What IHG hotel benefits do Amex Platinum cardholders get?

The Amex Platinum Hilton benefit offers Hilton Honors Gold status to cardholders who enroll in the Hilton Honors rewards program. The benefit provides its members with an 80% bonus on points earned during each stay, a free 5th night when booking a stay of 5+ nights, 2 free bottles of water per stay, and a complimentary breakfast for the cardholder and 1 guest. Cardholders are also eligible for late checkouts and complimentary room upgrades, when available. Without the benefit, a cardholder would have to book 40 nights at any of Hilton’s 14 hotel brands to qualify for Gold elite status.… read full answer

To get the Amex Platinum Hilton benefits, activate Hilton Honors Gold elite status by logging in to your Platinum account from the Amex benefits page and clicking the “Enroll Now” button. Once you’re enrolled, you’re immediately eligible for Gold status. But keep in mind that to receive the benefits, you must book your stay directly with a Hilton hotel property. Bookings through a third-party website such as Amex Travel do not earn Hilton points or Gold elite status perks.

To get American Express Platinum’s annual fee waived, call the American Express retention department at 1 (800) 452-3945. State that you’re considering cancelling or switching cards because of the high annual fee.

American Express typically does not waive annual fees entirely, but it may offer a side benefit to offset the Platinum card’s $550 annual fee. Retention offers traditionally include statement credits, bonus points or spending bonuses. If there’s no offer, a customer can always cancel the card. Downgrading to an American Express charge card with a lower annual fee is also an option.… read full answer

If you’re requesting an annual fee waiver because of financial hardship, American Express offers a financial relief program for eligible cardholders. If you qualify, American Express will waive the annual fee, but depending on the program, you may not be able to use your Platinum card while you’re enrolled.

There is still another way you could possibly get American Express Platinum’s annual fee waived. If you’re a military member who meets the requirements for benefits under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), American Express will waive Amex Platinum’s $550 annual fee every year that you’re on active duty. You’ll still get all of the card’s benefits, which include 5 points per $1 spent on airfare booked through Amex Travel, $200 annual credits for both airline fees and Uber rides, and more.