Beginning September 18, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express will significantly alter its popular 35% Pay with Points bonus, negatively impacting cardholders.
Currently, this bonus applies to first and business-class tickets booked on any airline or to tickets in any cabin with the airline that a cardmember selects for their airline fee credit (enrollment required, terms apply). This feature allows cardholders to recover 35% of their points redeemed, up to 1 million points per calendar year.
Previously, this was one of the card’s most appealing benefits. Unfortunately, American Express is making a substantial devaluation to this feature. Let’s delve into the details.
Changes to the Amex Business Platinum 35% Points Bonus
As of September 18, the 35% points bonus for airfare booked through Amex Travel will only be applicable to the designated airline selected for the airline fee credit (enrollment required, terms apply), regardless of fare class. According to Amex:
Effective September 18, 2025, eligible flights will exclude First and Business Class tickets booked on airlines that are not your chosen qualifying airline.
Qualifying airlines include:
This represents a significant devaluation since the eligible airlines are limited to domestic carriers. For those holding multiple American Express cards, the 35% bonus offered an excellent opportunity to earn points across various Amex cards and redeem them effectively for premium cabin travel via Amex Travel as a Business Platinum cardholder.
Keep in mind that the designated airline can be changed only once per year in January.
Daily Newsletter
Stay updated with the Flying Frugal Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides, and exclusive deals from Flying Frugal’s experts
This alteration affects the Amex Business Platinum card’s value proposition. In October 2023, American Express also removed the 25% points bonus from the American Express® Business Gold Card, indicating a broader trend away from such redemption benefits.
Possible Workarounds for the 35% Points Bonus Changes
Cardholders can continue to utilize the 35% bonus as it currently stands until September 17. After these changes take effect on September 18, it may be possible to find alternative ways to still enjoy the 35% points bonus while flying with other airlines.
Choosing specific airlines from Amex’s list of qualifying carriers, such as Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, could be beneficial. These domestic airlines belong to larger alliances (Oneworld, SkyTeam, Star Alliance) and may offer codeshare flights, allowing bookings marketed by one airline but operated by another within the alliance.
For example, a round-trip business-class flight might be operated by British Airways but sold through American Airlines as indicated by the flight numbers, AA6983 and AA6992.
Should codeshare flights indeed qualify for the 35% bonus, this change is less severe than it first appears, providing a clever way to book flights while maintaining a valued perk.
We have reached out to American Express to clarify whether codeshare flights will be eligible for this bonus. As of this writing, we are still awaiting a response.
Conclusion
Amid the recent changes to credit card offerings, this shift further diminishes the appeal of the Amex Business Platinum for business owners. Although the card retains several valuable benefits, restricting redemption options—particularly one as cherished as this one—does not bode well. If codeshare flights become eligible for the 35% points bonus, there could be some positive aspects; otherwise, this potential devaluation may lead new applicants to consider alternative business card options.
Related: Amex Business Platinum Card Review
