Amex Travel Cards: Compare Amex Green, Gold & Platinum Levels, Travel Benefits, and Eligibility

It’s impossible these days to watch an hour of prime time television without seeing a commercial for credit cards that offer travel benefits. The excitement of exploring the world, often for free, by frequent use of your credit card has added millions of new customers for banks including Citibank, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo, and of course, American Express.  

Free airfare, hotel stays, car rental, and even more travel-related benefits are extremely tempting, but what’s in it for the credit card companies? Well, considering that 48 percent of credit card holders carry a balance from month to month, the card issuers are betting that interest charges incurred will more than make up for the cost of travel reward redemptions.  

Let’s take a deeper dive into the travel credit cards offered by American Express. 

American Express Travel Card Categories 

Entry Level Travel Cards Not Affiliated with a Travel Company 

• The American Express Green Card is the least expensive card with an annual fee of just $150, but it still comes with some great benefits. Cardholders earn 3x points for travel, restaurant, and certain streaming services. Other benefits include up to a $100 credit for CLEAR membership to expedite the airport security process, baggage, and trip delay insurance. There is no annual fee for additional cards. 

Better yet, there are no foreign transaction fees when using the card internationally, though AMEX isn’t widely accepted in many foreign countries. The American Express Green Card is a smart choice for people who travel a moderate amount who want a wide selection of benefits and rewards possibilities. 

Comparing the Non-Affiliated AMEX Gold and AMEX Platinum Cards 

• Cost: Gold, $250. Platinum, $695 
• Bonus: Gold, 4x dining & groceries, 3x for flights 

                Platinum, 5x flights, hotels, booked with AMEX travel or direct. 

• Welcome Bonus: Gold, varies 60-75k, must spend $4k in 1^st 6 months. 

                Platinum, varies 80-150k, must spend $8k in 1^st 6 months. 

• Geared Toward: Gold, casual travelers, food lovers. 

               Platinum: Frequent travelers, luxury seekers 

• Travel Perks: Gold, none. Platinum, $200 airline credit, luxury hotel and resort room upgrades, access to premium airport clubs including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, Delta SkyClubs when traveling Delta, $100 TSA/Global Entry credit every 4 years, Platinum Concierge service. 
• Gold Pros: Lower annual fee, simple benefits to understand, easy to earn points for dining or grocery shopping. Con: No premium travel perks. 

Platinum Pros: Expensive annual fee, elite perks for upgrades and credits that will appeal to luxury travelers. Con: More complicated program that takes work to maximize the use of benefits. 

Airline Sponsored Cards 

AMEX has a long-running relationship with Delta Air Lines, offering multiple extremely popular travel cards that target frequent Delta flyers and non-Delta loyalists who may consider becoming one. 

• The Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card is for the less frequent traveler who perhaps wants to put a toe into the water before committing to a more expensive card. There is no annual fee, but you’ll still earn 1,000 bonus miles by charging a minimum of $1,000 within six months of receiving the card. You’ll earn 2x miles on Delta website purchases, as well as when dining out, doing takeout, or having food delivered by participating vendors.  

All other purchases earn 1x miles. Delta Blue Card customers also earn a 15% discount when using SkyMiles for reward travel.  

• The next level up is the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card which comes with a $0 annual fee for the first year, and $150 per year afterwards. After spending $10,000 in a calendar year gold card members earn a $200 Delta travel credit for a future trip. Cardholders will receive 2x miles for Delta purchases, as well as for restaurants and supermarkets, and 1x miles for all other purchases. Your first checked bag is free as long as you maintain the gold card, and best of all, you’ll earn 50,000 bonus miles for charging $2,000 in the first six months of having the card. The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card is the best option for loyal Delta travelers who may take several trips annually.  
• The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card has an annual fee of $350 but offers several perks to make it an excellent value.  

For starters, new cardholders will earn 60,000 SkyMiles after spending $3,000 with the card in the first six months. Cardholders receive one free companion ticket annually with the purchase of a second ticket, and Zone 5 priority boarding on Delta flights. Companion tickets may be used domestically or to the Caribbean, and Central America. Note: Canada and Mexico are excluded. 

Other benefits include one free checked bag per flight, 3x miles on Delta website purchases for air, hotel, etc., and a 15% SkyMiles discount when taking advantage of your Delta travel benefits. AMEX Platinum card users earn 2x miles for dining and supermarket purchases, and an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck, or $120 for the combined PreCheck and Global Entry programs. And for those trying to earn Medallion Status with Delta, you’ll each one MQD for each $20 spent with the card. 

• The most lucrative card for frequent flyers is the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. The annual fee of $650 may seem steep to most travelers, but business flyers and travelers seeking luxury may be interested in the 15 complimentary admissions to both Delta Sky Clubs and Centurion Lounges. After spending $75,000 in a calendar year with the card the premium club access is unlimited. Reserve Card members receive everything offered to Platinum Card members plus $2,500 in Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) annually, a $120 rideshare credit with participating vendors, and a $240 RESY credit (program enrollment is required) for dining paid for with the card. Cardholders will also earn one MQD for $10 spent with the Delta AMEX Reserve Card. 

Hotel Sponsored Cards 

American Express offers other travel credit cards that are not linked to Delta Air Lines. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card both offer a wide range of benefits for guests who frequent their dozens of brands. Earn points for stays so much more. 

• Hilton Honors American Express Card: earn 7x points for stays at Hilton affiliated properties worldwide (immediate Silver Status), 5x points on dining at U.S. restaurants including takeout and delivery, 5x points at U.S. gas stations, 5x points at U.S. supermarkets, and 3x points for all other purchases made with the Hilton Honors AMEX Card. As an additional incentive, earn 80,000 bonus points in the Hilton Honors program after spending $2,000 with the card within six months of its receipt. This card does not have an annual fee.  
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card: earn 12x points for stays at Hilton portfolio properties worldwide (immediate Gold Status), 6x points on for dining at U.S. restaurants including takeout and delivery, 6x points at U.S. gas stations, 6x points at U.S. supermarkets, and 4x points for all purchases made with the Surpass Card. Plus, earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $3,000 within six months of receiving the card. Amazingly, this card also has no annual fee.  
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card: earn 6x points for stays at Marriott portfolio properties around the world, 3x points for dining at restaurants globally, 3x points for direct airline bookings, and 2x points for all other use of the Bonvoy Brilliant card. Other Marriott perks include a free night (up to 85,000 points) at any property upon annual card renewal, and immediate Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status which can lead to room upgrades, superior views, and even suites depending on the type of booking made.  

Both the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy (immediate Gold Elite Status) cards offer great point bonuses for purchases at their hotels, as well as in restaurants and must more. Marriott’s AMEX cards also offer welcome bonuses that can be earned with a minimum use of the card during the opening six months of the account. These required amounts are $5,000 for the Bevy Card and $6,000 for the Brilliant Card. Bonus amounts vary throughout the year and can often surpass 150,000 bonus points if the card is approved during the promotional time period.  

With So Many Card Options, How Do I Choose the Right One? 

Carrying an American Express credit card can mean status to some, and little more than another credit card to others. However you view it, your goal should be to maximize the benefits available without running up the bill. Extremely high interest rates not only for AMEX but most other credit cards really does defeat the purpose of enjoying travel near and far. 

When considering which card to apply for, you’ll want to choose a card that best matches your lifestyle. What do you spend your money on? Airfare, hotels, dining out, supermarkets? Find the card that gives you the most bang for the buck with the way you live. 

Is travel central to your DNA? The more travel the better, you say. The more you get away, especially by air, the more lounge access, seat upgrades, and even discounted inflight beverages and snacks may matter to you.  

Be sure to consider where you loyalty lies, or if it is even a factor. If you usually fly with the same airline or stay with certain hotel chains, the more a co-branded credit card may make sense for you. Consider the miles, points, and perks that can be gained by a card sponsored by an airline or hotel chain in conjunction with American Express.  

If you do choose to apply for any of these credit cards, you may do so online without risk of any impact to your personal credit rating.  Simply click on the box in the lower left hand corner of the screen for the particular card that you are desiring approval for. The American Express credit card application process is quick and uncomplicated, with a decision usually provided within minutes.  

Should You Book Your Travels with American Express? 

To book or not to book, that is the question. 

There are plenty of reasons that you should consider American Express Travel to manage your bookings. You may earn bonus points depending on which American Express card you carry. Or maybe you’re eligible for a hotel upgrade, airline seat upgrade, or need to arrange early check-in or late check-out.  

While booking with American Express Travel can certainly be convenient, that doesn’t necessarily translate into finding the lowest airfare or hotel accommodation. AMEX has their preferred vendors as do all credit card travel programs, and you may be able to save money by doing your due diligence before committing to their pricing. 

Granted, you may check out other booking engines and find that AMEX has exactly what you want. If that’s the case, more power to them, but what if you could have saved money and didn’t look into your options? And most of the time if you book with AMEX travel you won’t receive your elite status benefits from the airline or hotel chain you have been loyal to for years.  

Our recommendation is to download our favorite web browser extension, Deal Miner, where the comparison shopping is done for you. Deal Miner searches numerous websites for the exact same travel information you have provided to American Express, so it’s easy to compare. If a better deal is found, and these will include the name of the airline, hotel, or rental car company, you will see it in a flash. The browser extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. 

You have nothing to lose and everything (think $) to gain, by giving Deal Miner a chance to find you savings you didn’t know were possible.