American Express Membership Rewards - Plat continental lounge access?

I'm flying out to houston from london with my wife on saturday. I've got a businessfirst ticket and she has a economy ticket (although that won't be the final seating arrangement..) and I have a UK platinum charge card. Does the continental lounge access cover her (no supplementary card yet) too in the UK lounge/with the UK card?

Here are details from the Amex Platinum US site. I'm not sure if the UK has different rules.

Andrea

Receive complimentary access to participating American Airlines Admirals Club®, Continental Airlines Presidents Club, Delta Crown Room Club®, and Northwest Airlines WorldClubs® locations in airports around the world.1 Simply present the club agent with your Platinum Card, your ticket valid for same day travel on the corresponding airline that is operating the flight, and a government issued ID. Your spouse and children under age 21, or up to two traveling companions, may join you as guests in the club room.

With the Plat card, does Continental honor other partner airline tickets? If I'm travelling thru an airport without a Delta CRC will CO honor a DL ticket and the Plat card since they are both Skyteam members?

With the Plat card, does Continental honor other partner airline tickets? If I'm travelling thru an airport without a Delta CRC will CO honor a DL ticket and the Plat card since they are both Skyteam members?


Nope, sadly this does not happen. When using the amex plat card you need to be flying on the actual airline to use their respective lounge.

I'm flying out to houston from london with my wife on saturday. I've got a businessfirst ticket and she has a economy ticket (although that won't be the final seating arrangement..) and I have a UK platinum charge card. Does the continental lounge access cover her (no supplementary card yet) too in the UK lounge/with the UK card?

I think in UK you have a complimentary enrollment in Priority Pass. Don't you have a Priority Pass membership? If yes then both of you should be able to enter any CO lounges in Houston, I do not know about London, but here is a link
http://prioritypass.com/Lounges/index.cfm

PriorityPass will charge for the guest, so in this case semantic would need to have a supplementary PriorityPass card also for his wife. I think supplementary PriorityPass card will be only given free of charge to those who have supplementary Amex Platinum card. So he would need to get the supplementary Platinum card first and then supplementary PriorityPass card.

Haven't got around to getting the PP yet..

Turns out the Continental lounge is unavailable in gatwick north, so they're using the Emirates lounge which doesn't allow guests/plat card members to enter. Didn't have time to use it in any case :)

A modest suggestion for making Plat lounge access comparable to Citi Chairman:

Keep the current arrangement where you get into the lounge of the airline you are flying on, with guests. Plus, 10-20 Priority Pass credits for when you are flying a different airline or an airline that does not have an agreement with Amex, e.g., UA.

This would allow Amex to keep the presumably lower cost agreements it has with the current carriers, but give card members more flexibility at a small additional cost to Amex.

Without this change I may switch to Chairman next year. The lounge program is much better (unlimited PP, with 2 guests) and the other amenities are the same (except FHR?).

A modest suggestion for making Plat lounge access comparable to Citi Chairman:

Keep the current arrangement where you get into the lounge of the airline you are flying on, with guests. Plus, 10-20 Priority Pass credits for when you are flying a different airline or an airline that does not have an agreement with Amex, e.g., UA.

This would allow Amex to keep the presumably lower cost agreements it has with the current carriers, but give card members more flexibility at a small additional cost to Amex.

Without this change I may switch to Chairman next year. The lounge program is much better (unlimited PP, with 2 guests) and the other amenities are the same (except FHR?).

That would only apply for the US Amex card holders - pretty much all the others already receive the PriorityPass from Amex any way and also are able to use the Amex USA lounge access program. Including PriorityPass to US card holders would actually align Platinum benefits more globally.

That would only apply for the US Amex card holders - pretty much all the others already receive the PriorityPass from Amex any way and also are able to use the Amex USA lounge access program. Including PriorityPass to US card holders would actually align Platinum benefits more globally.

Did not know that. Which PP is it? What is the hold up on the US Amex Plat PP? Has anyone else complained to Amex about this?

I don't see a compelling reason why American Express should standardize their products internationally, rather than adapting to local competitive circumstances. In my opinion, if American Express were to add Priority Pass to the USA issued Platinum Card they would end their separate arrangement with AA, CO, DL and NW because there is substantial overlap with Priority Pass' network. (Note, however, that very very few AA locations accept Priority Pass.)

In Europe American Express needs to offer Priority Pass because AA, CO, DL and NW operate few European locations. The cost of Priority Pass is reflected in the higher annual fees for European Platinum Cards compared to the USA version.

Did not know that. Which PP is it?

Prestige.

I don't see a compelling reason why American Express should standardize their products internationally, rather than adapting to local competitive circumstances. In my opinion, if American Express were to add Priority Pass to the USA issued Platinum Card they would end their separate arrangement with AA, CO, DL and NW because there is substantial overlap with Priority Pass' network. (Note, however, that very very few AA locations accept Priority Pass.)

In Europe American Express needs to offer Priority Pass because AA, CO, DL and NW operate few European locations. The cost of Priority Pass is reflected in the higher annual fees for European Platinum Cards compared to the USA version.

USA version currently has annual fee of $450 and most of the European cards have annual fee of 550 EUR (about $809 with current exchange rates) so adding PriorityPass to USA version would definitely increase the annual fee and most likely would end the direct relationship with the US airlines and their lounges. With this fee difference it is very easy to add the Prestige level PriorityPass and actually Amex doesn't need to even get a huge discount - well, exchange rates are now playing their own game in this comparison but the point is still that European version of Platinum card is more expensive than USA version. mia is absolutely correct on this topic, the good question is whether any member in USA would actually pay the new higher fee if PriorityPass would be included?

I think the USA version lounge access is actually very good and especially good if considering the annual fee - now even AA has been included in the program so traveling with the USA airlines is much easier. Of course there are airports where the current program doesn't work well in case passenger has a ticket for one participating airline but that airline doesn't have a lounge in that airport/terminal. But that problem is most likely not coming from Amex itself but the airlines have chosen to restrict the program to avoid some costs for themselves.

....Amex doesn't need to even get a huge discount

It appears wholesale customers of Priority Pass, such as Citi and American Express, pay about $100 per annual membership. It must cost Citi something extra to absorb the cost of guest visits for Chairman cardholders.

It appears wholesale customers of Priority Pass, such as Citi and American Express, pay about $100 per annual membership. It must cost Citi something extra to absorb the cost of guest visits for Chairman cardholders.

I would pay an extra $100, if that is what it actually costs Amex to provide the PP.