Revert back to gold, still have plat card, can you get lounge access?
Nov 12, 2010, 8:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: Virgin Flying Club British Airways Executive Club
Posts: 232
Revert back to gold, still have plat card, can you get lounge access?
So, hypothetically speaking, if I physically still have my Platinum AMEX card, would it be able to get me into an airport lounge? In other words, do the lounges just check to see if you have a platnimum AMEX card or do they somehow swipe it / verify that it's tied to an active platinum AMEX account?
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
-Matt
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
-Matt
Nov 12, 2010, 10:16 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Denver & San Francisco
Programs: Amex Platinum
Posts: 91
Nov 13, 2010, 12:04 am
#4
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
Of course. Consider that even if you're able to get away with it, it's theft of service. The Amex Platinum lounge access benefit isn't like a AAA discount, whereby the merchant agrees to give a small discount for members of a certain group. Instead, the airport lounges get paid money (most people say in the range of $15-25/visit) by Amex for each visitor. If an invalid card is used to access the lounge, someone is going to be stuck with the bill. I suspect that the lounge will end up not getting paid by Amex.
Nov 13, 2010, 11:59 am
#5
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Location: Miami, Mpls & London
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You could be billed for the lounge visits at the prevailing daypass rates. There is a relevant anecdote in this previous discussion:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ge-access.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ge-access.html
Nov 15, 2010, 8:34 am
#7
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Programs: UAPlat; *Gold; Hyatt Diam; SPG Plat; PWP goddess
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Of course. Consider that even if you're able to get away with it, it's theft of service. The Amex Platinum lounge access benefit isn't like a AAA discount, whereby the merchant agrees to give a small discount for members of a certain group. Instead, the airport lounges get paid money (most people say in the range of $15-25/visit) by Amex for each visitor. If an invalid card is used to access the lounge, someone is going to be stuck with the bill. I suspect that the lounge will end up not getting paid by Amex.
I really can't understand why anyone would even think of presenting an expired AmEx Plat card -- fully aware that they have cancelled their account, and thereby any 'privileges' that are afforded by the card!
This is the type of thing that holds up the check-in process at the lounges!
Nov 18, 2010, 2:10 pm
#9
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Plus1!^
I really can't understand why anyone would even think of presenting an expired AmEx Plat card -- fully aware that they have cancelled their account, and thereby any 'privileges' that are afforded by the card! This is the type of thing that holds up the check-in process at the lounges!
I really can't understand why anyone would even think of presenting an expired AmEx Plat card -- fully aware that they have cancelled their account, and thereby any 'privileges' that are afforded by the card!
This is the type of thing that holds up the check-in process at the lounges!Agreed. It's stupidity at it's finest!
Nov 18, 2010, 8:47 pm
#10
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Posts: 1,889
I don't think some of you read the OP. The card has not expired. He had a platinum, then downgraded to a gold, but still has a platinum card. The account number stays the same when one does this. The old platinum card will even work for purchases even though it's now a gold account.
AA swiping the card won't pick up that it's actually a gold account.
Will AA be able to tell when he tries? No. Will he get into the lounge? Yes. Should he do this? No. Is this theft? Yes. Will Amex do something about it? Dunno.
AA swiping the card won't pick up that it's actually a gold account.
Will AA be able to tell when he tries? No. Will he get into the lounge? Yes. Should he do this? No. Is this theft? Yes. Will Amex do something about it? Dunno.
Nov 18, 2010, 9:04 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Barbados
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum Ambassador, Amex Platinum, Hertz #1 Club Gold
Posts: 94
So, hypothetically speaking, if I physically still have my Platinum AMEX card, would it be able to get me into an airport lounge? In other words, do the lounges just check to see if you have a platnimum AMEX card or do they somehow swipe it / verify that it's tied to an active platinum AMEX account?
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
-Matt
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
-Matt
Nov 18, 2010, 9:18 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Denver & San Francisco
Programs: Amex Platinum
Posts: 91
Nov 18, 2010, 9:24 pm
#13
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Programs: United GS+
Posts: 1,889
Yes, you cancel the Platinum and move to Gold, but the account number doesn't change. The expiration date on the Platinum card would still be in the future. The "canceled" Platinum card will still be usable even though it is now tied to a Gold account.
Nov 19, 2010, 2:42 am
#14
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I think we do understand, but I believe that by presenting a card on a Gold or Green account the holder authorizes purchase of a daypass to enter the lounge. I don't think the card number remaining the same (which does not always occur) is critical. American Express can forward charges from a prior account number to the new number. Likewise, American Express can remove an account number from the database used to authorize lounge access.