Honors AMEX? Access to airport lounges?

Hi all. My friend just called me and said he just finished reading an article with Tina Fey talking about various issues and her favorite card. Long story short, her favorite card was her American Express Platnium because it gets her into airport lounges for FREE! Neither one of us could believe it and he began to read the fine print. Well, it basically said you had to follow all "house" rules (not be an idiot in the lounges) and show proper ID, I think he even said you had to show government ID (not sure what that was about, but I have that anyway)....

How could this be true? Everyone I know has a Platinum AMEX card!!! The lounges would be filled to the gills if this were the case!

Anyone have any first hand knowledge regarding this so called perk?

Dawn

the hilton honors amex doesn't get you in, you need a platinum amex charge card

The Platinum Amex charge card has an annual fee roughly equivalent to purchasing an airline club membership. You must be flying that airline to get in. Also it includes Delta, Continental, Northwest, American, maybe some others. If you are flying United through ORD you can't use any lounge since UA does not participate. You would not be able to take your UA ticket over to AA to get in their club.

it's definitely a good perk to the FEW (relative to the airport as a whole) people who do have the Platinum AMEX charge card.

Only this Platinum card: www.americanexpress.com/platinum/

Anyone else get annoyed by the fact Amex calls a number of its cards Platinum when there is no real hierarchy amongst SPG/Hilton and other Optima cards? If there was a second HHonors card with a $200 annual fee that gave extra points I could see a reason to call it Platinum/Gold/some other precious metal...

Thanks Fraser! You actually answered my question.

I looked at my HHonors AMEX and it said PLATINUM right on the front of it!!!! So until I read your post, I was still confused.

Thanks for posting that....I guess I'll pay the $60 for me and my husband to get into the Delta Lounge for our 3 1/2 hour layer @ ATL....bummer.

Dawn

Yes, the no-fee HH AMEX Card you (and I) have states "Hilton HHonors Platinum" on the front, but you need the American Express Platinum card, which costs $400 annually iirc, to be (as others have stated) flying the airline whose lounge you wish to access the day of flight (only,) and offers other privileges as well (I more than get the $400 fee back every year, particularly through the cruise program - a discount on the cruises,, a discount on the next year's card fee, and hundreds of dollars in "cruise cabin credit," among others.

That card also offers "two for one" in Business and even First on several airlines - but the single ticket (which earns miles) must be purchased in full J or F, for the other ticket to be secured free of charges - often one can find two D or I fares at an equal or lesser cost than one J, so it's not such a bargain. It also offers instant Starwood Gold status.

So, no, unless you find a lounge agent who is very naive and unknowing, our HHonors Plat card will not get us into any lounge - other than a Hilton property's Club Lounge, assuming we meet the required conditions.

And I wonder how many people have flashed their 'other' card in hopes of getting in ...

Seems like it would be easier to stand by the door and ask someone to bring you in with them.

Actually... I was at EZE once and the Centurion Lounge was very close to my departure gate, without the AMEX Platinum but with HHonors "Platinum" card - instead of using the AA lounge I chatted the staff up and did gain access. It might be possible at MEX as well, as they allow AMEX Gold card members access.

FYI - Tina Fey is a paid spokesperson for AMEX. This is not to say that you can't gain access to certain airline clubs, but rather that she may not be an unbiased source.

At the AA clubs, the staff have a laminated chart showing which cards gain entry and which do not.

Can we assume from this that you'll be flying ... coach?

<shudder>

We have a 3-4 hour layover in ATL coming up, but it's on NW/KL in WBC, so I'm assuming we have entrance to whatever Skyteam lounge is located there -- maybe it's a DL Crown Room.

If you have any other flights in the next two months, NW has a 60 day pass available for $85. Good at DL, NW, and CO clubs. I'm pretty sure the pass holder can bring in a guest.

David

Yah, coach (ouch)...not like Rome or Budapest. Drats!

I turned in Delta Skymiles for two tickets to Barbados....but yes, it is coach...all the way.

I doubt I will try the AMEX, I'd just assume toss $60 out the door. If I spent the same 3 1/2 hours in the bar I'd spend WAY more than $60 so I may as well have a comfy place for Lee to sit!

Well, the EZE Centurion lounge, folks were very nice about it then; I told them I did not have my "real" AMEX Platinum card on me, and of course, they should have technically denied me admission. (I also suspect using Spanish and being aware of cultural norms made a difference.)

I still have no idea if MEX AMEX C lounge allows HHonors AMEX "Platinum" - but I do know they admit AMEX Gold, as I have seen it many times.

I have had an AC membership for a long time and am ow Emerald, so AA would have been no problem, as I was departing on AA to JFK.

SFO is the location where I've seen most often seen them use "the chart" I suspect it may be due to the fact that the SFO club is quite small and always near capacity.