Award travel may have just gotten a little better for American Express Membership Rewards members, but we’ll let you be the judge. Recently American Express announced that Membership Rewards members will be able to use their points to book travel directly on the American Express travel Web site without blackout dates or restrictions for airlines, hotels or cruises.

Cardmembers can visit http://www.americanexpress.com/travel and use Membership Rewards points to cover all or part of the costs of any airline ticket, hotel room and cruise. Members will be given the option to redeem points after logging into the travel booking site and selecting their preferred airline ticket, accommodations or cruise. Members will be advised of their points balance and will have access to an online tool that allows them to determine the amount of points needed to obtain the travel selected.

The American Express travel site offers travel rates, discounts on airfares, hotels, last minute deals, cruises, vacation packages, optional transfers, sightseeing tours and insurance. The travel site also offers Lowest Rate Guaranteed hotel options, which may help eliminate the need to search multiple sights in order to find the lowest prices. The American Express site recently underwent a redesign to allow for easier navigation along with the addition of a booking interface developed by Travelocity. This new system may prove useful to cardholders who are looking to save some points or save some cash while still getting the award they want. It may also be helpful to members who are trying to avoid frustrating blackout periods. For details or to redeem points for travel awards, visit www.americanexpress.com/travel.