Wow, this has been some week in the premium credit card space. This week, we’ve seen the launch of the refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve card. In this post, I’ve outlined why the new Sapphire Reserve didn’t impress me and why I simply plan to continue with my Sapphire Preferred card. Now, the Business Platinum card is also about a get a refresh this Fall and is now devaluing a benefit that many customers love.
Business Platinum Card: One of my favorite benefits is on the chopping block
When I signed up for the Business Platinum card, getting a points rebate for booking premium cabins was a fantastic benefit. Initially, one could get a 50% points rebate on ‘pay with points’ booking via Amex Travel. Amex then devalued and made it into a 35% points rebate. This was a devaluation but the 35% rebate was still decent.
Amex has announced that the benefit will now also be devalued further starting September.
*Effective September 18, 2025, eligible flights will no longer include First and Business Class tickets booked on an airline that is not your selected qualifying airline.
In my opinion, this is a massive devaluation if you tend to fly premium cabins on non-US international carriers. It may still work well for people who are loyal to a single US based international airline.
As per the change, the 35% rebate offer will only apply to the airline that you’ve selected as your primary airline for the airline fee credit on the card.
The Pundit’s Mantra
In my opinion, this is a massive devaluation for me since most of my travel is international in nature. If you are primarily a domestic traveler and are loyal to a US based airline, then this benefit may still work alright for you. Also, Amex does allow to change the qualifying airline once a year. With this change, I wonder if they may also close that loophole to make sure that customers are tied to one particular airline for using the 35% points rebate benefit.
This won’t be the only change to the card though. The Sept 18 date in this announcement is interesting. It could well be the date we see Amex announce changes to both the personal and business versions of the Platinum cards, as hinted in this release.
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