Alexandria, VA; October 2, 2026 – The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is calling on American Express to reverse its decision to eliminate travel advisor access to its Privileges programs through RezSaver. ASTA has launched a public petition urging the company to restore a verified booking pathway for professional travel advisors, challenging a restriction that forces eligible Centurion and Platinum cardmembers to choose between qualifying travel benefits and having their trusted advisor book and service that portion of their trip.
The petition is already gaining support as ASTA presses American Express to reconsider the impact on its cardmembers and the advisors who manage their travel. Under the change, affected bookings must be made through American Express Travel to receive qualifying benefits, directing those transactions away from independent advisors.
“When a large U.S. bank cuts off travel advisors’ access to benefits for their shared clients, cardmembers are the ones who suffer,” said Zane Kerby, President and CEO of ASTA. “Travel advisors coordinate complex trips in which every connection matters. American Express is forcing travelers to pull part of that journey out of their advisor’s hands simply to receive their card benefits. That introduces unnecessary complexity and creates more opportunities for service disruptions when timing and coordination are critical.”
Travel advisors manage itineraries that can span flights, hotels, cruises and ground transportation, providing continuity when schedules change or disruptions occur. Requiring clients to book individual components through a separate channel can fragment that oversight and complicate the advisor’s ability to coordinate changes across the full trip. ASTA maintains that cardmembers should be able to receive eligible benefits while preserving the professional relationship they rely on before, during and after travel.
“Cardmembers should not have to surrender the advisor relationship they value to use benefits for which they qualify,” Kerby said. “American Express can verify a cardmember’s eligibility without requiring that person to move their booking to American Express Travel. We are calling on the company to restore that choice.”
ASTA is seeking a verified pathway that allows professional travel advisors to book eligible Privileges benefits on their clients’ behalf. The petition gives travelers, advisors and industry partners a way to urge American Express to restore access and preserve consumer choice.
Read more and sign the petition here.
Tags: Zane Kerby, ASTA
