American Express has introduced a new charge card that offers triple points for airfare purchases and double points for gas and grocery charges. Premier Rewards Gold Cardmembers will earn one point per dollar spent on all other purchases and when you spend $30,000 with the card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 bonus points.

Other benefits include a $75 food and beverage credit on stays of two or more nights at Starwood properties, access to VIP packages to shows and concerts through Gold Card events and exclusive travel offers at Gold Card destinations. The card has a $175 annual fee (waived the first year) and is only available for U.S. residents. Visit http://insideflyerus.wpengine.com/link/?1929 for more information.

Bottom line: One of the benefits of American Express Membership Rewards is its versatility. Members can transfer points into one of 17 FFPs, generally at a one to one ratio and Membership Rewards frequently offers transfer bonuses where you can get a bonus of 15, 25 or sometimes even 50 percent more miles. And you can also redeem points for merchandise and non-travel related awards. If you already are an AMEX Preferred Rewards Gold Card member that comes with a $125 annual fee, for an extra $50 you can get bonus points on airfare, food and gas plus the ability to earn an extra 15,000 bonus points per year. If you usually charge at least $30,000 per year to your card, we think the additional benefits are worth the extra 50 bucks. The fine print states that the triple points are only valid for airline tickets on major U.S. airlines and does not include purchases made through online travel agencies and travel-related discount Web sites. The double points for groceries does not include charges made at superstores or warehouse clubs.