Changes coming to American Express Platinum Travel redemption options on April 1, 2025

The American Express Platinum Travel is one of the simplest misnomers in India. For one, it is not a travel card but one that awards points at various milestones. The only “travel” perk it offers is a 10,000 INR voucher when one spends INR 400,000 on the card during the year. Anyhow, changes are now coming to the card’s redemption options.

American Express Platinum Travel Redemption Options changing as of April 1, 2025

At the moment, the following redemption options exist with the American Express Platinum Travel Card:

• The Welcome Gift of 10,000 Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for a Flipkart voucher or the Pay with Points option in Amex Travel Online (INR 3,000).
• On spending INR 190,000 in a membership year, you earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points, which can be redeemed for a Flipkart voucher or the Pay with Points option in Amex Travel Online (worth INR 4,500).
• On Spending INR 400,000 in a membership year, you earn 25,000 Membership Rewards points, redeemable for a Flipkart voucher or Pay with Points option in Amex Travel Online (worth INR 7,500).
• Special redemptions are only offered to “Platinum Travel Card” Customers under the Platinum Travel Collection. These include:
  • Flipkart (INR 0.3 Value per point)
    • INR 1,000 @ 3,300 Points
    • INR 2,000 @ 6,600 Points
    • INR 4,500 @ 15,000 Points
    • INR 7,500 @ 25,000 Points
    • On the regular MR redemption catalogue, Flipkart Vouchers are redeemable at INR 0.23 Value.
  • Taj – Stay Only (INR 0.5 Value Per Point)
    • INR 5,000 @ 10,000 Points
    • INR 10,000 @ 20,000 Points

The card will now implement new options as of April 1, 2025.

• New Redemption Options for Platinum Travel Collection to be introduced:
  • Postcard Hotels: 20,000 MR will be converted to Postcard Hotel Vouchers worth INR 10,000
  • Air India: 20,000 MR will be converted to Air India Vouchers worth INR 6,000
• Flipkart will go away as a redemption option
• Taj Vouchers will stay, but the value goes down to 40 paise per MR redemption
  • 12,500 MR will buy an INR 5,000 Voucher
  • 25,000 MR will buy an INR 10,000 Voucher

Am I going to call this a devaluation? Not really. Card issuers frequently review their offerings. Sometimes, contracts are up for negotiation or have run their course. In both these Postcard and Air India cases, the issuer has continued to offer one option at INR 0.3 point value and another at INR 0.5 point value.

Bottomline

Changes are coming to the American Express Platinum Travel Card’s Platinum Collection. As of April 1, 2025, Flipkart will no longer be a redemption option, and Taj will see a 20% reduction in the value of redemptions. Postcard Hotels and Air India are new redemption options coming as of April 1, 2025.

What do you think of the changes coming to American Express Platinum Travel Card’s Platinum Travel Collection?

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