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Most air travelers know that there are special lounges at the airport for frequent flyers.

Here you can relax, have something to eat and drink or take advantage of entertainment, undisturbed by the hustle and bustle at the gates.

What is probably less known is that not only frequent flyers have access to such exclusive lounges, but also owners of certain credit cards, among others.

One such credit card is the American Express Platinum Card.

This premium credit card gives owners access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide.

In addition, users benefit from travel insurance, collect Membership Rewards points and now even receive 55,000 Membership Rewards points as starting credit.

What premium credit cards like the AMEX Platinum Card cost and who they are definitely worth it for.

Credit card at the airport: It still offers these advantages

In addition to lounge access, a premium credit card offers even more convenience and security - especially when traveling by plane around and at the airport.

These include the following:

Book the rental car with your credit card

The location of larger airports can best be described with the phrase “quite far from the beaten path” – this applies in Germany as well as internationally.

The distance to the city center is often a double-digit number of kilometers.

Munich's “Franz Josef Strauss” airport, for example, is around 36 kilometers by car from Marienplatz in the old town.

Here it is worth booking a rental car and getting to your destination without waiting or changing trains.

Almost all rental car providers such as AVIS, Europcar or Hertz require a credit card as a deposit.

Premium credit cards such as the AMEX Platinum Card offer extensive insurance packages for the booked car at no extra charge.

This includes rental car theft, fully comprehensive and liability insurance.

Rental car providers usually charge fully comprehensive insurance and theft protection for around 25 euros per rental.

Book a hotel with your credit card

If you travel flexibly, you will occasionally have to book your accommodation on site at short notice.

In most cases there is no way around a credit card, as this guarantees the necessary security for hotel providers.

Here too, some credit cards offer a plus: By using travel credit, for example 200 euros per year with the AMEX Platinum Card, large parts of the bill can be paid directly.

In addition, the participation of credit card providers in status programs of large hotel chains, such as Hilton or Marriott, can provide customers with free upgrades for such hotel bookings.

Lounge access by credit card: Enjoy comfort worldwide

From San Francisco to Sydney, from Helsinki to Cape Town: airport lounges offer comfort and enable relaxed preparation for the flight, which often lasts several hours, or rest after arrival.

How exactly can you imagine these “islands of peace” in the middle of the hectic airport hustle and bustle?

VIP lounges in airports, which you can enter as the owner of an AMEX Platinum Card, offer these amenities, among others:

Lounges at airports are sometimes operated by the airlines themselves, such as the Lufthansa Senator Lounge or the Emirates First Class Lounge, or are contractually linked as partner lounges.

And even the credit card providers themselves, such as AMEX with the American Express Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges in more than 40 locations worldwide, sometimes operate their own business lounges.

Disadvantages of premium credit cards and alternatives

Despite all the advantages that premium credit cards offer, they are certainly not suitable for everyone.

The high annual fees of up to 720 euros in the case of the AMEX Platinum Card alone are a reason to think twice about purchasing it.

To use the various credits and to use the 55,000 Membership Rewards program as starting credit, you need to spend at least 10,000 euros in the first six months.

No problem for anyone who travels a lot on business or plans one or more big vacations per year.

If you don't currently plan to do this, you won't be able to get the most out of a premium credit card.

However, the cheaper option might be worth it here – the AMEX Gold Card.

It is priced at a significantly lower 144 euros per year.

It gets even cheaper with the Barclays Platinum Double for 99 euros per year.

Both offer many bonuses such as insurance and points, but do not allow access to business lounges at the airport.

Are premium credit cards worth it for lounge access etc. at the airport?

Premium credit cards offer frequent travelers - but not only them - numerous options for more comfort, security and flexibility at the airport and beyond.

Without a well-filled account of bonus miles, access to business lounges is often only possible with an AMEX Platinum Card etc. and offers exclusive comfort to escape the hustle and bustle at airports all over the world.

The option of spontaneously booking a hotel or rental car with an included insurance package also makes such cards very valuable for their holders, especially when traveling, and a kind of “all-in-one solution”.

If you don't need these amenities, travel rarely or are put off by the high annual fees and sales of premium cards, a cheaper or free standard credit card will certainly do the trick.

In any case, it is worth considering the options based on your own expenses and needs in order to find the best possible option.

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