Amex

I'm on the record as saying that I think that the Platinum Card from American Express is the only 'must-have' premium card for most frequent travelers so as that comment was made over a year ago, I thought that I'd take a closer look at what the card offers travelers and Membership Rewards fans in 2021.

To get the most out of a miles or points balance takes work and often quite a bit of effort. People with busy lives and families to look after generally don't have the time or energy to deal with all of that and this a big reason why cash back credit cards are so incredibly popular and why the Blue Cash Preferred Card is a card that would work well in most wallets.

With no annual fee, good cash back on key spending categories, and a nice welcome offer that should be easy for most to max out, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is a card that looks tempting right now. Cash back may not be the coolest of rewards that you can get from a credit card but it's as reliable a reward as you'll find and when prices on most things appear to be rising, reliable is often preferable to cool.

It looks like American Express is starting to feel the pressure from the recently introduced UK Barclaycard Avios cards because it has just announced an unexpected improvement to the Companion Vouchers offered by its British Airways co-branded cards in the UK.

American Express is now offering targeted cardholders the opportunity to transfer Membership Rewards points into one of two Avios programs while locking in a 40% transfer bonus. The bonus is valid for transfers to the British Airways Executive Club and Aer Lingus Aer Club (but not Iberia Plus) and will be available for the next six weeks.

In the hubbub of the miles & points world, it can be easy to forget that credit card welcome bonuses aren't the only good way to give your points balances a sudden and often much-needed boost. Upgrade offers can be incredibly useful too, and right now, American Express is targeting select holders of the Amex EveryDay® Card for a valuable upgrade offer that's going to be hard to pass up.

American Express issues three personal co-branded Delta credit cards that all have their own merits, but each card is very clearly geared to a different type of flyer and for frequent Delta flyers there's really only one personal Delta card that should be in their wallet - the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express card.

It has been a while since we last saw a debit card that offered holders the chance to earn a valuable rewards currency (the Dodd-Frank Act signed the end of most such cards) but now Amex appears to be resurrecting just such a product with its introduction of a new checking account.

Back in October 2020, Amex expanded its partnership with Uber to give holders of the Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card, and the American Express® Green Card a free Uber Eats Pass membership as a limited-time benefit. Well, at the end of this month that limited time is up so eligible cardholders have just a few weeks in which to lock in a free 12-month Uber Eats Pass before the opportunity goes away.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a card that I have, is a card that I hold in high regard and is a card that I think a lot of miles and points fans should be using, and if you don't already hold the Blue Business Plus card in your wallet, a targeted offer that Amex is currently running may be enough to persuade you to add it to your collection.