American Express Travel

• Accommodations
• Rewards Program
• Social Media
• Travel Insurance
• Cruises

Accommodations

American Express Travel is a service that allows travelers to book their flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and other vacation packages. There is also the option to book accommodations in a bundle to earn additional rewards and save. Additional discounts are also available, but travelers may not always get to take advantage of these savings depending on travel time. American Express travel has created a platform for travelers to book their dream vacation or a casual business trip by maximizing reward earnings.

Rewards Program

American Express's travel rewards are among the best in the nation. The membership rewards program allows for double points earned and is designed so customers can use points to pay for travel expenses. In addition to earning American Express points, travelers can also earn rewards with Delta. American Express double points work as follows:

• Earnings - Customers can earn double Membership Rewards points on each dollar of eligible purchases made when customers book using a membership rewards program-enrolled American Express Card on the American Express Travel website
• Exclusions and Restrictions - Eligible purchases are all traveling purchases, excluding car reservations and non-prepaid hotels, booked through amextravel.com on your Membership Rewards program-enrolled American Express Card

One of the greatest advantages of American Express rewards is the fact that travelers can pay for an entire trip using points. These rewards points can be redeemed at checkout and travelers do not have to pay hidden or extra fees as their rewards points can cover it all. Redemption works as follows:

• Redeem - Customers can use Membership Rewards points to pay for all or part of their flight, hotel booked and paid in advance (prepaid hotel), vacation or cruise booking.com
• Limitations - When customers book their flight(s) with American Express, there are no blackout dates or seat restrictions
• Earn airline miles - Customers can still earn frequent flyer miles with their favorite airlines when using Membership Rewards points

Social Media

Customers can stay connected to American Express travel by following the online agency on Facebook and Twitter. Customers can also receive special offers and updates from American by signing up for the email listing. American Express often times offers email exclusive discounts or limited time options found on their social media platforms.

Travel Insurance

American Express also offers travel insurance for customers. This allows travelers who are not entirely set on their travel arrangements to get a refund in the event that they are unable to make the trip. Travel protection does cost a minimum fee (just like any other form of insurance) and it breaks down as follows:

• Customized so customers can only choose the coverage they need
• Purchased as a package starting at $59 per person

Cruises

Travelers that book cruises through American Express Travel also receive additional benefits. For instance, travelers can earn on-board credits to spend on various amenities. There are also call-in offers as well that result in additional savings or shipboard credits.

• No Comparison Tool
• Destinations
• Hotel Chain Limitations
• Additional Charges

No Comparison Tool

American Express does not provide a comparison tool to travelers looking to find the best deal available. If a traveler wants to see other offers found on travel booking sites, they will need to navigate to all sites prior to booking. American Express only lists rates of participating providers.

Destinations

For travelers who are looking for the best travel deals to Asia will most likely not find such deals with American Express travel. The destinations for many of the deals are to places in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. The most popular destinations that maximize rewards and savings include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• San Francisco, CA
• Rome
• Venice
• Paris
• Wailea Makena, HI
• Aruba

Hotel Chain Limitations

However, even with their travel partnerships, American Express is limited in terms of participating hotel chains and destinations. Prior to making travel plans, users should make sure that American Express Travel will support the type of vacation desired and have deals in the region they wish to travel to.

Additional Charges

Along with not having a wide variety of deals, customers also need to be aware that prices listed are the average "base rate" per night. The listed price does not include taxes and other fees. Prices are subject to change at any time so customers must be prepared to account for added charges.