Annual increase in fees is a reality of travel reward credit cards and a trend I won’t disappear anytime soon.
The good news is that they come with perks and benefits of refreshing – sometimes, refreshes can really be good for you.
That’s what I was like when American Express announced it would upgrade American Express Business Platinum Card®keep me in the past few months as a cardholder and debut new benefits.
While the annual fee jumped to $895 (see rates and fees), I would easily get enough value from the remodeled product to prove to keep it in my wallet – so, in fact, I expect to squeeze out $1,000 in just a lot of its benefits next year. This is the method.
New $600 Hotel Declaration Credits
For me, the most exciting new member Commercial Platinum is a statement of up to $300 for a half-year prepaid night for hotels booked through American ExpressTravel®, which is part of American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Hotel Collection. The hotel series requires at least two nights of stay to be reimbursed.
New statement points each year total up to $600, which is a huge improvement for the card’s value proposition. Also, booking in this way will give you some serious stipends:
- Upon arrival, room upgrade, if available at check-in (the property may exclude certain room types, some may just give you a better view of the room)
- Experience credit is $100, usually including property, dining or spa credit
- Free daily breakfast for two
- Guaranteed to be late for checkout at 4 pm
- Check-in at noon
- Free Wi-Fi*
*When the property includes Wi-Fi for mandatory resort fees, you will receive the same daily credit as the property’s standard Wi-Fi costs.
As for how I’m going to use the credits, I recently got a good tip from TPG’s senior credit card editor Giselle Gomez, who pointed out that there are several affordable Las Vegas hotels in the hotel collection. I go to Las Vegas at least (I have been up to three times in 2025) every year and I have been lacking in affordable points options since Marriott.
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Thanks to these new credits, I saw discounted prices for properties like Park MGM Las Vegas in the future.
Related: Your Amex Platinum Hotel credit limit covers half (or more) of hotels
$200 Hilton Statement Credit
Take it out after I Commercial Platinumwhich uses properties directly in the Hilton portfolio for eligible purchases for Hilton statement credits up to $200 (up to $50 per quarter) (requires admission and also requires Hilton’s business plan membership), I know I know I’m easy to maximize – not changing next year.
My husband and I are Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Hilton Honors American ExpressSupasspass® CardWe often stay at Hilton hotels and resorts to maximize the benefits and statement credits obtained in these cards.
Since pulling out business platinum this summer, I have no doubt found a way to spend up to $50 per quarter. In the second quarter, I used it to offset the 1,000 dog fee for Seattle hotels at members of our Hilton LXR Hotels and Resorts portfolio. Since we love traveling with Pitbull, this is a fee we encounter frequently and hope to use business platinum in the future quarters.
In the third quarter, I used it to pay for valet parking at Boeira Garden Hotel Gaia in the Curio Collection in Hilton. Parking is another fee we often encounter as avid road travelers. My daughter is 11 months old, so taking her on vacation means shipping a lot of gear and supplies. Like our trip to Portugal between Porto and Algarve, owning a car makes it easier to access multiple locations. Of course, hotels are not known for their affordable parking lots, so I foresee that this way will use this credit again.
Related: How to Maximize Statement Credit on Hilton Shared Credit Cards
$200 Airline Fee Statement Credit
The $200 Air Fee Statement Credit is another revitalization I like and hopefully will be fully utilized next year.
Cardholders can choose a qualified airline that receives up to $200 in baggage fees and other miscellaneous fees each year. I have the same benefits American Express Platinum Card®I have always chosen Alaska Airlines as my qualified airline.
I live in Portland, Oregon, and it’s an Alaska hub, so I fly with the carrier at least a few times a year – but as a United Airlines loyalist, I’m often not enough to fly Alaska to secure elite status to give free checked baggage. Instead, I used airline fees to pay off check baggage fees, given how much I had to pack to bring my kids (my shoe collection to be honest) on a trip.
While a total of up to $400 a year sounds easy to spend on shipping bags, Alaska’s overweight bags charge $100 – which is the normal $35 charge. This means that only one 51-pound bag can eat more than half of the annual airline fee credit. Ask me how I know.
Related: 9 Things to Do When You Get an Amex Business Platinum Card
Bottom line
When choosing a new credit card or evaluating an existing card in your wallet, it is crucial to look at your spending and travel habits to make sure you get enough value to prove the annual fee you are paying.
But just because the card costs a lot, it doesn’t mean that math won’t be good for you. In my case, my Commercial Platinum Will bring me back to the statement points enough to offset the annual fee.
The fact that the refreshed card will retain my current favorite benefits and introduce a new card makes it persistent.
To learn more, read our full review of Amex Business Platinum.
Apply here: American Express Business Platinum Card
For rates and fees for Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
