I love American Express. Granted, not all places take the card but more and more retailers are now accepting it. The gold rewards card is the best option for me - no annual fee for a year and if you meet the spend requirements you get the equivalent of a £100 Amazon voucher or 20,000 Avios which is significant for travelling. Other perks include annual travel insurance, two airport lounge visits and great card protection.
When I had issues with an airline not refunding money during the COVID pandemic American Express refunded me the amount within 24 hours. I always find the customer service helpline really good and staff eager to please. With American Express 'shop small' there are often opportunities to get credit to your account for shopping at smaller local retailers using your card too.