If you play your card right, you can get $200 towards an airplane ticket and seeing Mayan ruins! Photo by: Evan Berman

This article has been re-posted as the credit is an calendar year benefit. Therefore, if you have a Platinum Card, you can use this $200 credit once again. The original post is as follows:

I recently wrote about how the AmEx Platinum Card can be worth more than $2,100 in first-year value. One of the credits that is terribly difficult to understand and maximize is the $200 Airline Credit.

What AmEx Wants You to Use:

I will save you the confusing wording and stick with the fun part: making this work for you. Officially, all that is approved are “incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^® Account.”

What to Use Instead:

Are you thinking to yourself, I would never purchase these items? I don’t either! There are two options that most people try to utilize: purchase TravelBank Credit on United or book cheap flights on Southwest.

*Important Disclaimer: neither of these methods are approved by AmEx and there is no guarantee that they will work for you. If that is the case, move on and try another method, you WILL NOT be able to talk a customer service rep from AmEx into utilizing the airline credit to cover your purchase*

Option 1– United:

TravelBank is a program that many airlines use where you can purchase travel credit for use on future trips with cash today.

Follow the above link and sign into your account. From the dropdown list, select $100 as the purchase amount. Enter your Platinum card as payment type.

Wait a few days, and ensure that the AmEx app or website shows a $100 charge from United and a $100 credit. If that is the case, repeat the same process and purchase another $100 of TravelCash. You now have $200 that can be used to purchase tickets on United!

Option 2– Southwest:

Alternatively, there have been several reports of purchasing Southwest airfare at or below $100 triggering the credit (remember that the annual value is $200). Again your experience may differ, but this could be another option if you frequently buy Southwest tickets.

Option 3– Delta:

According to the data points from the above referenced article, there is another option to trigger the credit. If you use a Delta gift card for part of the amount and purchase the rest of the fare with your Platinum card (and that charge is less than $200), the credit will likely be applied.

My Advice:

Personally, I recommend the United TravelBank route since the funds can be used up to five years after purchase. The $200 credit refreshes on January 1st of each year, so if you apply for the card in December, you could get $600 in credits with only 1 annual fee payment! No matter which path you choose, just remember to select your airline first!

Evan