These are the two heavyweight premium travel cards in the US, and both were rebuilt in the last twelve months — the Amex Platinum climbed to an $895 annual fee (effective at renewals on or after January 2, 2026), and the Chase Sapphire Reserve jumped to $795 in June 2025. The $100 fee gap is almost a rounding error at this level. The decision is really about two things: which pile of credits you will actually use, and which rewards ecosystem — Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards — fits the trips you want to take.
Amex Platinum — 100,000-point welcome bonus
Centurion Lounge access, Fine Hotels & Resorts, 5x on flights.
Chase Sapphire Reserve — 75,000-point welcome bonus
$300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass, 3x dining/travel.
Chase Sapphire Preferred — 60,000-point welcome bonus
Spend $4k/3mo. Transfer 1:1 to United, Hyatt, Virgin Atlantic.
The short version: the Amex Platinum is the card for lounge access, luxury-hotel status, and airline transfer partners like ANA. The Sapphire Reserve is the card for World of Hyatt redemptions, stronger everyday-travel earning, and a simpler set of credits. Many serious points travelers eventually carry both — and that is a legitimate strategy, because they unlock different things.
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What changed in 2025 and 2026
- Amex Platinum (Jan 2026): annual fee rose from $695 to $895 at renewal, in exchange for an expanded credit menu — a $600 hotel credit, $400 Resy dining credit, monthly Uber Cash, and more, alongside the unchanged lounge access and hotel status.
- Sapphire Reserve (June 2025): fee rose from $550 to $795, reloaded with a travel credit, The Edit hotel credit, a dining credit, and subscription perks, plus the new Points Boost redemption engine.
Annual fee and the credits behind it
| Amex Platinum | Sapphire Reserve | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $895 | $795 |
| Headline travel credit | $600 hotel (Fine Hotels + Resorts / The Hotel Collection) | Up to $300 travel + up to $500 The Edit |
| Dining credit | $400 Resy | Up to $300 (Exclusive Tables) |
| Other credits | Monthly Uber Cash + entertainment, CLEAR, and more | Apple TV+/Music, plus assorted |
| Hotel elite status | Hilton Gold + Marriott Gold | — |
Both cards advertise more credit value than their fee, and both come with the same warning: the credits are mostly use-it-or-lose-it and tied to specific merchants or booking channels. The Amex menu is larger but more fragmented — you have to actively work several credits to clear $895. The Reserve's are fewer and a touch easier to use. Add up only the credits you will realistically touch on each card, subtract from the fee, and compare the two real numbers rather than the headline ones.
Earning rates
| Category | Amex Platinum | Sapphire Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Flights (direct or portal) | 5x (Amex Travel or airline direct) | 4x direct / 8x via Chase Travel |
| Prepaid hotels (portal) | 5x (Amex Travel) | 8x via Chase Travel |
| Dining | 1x | 3x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
The Platinum earns big on airfare and prepaid hotels but a weak 1x almost everywhere else, including dining — it is a benefits-and-lounges card, not a spending card. The Reserve earns more broadly: 3x on dining worldwide and up to 8x through Chase Travel. If you want one card to put real spend on, the Reserve out-earns the Platinum outside of flights.
The real difference: Membership Rewards vs Ultimate Rewards
This is the part most fee comparisons skip, and it matters more than the credits. The two cards earn different currencies with different transfer partners:
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- Amex Membership Rewards transfers 1:1 to a deep airline list — most notably ANA Mileage Club, a perennial sweet spot for booking ANA and Star Alliance business and first class that Chase simply cannot access. Amex also leans toward hotel status over hotel points.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers 1:1 to World of Hyatt — the single most valuable hotel transfer partner in the points world — plus United, Aeroplan, and Virgin Atlantic. Hyatt alone is a reason many people keep a Chase card.
So the question is not just "which card has better perks," but "do I want ANA flights or Hyatt hotels?" If you dream in Hyatt redemptions, the Reserve's ecosystem wins. If you want ANA first class, the Platinum's does. Whichever currency you earn, the value only shows up at redemption — so it is worth checking award availability and comparing the cash price against the points price before you transfer, which is exactly what Pointify puts side by side, along with the sweet spots worth transferring for and the mistake fares worth jumping on.
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Lounge access
This is the Platinum's clearest win. It opens the Amex Centurion Lounge network (the nicest in the US), Priority Pass, and Delta Sky Clubs when you fly Delta. The Sapphire Reserve gives Priority Pass plus Chase's own growing Sapphire Lounge network — good and improving, but not yet the Centurion footprint. If lounges are a top reason you want a premium card, the Platinum leads.
Who should get the Amex Platinum
- You fly often and value the widest lounge access (Centurion + Priority Pass + Delta Sky Club).
- You want ANA and the broader Membership Rewards airline list for premium-cabin awards.
- You will use the hotel and dining credits and want automatic Hilton and Marriott Gold status.
Who should get the Sapphire Reserve
- You want World of Hyatt access — the best hotel transfer partner in points.
- You want a card you can actually earn on day to day (3x dining, up to 8x Chase Travel).
- You prefer a simpler, easier-to-use credit set and the slightly lower fee.
Can you have both?
Yes — they are different issuers, and holding both is a common advanced setup: you get the full lounge stack, both credit menus, and access to both ANA and Hyatt. The only question is whether the combined ~$1,690 in fees is justified by how much you travel. For most people one card is plenty; pick the ecosystem that matches the trips you actually book.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Amex Platinum worth $895?
Only if you will use its credits and lounge access. Add up the hotel, dining, Uber, and other credits you will realistically use, subtract from $895, and weigh the remainder against the Centurion Lounge access and Hilton/Marriott Gold status. For frequent flyers it pencils out; for occasional travelers it usually does not.
Which has better transfer partners, Amex Platinum or Sapphire Reserve?
They are different, not strictly better or worse. Amex Membership Rewards reaches ANA and a deep airline list; Chase Ultimate Rewards reaches World of Hyatt, the top hotel partner. Choose based on whether you value premium-cabin flights or outsized hotel redemptions.
Does the Amex Platinum earn points on dining?
Only 1x. The Platinum is built around flights (5x), lounges, and credits — not everyday spending. The Sapphire Reserve earns 3x on dining worldwide, so if dining is a big category for you, the Reserve earns far more.
Should I get the Amex Platinum or the Sapphire Reserve for lounges?
The Amex Platinum, clearly. It adds the Centurion Lounge network and Delta Sky Club access (when flying Delta) on top of Priority Pass, which is a wider footprint than the Sapphire Reserve's Priority Pass plus Sapphire Lounges.
Can you hold both the Amex Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Yes. They are issued by different banks, so there is no conflict, and carrying both unlocks every lounge network plus both the ANA and Hyatt transfer ecosystems. The trade-off is roughly $1,690 in combined annual fees.
Annual fees, credits, and welcome offers change frequently — confirm the current terms on each issuer's site before applying. Whichever premium card you carry, Pointify helps you turn the points into the most valuable trip possible.
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