Don't blame Amex, blame CK
Understand your credit then apply. Having a good credit score is not necessarily the only thing to get approved. Need credit age, low credit use and decent income on top of 100% payment history. Stop blaming Amex for your poor understanding of credit. I got mine and it's awesome. The card is made of metal, it's gorgeous. Got it the very next day after approval. You get a lot of card for that 250 yearly payment. This was my dream card for years. CK said I had poor approval odds and here I am looking at my card with very passionate eyes.