Amex Platinum vs Amex Gold: Which Card Wins for Belgian Travellers?

It was half five in the morning at Brussels Airport. One of those flights where you're actually far too early, but where you couldn't stay in bed because of the nerves. My flight to Dubai departed at 7:15, connection to the Maldives, the trip I'd been looking forward to for months. As I walked through the terminal, I saw the queue for regular security. At least forty people. Sighing families with too much hand luggage. And me? I turned left. Fast Lane. Three people ahead of me. Two minutes later I was already at the Priority Pass lounge, with a fresh croissant and a cappuccino while the rest were still shuffling along.

That moment was the turning point. Not the trip itself, however beautiful it was, but the realisation that travelling feels fundamentally different when you have the right tools. And in my case, that tool was the Amex Platinum. But is this card the best choice for you too? Or is the Amex Gold perhaps smarter for your travel style?

I get that question a lot. Honestly, I understand the confusion. Both cards are premium, both have gold-coloured accents, and both promise a better travel experience. But the differences? They're bigger than you think. Let me take you through my own considerations, and hopefully it will help you make the right choice.

The Real Costs: More Than Just the Price Tag

Let's start with the most obvious: the price. The Amex Platinum costs €780 per year, or €65 per month. That's an amount that makes you pause for a moment. The Amex Gold is considerably more accessible in terms of annual fee. On paper, the choice seems simple, right?

But here's where it gets interesting. When I first saw that €780, I thought: that's a city trip to Lisbon. Or three dinners at a good restaurant. But then I started calculating. And believe me, I'm not a spreadsheet type, but some numbers are too striking to ignore.

Take the Priority Pass lounge access alone. It's included with the Platinum, the Prestige version, which means you can get in unlimited times, and you can always bring someone along for free. A separate Priority Pass Prestige membership? That costs you around €500 per year. Then there's the Fast Lane at Brussels Airport. That's worth €169 if you buy it separately. Add to that the Dining for 2 experiences, three times a year a free two-course menu for two at top restaurants, worth around €300. We're already at nearly €970 in value, and I haven't even started on the travel insurance, the Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits, or the welcome bonus.

The Gold card? It lacks most of these benefits. No lounge access. No Fast Lane. Less comprehensive insurance. It's a perfectly fine card for everyday spending, but for someone who travels regularly? You start earning back that €780 very quickly.

Lounge Access: The Difference Between Surviving and Enjoying

I'll admit, before I had lounge access myself, I found it a bit pretentious. What does it matter whether you're sitting in a lounge or at the gate? You're just waiting until you can board, aren't you?

Now I think differently about it. Not because I've become snobbish, but because the reality of travelling is that things go wrong. Flights get delayed. Connections become tight. And when you're standing at Zaventem at 5 in the morning for a flight that's been delayed by two hours, it makes quite a difference whether you're sitting in a plastic chair at gate B24, or in a comfortable lounge with wifi, hot food, and a shower if you need one.

With the Amex Platinum you get access to more than 1,550 lounges worldwide. Priority Pass, but also Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Plaza Premium, the network is impressive. And the best part? You can always bring someone along for free. Travelling with your partner? You can both get in. That saves you €60-80 per visit straight away if you'd have to pay for it separately.

The Amex Gold doesn't offer this. Full stop. If lounge access is a must-have for you, then the choice has essentially already been made.

I remember one time at Dubai International, after a long flight from Brussels, with four more hours to wait for my connection to Malé. I was tired, hungry, and my phone was nearly dead. That lounge was my salvation. Buffet, shower, quiet seating area with a view of the runway. By the time I boarded for the last leg, I felt reborn. Without that lounge? I would have stumbled into my overwater villa like a zombie.

Brussels Airport Benefits: Home Advantage for Belgian Travellers

This is where it gets specifically interesting for us Belgians. The Amex Platinum has a number of benefits that are exclusive to Brussels Airport, and these make the card extra valuable if Zaventem is your home base.

I've already mentioned the Fast Lane. Worth €169 per year, but free for Platinum holders. You scan your card, walk through the short queue, and you're through security in minutes. On busy mornings, and there are plenty of those at Zaventem, that easily saves you 20 to 30 minutes.

But there's more. The Dining Experience at Black Pearls, for example. Twice a month you can pick up a premium meal there. Black Pearls, for those who don't know it, is one of the better restaurants at the airport. Not fast food, but proper food. And then there's Lounge On the Go, also twice a month, where you can take a premium takeaway package with you if you don't have time to sit in the lounge.

The Gold card? None of these benefits. It might sound like small things, but they add up. If you fly from Brussels monthly, you use these perks constantly. And then that €65 per month suddenly feels very different.

Fine Hotels + Resorts: Where Luxury Truly Begins

Right, this is where it gets personally interesting for me. The Fine Hotels + Resorts programme from Amex is something many people overlook, but it's perhaps the most undervalued benefit of the Platinum card.

Here's how it works: you book a hotel through the FHR programme, more than 14,000 luxury hotels worldwide, and you automatically receive a package of benefits. Free room upgrade if available. Early check-in. Late checkout. Daily breakfast for two. And a welcome gift or credit worth around €100.

Last year I booked a hotel in Bangkok through FHR. Normally I would have had a standard room, but on arrival I was offered a suite. The breakfast, which was normally €45 per person, was included. The late checkout meant that on my last day I could still swim and have lunch by the pool before I had to head to the airport. The total added value of that single stay? Easily €400-500.

With the Amex Gold you don't have this. You can of course book the same hotels, but then you pay for everything separately. And that makes an enormous difference on a stay of four or five nights.

Honestly, this was the deciding factor for me. I love travelling, and when I travel, I want to do it properly. The FHR programme makes that possible without me feeling like I'm paying through the nose.

Earning and Spending Points: The Maths of Smarter Travel

Both cards earn Membership Rewards points. 1 point per euro spent. But the way you can use those points differs.

With the Platinum you have access to an extensive network of airline partners. Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, British Airways, but also Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Turkish Airlines. More than 15 partners in total. Those points never expire as long as your card is active, which means you can save up at your own pace for that one big trip.

Via the TravelLux.be friends link you receive up to 150,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome bonus when you apply. That's the maximum bonus available, more than when you apply directly through Amex. 150,000 points sounds abstract, but let me make it concrete: that's enough for multiple flights within Europe, or a substantial contribution towards a business class flight to Asia.

There's also a Booster option with the Platinum: for an extra €10 per month you earn 4 points per euro instead of 1. If you spend a lot through your card, business expenses, large purchases, that can add up quickly.

The Gold card also earns points, but the redemption options are more limited. And the welcome bonus? It's lower. If earning points is an important part of your travel strategy, the Platinum wins.

Travel Insurance: The Invisible Safety Net

Nobody thinks about insurance until something goes wrong. And then it's too late to do anything about it.

The Amex Platinum comes with comprehensive travel insurance through Chubb and Europe Assistance. Trip cancellation, flight insurance for delays or missed connections, baggage insurance, medical costs abroad, it's all included, automatically active as soon as you pay for your trip with the card.

Last year a friend of mine had a cancelled flight from Lisbon. His Platinum insurance covered the extra hotel night and the new flight the next day. Without that insurance he would have been €350 out of pocket.

The Gold card also has insurance, but less comprehensive. The coverage amounts are lower, and some situations that the Platinum does cover fall outside the scope of the Gold. For someone who goes on holiday once or twice a year, that might not matter. But for frequent travellers? That extra coverage is gold, ironically more than the Gold card itself offers.

The Honest Conclusion: Which Card is for Whom?

After all this number-crunching and all these experiences, what's the conclusion? It depends on who you are and how you travel.

The Amex Gold is a good choice if you travel a few times a year, mainly within Europe, and are primarily looking for a premium payment card without the full investment of the Platinum. You earn points, you have basic insurance, and you pay less per year.

But if you travel regularly, say six times a year or more, and you often depart from Brussels Airport, then the Amex Platinum is the logical choice. The lounge access alone is worth the price if you use it four or five times a year. The Fast Lane at Zaventem saves you stress. The Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits make your hotel stays more luxurious without paying more. And the welcome bonus of 150,000 points via the friends link? That compensates for a large part of your first year.

I've made my choice. And every time I walk through that Fast Lane, or sit in a lounge while my flight is delayed, or stand at the breakfast buffet of an FHR hotel, I know it was the right one.

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