The Platinum Card is the best high-end card in Canada for travelers.
With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 140,000 Membership Rewards points:
With this Card, you get :
You can use your Membership Rewards points in many ways:
For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :
With this card, you also have advantages for your travels:
Finally, the Platinum Cardᴹᴰ stands out for the many insurances it offers: rental car theft and damage, $500,000 travel accident, emergency medical expenses (out of province or country), lost or stolen luggage, flight delay and misdirected luggage, hotel or motel burglary, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.
Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.
The Platinum Card® clearly stands out from the competition because of the various benefits it provides for frequent travelers. I will try to assign a value to each of them.
It’s something I personally love (and I know many of the Facebook group members do too!).
The Platinum Card® provides free unlimited access to the cardholder and a travel companion at most of the lounges listed below.
When we look at just the Priority Pass membership included for the Platinum Card® holder, we are talking about a benefit that has a value of US$429 / year.
And American Express has a special agreement with Priority Pass to add a travel companion to this pass (which would have cost US$ 32 / visit otherwise)!
That’s not taking into account access to all the other types of lounge around the world:
Here are the conditions of access for each type of lounge:
Being reasonable in my estimates, thanks to this advantage of access to airport lounges offered by the Platinum Card®, I estimate saving $40 per person each time we pass through an airport (for drinks/meals).
That’s not counting the rest you get versus waiting in some terminals (especially with young children)!
For a couple who pass through the airport five times a year, that saves $400 a year.
American Express has partnered with various hotel programs to gain access to higher statuses by being a Platinum Card® holder.
Of all the hotel programs, I consider only the status offered by the Platinum Card® on the Hilton Honors side to be of value.
It is the only one to offer breakfast in most of the group’s hotels.
Unfortunately, Marriott Bonvoy’s Elite Gold status has lost its lustre, with the program now reserving the benefit of complimentary breakfasts for Elite Platinum members.
I would have liked to see American Express offer Platinum Elite status, or at least status nights to reach that level of status faster.
The value of this Platinum Card® benefit is relative. It will be based on the number of stays made in these different hotels each year. If your preference is Hilton Group hotels, getting free breakfast for each of your nights can be a great benefit!
At an average rate of $20 per breakfast per person for ten nights stay per year, this could mean savings of $400 a year.
But if you stay at Marriott hotels instead, the value of this benefit is lessened.
It’s up to you to decide how much value you place on this benefit, depending on your travels! I estimate it at around $200 a year.
If there’s one easy-to-quantify benefit of the Platinum Card® it’s the $200 annual travel credit.
When you apply for the Platinum Card®, you’ll receive a $200 annual travel credit to be used via American Express Travel services. This may be:
Then, each year, when you renew your Platinum Card® membership fee, you get this credit again. In this article, I explain how the Annual Travel Credit works.
Having the opportunity to travel several times a year, it’s easy for me to use the $200 annual Platinum Card® credit. So it’s worth $200, for trips I would have bought anyway!
Another easy-to-quantify benefit of the Platinum Card® is the $200 annual dining credit.
When you sign up for the Platinum Card®, you get a $200 annual dining credit.
This credit is applied to your restaurant bill based on a list of American Express restaurants.
Then, every year on January 1, you get this credit again.
Having the opportunity to dine at good restaurants in Montreal, I can easily use the Platinum Card® $200 annual dining credit. So it has a value of $200 for a meal in a good restaurant, which I would have done anyway!
Instead of using my American Express Cobalt® Card (which earns me 5 points per dollar at all restaurants), I’ll use my American Express Platinum Card®.
The Platinum Card® comes with another benefit for travellers: the $100 NEXUS Card Statement Credit. Simply charge your NEXUS membership (every 4 years) onto your Platinum Card® to get this credit.
In addition to the travel benefits, it is important to note the excellent earning rate of Membership Rewards points through the Platinum Card®:
Here is an example of earning rate:
The Platinum Card® – like the American Express Cobalt® Card – allows you to use your Membership Rewards points in a multitude of ways, “without being caught” with Aeroplan points:
For sure, the Platinum Card® is not for everyone and remains a card for travelers.
However, suppose you have travel plans and can take advantage of its various benefits ($200 annual travel credit, $200 Annual Dining credit, airport lounge access, status, etc.) and Membership Rewards points accumulation categories. In that case, this is THE card to get in anticipation of those trips!
Benefits easily exceed the annual fee (especially in the first year with a welcome bonus).
For me, it remains an essential card alongside my American Express Cobalt® Card!
This post was not sponsored. The views and opinions expressed in this review are purely my own. American Express is not responsible for maintaining or controlling the accuracy of the information published on this website. For complete and up-to-date product information, click on the Apply Now link. Terms and conditions apply.
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