The Platinum Card from American Express
A lounge-and-credits card priced as a subscription: the fee buys access and a monthly coupon book, not a strong earn rate.
- Annual fee
- $895
- What the fee buys
- Lounge access, hotel status, monthly statement credits
- The decision
- Value only the credits you'd spend on anyway, then compare
Fits
Frequent flyers based near Centurion or Delta lounges who clear the recurring credits without changing plans.
Doesn't fit
Two-trips-a-year travellers, and anyone who has to reroute spending to claim a credit.
What changed on this card
Documented changes only. If we haven't verified it against the issuer's own terms, it isn't on this timeline.
- Worse for you
Annual fee moved to $895 alongside a rebundled set of credits
The fee rose faster than the usable value for most holders. Re-price the card on the new terms before your renewal date, and consider a product change rather than a cancellation.
Read the analysis → - Worse for you
Lounge network capacity tightened as cardholder numbers grew
Access is worth what you'd have paid times the visits you actually make. If you're turned away at peak hours from your home airport, the headline benefit is worth less than the sticker.
Read the analysis →
What's the answer for this card?
What we checked
- 1The Platinum Card from American Express — card terms and benefits
American Express — Published annual fee and the current list of statement credits and benefits.
- 2The Centurion Lounge — access rules
American Express — Who gets in, and the guest rules that determine real-world value.
- 3Issue spotlight: credit card rewards
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Federal analysis of how rewards, credits, and devaluations work in practice.