Two of the most popular travel credit cards, the American Express Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve, are getting fresh upgrades designed to attract experience-focused travelers, especially Gen Z and millennials.
Amex plans to refresh both its Platinum and Business Platinum cards later this year. New perks include three Centurion Lounges opening in Newark, Salt Lake City, and Tokyo, bringing the global lounge total to 32.
Amex is also expanding dining benefits thanks to its acquisition of reservation platform Tock, adding 7,000 new experiences on top of its Resy offerings. Despite the $695 annual fee, Amex reports Gen Z cardholder growth jumped 40% year over year in the first quarter of 2025.
Chase, meanwhile, is relaunching its Sapphire Reserve card on June 23 with a new $795 annual fee, up from $550, and a revamped package of perks said to offer over $2,700 in value. That includes:
- $300 travel credit
- $500 hotel credit via Chase’s Edit collection
- $300 credits each for DoorDash and StubHub
- Free Apple TV+ subscription
- Priority dining reservations through the new Reserve Exclusive Tables program
- IHG platinum elite status
The new points structure earns 8x on purchases made through Chase Travel, 4x on flights/hotels booked directly, and a new “Points Boost” system offering dynamic redemption discounts in place of the old 1.5x travel boost.
Airport lounge access remains central for both cards, with Chase offering access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Sapphire Lounges, Priority Pass, and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges.
With these upgrades, both Amex and Chase are betting that younger, loyalty-driven consumers value premium travel experiences enough to justify higher annual fees, especially when those perks go beyond the airport.
