Is there a downside to having multiple credit cards open?

No. Having multiple credit cards can actually improve your credit score by lowering utilization and increasing available credit.

Do I need to spend a minimum each month to qualify for travel benefits?

Most cards do not require a monthly minimum. Some cards have annual spending thresholds, like $75,000 on the Amex Platinum for extra lounge guest access.

How long before a trip should we reach out?

The earlier the better. Airlines publish schedules 11–12 months out, and while award seats aren’t always released immediately, it helps to plan ahead.

Is there a minimum salary needed to qualify for your services?

No. Clients with both small and large annual spends can benefit. Strategies to maximize points and miles work regardless of income level.

What is the best credit card?

There is no single best card. The right choice depends on your spending habits, travel goals, and preferred transfer partners.

American Express Platinum: New Benefits, Higher Fee

As predicted, American Express relaunched their Platinum card today, September 18th with a bunch of new benefits along with a $200 increase in the annual fee. Thankfully, they only added new benefits worth a total of $1,480 and did not remove any. Let’s breakdown all the changes.

New Mirror Finish Design

This has absolutely nothing to do with the benefits of the card and only the aesthetics but American Express has launched a beautiful new card mirror finish design that I already ordered. All you have to do is go online and replace your card. Just choose “Change Card Design” as the reason for replacement and they’ll send you the new one. The card number will be the same and you can keep using your existing card until the new one arrives.

*New American Express Platinum Mirror Finish Design*

Annual Fee Increase

The bad news is that American Express is raising the annual fee on the Platinum card from $695 to $895 a year, making this the highest annual fee of any major credit card. That is a whopping 29% increase.

The only silver lining is that the annual fee increase only applies to new applicants and for existing cardholders who’s renewal is on or after January 2nd, 2026.

I hate seeing annual fees creep up and up every year, but American Express had added some pretty meaningful new credits that should take the sting out of the fee increase and these should make it easier to recoup your annual fee compared to before.

Hotel Credit Increasing to $600

Starting today the Hotel Credit is increasing from $200 a year to $600 a year. You’ll now get $300 in the first half and another $300 in the second half. Just like before, you’ll have to book a prepaid hotel on AmexTravel.com for either a one-night stay at any of their Fine Hotels and Resorts or a two-night stay at their Hotel Collection.

The good news is if you already used your $200 credit before today, you can use another $300 through the end of the year. You just have to book your stay in each half of the year, you don’t have to actually stay.

New $120 Uber One Credit

In addition to the existing $200 annual Uber credit, American Express Platinum cardholders can now also get a up to $120 in annual credits for enrolling in Uber One. This is a no brainer as it can save you money on Uber rides as well as Uber Eats.

$300 Digital Entertainment Credit

Previously cardmembers received $240 a year in digital entertainment credits in the form of $20 a month. Now you can receive up to $300 a year or $25 a month. Additionally they have added YouTube TV and YouTube Premium as qualifying merchants.

New $400 Resy Credit

Beginning today, cardholders will now receive up to $400 in credits when dining at any restaurant that uses Resy. This comes as $100 each quarter. Just like with the American Express Gold you do not need to actually make a reservation through Resy to get the credit. You can just show up and pay your bill with the card and you’ll receive the credit.

New $300 Lululemon Credit

You’ll also receive up to $300 in credits at Lululemon in the form of $75 each quarter. Buying gift cards should trigger this credit if you want to save them up for a bigger purchase. I purchased a $75 gift card today and will report back if it gets refunded. If you don’t ever shop at Lululemon, a gift card could make a nice present to someone who does.

New $200 Oura Ring Credit

For those who don’t know, Oura Ring is a wearable smart ring that monitors your various health metrics throughout the day. Their Oura Ring 4 starts at $349 so this credit can take more than half off the price. Or, if you and your spouse both have your own Amex Platinums like my wife and I do, you can do what I did and buy a $200 Oura gift card on one card and pay for the remainder on the other. I hope that gift card purchase counts.

New Leading Hotels of the World Sterling Status

You can now get complimentary Leaders Club Sterling Status with Leading Hotels of the World. This gets you 5% bonus points on all stays as well as 5 room upgrades each year before arrival. Leading Hotels of the World are pretty expensive properties and there aren’t a ton of them so this might be a pretty niche benefit.

Wrapping Up

I hate seeing credit cards annual fees increasing. It feels like it has been never ending, especially this summer. However, what American Express did to the Platinum seems really well thought out and the benefits they added are mostly super valuable. They’re things that I will actually get value out of every year. I’m impressed that they didn’t remove any benefits and only added new ones. While the Oura Ring credit and the Sterling Status with Leading Hotels of the World probably won’t be very useful to most people, the rest of them are.

What do you think about these changes?