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Changes Coming to American Express Centurion Lounges on March 22, 2019

Steven Ganeles·
Airline LoungeAmerican ExpressCredit CardsSmart TravelUncategorized

The American Express Network of Centurion Lounges are some of the nicest spaces in airports with some of the best food and beverage. The best part of their lounge network is that they so easily accessible, just by having The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, or the Centurion Card.

Click here to learn more about The Platinum Card® from American Express

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Click here to learn more about The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

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Centurion Lounge locations include Dallas (DFW), Hong Kong (HKG), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Miami (MIA), New York LaGuardia (LGA), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA). Future locations for American Express Centurion Lounges include Charlotte (CLT), Denver (DEN), London Heathrow (LHR), Los Angeles (LAX), and New York John F. Kennedy (JFK).

The one negative aspect of the Centurion Lounges is that they are always so crowded. Just the other day  I was in the newly renovated lounge at Dallas (DFW) and when I arrived at to the lounge at 3:45 PM there wasn’t a seat to be found and the spa didn’t have any appointments until 6:40 PM.

a room with couches and a wall

Previous Amex Lounge Changes

In order to help the overcrowding, American Express has taken many steps in the past. Back in March 2017 they dropped the number of free guests from 3 to 2. In October of 2017 they stopped selling $50 day pass lounge access to lower tier card members

a long table with chairs in a room

New Amex Lounge Changes

As of March 22, 2019, Amex will be updating access rules for Centurion Lounges for Platinum card members. Amex Centurion Lounge access will be limited to three hours or less prior to the originally scheduled departure time of a flight. Centurion Lounge access will no longer be permitted upon arrival. American Express has said that this new rule doesn’t apply to connecting passengers.

Additional, children under two years of age will be admitted free of charge and will not count towards the two complimentary guest count, so long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian who is able to produce a “lap infant” boarding pass or proof of age.

a room with chairs and tables

In Summary

These new restrictions aren’t fun. American Express seems be playing around with rules at the Centurion Lounge and I’m not quite sure they have the data to support this move. I am curious to see how this will affect spa appointments. I hope that they find that 3 hours is too short and will eventually find the right balance.

What do you make of these changes?

Feature image via American Express/Business Wire

Click here to learn more about the The Platinum Card® from American Express

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Click here to learn more about theThe Business Platinum® Card from American Express

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Comment Disclaimer: The responses in each article are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Steven Ganeles

Steven followed his passion for extraordinary travel experiences from a young age, receiving his bachelor’s degree in hospitality from Boston University and studying abroad in London twice. He has a passion for using points and miles and has visited over 45 different countries for mostly free. He helps people use their miles efficiently with his business PointsElevated.com. Follow his travels on his instagram at SGTravelss

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15 Responses

  1. I’ve only ever used centurion on arrival, this is a huge blow to my overall readiness after long flights. I hope they reverse this. This is my major reason for the card, especially since I now fly UA instead of DL.

    Reply

  2. The new rules sound pretty fair to me.
    I would prefer that they permitted visits upon arrival, those visits would likely be short duration anyway.
    If they still have a crowding issue they should stop admitting guests of the cardholder. I pay for my cards and for those of my family members.
    As pertains to those coming form cruise ships, get a day hotel room, these are commonly offered. If you consider crowding is related to how many people enter and how long they linger, the math is easy. This was meant as a limited benefit while travelling, not as a permanent room at the airport.

    Reply

  3. Not cool.
    I work on a cruise ship and pay high fees to enjoy access. Our employer arranges flights sometimes leaving hours after clearing immigration. Since I am flying from the east coast to west, I would not be pleased if I’m paying to be turned away. There are many cruise ship passengers sailing and flying out of Miami, and the Airport is crazy when the disembark 20k passangers at one time. When the terminal is packed, the lounge is the only place to go. I would certainly cancel.

    Reply

  4. I HATE this new policy for many reasons. I accessed the lounge network 98 times last year and this new restrictive policy will greatly impact that. I may have to explore the Admiral’s Club or another card that provides lounge access. The clubs provide many benefits and a crowded club is just part of it. You won’t like it when you get turned away or asked to leave simply so the club is less crowded. Not with such high annual fees

    Reply

    1. Priority Pass has some restaurant partners that you get dining credit with. You can get a free priority pass membership if you have the American Express Platinum Card

  7. I was in a panic there… I mostly only care about the extended time when stuck (weather delay, cancel flight on connect, etc) and looking for a hideout. Agree there shouldn’t be any limit on the time when it’s on a connection and you’re trapped, or you just got stuck with an extra long layover! There should also be exceptions when you are at the airport and your 1st flight is repeatedly delayed.. That information is easily verifiable by the entry staff. That’s the whole idea of the lounge in the first place, right? To be an oasis for the regular traveler who holds the card for entry. Otherwise I can understand the 3 hour time limit to dissuade high # squatters.

    Reply

  8. Guests can join a card holder before flight departure, but a card holder themself arriving at the same time — but after their flight — will be turned away. AMEX has prioritized guests of card holders over card holders. That’s not right.

    Reply

    1. Ok. I thought it was just me. I dont have much use for this card at this point. I never go to the lounge upon arriving at the airport. I didnt even realize people did that very often. I fly to vegas often since our company has training session once every month. Flying from the east coast over to vegas it is so nice to take advantage of the lounge aupon arrival before dealing with transportation, check in, etc. That is an incredibly stupid move. With the new increased rate this sucks even more. 595 for business platinum and a Dell credit….how awesome especially since the only equipment I have is mac.

  9. What stops someone from just buying a refundable ticket, accessing then cancelling? Unlike the airlines Amex has no way to verify this activity.

    Reply

    1. but he/she must have the airlines’ elite status to get a refundable ticket; not all carriers fly to a particular airport

  10. I did experience over-crowding once in Miami. The staff was incredibly accommodating and the condition only lasted an hour or so and then cleared up spontaneously.

    Reply

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