There are several premium travel credit cards available, like the Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Strata Elite and Atmos Rewards Summit. Most seasoned travelers hold more than one of these premium credit cards, and I wanted to compare all the important travel benefits in a single table.
Several small details about credit card travel coverage inclusions and exclusions are highlighted in the table below:
Premium Credit Card Benefits Comparison
| Benefit Category | Amex Platinum Card | Capital One Venture X | Chase Sapphire Reserve | Citi Strata Elite | Atmos Rewards Summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights purchased directly with the airlines | 5 points per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 for Alaska & Hawaiian airlines. 1 point per $1 for other airlines. |
| Flights purchased via portal | 5 points per $1 | 5x points per $1 | 5 points per $1 | 6x points per $1 | N/A |
| Hotels booked via portal | 5 points per $1. | 10 points per $1 | 10 points per $1 | 12 points per $1 | N/A |
| Flights via 3rd party providers | 1 point per $1 except Expedia (5 points per 1$) | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 points per $1 |
| Hotels via 3rd party providers | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 points per $1 |
| Cruise & travel agency purchases | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 1 points per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 |
| Rental cars via portal | 1 point per $1 | 10 points per $1 | 10 points per $1 | 12 points per $1 | N/A |
| Rental cars non-portal | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | N/A |
| Rideshare, parking, railways, ferries, campgrounds and tolls | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1. Lyft purchases earn 10 points per $1 (through March 2025). | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 |
| Streaming (TV, movies, music) purchases | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 |
| All non-category purchases in the US | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 |
| All Foreign Transactions | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 |
| Worldwide Dining | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1. Chase dining booked through the Chase travel portal earns 10 points per $1. | 3 points per $1; 6 points per $1 during "Citi Nights" | 3 points per $1 |
| Worldwide Groceries | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 points per $1 |
| Worldwide Gasoline or EV charging | 1 point per $1 | 2 points per $1 | 1 point per $1 | 1.5 points per $1 | 1 points per $1 |
| Car Rental Coverage | Secondary; works as primary within US (if you don't own a car) & overseas when you have no other insurance | Primary in both the US and overseas. | Primary in both the US (except NY) and overseas. | Secondary within the US (unless you don't own a car) and primary overseas. | Primary in both the US and overseas. |
| Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) Limit | $75,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 | Up to actual cash value | $75,000 |
| Rental Car Coverage Duration | 31 days | 15 days within the US & 31 days overseas. | 30 days | 31 days | 15 days within the US & 31 days overseas. |
| Car Rental Coverage Country Exceptions | Australia, Italy, and New Zealand | Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland | None | None | Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland |
| Decline CDW at the Rental Company counter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Redeem Points for car rental and retain CDW coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, but at least one (1) full day of rental must be billed to your card. | N/A |
| Tire/rim damage (flats or blowout) | Not covered unless part of an accident. | Not covered unless part of an accident. | Not covered unless part of an accident. | Not covered unless part of an accident. | Not covered unless part of an accident. |
| Windshield damage | Not covered unless part of an accident. | Not covered unless part of an accident. | Not covered unless part of an accident. | Coverage inclusions: Accidents, road debris and road hazards. | Not covered unless part of an accident. |
| Coverage for loss-of-use charges incurred by the rental car agency | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rental car accident related death or dismemberment. | $200,000 per card member & 20,000 per passenger; $300,000 maximum per incident | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Rental Car Accident Injury Coverage | $5000 towards the cost of medical treatment | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Rental Car Accident Personal Property Coverage | $1000 per claimant; $2000 maximum per incident | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Car Rental Elite Status | Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, National Car/Emerald Club Executive. | Hertz President's Circle | None | None | Avis Preferred Plus; Hertz Gold Plus Rewards; Emerald Club Executive membership. |
| Premium Roadside Assistance | None | None | 4 service calls per year, maximum benefit $50 for each call (extra amount will be charged to the card). | None | $69.95 Fixed Price Roadside Dispatch Service: Standard Towing – Up to 5 miles included |
| Emergency Medical and Dental | None | None | $2,500 emergency medical/dental coverage ($50 deductible per day), $75 per day for prescribed hotels needed due to covered loss for up to 5 days. | None | None |
| Trip Cancellation/ Interruption | Up to $10,000 per trip, and a maximum limit of $20,000 per card per 12-month period. | Up to $2,000 per person for non-refundable common carrier tickets purchased with your card. | Up to $10,000 per trip per person, $20,000 per incident. Maximum benefit amount per 12-month period of $40,000. | Up to $5,000 per trip, and a maximum limit of $10,000 per card per 12-month period. | Up to $2,500 per trip for non-refundable common carrier tickets purchased with your card. |
| Round-trip vs. one-way travel coverage | Round trip economy flights only. Two one-way bookings are covered as long as you return to the city of departure. | Both round trip and one-way travel are covered. | Both round trip and one-way travel are covered. | Only round trip travel covered. | Both round trip and one-way travel are covered. |
| Award flights with ONLY taxes charged to the credit card. | Covers trip delay & cancellation (NOT baggage delay) | Covers ONLY trip delay but NOT trip cancellation | Covers trip delay, cancellation and baggage delay. | N/A | N/A |
| Airline Miles Redeposit Fee Refunds | No | No | Redeposit fees imposed by a rewards program are eligible for refund. | No | No |
| Total Trip Length Restrictions | 365 days | 365 days | 60 days | 365 days | 365 days |
| Trip Delay (>6 hours) Reimbursement | $500 per trip (Maximum 2 claims in 12 months) | $500 for each purchased ticket | $500 for each purchased ticket | $500 for each purchased ticket | $500 for each purchased ticket |
| Trip Delay Coverage Eligibility | Equipment failure, inclement weather, hijacking and lost/stolen passports. | Equipment failure, inclement weather, strikes and hijacking. | Any delay due to a Covered Hazard which was made public or made known to you prior to your departure. | Equipment failure, inclement weather, strikes and hijacking. | Equipment failure, inclement weather, strikes and hijacking. |
| Prepaid Tours/Activities Coverage | None | None | Any pre–paid expenses related to your Covered Trip, such as tour or activity fees associated with your Covered Trip. | None | None |
| Baggage Delay (>6 hours) | None | None | Up to $100/day for up to 5 days | None | Up to $100/day for up to 5 days |
| Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Luggage | Up to $3,000 for carry-on, $2,000 for checked luggage. | $3000 ($2,000 for New York residents). | Up to $3,000 per person per trip | $3000 ($2,000 for New York residents). | $3000 ($2,000 for New York residents). |
| Coverage for delays due to lost or stolen passports or travel documents | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Common Carrier accidental death and dismemberment reimbursement | None. Amex removed common carrier insurance in 2020 | Common carrier insurance: $1,000,000 per person | Common carrier insurance: Up to $1,000,000 per person. Use Chase card or Chase UR points to pay for the trip. | Common carrier insurance: $1,000,000 per person | Common carrier insurance: $1,000,000 per person |
| Emergency Transportation/ Evacuation | Included without a stated limit and ticket purchase with the card is NOT necessary. | None | $100,000 | None | $100,000 |
| Repatriation of Remains Insurance | Yes (without a stated limit) - A Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit. | None | $1,000 for a coffin and to return your body to your home country if you die on a vacation | None | $10,000 |
| Annual Fee | $695 | $395 | $795 | $595 | $395 |
| Authorized User fee | $175 for each user. No annual fee Gold cards can be added. | Free for four users. | $195 for each | $75 for each | Free |
| Statement Credits per year | $200 airline incidentals $200 prepaid luxury hotels $200 Uber $100 Saks ($50 x 2 every 6 months) $240 digital subscription $179 Clear program $155 Walmart+ membership | $300 Capital One portal travel credit | $300 for “any travel” related expenses | 1) $300 calendar year hotel benefit when booking via Citi Travel Portal (minimum of 2 nights). 2) $200 Annual Splurge Credit. 3) $200 Blacklane credit. | N/A |
| Anniversary Bonus Miles | N/A | 10,000 Capital One miles every year | N/A | 10% rewards bonus on all purchases if you also have an eligible BofA account. | |
| Cell phone protection | $800 per claim, up to 2 claims in a 12-month period. | $800 per claim, up to 2 claims in a 12-month period. | None | N/A | N/A |
| Extended warranty protection | One additional year | One additional year | One additional year | One additional year | One additional year for a maximum of 4 years |
| Purchase protection | $10,000 per claim, up to $50,000 per year | $500 per claim | $10,000 per claim (1st 120 days), up to $50,000 per year | $10,000 per claim (1st 90 days), 50K max per card holder | |
| Return Protection | $500/item | $300/item ($1000 annual maximum) | |||
| Personal Identity Theft | N/A | N/A | N/A | Up to $15,000.00 to restore your identity | |
| Global Entry for main card holder | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Global entry for authorized card holders | Yes. The benefit is free with no annual fee Gold cards. | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Annual Companion Award | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Global 25K Companion Award |
| Priority Pass lounge access for authorized users | Included (2 additional guests) | N/A | Included (2 additional guests) | Included (2 additional guests) | N/A |
| Priority Pass non-lounge airport experiences (e.g., dining, spa) | None | None | None | N/A | N/A |
| Non-Priority Pass Lounge access | American Express Centurion, Delta Sky Clubs, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Plaza Premium, Airspace and Escape lounges. | Capital One & Plaza Premium lounges (2 guest limit) | Unlimited access to Chase lounges (Chase lounges are also accessible via Priority Pass once per calendar year). | Four American Airlines Admirals Club passes each year | 8 Alaska Lounge passes & 8 Wi-Fi passes each year (2 every quarter). |
| Hotel elite status | Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. | None | None | None | None |
| Premium Hotel Booking Benefits | Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts | The Reserve by Citi Travel | Chase Hotels by The Edit ($500 annual credit) | ||
| Points Sharing With Other Members | None | Unlimited number of times to other Capital One Venture & Venture X card holders | None | None | With up to 10 additional Atmos Rewards accounts |
| Other Interesting Features | None | None | None | None | Partner Redemption Booking Fee Waiver: Pay rent through Bilt to earn 3 x points (incurs 3% fee). |
Summary of Amex Platinum Travel Benefits
- Amex Platinum coverage is restricted to round-trip economy flight purchases only, but paying the award ticket’s taxes qualifies for travel protections. Amex has a lower annual Trip Cancellation & Interruption coverage cap of $20,000 compared to the Chase cards.
- Amex Platinum limits trip delay payments to a maximum of $500 per trip, compared to Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X ($500 per ticket).
- Amex only provides secondary car rental coverage, but if you are overseas without any other auto insurance, it defaults to primary insurance and covers the entire claim. I use the Platinum card for overseas rentals, but have never personally had a claim with them. I called Amex to verify that it was true and also heard success stories from friends.
- Amex Platinum provides up to 300K for rental car accident-related death or dismemberment.
- Amex Platinum covers trip delays due to lost or stolen passports.
- Amex Platinum offers Rental Car Accident Injury Coverage (up to 5K for medical bills) and personal property coverage (up to 1K).
- Amex Platinum provides no common carrier (e.g., airline, bus, train, or cruise ship) travel accidental death coverage. The only travel-related accident coverage you get with a Platinum card is if you rent a car with it and have an accidental death or dismemberment while driving.
- Amex Platinum has the best emergency transportation/evacuation coverage without the need to charge any trip expenses on the card (the best card to keep in your wallet during overseas trips).
- https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/car-rental-loss-and-damage-insurance-terms.html