You don’t have to have an American Express card to use Amex Travel services. But you will need an American Express card and a bank of Membership Rewards points if you want to pay for your travel using points. If you have an American Express card, you may also be able to take advantage of additional deals and earn more points when making a reservation through the site. For example, American Express Gold Card members would earn 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com and have access to all the benefits and perks of the Hotel Collection.