Stgermainparis

It's a big deal when it's a big deal. If you've got a delay or long layover or missed connection, it's a big deal. And you're paying $550/year. As I mentioned upthread, AX only permits >15 to be AU cardholders, so for folks with kids <15, it's SOL. I have both a personal and a business plat, so I assume that, if I were to keep both, I could guest in 4 people (2 on personal and 2 on business). Or are they going to restrict per member rather than per card?

I'm all for limiting crowds in lounges. But do it fairly. Grant x amount of passes per year. Then we all get the same access and the same benefit.

mia

No, that's already covered in the terms. It's in the paragraph that you previously quoted:

notquiteaff

You've been here on FT long enough to hopefully know that that is what we do here. Nothing unique or specific to the Amex forum. Flyertalkers love to... talk, argue and speculate. Nothing wrong with that, IMO.

It's good to have clarity on what the way forward is on this issue. Whether it's the "right" solution I don't know (it has zero impact on my usage of the Lounge), and I suppose we will get some non-scientific reports of crowdiness starting in a few weeks. Amex presumably had a lot of data from their checkin records and could evaluate the alternatives thrown around here based on that.

radiowell

I can just imagine, the family will be scoping out a solo traveler at the entrance, and pleading him/her to guest their family in.

Also, I predict that this thread will get an explosion in traffic:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...up-thread.html

davie355

Won't work unless x is very small. Roughly speaking we all want to use the lounge at the same time. Monday mornings, Friday evenings, Wednesdays before Thanksgiving.

I suggest a flat fee per person, tiered by card level. Centurion = free, Plat = $10, Gold = $25, all others = $50. Have a reservation system (a la Opentable) where any cardholder can reserve one free off-peak visit per year.

Stgermainparis

You're assuming business travel (aside from Thanksgiving). I'm traveling Wednesday morning today, for example. But then so what? If you use all your passes up on those days/times, then you use them up. Staggered by renewal date should help with the masses.

JHake10

Most frequent business travelers like myself would not pay 550/yr for the option to pay 10/visit. Especially since we're in and out in pretty quickly. However, there is no one size fits all solution.

davie355

Right, but that's the point - to reduce in-and-out usage, which as you suggest makes up a good chunk of usage, while keeping the price halfway reasonable so that the lounge remains viable during special circumstances like long delays.

mia

American Express knows who uses the lounges, how often, which locations, peak/off, how many guests, how much they spend on their cards etc. They can refine this policy if they choose. Guest passes could be priced differently than Day passes. Membership Rewards points could be redeemable for guest passes. Guest passes for children could be priced differently than for adults. High spend members could receive complimentary nontransferable guest passes.

...but before they can do any of this, they will need to demonstrate that the two guests per cardholder rule is real, otherwise no one will appreciate the exceptions.

HomerJay

You kids get off my lawn....er, out of my lounge, that is.

RooseveltL

Thank you for advising of this policy - I think this is an excellent and benefits all (excluding someone with huge family in tow).

If Centurion has enough demand for families - they will build a playpen or jungle gym type environment but I believe they lose customers (high end client) without kids who choose to visit a lounge for quiet location to grab a drink, relax in between flights or take/conduct a meeting.

If you want to experience the family effect I would urge you visit United's Lounge at EWR airport on a Monday vs. visiting on a Sunday. On a Sunday, many many large families traveling internationally make it undesirable to sit for more than 30 minutes. On a Monday, it is quiet and peaceful.
This comment is not against families or reducing the benefits if someone has a family but some families abuse the policy and bring two parents, the nanny, grandmum, three kids and potentially the fake 'service' dog. A regular traveler seeking one seat is either forced to stand, sit at bar, sit in TV room (watching cartoons instead of sports) or squeeze a seat between an extended family.

I applaud the policy and hope more lounges or programs follow quickly.

RooseveltL

I don't know if you want the queue to enter the lounge based on spend data associated with card member. It can result in too many disputes of I spent $100k but you only show me at $55k, let me call the customer service line and block everyone behind me. Sometimes the spoiled people (including myself) don't like to be told they aren't special even if a policy exist.

E.g. Think of all the bloats checking in at hotels demanding Elite benefits if/when they aren't entitled to them.

hiima

MIA century has a play pen.

woodford02A

AMEX has only itself to blame for any customers disappointed or frustrated about this change. The original guest policy was so lax that of course folks were going to take advantage of it.

As for me, this is certainly great news. Ridiculous to never be able to find a place to sit, food buffet always decimated, gigantic families taking up entire areas of the lounge, etc etc.

swise

It's silly to have this limit when the lounges advertise children's rooms within the lounges. What's the point of having these types of accommodations for families if the admission cap prevents families from entering and taking advantage of them?

Glad we went with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The CSR, paired with AA lifetime Platinum and Admirals Club membership, ensures that our family of 4 is always welcome at a lounge in pretty much any airport.