How To Use the Amex Travel Portal to Book a Trip on Points

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When you use them wisely, credit cards can provide you with more value in rewards and perks than any fee you might pay to have the card.

For American Express cardholders, one way to redeem points is by booking flights, hotels, cars, and cruises through the Amex Travel portal.

Even if you're not using points, the portal can be a good option. That's because when you book a trip through it and pay with certain Amex cards, you may be able to earn additional perks like bonus points and room upgrades.

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How Does Amex Travel Work?

In many ways, the Amex travel portal is much like any other travel booking aggregator, like Expedia or Kayak. You simply plug in the details of where you want to go and when, and you'll see results. 

Any Amex customer can access the Amex travel portal, but you’ll score special travel perks specific to the portal if you have one of the following:

• *American Express Green Card®
• American Express® Gold Card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Business Gold Card
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

For example, Platinum cardholders earn 5x points on flights and pre-paid hotels booked through Amex Travel.

Some cards also have perks for Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, which are groups of high-end hotels, plus benefits like early check-in/late check-out and a $100 hotel credit toward additional charges during your stay.  

You can still view the portal even if you're not an Amex cardholder — maybe you're considering getting a card and want to check out the site first. But you won't be able to actually book anything, and sometimes you can't even see the rates unless you're logged in. 

Pay attention to prices on the portal

Sometimes the Amex travel portal is more expensive, but other times it has exclusive deals.

Other times, the prices are the same across booking websites, in which case you might find that the Amex Travel portal is worth it if you can earn extra points.

Also, a key advantage is that you can use Amex credit card points to pay for some or all of your travel — but consider all your options before booking. Sometimes transferring points to travel partners leads to higher redemption values through Amex Travel.

READ MORE: How To Travel for Free with Credit Cards

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How To Book Flights Through Amex Travel

Booking flights through Amex Travel is similar to using most other travel platforms. 

To start, go to AmericanExpress.com, click on the “Travel” tab at the top, and “Book a Trip.” In the mobile app, go to the “Membership” tab and scroll down to “Book Travel.” 

In both cases, you'll end up on the main booking page. It may default to the “Hotels” tab, depending on how you got there, so be sure to click on the right tab for the type of travel you want to book. 

You can log in first or enter the trip details first — which will then take you to a login page before proceeding.

Next, you'll see a list of flight options to choose from, with the prices for paying in dollars versus Amex points.

Once you select the flight you want, you'll go through a few typical booking pages, like confirming the traveler or entering new traveler information if you're booking for a non-cardholder. 

You'll also choose whether or not to accept trip insurance, with options varying by location. 

As you get to the end of this booking process, you'll come to the payment page, where you can choose if you want to use points, your credit card, or installment payments. 

If you don't have enough points to pay for the trip in full, you can use a combination of points and your credit card.

If you want to maximize your points, you can sort by Membership Rewards® points.

Also, you'll see that with Amex Platinum cards (for personal or business), you get discounts on “recommended flights” on certain routes from Delta or Alaska Airlines.

How To Book Hotels Through Amex Travel

Booking hotels through Amex Travel is basically the same process as booking a flight — you're just entering details about where you want to stay, rather than where you want to fly.

For certain locations, you'll often first see results from Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, which are typically luxury hotels offered at a discount (though still relatively expensive) rate. 

These could also be high-end recommendations that some Amex cards provide additional perks for, like late check-out.

But the Amex Travel portal isn't limited to these collections. You can book other types of hotels, some of which might be at a discounted rate too, both in terms of dollars and points. 

And some offerings (but not all) have a lowest rates guarantee, which means Amex will price match if you find a cheaper listing after booking — though there are exclusions, such as if the discount is based on a group rate or AAA rate.

Once you choose the hotel you want, you'll select the type of room and how you want to pay: upfront with a card, with points, or at the hotel when you get there. 

If you don't have enough points to pay in full, you can combine payment options.

How To Book Other Trips Through Amex Travel

In addition to flights and hotels, you can also book cars, cruises, or travel packages. 

The process is basically the same: Just select the relevant tab from the main travel page and enter the details of the trip you want to take.

Using Points vs. Cash with Amex Travel

Deciding whether to use points versus cash (or technically your card) depends on the deals you can get, how many points you have, and what you value. 

One way to look at it is to convert your points to cents. Some travel sites say Amex points are typically worth 1 cent each, though some say they can be worth up to 2 cents each. 

In general, the range is typically 0.5 to 2 cents per point. 

It's hard to make direct comparisons, but if you find that paying in points gives you more than a one-cent-per-point value, that could be an indicator to go with points. 

For example, if a hotel room is $500 in dollars but only 25,000 points, that means each point is worth 2 cents, so it's likely a good value to use points, as you're redeeming at the high end of the scale. 

Another way to look at that equation is to consider 25,000 points to be worth $250 (1 cent each), so if that amount is less than the cash price, you might go with points.

However, it's highly variable based on the specific situation. For example, perhaps you want to save your points for a bigger fully paid trip, without feeling guilt over splurging.

READ MORE: How To Earn Credit Card Points Fast for Travel

Redeeming Outside Amex Travel

Part of the points versus cash decision also depends on if you can convert Amex points to other travel partners' reward systems for a better value. 

Amex has several travel partners, including major airlines like Delta and Emirates, as well as hotel brands like Marriott and Hilton. The Amex website specifies the conversion for each brand, as different brands have different point value systems. 

Note that Amex charges a small fee on airline partner conversions ($0.0006 per point, up to $99 maximum), and has different minimum transfer values and transfer times among different travel partners.

For the most part, transferring is simple. You can select the partner you want to transfer the points to online and follow the prompts to complete the transfer amount, or you can call or use live chat for support.

READ MORE: How To Use Credit Card Points for Travel

FAQs

Who can access the Amex Travel portal?

The Amex Travel portal is available for any American Express cardholder to use. You can also gain partial browsing functionality just by visiting AmexTravel.com.

Are flights more expensive on Amex Travel?

Flights are sometimes more expensive on Amex Travel, but it depends. Your best chances to find a discount are typically when booking Delta or Alaska Airlines flights through Amex Travel.

Does Amex Travel price match?

In many cases, American Express Travel does not price match, except when there's a lowest price guarantee for some hotels. 

In that case, Amex will refund the difference between the rates after you book through Amex, although it has certain exclusions such as when a discounted hotel rate is not available to the general public.

TL;DR: Is Amex Travel Worth It?

While the Amex Travel portal sometimes has good deals, rates are often higher than if you book through other travel platforms or directly through travel brands. 

So, it's good to compare costs before booking, including looking at points redemption values if you transfer Amex points to a partner.

The best opportunities to use Amex Travel are typically when:

• Prices are equivalent to other booking sites and you can earn additional points by booking directly through Amex (applies to some cards, not all).
• You can take advantage of perks like credits with Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection.
• You can find a discount such as with a hotel + flight bundle or recommended flights.

That said, if you don't want to spend time bargain-hunting, Amex Travel is certainly convenient, and American Express is known for having high-quality customer service. Just note that Amex is often limited in what they can accommodate based on the policies of the underlying airline, hotel, etc.

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