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【3/31 Update】Confirmed! Uber Credit can be used with Uber Eats. When you place an order, it will show as a charge to your credit card, but after delivery the Credit will be deducted. Since the March Credit expires on 3/31, if you don't need rides but do use Uber Eats, you might as well order takeout; if not, ordering for a friend works too.

【3/30 Update】The sign-up bonus on all Platinum family cards has now been increased to 60,000 Membership Rewards points (requires $5,000 in spending within three months). The Ameriprise version with no annual fee in the first year still has no sign-up bonus.

【3/31 Update】You can now request the metal card! You can ask via online chat or by phone, or after logging in through this link, choose card management to request that a metal card be mailed to you.

【3/30 Update】If you add a Platinum family card to Payment in the Uber app and then restart the app, you'll automatically receive the March $15 Uber Credit. If you have two Platinum family cards, you can get $30. Note that this month's Credit expires on March 31, so use it if you need it.

Latest News

AMEX has also released its official explanation and FAQ regarding the benefit updates.

According to ThePointsGuy, benefits on the AMEX Platinum family of cards will undergo major changes starting 3/30. Both new applicants and existing cardholders will be affected. These benefit changes currently apply only to the personal Platinum cards.

Summary of Benefit Changes

All benefits will change starting 3/30/2017; everything remains the same before that date.

  • 【New】Centurion Lounges will allow fewer guests: According to TPG, AMEX's signature airport lounges, Centurion Lounges, will now allow only 2 guests. Before, you could bring 2 guests plus immediate family members. If you really need to bring more people, you can add an authorized user card ($175), and that card will have the same entry and guest privileges.
  • 【New】Priority Pass adds 2 guests: Previously, the Priority Pass that came with this card only allowed the cardholder to enter Priority Club lounges for free, and accompanying guests had to pay $27 to enter. Now it has been changed so that Priority Pass allows 2 guests to enter for free, which is a pretty good improvement.
  • Annual fee increases by $100 to $550: If you applied for this card before 3/30 (only the application submission date matters, not the approval date), then the first year's annual fee will still be $450; if you are an existing cardholder and your annual fee comes due before 9/1/2017, you only need to pay $450 this year; for other cases
  • Earn $200 in Uber Credit each year + Uber VIP membership: Cardholders can link their Uber account, and the Uber account will become VIP, giving you access to better car options and similar perks. At the same time, for the first 11 months of each year the Uber account will receive $15 in Credit, and in month 12 it will receive $35. Credit expires at the end of the month.
  • 5x MR on hotel spending: If you book prepaid hotels through AMEX Travel, the spending can earn 5x points. FHR does not earn 5x.
  • Metal card: This card will become a metal card.
  • Free Gold authorized user cards: You can add up to 99 Gold-version authorized user cards for free, and they get the primary card's 5x airfare and hotel spending, airline fee reimbursement (should still total $200), TSA Credit, and other benefits.

Platinum Cards Involved

About Applying

On March 30, this card will undergo major changes, most notably the annual fee will rise from $450 to $550. If you think this line of credit cards is right for you, or want to apply before the annual fee changes, now is the time to act. Because after 3/30, all benefits will change for both new applicants and existing cardholders, applying a few days early to save $100 in annual fees is still a good deal.

However, it is said that after AMEX rolls out the new benefits on 3/30, it will increase the Platinum sign-up bonus to 60,000 MR after $5,000 in spending. But I think even if the bonus is increased, it will probably only apply to AMEX's own Platinum. Those co-branded Platinum bonuses probably won't increase, so if you want to apply for a co-branded Platinum, you may want to act quickly; if you want AMEX's own Platinum, you can wait for the new sign-up bonus (of course, there is also the risk of missing out on $100 for nothing).

My Thoughts

For high-end cardholders who plan to keep this card long term and don't care about the annual fee, these changes are pretty good. Uber, hotel 5x, and the metal card are all useful, so the extra $100 annual fee is still reasonable. The changes to airport lounges are also closer to what most people want.

For some points-and-miles hobbyists, if you can't use the $200 Uber benefit, then you're effectively paying an extra $100 in annual fees the first year. As for hotel 5x and the metal card, there really isn't much difference. Of course, if you're good at playing AMEX Offers, the Gold authorized user card is a way to make back the annual fee. One authorized user card a year, if you put enough spending on it, might even earn you $300 in AMEX Offer rewards.

Overall, I don't think these AMEX changes are materially significant. The $200 airline fee reimbursement still isn't as easy to use as Chase CSR or Citi Prestige. The hotel 5x restriction is too strict; you have to book through AMEX Travel. Still, being willing to change is a good thing, and I hope AMEX keeps it up.