American Express handed hotel-lovers with the American Express Platinum Card® a major blow this week by making a long-rumored change official: Starting next year, you’ll need to book at least a two-night stay at Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) to use up those twice-a-year $300 credits. But if you’re more of the Airbnb type, there’s tremendous upside.
A new partnership between the bank and the homestay platform unlocks a slew of new benefits that turn the Platinum Card into arguably the best option for Airbnbs, period. That includes:
- Prepaid Airbnb Luxe bookings – again, with a minimum two-night stay – are now eligible for the card’s annual hotel credits of up to $600
- Booking an eligible Airbnb Luxe via Amex Travel unlocks a new statement credit of up to $250 for Airbnb Experiences to use through the rest of that calendar – and that’s not a one-and-done benefit but something you can do annually!
- And the biggest win of all: Platinum cardholders can now earn 5x points per dollar booking Airbnbs via Amex Travel – on virtually any listing, not just Luxe properties
These changes apply to both personal Platinum cards and *biz platinum*, too. The American Express® Gold Card will earn 2x points on Airbnb bookings, while the Amex Green will continue to earn 3x on all direct travel bookings, which has always included Airbnb.
While travelers are no doubt salty about losing the ability to book single-night stays at FHR properties to use up their $300 twice a year, those Airbnb benefits are nothing to scoff at. Earning 5x points is the biggest of the bunch.
The only hitch is that Platinum cardholders must link their Amex and Airbnb accounts and book their Airbnb stay through Amex Travel’s new portal – or at least that’s what the terms and conditions say. But fortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll pay more than booking directly through Airbnb itself.
Our initial research shows that rates booking Airbnbs through Amex Travel are identical to the platform itself. So unlike many other credit card portals, it doesn’t appear Amex is padding the price to book Airbnbs – at least for now.
For example, here’s a three-night stay at a cute Airbnb an hour-and-change north of Minneapolis for $854.71, including taxes and fees.
Here’s the exact same stay I found after searching on Amex Travel and linking my accounts: Again, exactly $854.71, with the exact same travel insurance offer. Only in this case, I’d also earn 4,273 Amex points by putting it on my Platinum Card.
Thrifty Tip: It’s still worth checking out this clever workaround to see if you can save by booking properties listed on Airbnb directly or on other platforms! While I wouldn’t earn 5x points, I could book that same stay for $190 less!
Bottom Line
Amex’s seemingly brutal changes to the valuable hotel credits on the Platinum Card have an upside – at least for Airbnb aficionados.
