joe_miami

I’ve probably made three dozen Centurion visits in the past year or two, and I’ve yet to encounter a wait or a lack of seats. I’d bet 90% of the “Centurion crowding” problem is at SFO, which skews this whole discussion.

As for waiting in line, I can’t believe we still need to provide the physical card plus the b.p. plus a photo ID. Amex should just snap a photo and be done with that part of the process. They obviously maintain some sort of profile for each of us, as they know if we’ve been there before, etc.

Gig103

So, I probably wouldn't opt in, but the option would be nice. Imagine if they worked a deal with CLEAR for automated entry to the club for those customers?

Visconti

I'm inclined to agree with this. While you literally can't pay me enough to spend time in SFO's lounge, I still use and find both LAS & DFW and they're, as you've said, without any crowding issues 90% of the time.

Flying Machine

I was at the IAH lounge last week around 6 PM. When I got out of the shower I had to seek hard to find a fairly decent seat. The food area near the bar was completely full and I shared a table and a couch area with some other guests. Things started to thin down around 8 PM. But I never waited long at the bar :-) staff was very cordial as well

jerseytom

Do we know that's a fact though, or is that just speculation? I guess I've never spent a ton of time people watching at a lounge, but how would we know how many people have their own card vs. are entering as guests? Even if a couple goes in together - maybe it's one card and one guest, maybe both of them have their own card.

Statman

Purely anecdotal, but I have close to 90k butt in the seat miles this year and as a result, I have hit probably the Centurion lounges in HKG, SFO, IAH, PHL, DFW and LAS about 30 times total this year.

I am using flying solo, but I would venture to guess that 80% of the times that I have visited those lounges and due to the crowding issue, I am often waitin g in line. During those waits, it is my opinion that someone ahead of me or behind me is guesting in people. The reason I believe that is that I will hear them say something like "I am guesting in this person" or "this is my spouse" and then he/she shows his/her card.

For the people standing behind, it's harder to ascertain, but I will hear comments that lead me to believe that one or more people in that group do not have their own Platinum or Centurion card (e.g., "you pay how annually much for that card?" or "I have never been in an Amex lounge" etc.).

Another data point, I have probably visited about 40+ Delta SkyClubs this year and I have only heard those same comments TWICE. That's probably because you can't guest in people with an Amex card and only the Delta executive membership (at $845 a year) allows guests in for free with the member.

Again, like with all things YMMV, but that's just my own experience.

Adelphos

On the other hand, Delta has ton of cardholders with lower price cards that can and do access the lounges at $39 per visit. A lot of people use that. Delta eliminating this right for Gold cardholders, plus giving Reserve cardholders Centurion access, was a pretty sneaky move to reduce SkyClub crowding and shift some cardholders to Centurion lounges

ChurnieEls

Why would you hold a Delta Reserve instead of an Amex Platinum? The only reason I can see is if you regularly travel with a SO etc, as the Platinum only allows access for 1 person to Sky Clubs. I have to think the numbers involved here have to be very low. You might see some movement if any of the Delta hubs had Centurions (aka ATL or MSP) but I don't think we're looking at anything material as it stands.

cmd320

MQM boost and DL spend waiver are two big ones that come to mind.

mia

Exactly the same as Delta Reserve.

cmd320

Sitting in MIA right now, massively different experience from the last time. 14 people in the elevator. Line to get in with only a single person at the desk. Line 30 people deep trying to get food. No more shower appointments for the rest of the night (hard to believe unless there are dozens of people on a 5 hour connection).

Place is packed to the brim with guests, families, and leisure travelers. Amex really needs to eliminate guest access for Platinums. This is just ridiculous. With that said, Admirals club is no better with lines out the doors to get in. Not sure what’s going on in Miami this weekend.

joe_miami

Art Basel.

gengar

I often travel with two other Plat holders and I typically guest them in so we don't all have to produce our CCs, IDs, and BPs. That said, I agree that many holders bring in lots of guests - I frequently even hear people being denied for trying to bring in too many guests. Whatever it takes to reduce overcrowding at this point, I'm fine with.

Art Basel. Plenty of Plats/Cents there with lots of hangers-on to guest in.

cmd320

Ahh, that makes more sense. It seemed abnormally busy, especially given the time of night.

friedablass

Yup been like this practically all day due to the end of Art Basel; was there from around 3 p.m. until slight before 5 p.m.