Traveling without a credit card is almost unimaginable these days. Find out about THE one single credit card that will make your travel more rewarding!

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Every savvy traveler should have at least one credit card in his pocket.

Let’s face it, juggling with different currencies and having to calculate exchange rate conversions whenever you arrive at a new country is far from practical. Considering also the safety aspect, it is much safer to wander around without having to hoard a pile of cash in your pocket.

In this post, I would like to talk about American Express card, THE one single credit card that I use everywhere while I am traveling.

I will also explain why it is my favorite credit card to travel around and what kind of perks and benefits it provides, especially for frequent travelers.

One single credit card that makes your travel more rewarding

First, let me start with a little introduction about American Express.

Similar to its competitors MasterCard and Visa, American Express (Amex) is a US-based global financial services company. It is known worldwide for its credit cards issued for individuals, small businesses, and corporate consumers around the world.

Amex card is widely accepted by major hotels, restaurants, and shops around every major city in the world.

Even in Europe, you can use it to buy train tickets, pay for the highway tolls in Italy, pay at the gas stations, and increasingly also at local supermarkets, for example at Jumbo supermarket in the Netherlands.

At this point, you may say: but my current credit card already has all those features. Why should I have an Amex card?

Let me outline here below the competitive advantages and benefits that the Amex card offers, which other credit cards do not.

A little side note, as I currently hold an Amex card issued in the Netherlands, the benefits outlined below are those pertaining for Dutch cardholders. In the future, I attempt to update this post with the benefits of Amex cards in some other countries as well.

Amex Rewards Points

This is by far THE best advantage of owning an Amex card. Due to this advantage, I have been able to drastically changed the way I travel.

If you have an Amex card, you are automatically eligible to accumulate Amex Reward Points. In the case of the Dutch Amex card, you will get 1 Amex Rewards point (or 1.5 points for the Platinum card) for each Euro you spend.

So, what can you use these points for? In my opinion, the best use for Amex Rewards Points is to convert them to Frequent Flyer miles and use the miles to redeem a free flight in Business or First class.

Amex cardholder in the Netherlands can convert Amex Rewards Points to Frequent Flyer miles of the following programs/airlines:

• Alitalia MilleMiglia;
• British Airways Executive Club;
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles;
• Delta Skymiles;
• Finnair Plus;
• Iberia Plus;
• KLM Flying Blue;
• SAS Eurobonus;
• Singapore Airlines Krisflyer.

The conversion ratio is 4:5 (i.e. 4 Frequent Flyer miles per 5 Amex Rewards Points), except for Delta Skymiles and SAS Eurobonus. Please note that Amex cardholders in other countries such as in the US and the UK have a more favorable conversion ratio (usually 1:1) and can convert to more Frequent Flyer programs.

Using Amex Rewards Points, I have been able to experience the good life of traveling in premium classes. Here are a few examples of excellent redemptions I have done using Amex Rewards Points:

• Fly Business Class from Madrid to New York with Iberia for just 34,000 Iberia Plus Avios, converted from 42,500 Amex Rewards Points
• Fly Business Class from Taipei to Jakarta with China Airlines for as little as 25,000 KLM Flying Blue, converted from 31,250 Amex Rewards Points
• Fly First Class from Shanghai to Singapore with Singapore Airlines for 53,000 Singapore Airlines Krisflyer, converted from 66,250 Amex Rewards Points

Other perks and benefits

In addition to Amex Rewards Points, owning an Amex credit card also offers a variety of benefits, including cashback and travel perks.

For example, if you sign up now for an Amex Platinum card, you can enjoy the following benefits:

• 20,000 Amex Rewards Points
• Unlimited access to 1,200 lounges worldwide for 2 persons
• Free Privium Plus membership (similar to TSA PreCheck) at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
• Instant Elite status at major luxury hotels, such as Hilton, Marriott, and Shangri-La
• $100 voucher for dinners or spa facilities at the “Hotel Collection” Group (Hyatt, Hilton, and Kimpton)
• 50% discount on membership fee for the first year

Next to that, at the moment Amex also offers €200 cashback to its Platinum cardholders for purchase at certain vendors. Note that these benefits may vary depending on the country where the Amex card is issued.

Types of Amex credit cards available

Globally there are 2 types of Amex credit cards available for individuals: Amex Classic card (choices ranging from Green, Gold, and Platinum cards) and co-branded Amex card (such as Hilton Honors Amex and KLM Flying Blue Amex).

Which one would I recommend? Get the Amex Classic card, especially the Platinum card. For a frequent traveler, the benefits that you will get (ranging from express security check, worldwide lounge access, and hotel room upgrades) far exceed its cost. Next to that, you will accumulate more Amex Rewards Points and quicker. Accumulating Amex Rewards Points also gives you more flexibility because you can convert them to a wide selection of Frequent Flyer programs.

Having said that, I would only recommend getting a co-branded Amex card, only if you have a fixed preference to fly with a certain airline or stay at a specific hotel.

If you choose to fly only with KLM or Delta Airlines, I would recommend getting a KLM Flying Blue Amex or Delta Skymiles Amex. Please note that with these co-branded Amex cards, you will NOT accumulate Amex Rewards Points. Instead, you will only be able to accumulate KLM Flying Blue miles or Delta Skymiles.

So don’t wait any further. Get your Amex Classic card now!

There you go! I hope that this post will make it clear for you about the benefits of owning an Amex credit card and help you to make your travel experience more rewarding!

Please let me know if this post is helpful for you, and do not hesitate to share your comments. Also, if you feel that there is something unclear from this guide, please let me know through the comment section below.

Do you like this post and want to receive some more travel tips regularly? Please make sure that you subscribe to my email updates. In addition, check out my other blog posts for many more helpful tips for traveling, including how to earn cashback from your travel bookings. See you in the next blog post and until we Greet again!