Stgermainparis

I was just told by the checkin agent at DFW Centurion Lounge that as of Mar 30 only two guests (including immediate family), meaning only two of my three kids can enter with me. Please tell me agent was incorrect. Is this another benefits change? Terms say:

"What is the guest policy?
Centurion® Members and Platinum Card® Members who receive complimentary access may enter with either up to two guests or immediate family (spouse or domestic partner, and children under 18) at no additional charge. Guest or family access is per Card Member, not per Card. Family and guests may not enter or remain in the lounge unless accompanied in the lounge by the Card Member."

UPDATE: yes it is true. Just saw sign at checkin. Agent said announced today.

DFW Centurion has a sign posted at check in stating that as of March 30, each Plat member can guest 2 people. No more "immediate family" option. If you have a spouse and more than 1 child, you will have to pay for the other children.

Agent said AX Centurion announced it today and the policy will be across the network and "will match the 2-guest access for PP."

scubadu

Actually, I'd be quite on-board with this change and no offense, but I genuinely hope the agent's information is correct.

If people need to consume more lounge utilization than a single card holder, there is a simple solution for that; additional Platinum cards. I'm completely comfortable with those who use more, paying more. I do believe Amex should allow some level of guest privileges and two guests seems quite reasonable (Delta for example allows no free guests now), but the "...and immediate family" thing has always seemed overly generous and ripe for abuse to me for a single, primary annual fee.

The guest policy you are quoting is irrelevant if the change has not been formally announced and in force. They likely won't update the written policy unless or until the new policy is in effect.

Regards

Stgermainparis

I'm not totally in disagreement that there should be limits. But then AX should allow <15 to have plat cards (like visa does) so that when they are traveling with their family, they can get into the lounge. If I'm traveling with my three kids and none of them can get an AX, then I have to pay for one. And he will eat...one blueberry.

The way adults use lounges is entirely different than children, who don't consume alcohol and, often, eat 1/10 of what an adult would. They generally don't use spa services or showers.

This is the nail in my plat coffin.

MNSWEEps

+1 ^ at least your kid would eat 1 blueberry. My daughter would pinch and remove the blueberry bits from the muffin and eat half of the actual muffin.

abk

In 2014 at DFW while traveling with my wife and two kids I had to pay for the second kid going and coming. I am wondering if this is just the formalization of their existing policy.

Stgermainparis

Odd. Here are the existing terms:

What is the guest policy?
Centurion® Members and Platinum Card® Members who receive complimentary access may enter with either up to two guests or immediate family (spouse or domestic partner, and children under 18) at no additional charge. Guest or family access is per Card Member, not per Card. Family and guests may not enter or remain in the lounge unless accompanied in the lounge by the Card Member.

JeffMIA

If this is true, it is further value-erosion for me. I will not pay a fee (on top of the annual fee) for my second child to enter, so it effectively would rule out the lounge for me when traveling as a family.

beachfan

How much is the fee to bring a child in? I think it's the right policy, but perhaps not the right fee.

It's the crowds, not the amount of good kids eat. But I'm not sure this is enough to solve the crowding problem.

mia

A day pass is $50. I think the assumption is that they will charge $50 per child, but until the revised policy is published that's only an assumption.

Amex For Children Of Africa

This is great! Get those kids out of the lounge.

jghassell

At some point one must justify a $550 annual fee to one's significant other, even net of the $200 travel credits, and losing the lounge benefit when one travels with one's significant other plus one's loved offspring makes it much more difficult. These places are nice but not $50-for-a-10-month-old nice.

brainjuice

American Express can do whatever they want to control the situation but they really are consistently degrading the offering of the Platinum card. After paying $450 for access to the privileges (presumably for a year) they change the benefits. I know their terms make it possible to change terms as they need/want but I can choose to not renew also.

American Express should, at a minimum, provide adequate warning of said changes. As of this writing, the Centurion website states, "...Members who receive complimentary access may enter with either up to two guests or immediate family (spouse or domestic partner, and children under 18) at no additional charge...".

As it stands this would be a whopping 21 days notice and really only a notice that a few very well traveled people would have noticed. I can see this causing much grief and confusion as their has been no other communication about a change that hits .

This is ridiculous and reflects so poorly on American Express. They need to hear from account holders like us that they need to provide reasonable notice before making changes.

dw

Mostly agree on the consumption issue, but I think the main issue is that the lounges are overcrowded and Amex had to do something to alleviate the issue. Children may not consume as much as adults, but unless they are babies, they do take up a seat, and lounge capacity is unfortunately limited.

Now whether this policy will actually do much to reduce overcrowding is yet to be seen.

notquiteaff

For me it's a value increase if it makes it more likely that I can find a seat (because some people with >2 guests decide to not come to the lounge).

I have never had more than one guest (most of the time I am alone).

krazykanuck

Agree. Ok kids don't eat as much or drink alcohol, but they take up the same number of seats as an adult and have an outsized tendency to run around, yell (kid version of the guy talking too loud on his phone).

I am 100% in favor of this change. Between the enhanced annual fee and the new lounge rules, I'm hoping for a more pleasant and less crowded lounge experience.