Update: 5X AMEX Membership Rewards Points on Airfare (Mostly) Confirmed!
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Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.It’s official! An official AMEX representative on Twitter has confirmed the rumored 5X AMEX Membership Rewards points on airfare with eligible American Express cards, starting October 6, 2016.
This appears to only apply to American Express Platinum cards. And NO new bonus categories are anticipated.
I’ll share the updates!
Earn 5X Points on Airfare With AMEX Platinum
Link: Ask AMEX Tweet
In response to a tweet from @sdice, @AskAMEX confirmed that eligible cardholders will earn 5X AMEX Membership Rewards points on airfare purchased directly from airlines. Later, they tweeted “this is an old offer,” but the original tweet is still up. Oops!
And in a separate tweet, @AskAMEX suggests there will NOT be additional bonus categories added to the upgraded card.
This is terrific news for folks who book a lot of paid flights. Because the current best cards for airfare, like the Premier Rewards Gold Card From American Express, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi ThankYou Premier Card, and Citi Prestige, earn 3X points on airline tickets.
Keep in mind, American Express Platinum cards do NOT have the best trip cancellation, delay, or lost / delayed baggage insurance. So if that’s important to you, you might still consider using a Chase or Citi card to book flights.
Bottom Line
American Express has (sort of) confirmed the American Express Platinum cards will soon earn the highest bonus points on paid airfare.Starting October 6, 2016, eligible cardholders will earn 5X AMEX Membership Rewards points for flights purchased directly from airlines!
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
Intro APR on purchases
N/A
Regular APR
16.74% – 23.74% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Rates & Fees
Other
MORE INFO
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
Intro APR on purchases
N/A
Regular APR
16.74% – 23.74% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Rates & Fees
Other
MORE INFO
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