American Express Travel Array

What to Expect From American Express Travel Array

Membership in this program will turn your purchases into points that can be redeemed from your choice of shopping, entertainment, or travel. With this program you will also have access to the Global Assist Hotline, an End of Year Summary of Charges, and many other helpful tools. Since this is a charge card the balance will have to be paid in full at the end of the month, making this a useful way to budget your monthly expenses.

Traveling

When you travel with an American Express Credit Card you will be well taken care of. Here are just some of the services available to you as an American Express Card holder while traveling:

• Emergency Card Replacement –If your card is lost or stolen call you can call a toll free number (1-800-964-8542). The representative will take care of everything, allowing you to stay in vacation mode while feeling confident that your money is safe.
• Car Rental Loss or Damage – If you rent a car using your American Express Card you can be assured that if your rental is damaged or a total loss you will be covered. It should be noted that this service might not apply to every cardholder. To see if you are eligible call 1-800-338-1670.
• Baggage Insurance – If you purchase your common carrier tickets with your American Express Card your baggage will be covered under the Baggage Insurance Plan. The coverage provides $500 for checked bags and $1,250 for carry-on bags.
• Emergency Check Cashing – With this feature, you can get access to cash at more than 1,700 American Express Travel Services locations nationwide. You can get as much as $10,000 per month per account in the U.S. and abroad.
• Assured Reservations – You can guarantee your room with an American Express Card and be assured that your room will be there even if you arrive late. If your room is not available then the hotel will get you a comparable room at a nearby hotel and provide transportation to the new location.
• Emergency Check-In – Even if your card is lost or stolen you will be able to apply for emergency check-in status and charge your stay without having to physically present your card to the hotel.

Shopping

American Express offers many different protection plans to members of this program. Here is a list of just some of the protections offered:

• Purchase Protection – If eligible, you can protect certain purchases against accidental damage and theft for up to 90 days from the original date of purchase.
• Fraud Protection – With fraud protection you will not be held liable for any unauthorized charges made if your card is stolen.
• Buyer's Assurance Plan – With this plan, the manufacturer's warranty that applies to your purchases will be matched year for year on warranties that are five years or less.

How Rewards Work

Rewards are currently set up to work like this:

• 1 point for 1 airline mile
• Earn 1 point for virtually every dollar you spend
• Points can be used at over 50 of the finest in shopping and entertainment, including Dell, The Sharper Image, and Banana Republic
• Points are redeemable at more than 21 airlines, over 50 cruises, vacation packages, and spa retreats
• The points do not have an expiration date
• There is no limit to the amount of points you can receive

Enjoy the Rewards

Rewards programs are a great way to get a little something extra from your credit cards. If you already use your card regularly for purchases and recurring bills then you might as well earn points. The trick is to make sure that you don’t use your credit card just for the sake of acquiring more points. Too often cardholders who have attractive rewards programs will fall into a pattern of justifying impulse purchases because of the potential points they can earn from the rewards program attached to their credit cards. Be sure that any rewards program you enroll in – whether through American Express or through another credit card company – is a program where you can earn generous rewards without needing to spend excessively before you can earn enough to enjoy the perks.

The Travel Array program is an attractive program because the terms are not too restrictive. Other programs may have expiration dates or limitations to the number of points a cardholder can accumulate, but this program does not feature any of these issues. To find out more information regarding the American Express Travel Array program, or any of the other programs offered through American Express, visit their website.