Around the world with Amex: How cruises, tours and trips transformed the business

A 30,000-mile sailing voyage across the globe. Cherry blossom tours in Japan. Steamship trips to Niagara Falls. These are just a few of the ways American Express has helped customers explore the world since it entered the travel business in 1915.

“It was the beginning of our evolution as a lifestyle service company,” said Ira, our resident archivist. “At the time, express shipping was our main business. When the shipping industry faced challenges during World War I, we saw the travel industry as a new opportunity.”

What began as bookings, tickets, and guided tours has evolved over the past 110 years into a robust arm of American Express’ leisure travel business, now known as American Express Travel®. It’s a full-service, global travel agency, giving Card Members access to benefits involving best-in-class hotel, airline, cruise, and tour partners. It also runs the largest airport lounge network of any credit card issuer, including 30 Centurion Lounges around the world.

Throughout all this growth, “Service has remained at the core of everything we do,” Ira said.

An American Express Travel brochure from 1926.

In our latest installment of Ira the Archivist, Ira talks about how travel services became a cornerstone of American Express.

Why did American Express enter the travel business?

We opened our European offices in the 1890s to provide financial and shipping services. From the start, we also offered informal travel services, like recommendations and help booking accommodations.

After years of debate, we formally entered the travel business in 1915. This was during World War I, and we built on our prior experience helping travelers in Europe who had rushed to get home at the war’s outset in 1914. After the war, we aimed to grow this business to complement our global financial operations. Over time, we pivoted into a travel and financial services company, and later into a premium lifestyle company.

What do Amex’s first travel brochures tell us about travel during this time?

They’re a window into the interests, culture and curiosity of American travelers, who wanted to learn about the places they were visiting.

An American Express travel brochure from 1915.

This brochure is for our first conducted tour, in South America. Over time, our artwork changed from these simple covers to more elaborate ones that incorporated a distinct, creative graphic identity featuring illustrations that evoked the glamour of travel.

An American Express travel brochure from 1921.

We also had travel booklets like this one that showcased our services, such as train, boat, and steamship travel.

An American Express travel booklet from 1915.

Some of our materials nodded to travel pitfalls. Losing your wallet or luggage was even more of a hassle back then; so was figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Amex was there to help take care of the details.

What kind of travel services did we offer?

We sold tickets for steamships and railways, travel package insurance, and vouchers for sightseeing tours. We also offered itineraries and booked hotels. Americans couldn’t travel everywhere during the war, so our first conducted tours were in North America, South America, the Caribbean, and Japan.

We also worked with partners in the travel industry, such as steamship companies for trips to Niagara Falls. We even did travel and party planning for businesses or groups of friends.

How has our travel business evolved over the years?

We prioritized experiences. We offered tours with uniformed travel reps around Europe. And we zeroed in on big cultural moments with tours at World’s Fairs and packages at sports tournaments.

The launch of the American Express Card® in 1958 helped enhance the travel experience for Card Members, offering them the convenience of using their cards for myriad travel expenses from transportation and hotels to fine dining and nightclubs.

From there, we launched our first computerized reservation service, where travel agents assisted with hotels, airlines, and car rentals, and our first card rewards program, Membership Miles. We also used our relationships with different hotels to launch Fine Hotels + Resorts®.

As we moved into the 21st century, digital became even more key. We introduced Membership Rewards® Pay with Points^*, which allowed Members to book travel using points on the American Express Travel website, and launched our mobile app for on-the-go access. Our Centurion Lounges and The Hotel Collection came in 2013.

Our travel services have ultimately helped expand Card Members’ horizons. And the trust and security we’ve offered throughout it all is a big part of that.

^* Travel must be charged on Card at American Express Travel using Pay with Points. See http://www.membershiprewards.com/terms for details on using Pay with Points for travel and for other terms and conditions.

American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. is acting solely as a sales agent for travel suppliers and is not responsible for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. Certain suppliers pay us commission and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals and may provide incentives to our Travel Consultants. For more information visit www.americanexpress.com/travelterms.

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