Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which Card Is Better?

(Some of the offers/products mentioned below are no longer available.)

Last year, Chase released the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It came with a huge 100,000 sign up bonus and offers 3x points on travel and restaurant purchases.

Ever since that release, American Express has been in catch-up mode.

They’ve revamped their Amex Platinum Card (Personal and Business), with the goal of being able to compete with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

So how do the benefits stack up? Is it worth it to get the Amex Platinum?

Amex Platinum Card Features 2017

$200 Airline Fee Credit

• $200 in credit toward aircraft costs each timetable year
• Only qualified aircrafts are available for this benefit
• Does not include genuine airfare

Qualifying Airlines for $200 Airline Fee Credit:

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines and US Airways
• Delta Air Lines
• Frontier Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways
• United Airlines

This benefit is similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but the Reserve offers $300 in travel credit annually.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve

5X Points on Flights

You will get one point for each dollar charged for an eligible purchase on your Platinum Card from American Express.

How To Get 5X Points:

1. Make an eligible purchase on your Platinum Card to earn 1 point
2. Get 4x additional points (total of 5x points) for each dollar you spend on amextravel.com: scheduled flights, prepaid hotel purchases (including The Hotel Collection), travel packages (flight + hotel packages)
3. You must reserve and charge the travel purchase with the same eligible Platinum Card to be eligible for the 5x Membership Rewards

Chase Sapphire Reserve shocked the world when they released the card with 3X on flights. This is Amex’s counter-punch. 5x on flights is HUGE. I book all my flights with my Amex Platinum now.

Winner: Amex Platinum

Amex Business Platinum Card 50% “Pay With Points”

This was one of the best new features that American Express rolled out to compete with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Unfortunately it looks like it’s ending way too soon!

Basically you would get 50% of your points back if you book a business or first class flight when redeeming on Amextravel.com. You also get 50% of your points back with your preferred airline (the one that receives the $200 bonus).

I’ve used this already 3 times and love it. It’s allowed me to accumulate status much faster, because the purchases count as cash, allowing you to earn miles on purchases instead of just redeeming points.

This feature is now to be phased out according to this schedule:

• The Amex Business Platinum Card Pay With Points benefit will be reduced from a 50% refund to a 35% refund (meaning you’re getting 1.54 cents per point of value, rather than 2 cents per point)
• There will be a cap of 500,000 rebated points per year
• The rebate is already taking 6-10 weeks to post, rather than just a day, as was the case before

Chase Sapphire Reserve offers just 1 point per mile, which is useless and you should never use your points this way. If you do want to use your points this way, let me know and I’ll buy them for cash at $.012 per point.

Winner: Amex Platinum

Centurion Lounge Access and More

If you have access to Centurion Lounge, you have access to the following:

• gourmet choices
• mixed drinks
• spots to rest

The Centurion Lounge can be found here:

• Dallas Fort Worth
• Houston Intercontinental
• Las Vegas
• New York – LaGuardia
• Miami
• Seattle-Tacoma
• San Francisco

Chase doesn’t even come close in this department. I’ve been to the Centurion lounge at LGA and it’s awesome. They had a surprise wine and cheese tasting (which compelled me to buy 4 bottles of wine it was so good).

Winner: Amex Platinum

Elite Status with Hilton and Starwood

The Platinum Card has offered complimentary Starwood Preferred Guest Gold status for quite a while, however more as of late it included programmed Hilton H-Honors Gold status as an advantage.

Benefits of having an Elite Status:

• Guaranteed Discount: A discounted, changeable & refundable rate is exclusively available for Hilton Honors Members.
• Digital Check-In: Check-in, choose your room, and customize your stay from your mobile device up to 24 hours in advance.
• Complimentary in-room and lobby Standard Internet access during stays at Waldorf Astoria™ Hotels & Resorts, Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, Canopy™ by Hilton, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton™, Tapestry Collection by Hilton™, Embassy Suites Hotels™ and Hilton Grand Vacations™
• Quick reservations and check-ins based on your room preferences
• Late check-out
• Express check-out
• 2^nd Guest stays free

Chase doesn’t offer a similar benefit, but personally I have never benefited from these status all that much. Plus I have the SPG card, which gives me SPG status.

Winner: Amex Platinum

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit

• Representative to cover for the application charge for Globa Entry/ TSA PreCheck ($100 and $85 individually) every 5 years
• Will speed up your airplane terminal transactions

Programs offered by the TSA:

1. Global Entry
   Ideal for arriving in the United States from international destinations
2. TSA Pre
   Ideal for domestic travel
3. SENTRI
   Ideal for frequent travel into the US from Mexico
4. NEXUS
   Ideal for frequent travel between the US and Canada
5. Fast (North or South)
   Ideal for commercial truck drivers who are transporting low-risk shipments into the US from Canada and Mexico.

Also, see our review of TSA on this link.

Chase Sapphire Reserve offers the same benefit.

Winner: It’s a tie!

Airport and In-Flight Internet

Cardholders get complimentary enlistment in the BOINGO Preferred Plan, which incorporates boundless access to Wi-Fi hotspots at air terminals over the world.

Sapphire Reserve does not offer this benefit, which I have actually never used.

Winner: Amex Platinum

American Express Concierge

With the Platinum Card, Business Platinum Card and Centurion (Black Card), you access this uncommon telephone benefit, which can help you in booking sought after eateries and occasions and in addition in finding an immaculate supper spot or notwithstanding conveying things on request.

I’ve never used the concierge. I mean who would? Just use OpenTable or Yelp.

Winner: It’s a tie!

American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts

Amex FHR is basically a travel entryway that gives you a chance to book remains a choice of top worldwide lodgings, and taking part properties offer an assortment of advantages, including complimentary room redesigns when accessible; twelve registration; 4pm checkout; on location nourishment and refreshment credits and the sky is the limit from there.

This feature is overrated, I normally book on Hotels.com so I can accrue a free night (and essentially get 10% off every booking).

Winner: Amex Platinum

Which Is Better? Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve

Weighing out all of the benefits, for the average non-traveler, I would go with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

If you travel more than 10 times per year, then the Amex Platinum is definitely your go-to. The 5x points on flights plus access to Centurion lounges is worth it, if you live in a city where there is a lounge.