American Express

The best American Express Platinum card benefits are an initial bonus of 100,000 points, airport lounge access and an annual $200 airline fee credit. The American Express Platinum card also provides other travel-related perks, such as 5 points / $1 spent on travel booked directly through the American Express travel website, $200 in annual Uber credits, and 0% foreign transaction fees. On top of that, cardholders are eligible for car rental privileges, such as vehicle upgrades and discounts, along with complimentary Gold elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors loyalty programs.

The American Express Platinum card has plenty of traditional benefits, too. Those include up to $20,000 in trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage protection of up to $3,000 annually per person per trip, and car rental insurance. You'll also get extended product warranties, return protection and a $100 annual credit toward purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue.

The American Express Platinum card benefits do come at a high cost. The card's annual fee is a hefty $695. So, to determine if the card is worth the enormous price tag, you'll first need to assess how much you'll spend on it each year, then establish whether you'll be able to take full advantage of the assorted the American Express Platinum card benefits.

The best Amex Gold benefits are annual dinning credits, rental car insurance, baggage insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranties on purchases. The card also offers exclusive access to event tickets, dining credits, special perks at select hotels and more.

These benefits help soften the blow of the Gold Card's $250 annual fee, so make sure to get to know them well. Top Amex Gold Benefits:

Rental car insurance

Up to $50,000 in insurance for vehicles rented with the Gold card when you decline the rental agency's own insurance. Covers collision damage and theft on eligible vehicles.

Baggage insurance

Reimburses damage to or theft of luggage while traveling on a common carrier, such as a plane, train or bus. The coverage is up to $1,250 per person per trip for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage. There's a $10,000 maximum total per trip.

Purchase protection

Offers $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year in coverage for items you buy with the card that are damaged or stolen within 90 days.

Extended warranty

Adds one additional year to the existing manufacturer's warranty on items you buy with the card. The original warranty must be 5 years or fewer.

Entertainment access

Cardholders get access to exclusive presale tickets for concerts, sporting events, theater, etc. There are also special cardmember-only events.

Dining credit and Uber Cash

Up to $120 back annually ($10 per month) on purchases with Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. Plus, up to $120 in Uber Cash per year ($10 per month) for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.

The Hotel Collection

Credit of $100 per room per stay at select hotels each time you stay 2+ consecutive nights. Plus, perks like a free room upgrade when available.

In all, there are a lot of Amex Gold benefits. And the card offers plenty of other great features in addition to these perks, such as ample rewards and a 0% foreign transaction fee.

To log in to your Hilton American Express credit card account, go to the American Express website and enter your username and password in the box that says “Log In to My Account.” The login process is the same for the Hilton Honors American Express card, the Hilton Honors Surpass and Aspire cards, and other Amex credit cards. You can also use your username and password to sign in to the American Express app and manage your account through your mobile device.

If this is your first time logging in to your Hilton American Express account, you will need to create a username and password. To do so, click the link that says “Create New Online Account.” Then, put in your credit card number and your card's 4-digit security code to proceed. Once you have set up your username and password, you'll be able to log in and start managing your account.

Yes, the American Express Platinum card does offer a 100k bonus if you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months. Amex may also send you this offer if your credit profile is a good fit for the card. If you receive this type of offer and are approved for the American Express Platinum card, you must spend only $5,000 within 3 months from the date the account is approved in order to earn the 100k bonus.

Even though the American Express Platinum card 100k bonus for spending $5,000 within 3 months isn't available to everyone, the American Express Platinum card's regular bonus of 100,000 points for spending $6,000 in the first 6 months  is still a pretty good deal if you qualify. The points are worth enough to offset the cost of the American Express Platinum card's hefty $695 annual fee, at least for the first year.

Once you've met the spending requirement for the American Express Platinum card's bonus, which is $6,000 in the first 6 months either way, the points will post to your account within 8-12 weeks.

The 13 Amex Centurion Lounge locations are Charlotte (CLT), Dallas (DFW), Hong Kong (HKG), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK and LGA), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX), San Francisco (SFO) and Seattle (SEA). Two more locations are planned for Denver (DEN) and London (LHR).

Centurion Lounge access is complimentary to people who have Amex Centurion, Platinum or Delta SkyMiles Reserve cards, either the personal or business versions. All cardholders can enjoy free benefits like food and drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi, semi-private workspaces, TVs and newspapers. Certain locations may have extra features like spas, conference rooms or showers. Centurion cardholders get the best benefits at all lounges, with reserved seating and premium drinks.