American Express Membership Rewards points are often most valuable when transferred to airline and hotel partners, but that’s not the only way to use them. The American Express Travel portal gives cardmembers a simpler option: booking flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises directly through Amex using points, cash or a mix of both.

Depending on your card, booking through Amex Travel can also unlock perks like bonus points on travel purchases and luxury hotel benefits through Fine Hotels + Resorts. Still, there are trade-offs to consider, including lower redemption values on some bookings and the limitations that come with third-party reservations.

Here’s what you need to know about how the Amex Travel portal works, when it makes sense to book through it and how to maximize its benefits.

What is the American Express Travel portal?

Amex Travel is the booking portal for most American Express cards. You can book flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises using the site. Plus, you can pay with points, cash or a combination of the two.

How to book flights on the Amex Travel portal

To find flights on American Express Travel, visit the portal’s flight booking page. The flight booking process on the Amex Travel portal is similar to other popular sites like Kayak and Orbitz. You’ll find a search box where you can enter your departure and destination cities.

If you’re flexible with your departure airport, you can choose an entire city with multiple airports, such as New York City. Additionally, you can customize your booking by selecting your preferred class and the number of travelers, and choosing between one-way and round-trip flights.

You’ll see the price listed in dollars and Amex Membership Rewards points during the booking process.

You can also use the options on the left-hand side to filter flights by number of stops, departure and arrival times, flight duration and airline.

Delta Air Lines is a featured airline in the Amex Travel portal. Sometimes, Delta flights appear at the top of your results, listed as “recommended,” but this doesn’t mean those flights are always the cheapest or the best.

Additionally, if you have the American Express Platinum Card® or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and are flying from an airport with a Centurion Lounge, you’ll see an indicator that a lounge is available.

Since these cards both carry annual fees of $895, you’ll want to pay close attention to any chance you have to take advantage of their benefits (see rates and fees for the Amex Platinum and see rates and fees for the Amex Business Platinum).

Points vs. cash

When paying for your flights on American Express Travel®, several American Express cards offer elevated earning rates:

You can also pay for your flight with Amex Membership Rewards points.

You’ll see the number of points required next to the cash price of a flight. You can expect a value of 1 cent per point when using Pay with Points. However, TPG’s May 2026 valuations value Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece when you maximize Amex’s transfer partners.

It’s important to compare the number of points required for bookings on Amex Travel with the points you’d need to transfer to an airline program. If you can’t book a flight through transfer partners and prefer to use your points, Amex Travel remains an option.

If you’re an Amex Business Platinum Card member, you get to enjoy an extra benefit when using Amex Travel. You can get 35% of your points back when paying with points through the Amex Travel portal (up to 1 million points back per calendar year).

This applies to eligible flights booked with your selected airline (the same one used for your up to $200 airline incidental credit that you receive each calendar year; enrollment is required in advance).

This 35% points bonus can provide a value of 1.54 cents per point, which may influence your decision to pay with cash or points.

Similarly, the Business Centurion® Card from American Express offers a 50% Pay with Points bonus on eligible flights (up to 3 million points back per calendar year). Note that Centurion cards are available by invitation only.

The information for the Business Centurion Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

More details about flights through Amex Travel

During the payment process, you can use points, your card or a combination of both. Each point is valued at 1 cent.

You can upgrade your flights using cash or points in the Amex Travel portal. This generally gives you a return of 1 cent each, and you can book using your Amex card, points or a combination of both.

During your flight search, you might come across “Insider Fares” that offer a discounted price. But to benefit from the discount, you must have enough points to cover the entire fare amount.

Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum cardmembers also have the ability to purchase discounted premium tickets through Amex Travel’s International Airline Program. This program offers discounts on first-class, business-class and premium economy tickets from over 30 participating airlines.

To book a premium ticket using the IAP, go to the Amex Travel portal and pay with cash or points. The Amex Business Platinum’s 35% points bonus can be applied here (up to 1 million points back per calendar year).

Keep in mind that not all flights are eligible, and there are restrictions:

• The cardmember must travel on the itinerary.
• A maximum of eight tickets can be booked per itinerary; travel must begin and end in the U.S. or Canadian international airports.
• Tickets are nonrefundable unless stated otherwise.
• Tickets are not transferable, and name changes for passengers are not allowed.

Finally, note that flights booked through Amex Travel are typically treated as normal paid tickets, meaning you’re eligible to earn points or miles with participating airline loyalty programs.

Related: Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners: Redeem your points with airlines and hotels

How to book hotels on the Amex Travel portal

You can book hotels through American Express Travel with a personal or business Gold, Platinum or Centurion card. As with other travel portals, you can input your destination, dates, number of rooms and number of guests (with separate input fields for adults and children).

Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum cardmembers earn 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotel reservations made with Amex Travel.

Amex Business Gold cardmembers earn 3 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotel reservations made on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™, while Amex Gold cardmembers earn 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotel reservations made on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App.

After selecting your hotel, you’ll choose your preferred room and pay with points or cash. If you pay with points, you’ll only get a value of 0.7 cents per point (compared to 1 cent when you book flights).

Note that these are considered third-party bookings, so you likely won’t earn hotel points or elite credits for your stay. While there are reports of people receiving stay credits with Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors on rooms booked through Amex Travel, the hotel is not guaranteed to recognize your elite status in these programs or provide status-qualifying stay credits.

Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts

Platinum and Centurion cardmembers also have access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts program through Amex Travel. This can add some great benefits to your hotel stays and may not cost much more than booking directly with the hotel.

Here are the perks you’ll receive with every FHR booking, regardless of the length of your stay:

• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Daily breakfast for two people: The provided breakfast must be, at a minimum, a continental breakfast.
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• Noon check-in when available
• Room upgrade upon arrival (when available): Some room types may be excluded, but you could receive an upgrade to preferred rooms with better views or a better location in the hotel.
• Unique property amenity: The amenity varies by hotel but should be valued at $100 or more; it usually consists of a property credit, dining credit, spa credit, private airport transfer or similar amenity.

You’ll need to book these stays through Amex Travel, but note that FHR is considered a separate program from standard Amex Travel bookings.

In addition, if you have the Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum, you can also get up to $600 in statement credits every calendar year (up to $300 semi-annually) for prepaid reservations through Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection, which we’ll discuss next. (Minimum two-night stay for Hotel Collection bookings required.)

Related: A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi

The Hotel Collection

A lesser-known American Express benefit is The Hotel Collection, which allows you to book in cash or with points. Those with Amex Gold, Platinum and Centurion cards have access to this program, which offers the following benefits:

• A room upgrade at check-in, when available
• Noon check-in when available
• Late checkout when available
• $100 on-property credit toward eligible charges, varying by property

Note that The Hotel Collection bookings require a minimum stay of two nights, but consumer Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cardmembers can use up to $300 in Hotel Collection statement credits semiannually to help offset the cost of that requirement.

How to book rental cars and cruises through the Amex Travel portal

Reserving a car through the Amex Travel portal is relatively simple. You’ll start by inputting your pickup and drop-off times and location.

You’ll see rental car prices listed in cash and points when you select to sort your results by “Lowest Points.” When using Pay with Points, your points are worth 0.7 cents, which is just over a third of TPG’s valuation of Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents per point.

Although the format differs, you can also search for cruises on Amex Travel.

Rather than typing specific dates and numbers of passengers, you’ll see four drop-down menus. These allow you to choose a destination (by region), filter by cruise lines and choose a month for travel (though not specific dates) on this first page. You can also select your desired cruise duration.

From here, you can filter by cruise duration, departure port and ship. You can sort your results by sailing date, value or price.

On the final payment page, you can use your card or redeem points, ranging from 1 point to enough to cover the entire cost. Using points for a cruise will result in a low valuation of 0.7 cents per point, but it can be a money-saving option if you prefer not to spend cash.

If you’re a Platinum or Centurion cardmember (including both the personal and business versions of these cards), the Cruise Privileges Program is another benefit available to you.

This is available on cruises of five nights or more with select cruise lines, and it offers the following perks:

• $100-$300 onboard ship credit per cabin
• Additional onboard amenities vary by line, such as spa vouchers, a bottle of Champagne, shore excursion credits or a private ship tour
• One extra Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on a cruise booked through Amex Travel

Note that the Platinum cardmember must be one of the travelers on the cruise to enjoy these benefits.

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

Further things to consider about Amex Travel

When booking through Amex Travel, there are a few factors to consider.

First, using Amex Membership Rewards points on Amex Travel may not provide the best value compared to transferring points to airline or hotel loyalty programs. The Pay with Points feature typically values points at 0.7 to 1 cent per point, which is far lower than TPG’s valuation at 2 cents per point.

Additionally, the prices on Amex Travel may not always be the most competitive, so we recommend checking other platforms like Google Flights before booking your travel. Also, booking directly with hotels is best for those looking to use elite status benefits.

When you need to change your upcoming trips booked through Amex Travel, it can get complicated. You may encounter change and cancellation fees, and making a change requires a phone call. Flight credit vouchers from cancellations can only be used for rebooking through Amex Travel via phone.

On the positive side, Amex Travel allows a 24-hour cancellation window for most reservations.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Bottom line

The American Express Travel portal can be a convenient way to book travel with points or cash, especially for cardmembers who want a straightforward redemption option or access to perks like Fine Hotels + Resorts, the International Airline Program and bonus-earning rates on eligible bookings.

However, using Membership Rewards points through Amex Travel often provides less value than transferring points to airline or hotel partners, particularly for hotel, rental car and cruise bookings. That means it’s worth comparing your options before redeeming points through the portal.

For many travelers, Amex Travel works best as a flexible booking tool — particularly for paid flights, luxury hotel stays and situations where award availability through transfer partners is limited.

Related: Amex Platinum vs. Business Platinum: Which premium Amex card is right for you?

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