Some get into travel rewards for the free flights or hotel rooms while others get into the game for lounge access. For consultants and road warriors who spend lots of time in airports, relaxing before a flight in a private area with free food and WiFi is worth an annual fee. And the best card for lounge access, whether domestically or internationally, is The Platinum Card from American Express.
With the card, you have access to the card’s own Centurion Lounges, International American Express Lounges, as well as hundreds of others through partnerships with Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Air Space and Escapes. Card holders can also use Delta Sky Club lounges when flying on that airline.
Domestically, airlines have made it more difficult in recent years to garner lounge access through their networks using the Priority Pass. But if you make a point of flying on Delta or through airports that have Centurion Lounges (examples: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and San Francisco International Airport), it shouldn’t be a problem.
You can also supplement your Platinum Card and sign up for LoungeBuddy, an app that maps airline lounges around the world and offers access for around $35 a pop.
Of course, the The Platinum Card® from American Express offers more than lounge access. You can also earn . In addition, the card offers a laundry list of rewards:
- Up to $200 a year in Uber credits
- 5x Membership Rewards Points on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel
- 5x Membership Rewards Points on hotels booked on amextravel.com
- $200 airline fee credit
- Fee credit for GLOBAL ENTRY or TSA PRE✓
These rewards don’t come cheap. The card charges a $550