I'll be damned. Just a couple of weeks ago I walked from the International Terminal to the Centurion Lounge (all airside), but you are correct, I was in G. It never occurred to me that the International Terminal was not connected to itself airside.

Do we know the type of people who make up the majority of these Centurion Loungers? Centurion/Platinum cardholders? Or pay-per-visit customers? If the latter, maybe they could just raise the admission fee?

Good idea. Or only allow entrance to Cent/Plat holders and AU. Although that may kill the cash cow, right?

They could also drop it down to immediate family or 1 guest. The reason you need to keep immediate family there is that parents aren't going to buy a $50 day pass for their 5 year old, and Amex also won't allow them as an AU. Plus, families don't generally travel during peak business rush.

The thing is, though, a lounge membership generally is 2 guests or immediate family. Everyone but Delta does that. If you're replacing lost lounge benefits with the Centurion Lounge program, offering an enhanced product, etc, do you really want to break par by screwing with guest access?

I think the real solution, if they're serious about this, is to build larger lounges or in the busier airports, have multiple lounges. That's what airlines do, to the extent that they care about crowding (and really, airlines don't, because you have no alternatives, but Amex does care because it's a premium product).

Here's my prediction: As the Amex lounges expand to more airports, the model will also include additional lounges in the same airport and larger spaces. Then when this thing really hits critical mass in terms of lounge presence at airports that warrant it, the Platinum card will begin to lose the airline fee credit - that started when lounge access began to erode, and it'll end when Amex's strategic play on ensuring lounge access gets far enough along.

Not scientific, but I have yet to see someone else paying the fee while I am at the desk checking in.

I wonder if they're unofficially giving other Amex cardholders a complimentary visit for marketing purposes.

Only AMEX knows how many members bring in how many guests, but I would be surprised if that many members bring in two guests. Lots of single travellers, some travellers in pairs, but many trios?

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Here's my prediction: they all go away just like they did in the 80's.

Dumb question here. Are AU's supposed to get access to Centurion lounges when they are not travelling with the Primary card holder? I ask because my AU was recently turned away from the LGA lounge and was told that it was because she was not the primary. The lounge agent was nice enough to change my AU to an earlier flight, however.

Don't AUs get everything the primary does, minus the $200 airline reimbursements?

The centurion agents changed a ticket? How? They don't have access to airline systems.. Did they call the airline?

Yes, AUs get the same access to Centurion Lounges and Delta SkyClubs as primary cardholders. Not sure about Priority Pass Select.

If the OP held the Delta Reserve Amex and was referring to a LGA SkyClub, the story would make perfect sense. Not sure why an AU on a Plat or Cent card would be turned away from a lounge. (And don't know how a Centurion Lounge staff member could have changed a ticket.)

It seemed odd to me as well (both parts of the story).

She arrived at LGA with over 2 hours to spare (hotel grossly overestimated the travel time to LGA) and was looking to hang out in the lounge. Lounge agent told her no dice on entry but was able to get her a free SDC on an earlier UA flight. My AU was travelling on an award ticket I had booked for her, so I think she inherited my Gold (at the time) status and thus was able to do a free SDC, but she told me that the lounge agent actually made the change (maybe they called United?).

This is a personal Platinum Amex card, BTW.

OK, so I just called Amex, and they confirmed that my AU should have been given access to the LGA Centurion lounge. Water under the bridge now, but this is good to know since she frequently travels for work without me.