As a seasoned traveler, I have my collection of points and miles. Although it is hard to choose, one of my favorite loyalty program is from American Express. Here are the main reasons why:
-Plenty of opportunity to earn points: AMEX often has large sign up bonuses on their cards so you easily earn hundreds of thousands of points. You can also sign up for a shopping portal at Rakuten to earn Amex points for regular shopping. For example, if you go through Rakuten and shop at Macy’s, you can earn an extra 5 points per dollar spent (bonus points earned varies each day).
-Good transfer partners: I am able to transfer AMEX points to their partners to use for travel for amazing value. Examples of their transfer partners include: AirFrance, Delta, Jetblue, Hilton, British Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, ANA etc
-Ability to travel in business class mostly “free”: I mostly use my AMEX points to transfer to travel partners so that I am able to travel in business class internationally for free. I put free in quotation marks because you still have to pay fuel charges which can range from $5 to $500 depending on the airline. For example, I often transfer 50,000 AMEX points to AirFrance to travel to Europe in business class one way. If I were to cash out the points for cash it would be less than $500 in value. By using it for business class travel, I am able to get at least $2500 of value from those 50,000 points.
-Benefits: many of the AMEX cards have perks and benefits I like to use. For example, the platinum card provides lounge access which is great for someone that is routinely in airports. Some of the cards offer travel insurance which reimburses you for flight cancellations or trip delay. They also have travel credits that can be used for dining, uber, or flights.
Check out my Travel Credit Cards page if you are interested in earning points and miles. Please be responsible in paying off the card each month, and avoid redeeming points for gift cards!
