be difficult to achieve.
For those unable to reach these spending levels, it will still be possible to make up for it with the new accumulation rate of1 mile per $5 on certain categories of stores offered by the AIR MILESMD* American ExpressMD Platinum Credit Card, a rate never before offered on an AIR MILES-affiliated credit card!
Welcome bonus offers end January 20, 2020.
This post was not sponsored. The views and opinions expressed in this article are purely my own.
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