Official application link: The Platinum Card® from American Express with a 60,000-point bonus.

You have plenty of choices if you’re looking for a premium credit card, but The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the top options for several reasons. The $550 annual fee (see rates & fees) may seem intimidating at first, but the card’s travel and lifestyle benefits offer thousands of dollars in value.

60,000-Point Welcome Bonus

TPG values the 60,000 Amex points you’ll earn after spending $5,000 in the first three months at whopping $1,200, which alone more than makes up for the first year’s annual fee.

60,000 points can get you some great redemptions, especially when you transfer them to airline partners. You could book a round-trip business-class award to Hawaii through the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program, or utilize British Airways’ distance-based award chart to book four domestic round-trip flights that are less than 1,151 miles in length.

Up to $500 in Credits Each Year

Here’s how that breaks down annually (terms apply):

- Up to $200 airline incidental fee credit

- Up to $200 in Uber credits in the US (good for Uber Eats as well as rides)

- $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit (two $50 credits, one per each half of the year)

Official application link: The Platinum Card® from American Express with a 60,000-point bonus.

5x Points on Airfare, and on Hotels Booked Through Amex Travel

For both airfare purchased directly from the airline and booked through Amex Travel, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar with the Amex Platinum, equal to a 10% return based on our valuations. You’ll also earn 5x points on prepaid hotel bookings made through Amex Travel.

Best (and Most) Airport Lounge Access of Any Credit Card

- Centurion Lounge access for you and two companions. Centurion Lounges stand out for offering a high-end selection of food and drink, and the lounges themselves are generally more comfortable than the competition. The current locations are Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, Las Vegas, New York-LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Miami, San Francisco and Seattle.

- Delta Sky Club access when you’re flying Delta.

- Priority Pass lounge access — there are more than 1,000 lounges in the global network.

- Airspace lounge access — with locations at Cleveland, New York’s JFK and San Diego airports.

- Escape lounge access — locations at eight airports across the US and UK.

- Plaza Premium lounge access — with more than 50 locations around the world.

Official application link: The Platinum Card® from American Express with a 60,000-point bonus.

Complimentary Hotel Elite Status

- Gold elite status in the Hilton Honors program — This gets you an 80% points bonus, space-available room upgrades, complimentary breakfast and more

- Gold elite status in the new Marriott program — This gets you a 25% points bonus, priority late checkout, a welcome gift and more.

Airfare Savings

With the International Airline Program, you’ll get discounts on first, business and premium economy tickets.

Up to $300 of Shipboard Credit

With the Cruise Privileges Program, you can get up to $300 to use onboard your cruise when you book a trip of at least five nights through Amex.

Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit Every Four Years

Choose Global Entry, since it includes TSA PreCheck membership for free, and remember that you can gift your Amex Platinum credit to someone else if you’re already enrolled.

SoulCycle Benefits

Enroll to receive perks like SuperSoul status, three complimentary classes when you purchase a series of 20, 10 First Time Free passes to provide to new riders and more.

Travel Protection

As of Jan. 1, if you book a round-trip flight entirely with your Amex Platinum and the flight is canceled for a “covered reason” — including inclement weather, terrorist action, call to jury, sudden illness or injury to you or an eligible traveler — you may receive reimbursement of non-refundable travel expenses of up to $10,000 per trip, with a maximum of up to $20,000 per eligible account for each consecutive 12-month period. In addition, if your trip is delayed by more than six hours due to a covered reason, the new trip delay insurance will reimburse unexpected expenses — such as meals, lodging and personal-use items — up to $500 per trip.

Official application link: The Platinum Card® from American Express with a 60,000-point bonus.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.

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