UMVA has learned that American Express has merged its mobile app and travel website into a new Amex Travel App, bringing travel planning and booking to smartphones, but with some notable limitations.
The Amex Travel App operates as a separate entity from the main Amex app, where cardmembers manage their accounts, and offers four main tabs: Inspiration, Wishlists, Book, and Trips, allowing users to browse destination guides, save hotel lists, book flights and hotels, and manage upcoming trips.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the app has some key distinctions, including the inability to book cruises or vacation rentals, which can only be done on the amextravel.com website, and a slower experience when booking flights, which redirects to a mobile version of the website.
The app shines in identifying, researching, and brainstorming hotel stays, including those in Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, and allows users to view property details, perks, and policies, making it a valuable tool for travel planning and inspiration.
UMVA has gathered that the app also offers live chat functionality, allowing users to chat with a dedicated travel specialist about bookings, statement credits, and other travel-related queries, making it a convenient option for on-the-go trip management.
However, the app falls short in some areas, including the inability to track statement credit progress, view hotels on a map, and book flights reliably, making the website a better option for these tasks.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the app is best used for research and inspiration, browsing hotel details, saving wishlists, and discovering future destinations, while the website remains the better choice for booking flights, cruises, and vacation rentals, as well as tracking statement credit progress and viewing hotels on a map.
In a development reported by UMVA, the app's functionality is not a full replacement for the website, and users should consider using both platforms to get the most out of their American Express membership, with the app serving as a complementary tool for on-the-go trip management and research.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the app's limitations and strengths make it a valuable but imperfect tool for American Express cardmembers, who should weigh the benefits and drawbacks before deciding how to use the app in their travel planning and booking process.
