In this post:
AMEX Announces Excellent Platinum and Gold Bonuses
AMEX has just announced fantastic limited-time sign-up offers for the Platinum and Preferred Rewards Gold cards until 26th May 2026.
Until 30th April 2026, you will also receive a bigger bonus for adding your first complimentary card.
AMEX Platinum
Fee: £650 per year
Sign Up Bonus: 95,000 Membership Rewards (MR) points plus a £250 Amex Travel credit when you spend £10,000 in the first 6 months. Some people have been offered a slightly lower bonus (lots of accounts have 75,000).
Referral Bonus: 20,000 Membership Rewards points for existing cardmembers per successful referral, while the person you refer can earn 100,000 points plus a £250 Amex Travel credit when they meet the spend target.
First Complimentary Card Bonus: 12,000 points
Points can be converted 1:1 into a range of currencies, including 95,000 Avios or 95,000 Virgin Points, so there is plenty of flexibility. The travel credit can be used for pre-paid bookings made through AMEX Travel, including flights, hotels, car hire, cruises and holiday packages.
The card also comes with a range of benefits, such as £400 annual dining credit (£200 UK + £200 abroad), lounge access via Priority Pass, and hotel status with a range of loyalty programmes.
This is a great bonus, but make sure you can meet the £10,000 spend target before taking out the card. However, you’ll only be able to get the bonus if you have not held a personal Membership Rewards-enrolled Amex card in the previous 24 months.
AMEX Preferred Rewards Gold
Fee: Free in Year 1, then £195 per year
Sign Up Bonus: 50,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £5,000 in the first 6 months. Again, some people have a lower offer (40,000).
Referral Bonus: 14,000 Membership Rewards points for a successful referral
First Complimentary Card Bonus: 9,000 points
It’s perfect if you’re new to Amex and want to test the waters without committing to an annual fee. It also gives you scope to upgrade your card when a Platinum bonus comes around in the future.
The card comes with 4 Priority Pass lounge visits per year, up to £10 per month back on Deliveroo and Hotel Collection benefits.
You must not have held any personal American Express card in the previous 24 months to qualify for the bonus, so if you’ve held a card such as the BA AMEX, you may qualify for Platinum but not for Gold.
Airlines Offer Status Relief Due to Middle East Travel Disruption
As travel disruption continues, a few airlines have started offering status relief. This is ideal if you were worried that a cancelled trip could affect your status renewal. Even if your airline has not announced anything publicly, it’s worth getting in touch.
Here’s what’s been announced so far:
- Emirates: If you have a tier review date on or before 31st May 2026, your review date will be deferred until 30th June 2026. Skywards Miles due to expire in March, April, or May are now usable until 30th June 2026.
- Qatar: Qatar has been implementing status extensions if your travel was affected by the disruption. Eligible members are being contacted by email and offered a 3-month extension.
- Etihad: Etihad has lowered Etihad Guest tier qualification thresholds by 25%, from 18th March 2026 to 31st March 2027, for members who already held status on 18th March 2026.
50% Off EasyJet Plus for British Airways Status Holders
If you hold British Airways status and fly easyJet 3+ times per year, here’s a useful offer. Until 31st March 2026, BA Gold, Silver and Bronze cardholders can get a year of easyJet Plus for £124, down from the usual £249.
That is a great saving on a membership which can quickly pay for itself if you often travel short-haul and usually end up paying extras such as cabin bags and seat selection.
easyJet Plus comes with:
- A large cabin bag (max 56cm x 45cm x 25cm)
- Dedicated bag drop
- Free premium seat selection
- Speedy boarding
- Get an easyJet credit voucher if you find the same flight at a lower price
- Fast track security at 47 airports
- 10% inflight food and drink discount
- discounted car hire
- Request an earlier same-day return flight after you have flown the outbound leg.
These benefits apply only to the cardholder, which isn’t ideal if you travel as a family or group, but if you’re a solo flyer or a couple who both hold memberships, these benefits are excellent.
You can use the calculator to see how much you could save. The BA status discount means your membership will pay for itself in 3 flights rather than 6.
To take up the offer, simply email easyJet at [email protected] by midnight on 31st March with proof of your BA status plus ID with the same name, and you’ll receive a promo code. You must use the promo code by midnight on 30th April 2026.
