Unless Amex is turning away people who would otherwise pay $50 because this "road warrior" is taking up a table, it's not an actual cost. Yes there is opportunity cost but only to the extent that Amex is turning away paying customers because they don't have the capacity. I can tell you from personal experience in the Centurion Lounge lobby that when people are told that their nth kid or guest is $50, they usually turn around and walk away. I don't believe that there is much demand at a $50 price point. I mean I like the Centurion Lounges and have been to them countless times, and I wouldn't pay $50 to enter most of the time if I actually had to pay it. I maintain my Platinum card in large part for the CL access, but I also utilize it enough that my cost per visit is much lower than $50. ETA: cost =/= revenue. Just because a company charges X doesn't mean that's what it costs. I feel ridiculous that I even need to type this but in response to your comment about drink prices. A bar that charges $10 for a Bulliet and diet coke, one of my usual drinks in a CL, costs them what, $1-2, before overhead? I mean a whole bottle of that bourbon is $22 at Total Wine.

The only part of your statement that I agree with is the last bolded sentence. Anybody that's putting the majority of their spending on a Plat at 1x, yes, Amex is smarter than they are. haha