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Updated: 22 June 2026

Solo Travellers: Why the Amex Platinum Actually Works Even Better Alone

Let's be honest: almost every article about premium credit cards is written from the perspective of a couple or family. "Ideal for earning points together." "Perfect for your next holiday as a couple." As if you're only entitled to lounge access when someone is sitting next to you. That's not true. In fact, as a solo traveller in Belgium you often get more return from the Amex Platinum card than a couple does. Sounds counterintuitive? Let me explain.

The reason is simpler than you think: most benefits are tied to the cardholder, not to the number of people travelling with you. You pay €780 per year, regardless of whether you're single or a family of four. But as a solo traveller you don't have to share anything. No discussion about who gets to choose the lounge, no compromises on the hotel destination, no shared points. Everything benefits one person. You.

Why solo travel and the Amex Platinum go so well together

The core of the story lies in how the benefits are structured. Take Fine Hotels + Resorts: when booking through that programme you get a complimentary room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast for two, and a welcome gift worth approximately €100. The total value per stay can reach up to €650. As a couple you share that room. As a solo traveller you enjoy exactly the same upgrades, but the entire room, the entire breakfast, the entire experience is for you alone. That €650 in value doesn't split.

The same applies to Priority Pass. You get access to more than 1,550 lounges worldwide, free of charge, with one guest included. As a couple you use that +1 for your partner. As a solo traveller you can use that +1 for whoever you want: a colleague on a business trip, a friend you bump into at the airport, or simply nobody. The benefit is there regardless. The value of Priority Pass Prestige stands at approximately €500 per year. Whether you travel alone or not.

Then there are the Membership Rewards points. This is where it gets really interesting for solo travellers. Every euro you spend earns points, and those points sit in your account. No shared pot you need to negotiate over. No "but I booked those flight tickets, so those points are mine". One person earns, one person decides. And 150,000 welcome points via the TravelLux.be referral link are enough for multiple flights within Europe or a return to Thailand in business class with the right transfer partner. That welcome bonus is one-time only and requires a minimum spend of approximately €4,000 to €6,000 in the first three months.

The maths: what does it cost and what does it deliver as a solo Belgian traveller?

Let's get concrete. The Amex Platinum costs €780 per year, or €65 per month. That's a substantial amount. The question is not whether it's expensive (it is), but whether you extract more value than what you pay.

Now, to be fair: this is the optimistic scenario. If you only fly twice a year and don't use Fine Hotels + Resorts, the value drops to somewhere between €400 and €700. That's still around break-even, but no longer the compelling story. For those who only go on holiday once a year and mostly spend within Belgium, the Amex Platinum honestly isn't the right card. Then you're paying €780 for benefits you barely touch.

But here's the point: solo travellers on average travel more often than couples with children. No school holidays to factor in, no double tickets limiting the budget, no childcare logistics. You book when it's cheap, you leave when it suits you. And every time you're at Brussels Airport, that Fast Lane and that lounge kick in. The fixed benefits run at full capacity when you use them frequently.

Dining for 2 as a solo traveller: yes, that works too

A benefit that at first glance doesn't seem designed for solo travellers: Dining for 2. Three times a year a complimentary two-course menu for two people at top Belgian restaurants. "For two people" sounds like you need a date. But no. You can bring a friend, a family member, a colleague. Or you use it as a nice way to invite someone without it costing you anything.

I've used this benefit a few times by now and admittedly, it's quite a handy social asset as a solo traveller. You invite someone for an evening at a restaurant you might not normally visit, and the bill is already taken care of. Value: up to €300 per year. For me this worked perfectly fine, even without a regular plus-one.

Points earning pace: why solo travellers often save faster

Here lies an underappreciated advantage. As a solo traveller you have just one household, but also just one set of fixed costs. And all those costs, wherever Amex is accepted, can be run through your Platinum. Groceries, fuel, online purchases, subscriptions, dining out. Everything on one card, all points to one account.

With the standard earning rate of 1 point per euro, at €2,000 in monthly spending you'll have saved 24,000 points after a year. If you activate the Booster option (€10/month extra), that rises to 4 points per euro, good for 96,000 points per year. Depending on how you transfer them, that's one to two return flights in business class to, say, Bangkok via Brussels Airlines or a partner airline.

And those points never expire, as long as your card is active. No pressure to use them quickly, no "use it or lose it". You save at your own pace, plan your own trip, and decide for yourself when to redeem your points. With couples I often see the discussion: "should we use those points now or save them for next year?" As a solo traveller you don't have that discussion.

When the Amex Platinum as a solo traveller is NOT worth it

It would be easy to stop here and say: "everyone who travels alone, get that card." But it's not that simple. There are clear profiles for whom the €780 per year is hard to justify.

• You fly fewer than two times per year. Then you barely use the lounge access and Fast Lane, and the core of the value falls away.
• You travel primarily by train within Europe. Thalys to Paris, Eurostar to London: nice, but the Amex Platinum adds little there.
• You spend less than €1,000 per month via credit card. Then the points earning pace is so low that the annual fee is hard to recoup after the welcome bonus.
• You mostly shop at small local stores where Amex isn't accepted. In Belgium acceptance is better than five years ago, but still not universal.

Honestly: if you fall into two or more of the above categories, look at a card with lower annual costs. The Amex Platinum isn't a bad card for those profiles, it's simply overkill. And paying €780 for something you barely use is a waste, regardless of whether you're single or not.

The concierge as a personal assistant: underrated for solo travellers

A benefit that's rarely mentioned in the context of solo travel: the 24/7 concierge service. When you're travelling as a pair, you always have someone to consult with. "Which restaurant shall we book?" "How do we get from the airport to the hotel?" As a solo traveller you do all of that yourself. And honestly: sometimes that's exhausting.

The Amex concierge isn't a miracle solution, but it's quite handy to make a phone call and ask: "I'm in Bangkok next week, can you reserve three restaurants in this area?" Or: "I'm looking for a transfer from Miami Airport to South Beach, what are the options?" It's not a personal butler, more of a helpful travel assistant available 24 hours a day. For me, on a solo trip to Vietnam, it made the difference between searching for an hour myself and simply making a phone call.

The travel insurance that's automatically active when paying with the Platinum is also one of those quiet benefits you appreciate more as a solo traveller. No partner to fall back on when your luggage is lost or your flight is cancelled. The insurance covers trip cancellation, flight insurance (delay, missed connection), baggage insurance, and medical costs abroad. That's significantly less stress when you're travelling alone.

Hertz Gold Plus and Avis Preferred: rental car without waiting

Another benefit that specifically works out better for solo travellers: the automatic Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star status and Avis Preferred status that come with the card. As a solo traveller you rent a car more often than as a couple (no one to share rides with, no shared taxi). With those statuses you walk straight to your car at the airport, without queuing at the counter. At Miami Airport, where the queue at Hertz is sometimes ridiculously long, that has saved me actual hours across multiple trips.

And you pay with your Amex, so no foreign exchange fees on the rental car abroad. That easily saves €20-40 per week on a rental in the US or Australia.

The welcome bonus: 150,000 points as starting capital

The welcome bonus deserves a separate mention. Via a referral link you receive up to 150,000 Membership Rewards points, more than with a direct application on americanexpress.com/be. This bonus is one-time only: you only receive it as a new cardholder, and you need to spend approximately €4,000 to €6,000 in the first three months to receive the full amount.

For a solo traveller that starting capital is particularly valuable. You can convert 150,000 points via airline transfer partners such as Brussels Airlines, British Airways, Emirates or Qatar Airways into flight tickets. Depending on the route and class, that's good for multiple European returns in economy or one intercontinental flight in business. And you don't have to share with anyone.

For comparison: a couple with two Platinum cards pays €1,560 per year and does get two welcome bonuses, but the second card can also be requested as an additional Platinum (€10/month), without its own welcome bonus. A solo traveller pays €780, gets the full 150,000 points, and has no double costs. The mathematics are quite clear.

In practice: what does a year look like with the Amex Platinum as a solo traveller?

To make it concrete: here's what a typical year looks like for the profile I encounter most often. Someone who flies 3-4 times per year from Brussels Airport, regularly orders online, and occasionally plans a somewhat more luxurious trip.

January-March: Card applied for, welcome bonus of 150,000 points earned. Fast Lane at Brussels Airport activated. First lounge visit during a weekend trip to London. Dining for 2 used with a friend at a Belgian restaurant.

April-June: Fine Hotels + Resorts booking for a solo week in Thailand. Room upgrade and daily breakfast included. Points used for the flight via Brussels Airlines. Concierge called for restaurant reservations in Bangkok.

July-September: Summer trip to Florida. Hertz Gold Plus status for the rental car. Lounge access on the way back via a layover. Second Dining for 2 used.

October-December: Weekend trip to Ibiza. Third Dining for 2. Lounge On the Go at Brussels Airport for a coffee before the flight. End of year: over 30,000 extra points saved on top of the welcome bonus.

In that scenario you've more than recouped the card's cost. The Fast Lane alone saves you stress on every departure day, and the lounges at Brussels Airport are a pleasant place to wait when you're travelling alone and don't feel like hanging around the gate area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Also read:

• Membership Rewards points: the complete guide for Belgian travellers
• Amex Platinum Belgium: honest review after two years
• All lounges at Brussels Airport: which ones are worth it?