Recently I’ve been in a COVID slump. My travel plans over the last two years have not gone to plan. I tried, I really tried. I’ve booked five honeymoons since I got married in 2020. The struggle has been real. But I am determined. I’ve been working on planning the latest version of my honeymoon. This trip is a cruise on the Norwegian Breakaway to the Caribbean.
Before I get to the cruise I want to talk about my new credit card and my desire to maximize my points. Searching for a new credit card can be overwhelming. I typed in google things like “best travel credit cards” or “best credit cards with points for travel.” In my search, I landed on the American Express Platinum.
American Express has some sweet deals. I was worried about the hefty annual fee of $695. Once I dug a little deeper I was convinced this was the right card for my adventures. A few highlights include a $200 cashback in statement credit for booking hotels through the American Express Travel or the $200 Airline Fee Credit, 5x points on flights purchased directly from airlines or American Express Travel, and 5x points on prepaid hotel purchases, booked and paid in advance on amextravel.com. So, let’s break this down.
By opening the Amex Platinum card I received 150,000 points that are worth approximately $3,000. WOW! That clearly covers the hefty annual fee. For my upcoming trip, I need to book my hotel. I recently signed up for Marriott Bonvoy. After logging into Amex I learned that I could register for Marriott Bonvoy perks. The credit card allows me to instantly upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status. ANOTHER WOW! From there I registered for my preferred airline. I chose United, but I can change that every January. So we will see what 2022 brings. Then I booked my flights through American Express Travel and paid for the baggage fees for my upcoming trip. So far, I have saved $3000, gotten upgraded to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, gotten 5x points on my flight, and didn’t have to pay for two bags on my upcoming flight. This is all for a trip I was already planning. My husband would be so proud.
To be honest, all of this wheeling and dealing keeps my mind busy and has helped energize me to get back into my love of travel. No more COVID slump. I’m back baby and I’m ready to travel.
