Short answer: no. You can no longer use the Amex Platinum $200 airline fee credit on Frontier Airlines. American Express removed Frontier from its list of selectable airlines back on November 21, 2022, and nothing has replaced it. If you found this page hoping the old trick still works, it doesn’t — here’s the full story and what to do instead.
What used to work
For years, Frontier was one of the best airlines to pair with this credit. Because Frontier charges separately for seats, bags, and carry-ons, almost everything you bought from them coded as an “incidental fee,” which is exactly what the $200 credit reimburses. You could even get the credit to cover a Frontier Discount Den membership if you bought it as its own charge.
That ended in late 2022. Anyone who had Frontier selected for 2022 could ride it out through the end of that year, but Frontier could not be chosen for 2023 or since.
Is there another budget airline I can use instead?
Not anymore. Spirit was the last ultra-low-cost carrier on the Amex list, and Spirit shut down completely on May 2, 2026. Every airline you can still select is a legacy or hybrid carrier:
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
If you mostly fly Frontier, this benefit simply isn’t one you can use — you’d need to pick one of the airlines above and fly it at least occasionally.
How to actually use the $200 credit now
A quick refresher on how the credit works:
- Up to $200 per calendar year, on both the personal and business Platinum cards.
- You select one airline in your Amex account (Benefits → Airline Fee Credit). You can only change the selection once a year, and Amex only opens that window in January.
- It resets January 1 and does not roll over.
- It does not cover airfare — only incidental fees.
Pick the airline you fly most from the list, then run these kinds of charges through it as separate transactions, not bundled into a fare:
- Checked and (where charged) carry-on bag fees
- Paid seat assignments and Economy Plus / Even More Space / Comfort+ type upgrades
- Same-day confirmed change and standby fees
- Onboard food and drink purchases
- Airport lounge day passes on your selected airline
What won’t trigger it: the ticket itself, award-ticket taxes and fees on most airlines, gift cards, and anything billed as a single “fare” charge that happens to include extras.
| Charge | Reimbursed by the $200 credit? |
|---|---|
| Checked and carry-on bag fees | Yes |
| Paid seat assignments and extra-legroom upgrades | Yes |
| Same-day confirmed change and standby fees | Yes |
| Onboard food and drink purchases | Yes |
| Lounge day passes on your selected airline | Yes |
| Airfare / the base ticket | No |
| Award-ticket taxes and fees (most airlines) | No |
| Airline gift cards | No |
| Anything billed as one bundled “fare” charge | No |
FAQ
Can I still buy a Frontier Discount Den membership with the credit?
No. Since Frontier isn’t selectable, no Frontier charge — membership, bags, or seats — will reimburse.
Which selectable airline is easiest to use the credit on?
Whichever one you actually fly. If it’s close, an airline that charges for bags and seats (rather than bundling them) gives you the most predictable incidental charges to run through it.
I selected Frontier years ago and never changed it. What now?
Log into your Amex account in January and switch to one of the current airlines. Until you do, you have no valid selection and nothing will reimburse.
Do my spouse and I each get $200?
Yes, if you each hold your own Platinum card — each card has its own $200 and its own airline selection.
Bottom line
The Frontier + Amex Platinum credit trick is dead and isn’t coming back. Pick one of the seven airlines still on the list, ideally one you fly a couple of times a year, and use the $200 on bags, seats, and change fees as separate charges. If Frontier is your airline, this is one Platinum benefit you’ll have to write off.