How to Use American Express Travel

American Express travel is the online travel portal for American Express card members. It offers some discounts on cash bookings, as well as offers the opportunity tp use Membership Rewards points to book travel.

How to use the American Express Travel portal

Navigate to AmexTravel.com and enter search terms like you would on any other airline site or travel aggregator like Orbitz or Expedia. 

The user-friendly travel portal works like any other airline or travel aggregator website: choose the thing you want to search for (hotel, airline tickets, flight + hotel packages, rental cars and cruises) then select from options.

Booking hotels and resorts on Amex Travel

American Express Travel offers a lowest rate guarantee: if you book on AmEx Travel and see a lower price elsewhere, you can file a claim for a refund of the difference. 

Though the Fine Hotels Collection offers higher room rates at nicer hotels, those rooms can sometimes be a better deal than lower-tier hotels, given the extra time at the resort, room upgrade, free breakfast and property credit. This is especially true for last-minute deals.

Cards with access to American Express Travel

The following are some of the cards that include access to American Express Travel:

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Benefits and downsides to using Amex Travel

Benefits

• When you pay for Amex Travel reservation with certain eligible American Express cards, you may earn bonus points. Bonus rates and spending caps vary by card; check your specific card benefits for details. 
• You can pay for your reservation with points.
• You can upgrade your flight with points.  
• Platinum card members get access to Fine Hotels & Resorts collection.
• Platinum and Gold card members get access to The Hotel Collection.

Downsides

• Redeeming points through Amex Travel is not the highest value for your points. 
• Prices may not be competitive. Compare with Google Flights, the car rental company, and the hotel site directly before booking through Amex Travel. 
• Customer service can be complicated. Because this is effectively an online travel agency (OTA), you may have to navigate through several layers of customer service.

Julie Tremaine is an award-winning food and travel writer who’s exploring the world one bite at a time. Her work has appeared in outlets like Vulture, Wine Enthusiast, Travel + Leisure, CNN Travel and Departures, and she’s the theme parks editor for SFGATE. Read her work at Travel-Sip-Repeat.com.