It's a good card if you travel extensively and I mean extensively. If not there are better options.
One thing is for sure ... it doesn't carry the prestige it once did.
Only you can decide if the Amex Platinum is worth it or not. You have to take a holistic approach and evaluate the benefits and determine what your effective net annual fee is. You also have to remember to use the credits.
If you're like me and get a thrill out of couponing, it's actually one of the best cards you can get 
@visionsdivine wrote:Only you can decide if the Amex Platinum is worth it or not. You have to take a holistic approach and evaluate the benefits and determine what your effective net annual fee is. You also have to remember to use the credits.
If you're like me and get a thrill out of couponing, it's actually one of the best cards you can get
Yes I was into the couponing but had to change over to Ventura X for my sanity.
I had to go look at the credits that supposedly offset the AF. Yes I did use the United workaround however it took me 4 years of saving that credit before I actually flew United and I probably won't again for a long time so that credit I didn't add when I redid my math. I didn't add the entertainment credits because I was using those on a Disney Duo for my family who doesn't watch much Disney now.
The $50 saks credit well I guess I could say is worth $15 as that's about what I would spend on a wallet that looks like the name brand that they sell for $49.99
Global entry and Precheck was a god send since my kids were companion card holders and got it free. But now they will be on there own so we have other cards that give P1/P2 the credit.
Then you have Ubereates it's great for that Saturday lunch if you want to just pick something up when your football game is at halftime.
So many people do have time to make this work however would I shop at Saks if not for the credit Nope. Would I have a Ubereates account again nope. Would I have united flights nope.
I talked myself into so much BS stuff to buy (since it got 5x-15x or $10 back if you spent $50) that I'm sure I was one of those who Amex loved because I was spending on things I would normally not buy.
All said if you just add the coupons without looking at them and then hit them with regular spend awesome. But please don't go looking for deals just because Amex says you can get 5x or $15 back.
I recently downgraded my plat card after holding it for 2-3 years. Is that a good offer? Yes. Would I pull a trigger on that offer? Probably but it depends on your specific needs/goals. As one other poster mentioned a gold card signup of 100k that is something I would be all over if I did not have a gold card. Why? Lower AF and the gold card has decent bonus spend categories. I use it for all my dining/grocery shopping so it gets pretty consistent and heavy use. So if you have a 100k gold option I would go for that first unless the benefits I talk about below really will be of use to you.
So lets talk about the plat card. For me I use it primarily for travel and has a lounge card. I get 5x points for booking directly with airlines which is nice given that I do a fair amount of international travel and will often be booking on more obscure regional airlines when in a certain area of the globe. It gives me lounge access and I have centurion lounges at some of the airports I use. It also gives Delta lounge access if you fly Delta. There is also priority pass lounge access although if you just wanted that i would recommend looking into the cap 1 Venture X with its very easy to use travel credit.
It gives me Hilton/Marriott gold status. That doesn't do much for me but it can be good for a late checkout sometimes. The gold status with Hilton is a bit more useful. I tend to focus most of my stays with Hyatt where I have status and I have plat status with IHG. If I was heavy into staying with Hilton or Marriott then I would pick up a specific hotel card for higher level status with those brands. The Hilton Aspire card can be a good alternative because it will give you the priority pass lounge access and diamond status along with some other benefits if you are a Hilton person.
If you don't have gloabl entry you can get that and CLEAR. Global entry is worth getting. Clear I find tends to waste my time more often than it saves it. A number of cards offer global entry, although you can use the credit to buy it for someone else if you already have it.
The digital credit I was able to use on a Hulu/Disney/ESPN bundle.
I have no problem using the monthly Uber credit since I live in a city that has uber eats so if I am not taking an uber I can still order restaurant delivery.
There is a $200 airline credit which went right into the United travel bank although it has other uses if you fly domestic.
There is a $200 credit for Fine Hotels and Resorts when you book through Amex travel. Not only do you get $200 off the bill but you get a number of benefits like potential room upgrades and property credits, free breakfast for two etc. For me this was of a use in areas of the world where hotels are not super expensive, because I could stay in a top of the line hotel for minimal spend. If you are staying at a $1300 a night hotel then that $200 credit isn't going to feel like much of a dent so it really depends on your individual goals.
All in all I was able to come out ahead with my Amex plat card, but everybody's situation is unique. I just downgraded mine to a green a few weeks ago, because there was no retention offer and I don't have any immediate upcoming travel that would require its use. If you can utilize all those benefits (and you were going to actually spend on most of these benefits anyway) then it can be worth it. Still I would give the gold card a look if you don't have it. Really like that card.
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@Saleen099 wrote:
@red259 wrote:I recently downgraded my plat card after holding it for 2-3 years. Is that a good offer? Yes. Would I pull a trigger on that offer? Probably but it depends on your specific needs/goals. As one other poster mentioned a gold card signup of 100k that is something I would be all over if I did not have a gold card. Why? Lower AF and the gold card has decent bonus spend categories. I use it for all my dining/grocery shopping so it gets pretty consistent and heavy use. So if you have a 100k gold option I would go for that first unless the benefits I talk about below really will be of use to you.
So lets talk about the plat card. For me I use it primarily for travel and has a lounge card. I get 5x points for booking directly with airlines which is nice given that I do a fair amount of international travel and will often be booking on more obscure regional airlines when in a certain area of the globe. It gives me lounge access and I have centurion lounges at some of the airports I use. It also gives Delta lounge access if you fly Delta. There is also priority pass lounge access although if you just wanted that i would recommend looking into the cap 1 Venture X with its very easy to use travel credit.
It gives me Hilton/Marriott gold status. That doesn't do much for me but it can be good for a late checkout sometimes. The gold status with Hilton is a bit more useful. I tend to focus most of my stays with Hyatt where I have status and I have plat status with IHG. If I was heavy into staying with Hilton or Marriott then I would pick up a specific hotel card for higher level status with those brands. The Hilton Aspire card can be a good alternative because it will give you the priority pass lounge access and diamond status along with some other benefits if you are a Hilton person.
If you don't have gloabl entry you can get that and CLEAR. Global entry is worth getting. Clear I find tends to waste my time more often than it saves it. A number of cards offer global entry, although you can use the credit to buy it for someone else if you already have it.
The digital credit I was able to use on a Hulu/Disney/ESPN bundle.
I have no problem using the monthly Uber credit since I live in a city that has uber eats so if I am not taking an uber I can still order restaurant delivery.
There is a $200 airline credit which went right into the United travel bank although it has other uses if you fly domestic.
There is a $200 credit for Fine Hotels and Resorts when you book through Amex travel. Not only do you get $200 off the bill but you get a number of benefits like potential room upgrades and property credits, free breakfast for two etc. For me this was of a use in areas of the world where hotels are not super expensive, because I could stay in a top of the line hotel for minimal spend. If you are staying at a $1300 a night hotel then that $200 credit isn't going to feel like much of a dent so it really depends on your individual goals.
All in all I was able to come out ahead with my Amex plat card, but everybody's situation is unique. I just downgraded mine to a green a few weeks ago, because there was no retention offer and I don't have any immediate upcoming travel that would require its use. If you can utilize all those benefits (and you were going to actually spend on most of these benefits anyway) then it can be worth it. Still I would give the gold card a look if you don't have it. Really like that card.
How does the allocation of the $200 airline credit into the United travel bank reflect a nuanced consideration of domestic travel preferences, given its potential applicability across broader contexts?
I don't understand the question. My point is that is how I used it but I fly mainly international on foreign carriers so its more difficult for me to use the credit vs someone who flies frequently on US domestic airlines that can apply the credit to other purchases they may already be making.