American Express Credit Card Reviews

Yes. The Amex lounge at JFK International Airport in New York opened on October 9, 2020. Access to JFK's American Express Centurion Lounge­­ is complimentary for Amex Platinum, Centurion, and Delta SkyMiles Reserve card members. Cardholders must present a boarding pass, a valid Amex card, and a government-issued ID to enter the lounge (located in Terminal 4).

Platinum cardholders are allowed to bring two guests into the lounge free of charge. Centurion cardholders can either bring two guests, or a domestic partner/spouse and any children under 18, at no additional cost. Any guests for Delta SkyMiles Reserve card members––or for Platinum and Centurion card members beyond their complimentary guests––can be admitted with the purchase of a $50 day pass at the time of entry. All guests must be accompanied by the card member to access the JFK lounge.

With 15,000 square-feet of space, the JFK Centurion lounge features multiple bars, buffets, self-serve drink stations, and shower rooms. There is also a restorative therapies lab with self-guided meditation and stretching, free Wi-Fi, and an expansive view of the airport's planes and runways. The lounge is home to many semi-private rooms for those looking to work in peace and plenty of open seating for people who prefer to relax and watch TV.

One notable feature of the JFK Centurion lounge is its “1850” speakeasy bar, which can be found behind a hidden door on the bottom floor. This bar recalls the founding date of American Express as well as the Prohibition era.

Due to COVID-19, some of the amenities in the JFK Centurion lounge are currently operating at limited capacity.

The Platinum Card® from American Express airline credit pays you back for up to $200 in fees from one airline every year. This credit applies to fees charged for things like checked baggage, date changes, pet travel, in-flight purchases and more. To get the The Platinum Card® from American Express airline credit, you just have to tell American Express which airline you want the credit to apply to. Then, Amex will automatically reimburse you with statement credits after that airline charges fees to your card. To choose your airline, simply log in to your Amex account, or call their Travel Service at (800) 263-1616.

Here's how the airline credit works:

• Amex automatically gives you $200 per year for fees from one specific airline.
• You can choose your preferred airline by logging in to your account on American Express Travel Online and selecting from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can call the The Platinum Card® from American Express Travel Service at (800) 263-1616.
• You can select your preferred airline at any time during the first year your account is open. But you can't change your pick whenever you want. You can only make a change from January 1 to January 31 each year. Otherwise, Amex will use the same airline you picked previously.
• Unused airline credits do not roll over from year to year. You get no more than $200 each year.
• The Platinum Card® from American Express airline credit covers fees for: baggage, date changes, bringing pets, picking your seat ahead of time, reservations by phone, in-flight purchases (food, drinks, entertainment), and extra guest passes for airport lounges.
• The card's airline credit does not apply to: airfare, services provided by third parties (e.g. Wi-Fi), gift cards (officially; some people say it works), fees for transferring points, using a travel agent, duty-free purchases or insurance.

With this card's airline credit, you don't need to worry about $200 in fees that you'd normally have to pay out of pocket each year. And aside from designating which airline you want the credit for, you don't have to do anything to redeem.

Your first $200 in eligible charges each year will automatically be taken care of. Your transaction history will show “AMEX Airline Fee Reimbursement,” with the dollar amount Amex subtracted from your balance.

The American Express Platinum card Priority Pass benefit gives you access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world. It's a $429-per-year value. Plus, Priority Pass is just one of the six chains of airport lounges that American Express Platinum card gives you access to for free. It also gets you into The Centurion® Lounge, International American Express Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, Delta SkyClub, Airspace and Escape Lounges. You can use the Amex lounge finder tool to see which lounges are in the airport you're headed to.

Out of all the lounge programs you get access to with American Express Platinum card, Priority Pass is special because it's the only one that requires enrollment. You'll need a membership card, not just American Express Platinum card, to enter Priority Pass lounges.

Here's how to get your American Express Platinum card Priority Pass benefit:

1. Log into your Amex account with your username and password.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to enroll.
3. Wait for your card to arrive. It should take 10-14 business days.

If you don't want to enroll online, you can do it by phone at (800) 801 6564. Once you receive your membership card in the mail, just show it at the entrance to any Priority Pass lounge and you'll be admitted. You can bring in guests, too, although individual lounges can limit the number of people you're allowed. Once inside, you'll get to enjoy amenities like free food and beverages, Wifi, comfortable seating, and more.

The American Express Black Card's requirements are rumored to include being an Amex cardholder for at least a year, spending over $100,000 annually on American Express credit cards, and annual income of at least $1 million. You'll probably need to have an excellent credit score, too. To be clear, these things only get you an invitation to apply for the card. So that's just the bare minimum needed. There is a steep "initiation fee" of $10,000 and an annual fee of $5000.

Amex doesn't publicize many details about its Black Card (also known as the American Express Centurion Card), so it's hard to say exactly what the approval requirements are. But recently, Amex added an invitation request form to the website, so if you want to get on Amex's Black Card radar, fill out the form here.

Amex is a nickname for American Express, which is one of the largest financial services corporations in the world. Amex was founded on March 18, 1850 and began as a mail delivery business. But it now is a provider of credit cards, charge cards, traveler's cheques, bank accounts and more.

Amex is probably best known for its credit cards. American Express is one of the four major American credit card networks, the others being Visa, Mastercard and Discover. Some of the best available Amex cards include the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express for bonus cash back, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express for $0 annual fee, and the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card for business owners. In addition, Amex is the only major credit card company that offers charge cards, where the balance must be paid in full every month. Those include American Express Platinum card, which is great for travel, and the extremely exclusive Centurion® Card from American Express, also known as the “Black” card.

Amex is similar to Discover in that both networks issue their own credit cards. Visa and Mastercard do not; all of their cards are issued by banks and credit unions. Amex has the lowest merchant acceptance rate of the four issuers both domestically and abroad.