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Updated: 26 June 2026

Sabbatical Travel: How Amex Platinum Makes a Round-the-World Trip More Affordable

Honestly: the decision to take a sabbatical was harder for us than planning the trip itself. Putting your job on hold, travelling around for three to six months, making the financial picture work. That's the real challenge. And then the calculating begins. How do you make a sabbatical trip cheaper without sacrificing comfort?

That's what I want to talk about. Not about "making your dreams come true" or other hollow slogans, but about concrete numbers. About how a credit card costing €780 per year can save you hundreds, sometimes thousands of euros on a round-the-world trip. About when it does work, and about when you're better off just leaving that money in your savings account.

This article is written from a Belgian perspective. All amounts in euros, all benefits verified against the Belgian version of the Amex Platinum card, all calculations based on departure from Brussels Airport.

What does a sabbatical round-the-world trip actually cost from Belgium?

Let me start with a sober overview. A typical sabbatical of three to four months, visiting three or four continents, roughly looks like this budget-wise for a Belgian traveller:

That range is wide, I know. But that's precisely the point. A sabbatical traveller who spends three months in Thailand and Vietnam is in an entirely different cost bracket than someone combining Australia and the US. I've done both (not in one trip, but over the years) and the difference is enormous. A month around Bangkok and the islands easily costs you half of a month in Sydney or Miami.

So the big question is: where in that budget can you save without it coming at the expense of your experience? And that's exactly where it becomes interesting to look at what a travel credit card can do. Not as a miracle cure, but as a financial tool.

The welcome bonus: 150,000 points and what they're really worth on a round-the-world trip

The first and most concrete benefit of the Amex Platinum for sabbatical travellers is the welcome bonus. Via the TravelLux.be referral link you receive up to 150,000 Membership Rewards points. That's the maximum bonus, more than when you apply directly via Amex. I also receive points for that, and that's why I stick to one rule: only recommend it if the numbers work for you.

Important to know: you don't just get that bonus for free. You need to spend at least €4,000 to €6,000 with the card in the first three months. That's a serious amount. But if you're booking a round-the-world trip, it's not an unrealistic goal. Flights, accommodation, a new backpack, travel accessories: it adds up quickly. And another thing: the welcome bonus is one-time only. You get it once, not every year again.

Right, 150,000 points. What are they worth? That depends on how you use them.

That third option is where it gets interesting. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to partners such as Brussels Airlines/Miles & More, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Emirates Skywards, Qatar Airways Privilege Club or British Airways Avios. For a sabbatical round-the-world trip that's relevant, because you can use them to book intercontinental flights that would otherwise cost €800 to €1,500 each.

A concrete example: via Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles you book a return to Bangkok in economy for 30,000 to 40,000 miles, depending on availability. That's 30,000 to 40,000 Membership Rewards points after transfer. The cash value of such a ticket? Easily €700 to €1,000 from Brussels. With 150,000 points you can therefore cover multiple flights, or book one to two flights in business class if you choose that route.

For those who prefer to think in euros: in the best-case scenario you get up to 1.5 to 2 cents of value per point. In the worst-case scenario (statement credit) it's 0.5 cents. The difference between those two scenarios is literally €750 to €1,650. So it's worth taking a moment to figure out which transfer partner offers the best deal for your specific route. I wrote about that earlier in our guide to using Membership Rewards points.

Lounges on a round-the-world trip: luxury or necessity?

Honestly, for a weekend in London or a flight to Ibiza I consider lounge access a nice extra. On a sabbatical of three to six months it becomes almost a necessity.

Reason: on a round-the-world trip you easily take eight to twelve flights. Long layovers of three to five hours are more the rule than the exception when you book on price (and that's what you do on a sabbatical). Four hours waiting at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, three hours at Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, another stopover in Istanbul or Doha. After the third time on a plastic chair you become grateful for a lounge with wifi, food and a shower.

The Amex Platinum gives access to the Priority Pass Prestige network: 1,550+ lounges worldwide. Free for the cardholder and one guest, unlimited. The standalone price of Priority Pass Prestige is approximately €500 per year. On a round-the-world trip you might use that access ten to fifteen times. Calculate €30 to €50 per lounge visit (the price for a walk-in), and you're quickly looking at €300 to €750 in saved lounge costs.

Is it always ideal? No. Not every lounge is equally good. Some Priority Pass lounges are overcrowded spaces with dry bread and lukewarm coffee. But the larger hubs usually have decent options. And occasionally there's a Centurion Lounge or Plaza Premium that's genuinely worth it.

Admittedly, you can also just read a book on that plastic chair. But when you've been on the road for four months, a bit of comfort is no longer a luxury. It's a way to sustain your trip.

Travel insurance: the hidden saving for sabbatical travellers

This is the benefit most people overlook, and where the maths hits hardest for long trips.

A regular travel insurance policy for a round-the-world trip of three to four months easily costs €200 to €400 per person in Belgium. For a couple you're looking at €400 to €800. And I'm talking about a solid policy with cancellation, medical costs and baggage cover.

The Amex Platinum offers through Chubb and Europe Assistance a package that covers a significant part of that. Included are: trip cancellation insurance, flight insurance for delays or cancellations, baggage insurance for loss, theft or damage, and medical expenses abroad. All of this is automatically active when you pay for the trip with the card.

I've personally experienced a flight from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City being delayed by three hours, causing us to miss a connecting domestic flight. Not dramatic, but certainly annoying. The flight insurance via the card covered the extra costs. Without that coverage it would have been a discussion with a low-cost carrier that sends you from pillar to post.

Something else that matters: no foreign transaction fees. The Amex Platinum charges no extra fees on foreign payments. On a four-month round-the-world trip where you're paying in three or four different currencies, that easily saves €50 to €150 compared to a regular bank card that charges 1.5% to 2% in foreign transaction fees.

Fine Hotels + Resorts: when it's worth it (and when it's not)

The Fine Hotels + Resorts programme (FHR) gives access to more than 14,000 hotels worldwide with benefits you wouldn't normally get with a standard booking: free room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast for two and a welcome gift of approximately €100.

On paper the total value per stay is up to €650. In practice it depends.

For a sabbatical traveller who mainly stays in budget accommodation or Airbnbs, FHR isn't necessarily relevant. But most sabbatical travellers I know (and myself too, honestly) plan a few nights in a proper hotel along the way. After three weeks of hostels in Vietnam you do want a room with a bath and a breakfast you don't have to piece together yourself. And it's precisely for those moments that FHR is interesting.

An example: you book an FHR hotel in Bangkok or Sydney for the same price as via Booking.com or the hotel's own site, but you get free breakfast, a room upgrade and a credit of ±€100 on top. Over two or three FHR stays during a round-the-world trip that's €300 to €600 in extra value without paying more for the room.

When is it pointless? If your budget is so tight that you wouldn't consider a hotel of €150+ per night anyway. Then you won't get much use out of it. Fair enough.

The total calculation: does the Amex Platinum pay off on a sabbatical?

Time for the honest maths. I'll put all benefits next to the costs, for a typical sabbatical of three to four months from Belgium.

Even in the most conservative scenario the value exceeds the annual cost of €780. In the favourable scenario it's three to five times the investment. That's quite remarkable for a credit card.

But (and this is important): the first year is by far the most profitable due to the one-time welcome bonus. Without that bonus the calculation shifts. An occasional flyer who only flies twice a year might get €400 to €700 in value per year from the card. That doesn't cover the €780. Then the card becomes less interesting after the first bonus year, unless you continue to travel regularly.

For whom is the Amex Platinum on a sabbatical NOT worth it?

I wouldn't be honest if I didn't also say when this card doesn't make sense. Here goes:

• Your sabbatical is mainly in Belgium or neighbouring countries, by car or train. No flights, no lounges, no intercontinental points.
• Your total travel budget is under €3,000. The €780 annual fee then eats up too large a portion of your budget.
• You can't meet the minimum spend of €4,000 to €6,000 in three months. Then you'll miss the welcome bonus, and without that bonus the maths is much less compelling.
• Your gross annual income is below €30,000. Then you won't meet the application requirements.
• You only want the card for the bonus and plan to cancel afterwards. Technically you can, but it's not how I'd approach it.

If one or more of these points apply to you, a simple card without an annual fee is probably wiser. No shame, just maths.

Practical tips: getting the most out of the Amex Platinum on a round-the-world trip

Suppose the maths works out for you. How do you get the most out of it? A few things I've learned.

Apply for the card three to four months before departure. That way you have time to earn the welcome bonus with your travel preparations (booking flights, paying for accommodation, buying gear) and you won't be under time pressure. The points are usually credited within a few weeks after reaching the threshold.

For your longest flights, find the best transfer partner. This takes an hour of research, but the difference can be hundreds of euros. For Asia, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer are often strong. For Australia, Qatar Airways Privilege Club is worth looking into. I've written about this earlier in our article on Amex Platinum experiences from Belgium.

Activate the travel insurance by paying for your flights with the card. This sounds obvious, but I know people who paid for their flights with a different card and therefore missed out on the coverage. A waste.

Use the Amex Offers. These are discounts at hundreds of brands that you activate in the app. Not spectacular, but over a four-month trip it adds up. €10 here, €20 there.

Schedule two or three nights via Fine Hotels + Resorts at strategic moments: halfway through your trip when you need some comfort, or at the end as a reward. Book via the FHR portal, not via external sites, otherwise you'll miss the benefits.

And finally: acceptance. Amex is not accepted everywhere. In Thailand and Vietnam you can use it at larger hotels and restaurants, but not at street stalls and small shops. Always bring a Visa or Mastercard as backup. In Australia and the US acceptance is much broader.

The planning: when should you apply for the card for a sabbatical?

Timing is relevant. This is the schedule that worked for us:

That Fast Lane at Brussels Airport is an underrated benefit, by the way. On busy departure days (think summer holidays or Christmas, exactly when many sabbatical travellers depart) the regular security queue can build up to 30-40 minutes. The Fast Lane is included with the card and saves you that stress. The value is €169 per year if you were to buy it separately.

And if you're travelling with a partner: you can add an additional Platinum card for €10 per month, or up to four free Green cards for family members. The Green cards offer fewer benefits, but they do let your family members benefit from the points.

Frequently asked questions about sabbatical travel with the Amex Platinum

Also read:

• How to use Membership Rewards points optimally?
• Amex Platinum experiences after 2 years as a Belgian traveller
• Priority Pass lounges: which ones are worth it from Belgium?

Transparency: I also receive points if you apply via this link. That's why I stick to one rule: only recommend it if the numbers work for you. All stated facts and amounts are based on the official terms and conditions of American Express Belgium, verified in June 2026.