American Express recently approached me to be part of their “Enthusiast” program–which basically involves linking up with bloggers whose existing interests (mine would be food, travel, and biking) relate to specific charge card rewards and benefits.

I already had a Platinum Card, which has a hefty annual fee, but which had paid for itself in rewards within the first month of signing up (I used the Platinum Travel Service when booking my honeymoon trip to Buenos Aires and was able to score an upgraded room, free daily breakfast, late checkout, and a 50-minute massage at the Park Hyatt).

American Express gave me 50,000 Membership Rewards points to play with (25,000 of which I used to purchase a plane ticket to New York) and invited me to come to the company’s headquarters in New York to learn more about making the most of my card and my points.

In return, American Express asked me to share my experiences–positive and negative–through my posts and tweets.  In relationship to this partnership, I’ve agreed to the following guidelines:

–Be transparent and disclose my relationship and anything I’ve received as a result of my relationship with American Express.
–Be honest about my opinions.
–Offer suggestions and concerns.
–Clearly articulate when I am being compensated – by cash or in any other way – for consulting or other duties I may perform.
–Share this policy openly and publicly.

So, stay tuned for periodic posts about how I’ve used my Platinum Card during my adventures in biking and eating.