About one year ago I made a decision to get one of the most expensive credit cards on the market ($695 annual fee). I had the card on my radar for a number of years but never felt like it I could justify it. I’ve long been a fan of reward credit cards and have enjoyed taking free trips thanks to my points and miles. Here’s a link to the original post as to why I got it but I thought it’d be cool to look back 1 year in and see if I regret my decision or not!

I will say that I am totally bought into the American Express marketing. They do a really good job of making me feel special and a part of something – just by holding a credit card! I know, it’s a little lame but a bit reason of getting the card is that I wanted a little luxury in my life and I feel as if I’ve gotten it!

The perks I’ve really valued

The card advertises itself by offering like $1,800 of value in annual credits, which I knew was a stretch but my initial hypothesis was that I would get at least $550 (I get a $150 credit through work) from my $695 card. Here are the perks that I valued the most and in the order I’ve valued them:

• Airport Lounge access: the Amex Platinum gives you access to Priority Pass Lounges (which I previously had with my Chase Sapphire Reserve), the Centurion Lounges (of which I got to go into once this past year and I didn’t have enough time to enjoy it), and Delta Sky Clubs. Hardly a flight goes by that I don’t pop into the lounge either before or after my flight. It’s been so a relaxing addition to my overall flight journey and I’ve loved it! Even popping in for a latte has been great!
• $200 hotel credit: Shockingly I’d value this as my second favorite perk – I used this to send Mrs. Money on a staycation here in town for a night. It ended up being so awesome for her, she had dinner with girlfriends, she got a great nights sleep and had a great quiet breakfast to start her day. The $100 voucher proved useful as she was able to treat her friends to the first round of drinks at the hotel bar before heading out to dinner! Just an incredible getaway for her!
• Clear/Global Entry/Pre-Check: I’ve never enjoyed waiting in lines (which to be fair I realize is something probably everybody says) and airport security lines have never been fun. With other reward credit cards it’s common to have the Global Entry/Pre-Check reimbursement but not Clear. I have LOVED having Clear as a way to expedite through security even faster than pre-check. I think most airports I’ve been to over the past year have had Clear and it’s been great!
• Walmart/Disney: The card comes with a $24 monthly credit for entertainment (of which Disney+ is an option) and then reimburses a Walmart+ membership. Getting groceries delivered isn’t something we do every week, but I’d say we do it 1-2 times / month and most of the time it’s great. Sure they may forget an item or two but most of the time it’s super convenient. Also Disney+ for free has been great – Mrs. Money and I have been going through the Marvel Universe! Even BabyMoneyFinance is getting more into cartoons and has enjoyed our Disney+.
• Saks $50 credit: This is a fun little perk for Mrs. Money to pick out a fun item twice a year!

The perks I’ve not valued as much or at all

• $15/month Uber credit: It’s not to say I haven’t valued this as much, but honestly it feels like it’s just an easy way for me to overspend. Uber Eats always ends up being more expensive with fees and tip and the food itself and even after that $15 credit it’s still like “eeehhh this was still expensive”.
• $200 airline credit: I get a $100 credit from another credit card as well, so $300 is kind of a lot to spend for incidentals. This did come in handy buying lunch for the family that one time. Other than that I’ve used it for lounge access for Mrs. Money – it’s $39 per guest visit so nice that I can get her in ‘for free’. I’ve used this but not nearly as much of the $200 as I thought I would.
• Trip Delays/Cancellation/Insurance: If I’m ever in a position where my travel is disrupted I know I’ll be thankful for this but on the whole no issues with travel this past year. We did have one delay that ended up being like 3 hours but that didn’t quite qualify (6 hours is what Amex covers).
• Elevated Status: The Amex Platinum offers gold status with Marriott and Hilton, and rental cars but haven’t taken advantage of them! I have a higher status with Marriott and pretty much only stay at Marriott and when I travel for work I always just take Uber, and the one car rental we did we used a local spot which was much cheaper.
• Concierge/VIP Invites/Experiences: I low key thought I’d use this more – I feel like Amex has cool pop ups all the time or cool invites but nope, never taken advantage once.
• Equinox/Soul Cycle: I figured I wouldn’t take advantage of this, not having Equinox gyms nearby, and not wanting to forgo my Crossfit membership, I’m totally ok not using this perk!

Would I get it again?

All in all I’ve really enjoyed having this card! I would definitely get it again, I’m definitely keeping it in my wallet and paying the hefty annual fee again. Also the signup bonus of 100,000 points was amazing, the 10x points on small businesses that I got when signing up, and the points multipliers I’ve gotten for 2 referral have all really added up! I’m strategically saving up for what’ll hopefully be an epic first class trip to Europe next summer!

PS I hate to be that personal finance blogger but if you are looking to sign up for this card I would appreciate you using my referral link! You get the same 100,000 point signup bonus and I get a little bonus as well! Thanks!