If you are an American Express cardholder in India who books their flights or Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) stays online, brace yourself for some friction in the new year.
American Express India, just announced a temporary suspension of the American Express Travel online booking service starting 27 January 2026.
Here is everything we know so far and how this impacts your travel plans.
What is Happening?
According to the official communication, Amex India is planning changes to their digital travel portal. To facilitate this, they are taking the entire booking engine offline.
- The Pause Begins: 27 January 2026.
- The Resume Date: Vague. The email simply states it will resume “in the coming months.”
- Scope: You will not be able to book flights, hotels, or car rentals through the Amex Travel website.
- Specific Callout: The email explicitly mentions that access to The Hotel Collection (THC) will be temporarily unavailable. While it doesn’t explicitly name Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR), since FHR lives on the same booking engine, it is safe to assume online access for FHR is also gone.
The “Old School” Workaround
It looks like that your benefits aren’t going away—just the convenience of self-service.
If you are holding a Platinum Card or Centurion Card and want to make an FHR or THC booking to get your elite benefits (like that sweet 4 PM late check-out or the $100 property credit), you will have to do it the old-fashioned way: Call the Platinum Travel Service.
What About Existing Bookings?
If you have a trip coming up in February or March 2026 that you’ve already booked:
- Don’t Panic: Your reservation remains valid.
- Modifications: If you need to change dates or cancel, you will need to call Amex support. You won’t be able to log in and click “Cancel” yourself after Jan 27.
The email confirms:
“All confirmed bookings… will continue to be serviced… by calling the number on the back of your Card.”
Why is this happening?
“Temporary pauses” of this magnitude usually signal a major backend change. Amex India might be switching their technology partner or the white-label vendor that powers their booking engine.
While a refreshed interface is desperately needed (the current one isn’t the fastest or modern), taking the service down for “months” is a significant inconvenience. It removes the ability to quickly check FHR rates against public rates, which is how most of us decide where to stay.
What You Should Do Now
- Book Before Jan 27: If you have travel planned for Q1/Q2 2026, try to lock in your FHR/THC bookings now while the online portal is still active. It’s much easier to browse hotels on a screen than to ask an agent to “list all the hotels in Paris with availability.”
- Prepare for Wait Times: Once the portal goes dark, call volumes at Amex Travel will likely spike. Expect longer hold times if you need to make a booking in February.
- Book Direct for Non-Benefit Stays: If you aren’t booking an FHR/THC property (where you need the specific Amex rate code), just book directly with the airline or hotel. It’s often cheaper and saves you the hassle of a third-party booking during a migration period.
Updates to follow: We’ll keep an eye on when the service comes back online and if the new portal brings any new features (or devaluations).
