No card is better for getting into airport lounges than The Platinum Card® from American Express – especially for accessing the outstanding Amex Centurion Lounges. Flash your card and your boarding pass, and you can walk in for free. But the ability to bring in guests for free has sadly now ended.
Starting today, February 1, cardholders no longer get two free guests. American Express confirmed that change almost two years ago as it was working on a refresh of the Platinum Card's benefits. Starting now, Platinum cardholders will have to pay $50 apiece for guests accompanying them into the Centurion lounge, but you'll still be able to bring up to two guests with you.
The blow will be softened for parents – a bit. While most guests will still cost $50, minors accompanying a cardholder will cost just $30.
Want to avoid these guest fees? You'll need to spend at least $75,000 each year on your Platinum Card.
Additionally, authorized users can continue to use their own Platinum Card to get in. Invite-only Centurion cardholders will also continue to get free guests.
“We want to make sure we continue to back our Card Members when they travel by delivering a comfortable space for our Card Members to recharge and relax, which is why we are making some changes to our Centurion Lounge guest access policy,” Amex said in a previous statement explaining the change.
Fortunately, similar changes won't be made to the other lounges you can get into with your Platinum Card including Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, and others. Even Escape Lounge visits will continue to get two free guests – even as those lounges underwent a refresh from Amex to become “Centurion Studio” lounges.
“No changes will be made to other lounges in The American Express Global Lounge Collection,” a spokeswoman said.
But the main focus is on Centurion Lounges, which are leagues better than most domestic airport clubs. And it's a major blow to a card that charges an annual fee of $695 each year (see rates & fees).
Getting two free guests into Centurion Lounges has been a core part of the card for years, and part of what makes it one of the best travel cards for lounge access. But the motivation is clear: American Express wants fewer people in these lounges. And so do many travelers.
Why Cut Down on Centurion Lounge Guest Access?
With top-notch food and drinks and chic decor, Amex Centurion Lounges have grown popular to a fault. Pandemic aside, they're regularly overcrowded, making it hard to get a seat or even get into the lounge at all.
After shutting down its lounges early in the pandemic, Amex spent 2021 and 2022 doubling down on Centurion Lounges. All of its U.S. lounges have reopened along with two brand new spaces in Denver (DEN), New York City (JFK), New York LaGuardia (LGA), Newark (EWR), London (LHR), and upcoming lounge announcements in Atlanta (ATL) and Washington D.C. (DCA), while others will see drastic improvements in the coming months and years.
Read more: Amex Doubled Down on Centurion Lounges During COVID-19, What's Next?
But combatting overcrowding has proven to be a challenge. American Express has tried a handful of things over the years, yet nothing has really moved the needle. Back in 2019, Amex eliminated the ability to get into Centurion Lounges upon arrival – you can only get in before departing the airport or during a layover. Plus, it restricted access to just three hours before departure.
But it was clear that wasn't enough. Unless you spend $75,000 a year on your Platinum Card, you'll have to pay $50 for each and every guest to get in (or $30 for a child).
Fortunately, adding an authorized user to your Platinum Card is an elegant workaround to this change. It costs an additional $195 a year to an additional user to the card. Unfortunately, authorized users must be 13 or older to be added to your account.
Read up on how to add authorized users to your Amex Platinum Card – and why you may want to!
Bottom Line
Centurion Lounges could be less crowded starting now, but let's not spin this one: This stings for Platinum cardholders.
Paying $50 per guest is a painful downgrade for the Platinum Card – and at $695 per year, losing any benefits stinks.
This would be a huge blow to my family with 2 children under 13, and an automatic cancel. It’s a shame too, as we enjoy the Escape Lounge at MSP.
Please cancel…. you are part of the problem of the overcrowding… These premium lounges are not a day care center. Individual business people traveling can never get a seat with hordes of families taking up all the space. Your kids are 13, they dont need cocktails and fine food, they would be happier at the McDonalds.
It’s an airport lounge not the dining room at Mar a Lago you sack of meat.
Wait, would escape lounge guess access stay?
So far, there has been no suggestion that the guest rules would change for the Escape Lounge and other lounges like Priority Pass. Just Centurion Lounges.
so many lounges to track. can you provide links to Escape and Priority lounges? and the others that i dont even know the names of? As a person who doesnt travel the same routes repeatedly, it is a lot of trouble to find lounges; i may not bother. Lounge access was my main reason to get the card and now this! Thx for the scoop.
There us an app called Lounge Buddy. Enter in the details of what credit cards you hold and it will show you locations and access info for whatever airport you are in.
Good news on this, BB: Amex has told us that it is not changing the guest access policies for Escape Lounges or any other lounges in Amex’s network – just Centurion Lounges.
Currently, any active or possibly retired military, have no annual fee. You might want to check that out. I wonder if that will stick around?
What about if i have both platinum card (personal and business ) and spending more than 75,000 combined .
As far as I know, the spending has to be per account, not combined.
I had to complain to Amex about one of the lounges. I am disabled and in a wheelchair. The Centurion Lounges are so crowded they have lines out the door and waiting times up to 30 minutes, which completely eliminates the benefit of the lounge for which we must pay $700 annually to access. When I did approach one of the lounges, I was denied access because they “didn’t have room for a wheelchair.” That is an ADA violation. I could have sued. I reported this to Amex but received a boilerplate reply. Aside from the crowding, ADA access is a legal requirement.
Can’t wait. I spend more time looking for a seat than getting food half the time.
I did not sign up for the Platinum card until 2 years ago and mine are adult kids. Those complaining should do so directly with AMEX and not others using the full benefit of the card per the terms and conditions. Clearly, Amex heard your complaints and added the guest fees. I am curious how many of the complainers are business traveler or affluent folks with the former exclusivity of such lounges being infringed upon or 2) just more people (regardless of membership path) simply dissatisfied with a card for which more of the general population now finds enough value to shell out hard earned money to be a part of on their limited travels; lounges, Clear, etc.
How are caregivers of disabled card holders treated?