Please finish the thought and explain WHY employee cardholders are less worthy of access, and WHY American Express would want to devalue accounts that pay higher fees.
Because the employee cardholders are not paying for their own access, and with the crowding situation, a tough call needs to be made - and that means prioritizing lounge access for primary cardholders who are directly paying their own membership fees. If we restricted access to primary cardholders and ONE guest, the lounges would be far less crowded and be a more pleasant (and less stressful) experience for everyone. The guest policy itself could be flexible - during hours where the lounge is is forecast to be under 70% full, and coupled with the 3hr rule, a primary cardholder could bring in two guests, but a one guest policy would kick in prior to, and during forecasted busy periods to make sure primary cardholders have a place to sit and relax.
How do Business Platinum cardholders pay higher fees? The annual fee is lower for Business vs Personal cards.