Aviation News International –
The American Express International Airline Program (IAP) enables eligible cardholders to book discounted tickets on participating airlines when departing from the U.S. and flying in premium economy, business or first class. These are considered paid fares, even if you redeem your American Express Membership Rewards® points, which means you can earn flight credits and frequent flyer miles from your ticket.
However, not everyone with an Amex card can participate, nor are all airlines eligible. We’ll discuss the participating airlines below, but know that this program is only available to those with an eligible The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply) or American Express Centurion Black Card* card (personal or business version) (terms apply).
American Express overview
American Express offers numerous financial products, including a vast array of credit cards. Amex’s card offerings range from those with no annual fee to others charging hundreds of dollars per year to keep them in your wallet. They typically offer cash back, Amex points or even earn points and miles in co-branded rewards programs, such as Delta SkyMiles or Hilton Honors points.
Two of American Express’ most exclusive cards are The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express* (terms apply). Rather than acting like a credit card in the traditional sense, where you’ll have a preset spending limit and have the option to carry a balance from month to month — though you’ll pay interest for doing so — these cards have no preset spending limit and are designed for you to either pay your balance in full each month or use the card’s Pay Over Time feature which allows you to carry a balance and pay interest if the balance isn’t paid in full. This feature only applies to eligible charges meeting minimum transaction amounts.
While these cards do have high annual fees, they come loaded with perks, ncluding access to the Amex IAP. These benefits include hundreds of dollars in annual credits, airport lounge access, airline fee credits and more.
What is the Amex International Airline Program?
The Amex International Airline Program (IAP) is available only to those with an Amex Platinum Card, Amex Business Platinum Card or Centurion® card, and offers generous discounts on certain types of tickets.
There are important IAP rules to keep in mind. For example, while eligible flights include refundable, restricted and non-refundable fares, you must book premium economy, business or first class tickets. Economy and basic economy fares aren’t eligible. Moreover, you must travel internationally, departing from or returning to the U.S. or Canadian gateway airports (such as Toronto-YYZ or Vancouver-YVR).
Lastly, not every airline is included in the Amex IAP. At present, the following 26 airlines participate:
- Aer Lingus
- Aeromexico
- Air China
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Air New Zealand
- ANA
- Asiana
- Austrian Airlines
- Brussels Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- China Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Emirates
- Etihad
- Finnair
- Japan Airlines
- KLM
- LATAM
- Lufthansa Group
- Qantas Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Singapore Airlines
- SWISS
- Virgin Atlantic
You’ll need to book with one of these airlines, departing from or returning to eligible cities on an international itinerary, have an eligible card and book a ticket in premium economy, business or first class. Otherwise, your reservation won’t be eligible for the discounts provided by the Amex IAP, which can be as much as 20%, but there are times where you’ll find discounts even higher than that.
Which cards qualify for the program?
To participate in the Amex IAP, you’ll need to have one of these cards (terms apply):
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express*
- American Express Centurion Black Card*
- The Business Centurion® Card from American Express*
As Centurion cards are available by invitation only and carry annual fees in the thousands of dollars, others can gain access to the International Airline Program by having an Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum Card.
Source: https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/credit-cards/what-is-amex-international-airline-program/