How to maximize the Amex Platinum $200 airline fee credit in 2026

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One of the most valuable ongoing perks of the American Express Platinum Card® is its annual up to $200 airline fee statement credit (enrollment required).

While the credit can't be used toward airfare, it can help offset eligible incidental charges such as checked bags, seat assignment fees and lounge passes, making it one of the easiest ways to chip away at the card's $895 annual fee (see rates and fees ).

The credit resets every calendar year, so if you haven't used yours yet, there's still time to maximize it before Dec. 31. With a little planning and by knowing which purchases qualify, you can make sure this valuable benefit doesn't go to waste.

The same benefit is available on the $895 annual fee The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees ), though Business Platinum cardmembers should remember that the airline they select for this credit is also the airline eligible for the card's 35% Pay with Points benefit for airfare booked through Amex Travel (up to 1 million points back per calendar year).

Amex Business Platinum Card : Find out your offer and see if you're eligible for as high as 300,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

4 ways to use your airline fee credit before the end of 2026

Not sure where to start? Here are five easy ways to put the credit to work before the end of the year.

Here are some ideas for using your Amex Platinum airline incidental credits before the end of 2026:

Allow an authorized user to use the fee credit on one of their flights.

Pay for checked bag fees and seat assignments.

Purchase airline lounge day passes for future use. These are often valid for one year from purchase, but be sure to check the exact terms before buying any passes. You can purchase single-use passes from Alaska Airlines for $65, from American Airlines for $79 and from United Airlines for $59. Also, note that this doesn't work across all airlines, so do some online research for recent data points.

Splurge on food and beverages while in flight.

Delta Air Lines Premium Economy Boeing 767-400 JFK to LHR. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Related: How to get Delta Sky Club access, including via elite status and credit cards

Choose the right airline

It may seem obvious to choose the airline you fly most often, but that isn't always the best strategy.

If you have elite status or a cobranded credit card with your primary airline, many incidental fees, such as checked bags and seat assignments, may already be waived. That means you could have a harder time using the full credit.

Instead, consider selecting an airline where you're more likely to pay incidental fees throughout the year.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY You can select or change your airline choice on the Amex website each January. (You'll need to log in to access your Amex account.)

You can also access the airline selection screen by scrolling to your online account's "Benefits" section from either the Amex website or the phone app. Either way, you'll see that you can choose from the following airlines:

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

Hawaiian Airlines

JetBlue

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

Amex has been relatively lenient in permitting airline selection changes well beyond the usual Jan. 31 deadline for those who call or use the online chat feature. There's no guarantee that it will work for you, but it's worth trying if you want to change your airline later in the year and haven't used any of the credit yet.

What is covered by the airline fee credit?

Generally, the following incidental fees are eligible for reimbursement using the Amex Platinum credit, provided you make these purchases separately from the airline ticket (so they will appear as separate transactions).

However, anything not expressly classified as an incidental fee may not work and may change depending on how the airline codes the transactions.

For example, we've heard that United lounge passes can be coded as airfare — and, therefore, likely wouldn't trigger the credit.

Here are some other examples that may or may not trigger the credit:

Airport lounge day passes and annual memberships

Change fees

Checked baggage fees

In-flight amenity fees (beverages, food, pillows/blankets, etc.)

In-flight entertainment fees (excluding wireless internet, since the charge comes from the service provider and not the airline)

Overweight/oversized baggage fees

Pet flight fees

Phone reservation fees

Seat assignment fees

CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY With so many potential charges that could qualify for this airline incidental fee credit, it's not difficult for many frequent travelers to use the airline fee credit in full during a typical year.

What is not covered by the airline fee credit?

According to the terms, the Amex Platinum airline fee credit is not applicable for the following:

Airline tickets

Award tickets

Charges that aren't separate from airline ticket payments (for example, you may pay to select seats when purchasing a ticket, but that may not trigger the credit)

Duty-free purchases

Fees charged to other card accounts (besides authorized user accounts)

Fees not charged by the cardmember's airline of choice (for example, wireless internet and fees incurred with airline alliance partners)

Gift cards

Incidental air travel fees charged prior to the selection of a qualifying airline

Mileage points purchases

Mileage points transfer fees

Upgrades

ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY The airline must submit the charge under the appropriate merchant code and required service or product identifier for the charge to be recognized as an incidental air travel fee.

The terms state that the statement credit will post to your account six to eight weeks after each charge (though in our experience, it is often much faster). If the credit hasn't posted by then, you can call the number on the back of the card to request that Amex review eligible charges.

It's also worth expanding on the bullet point for "fees not charged by the cardmember's airline of choice." If you book a ticket through your preferred airline but will fly on a partner airline instead, you won't be able to take advantage of your incidental credits.

Here's an example. Say that your preferred airline is United and you book a flight through United's website, but you will actually fly a codeshare flight on Air Canada. When you check in at the airport with Air Canada, checked bag fees would be charged by Air Canada — not United — so you wouldn't be able to use your Amex Platinum incidental credits here.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY You'll occasionally see reports that small airfare purchases, airline travel bank reloads and award ticket taxes and fees have triggered the credit.

However, these are considered off-label uses and could stop working at any time. I wouldn't rely on them when deciding how to use your airline fee credit. To avoid disappointment, it's best to stick to purchases that American Express explicitly identifies as eligible.

Related: How long does it take to receive statement credits from Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi?

Other Amex cards with airline fee credits

The Amex Platinum isn't the only Amex card that offers an annual airline fee statement credit (up to a certain amount).

The following Amex cards also offer statement credits (enrollment is required):

The aforementioned Business Platinum Card , which offers an annual up to $200 airline statement credit for charges by the airline you select each calendar year

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card , which has an annual up to $200 airline statement credit (split into up to $50 quarterly credits) and is valid on eligible flight purchases made directly with an airline, through amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™

The details of the airline fee credit on these cards are similar.

Related: Amex Platinum vs. Business Platinum: Which premium Amex card is right for you?

Bottom line

The up to $200 Amex airline fee statement credit is one of the easiest ways to offset the cost of carrying an Amex Platinum or Business Platinum card, but it's also a use-it-or-lose-it benefit.

If you haven't used your credit yet, there's still time to put it toward eligible incidental airline fees before the end of the year. Choosing the right airline and understanding which purchases qualify can help you maximize one of the Amex Platinum's most useful travel benefits.

To learn more about Amex's cards with airline fee credits, read our full reviews of the Amex Platinum , the Amex Business Platinum and the Hilton Amex Aspire Card .

Apply here: American Express Platinum Card

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here .

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here .

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.