New Platinum Card
 

How long until the card arrives / benefits become active (airport lounge access)?

Is there a way to prove or activate card prior to its arrival?

You will almost surely need the card itself.

However, they usually send the card via overnight (might be 2-day) express. UPS I think. I got mine pretty quickly.

There are two types of lounge access:

1) AA, DL and US provided with the Platinum Card itself

2) AS and hundreds of independent lounges provided through PriorityPass. To access those lounges you will need to activate the PriorityPass membership and wait for the membership card to arrive - typically under a week.

Start here:

http://exploreplatinum.americanexpre...enefits/Travel

Read more here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-i-access.html

As others have said, they send it overnight so you'll have it very quickly. I was actually out of town when I applied and tried to get a 'replacement' (duplicate) card sent to me on the road, but according to the agent I spoke with, it would not let her send a replacement card in the first 10 days after the account opening. Oh well. You could always try to show the agent your online Platinum account on your mobile, but I wouldn't expect it to work.

Ordered mine and was shipped our the next day via UPS Next Day Delivery. Cannot activate until you have the card in your possession.

When I applied for mine, they overnighted it. you will need the card for the AA lounge for sure, I showed the priority pass, they could care less about it only needed the card itself. I carry it around for the benefits, don't really make any spend on it.

And if you travel overseas much, you should request a CHIP and Signature version of your platinum card. I did the conversion a while back and will probably give it a whirl overseas. Now if only they would the same with the Delta Reserve card.

Does anyone know how long the priority pass card takes to receive? The AmEx Plat was sent via UPS Next Day, but I'm fairly certain the Priority Pass card will take longer.

Takes about a week to get it after you request it. It won't come automatically.

In the UK the priority pass comes automatically. I actually got the priority pass before my Plat lol

For what its worth, I requested my priority pass last friday (Canadian plat), and it still hasn't arrived. Disappointing as I'm traveling YVR-MIA this weekend, but at least just having the plat amex in hand was enough to get into the Plaza Premium lounge here at YVR and should still be able to find a lounge at MIA that wont require the actual priority pass card to get in.