Don’t get rejected at the door — top ways to still get guests into the Amex Centurion Lounge
Wednesday marks the beginning of a new era for people who can access the network of American Express Centurion Lounge.
For the first time since the lounges started operating in 2013, many people have Platinum Card® from American Express can no longer bring two No extra charge for guests.
This change comes as Centurion Lounges have grown in popularity over the years. Although the previous expansion and adjustment to access, lines and waits have formed at many locationsresulting in an unpleasant experience for those looking for a cocktail, plate of food or a place to tackle some chores before or between flights.
Although this change was first announced in 2021, it reportedly still surprises some cardholders because guest kicked out the door.
Don’t be disappointed if you want to invite colleagues, family members or others into the Centurion Lounge with you. There’s no way around the law, but there are many different options for getting guests into the Amex Centurion Lounge.
Pay for guest access
The surefire way to get a guest into the Amex Centurion Lounge with you is with cold hard cash and your eligible Amex card.
Platinum Card® from American Express and Business Platinum® Card from American Express Cardholders can pay to bring up to two guests into the Centurion Lounge. Fees are currently $50 for adults and $30 for children 2 to 17 years old. Children under 2 years old can enter the lounge for free when accompanied by an adult.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card And Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Cardholders can also bring up to two guests into the Centurion Lounge for $50 per person. You and your guest must present a boarding pass for a Delta-marketed or Delta-operated same-day flight purchased with any US-issued American Express card and the only eligible lounges are lounges in the United States, Hong Kong and London.
Remember that the guest and fee limits are per cardholder, not per card.
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For example, if you have an Amex Platinum card and one of your travel companions is an additional card member on your account with a Platinum card in their name, you can therefore bring up to four guests. enter the Centurion Lounge with you (two per card), provided you are willing to pay.
Add guest as authorized user
Especially for families or others who frequently travel together, remember that you can add three authorized users to your Amex Platinum for $175 annually to allow each cardholder to authorized to use the lounge.
Then you pay $175 for each additional user annually if you want to add more users, but the first three have a flat total of $175.
To add authorized users to your Business Platinum card, it comes with a higher premium of about $300 per person per year.
Each authorized user will receive a card that they can use to enter the Centurion Lounge. Remember that with American Express, authorized users must be 13 years of age or older.
Related: Why you might want to make children an authorized user on your card account
Spend your way to lounge access
You can also reserve access to the Centurion Lounge for guests, but this method isn’t easy for most people.
You’ll need to spend at least $75,000 annually on your American Express Platinum card for a calendar year to be eligible to bring two free guests. Since the Platinum card only rewards 1 point for every dollar spent the most, there is a real opportunity cost of not placing daily expenses on cards that offer a better return on those expenses.
However, there is a handy spending tracker on both the homepage and the app.
If you spend enough this year, it will unlock guest perks through January 31, 2025.
Some cards are exempt
People have Centurion is invited only and Corporate Platinum cards can still enter with up to two guests or immediate family members (spouse or domestic partners and children under 18) at no additional charge.
Platinum card holders and Business Platinum card holders issued outside the US are also exempt from the policy change.
bottom line
It’s a brave new world when it comes to lounge access. It is hoped that fewer visitor days for many cardholders will mean less crowded lounges for those who pay an annual fee each year to have these cards and use their benefits. .
Meanwhile, there are still ways to invite friends and family into Amex Centurion lounges, but that could mean spending more money in some form or fashion.
But if you decide to spend your airport time elsewhere now, know that Chase is opening a series of waiting rooms. In addition, many airlines are increasing the number, quality and size of their lounges, including Delta, American and unified.
And don’t sleep on the Priority Card, because many credit card top rewards provides access to this extensive network of airport lounges. You might even have a Priority Pass card in your wallet.
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Additional reporting by Caroline Tanner, Clint Henderson, Matt Moffitt and Tarah Chieffi.
