Is AMEX The Right Fit For You?
Techstars has given TravelFli the opportunity to talk freely with many individuals that make up our core demographics (frequent flyers that take 4+ trips per year, accumulate miles for business travel and use them for personal trips with family). A lot of different frequent flyer programs are discussed during these conversations, but one in particular seems to be far more popular than the others with our core demographic: The American Express Membership Rewards Card.
Let’s take a quick look at this card because we think it’s a great option for travelers that fit a certain profile…i.e., you appreciate flexibility, aren’t loyal to a single carrier and religiously pay your bills each month.
First and foremost, Amex isn’t a credit card. It’s a charge card. So you gotta pay off the balance each month or they’ll dock the points you’ve earned in that statement unless you buy them back. If you’re not one of those people, you may stop reading this post now - I won’t be offended.
Secondly, the card isn’t free (what is, anymore?) Depending on which one you choose, Green, Gold or Platinum, the annual fees are $100, $300 and $500, respectively. Unless you are a hard core frequent flyer who values the perks attached to the more expensive cards, the Green card is clearly the most reasonable option.
The real beauty of the AMEX Rewards card is in it’s redemption flexibility. You can redeem points with over 22 airlines (mostly on a 1:1 ratio), 15,000 hotels (transfer rates vary by hotel), cruises, car rentals, rail, dining, vacation packages, and more. Generally speaking, one dollar spent equals one Membership Rewards point, although they provide a bunch of bonus deals for select purchases.
Points never expire, and some of the cards allow you to ‘borrow’ points if you come up short on a redemption, as long as you ‘earn’ them within twelve months (or they’ll charge you for them).
The American Express Membership Rewards program is a very popular choice for serious travelers who don’t want to be loyal to one airline, but would rather have the flexibility to choose the best carrier/hotel/car, etc. for your specific travel plans.
