Quick Tips
Use Your Amex Platinum Credits Even If You’re Not Traveling Yet
With Christmas now past, we are dangerously close to the end of 2025. That also means that your days are numbered if you want to use up your American Express Platinum card’s credits — including the monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual ones. And while claiming your Lululemon, Resy, and Digital Entertainment credits may be straightforward enough, what about the Hotel and Airline credits? Well, the good news is that you can still redeem those right now, even if you aren’t traveling in the next few days.
I have a theory that these credits are partially intended to bend your mind. This happened to me as I bemoaned the fact that I would be visiting Las Vegas in January 2026… right after my $300 Fine Hotels & Resorts credit expired. However, I soon realized something very important: the credit is applied at the time you pay for the reservation, not when you actually travel. In other words, I was able to book my FHR stay for next year and have the credit applied to 2025.
Although this may seem obvious to some, I suspected I wasn’t alone in forgetting how this all worked. Sure enough, when I offhandedly mentioned this to a pair of Platinum-holding friends of mine, their minds were blown. One even called it “life-changing information!”
So what did I end up using my FHR credit on? After some debate, I landed at the Cosmopolitan. Moreover, since I had a full $300 to spend, I went up a tier or two, booking a Terrace One Bedroom Suite. I’ve never stayed at Cosmo before, so I’m looking forward to checking it out.
FWIW, I considered The Four Seasons (located at Mandalay Bay), but it offered a spa credit instead of a dining credit, so that was a dealbreaker. Also in the mix was Fontainebleau — which actually would have been the winner if it weren’t so darn far north. Booking it would mean a more expensive taxi from the airport and a long hike to my next hotel after my single-night stay. That said, I do wish I could afford to stay at Fontainebleau during CES itself because that would make for a very easy commute.
As you’ve probably figured out, the same rule applies to your annual Airline Incidentals Credit. In this case, I was able to select seats for my CES flights and have them credited, nearly using up my full 2025 credit. I am holding out hope that I can claim even better seats after the new year, but we’ll see on that.
The bottom line is that, while there may only be a few days left in 2025, there’s still time to book your 2026 travel and use up your Platinum card’s current-year credits. So, don’t drop the ball and get your transactions in before the ball drops.
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