Jan 24, 2019, 7:51 am
Last edit by: mia
Policy Changes effective March 22, 2019
Source: https://thecenturionlounge.com/info/access/
NOTE: FOR PLATINUM CARD MEMBERS ONLY
The Centurion Lounge is a day of departure lounge. We will not admit arriving Platinum Card Members with boarding passes for flights that have just landed. We will admit Platinum Card Members with layovers or connecting flights who produce proof of connecting flight.
We will not admit Platinum Card Members more than 3 hours before the departure time on the Platinum Card Member’s same-day, confirmed boarding pass. This does not apply to Platinum Card Members with a connecting flight.
We will admit children under 2 years of age free of charge, provided an accompanying parent or guardian is able to produce a “lap infant” boarding pass or proof of age
The Centurion Lounge is a day of departure lounge. We will not admit arriving Platinum Card Members with boarding passes for flights that have just landed. We will admit Platinum Card Members with layovers or connecting flights who produce proof of connecting flight.
We will not admit Platinum Card Members more than 3 hours before the departure time on the Platinum Card Member’s same-day, confirmed boarding pass. This does not apply to Platinum Card Members with a connecting flight.
We will admit children under 2 years of age free of charge, provided an accompanying parent or guardian is able to produce a “lap infant” boarding pass or proof of age
Centurion Lounge crowding (2015-2019)
Oct 23, 2018, 9:03 pm
#1351
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 1,774
Rather than change policies, keep it simple: raise the AF on cards with lounge access. It's a premium product compared to all other lounge networks in the US but Amex isn't pricing it appropriately. United charges $550/year for a UC membership, but a UC isn't nearly on the level of a Centurion lounge and that membership won't get you into Polaris lounges.
Amex is not targeting just members who use the Centurion Lounge. I assume a huge number don't live in a city with CL or connect through one to justify an increased AF. If Amex were to raise the AF further, it would hemorrhage members.
The problem Amex has is that a small number of cardmembers are disproportionately using the Centurion Lounge. I have many friends who don't use the lounge much, but they value access when they do fly. Any capacity restriction would seriously give them second thoughts about keeping the card. We just saw Citi limiting the 4th night benefit. I can't imagine the current crowding is sustainable esp as Amex is actively trying to expand card membership.
Oct 23, 2018, 9:10 pm
#1352
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,130
Unpopular opinion: leave the policies as-is. Introducing any complication will be a disaster. FTers are willing to jump through all sorts of hoops—but we're, what, 0.000001% of the traveling public?
Rather than change policies, keep it simple: raise the AF on cards with lounge access. It's a premium product compared to all other lounge networks in the US but Amex isn't pricing it appropriately. United charges $550/year for a UC membership, but a UC isn't nearly on the level of a Centurion lounge and that membership won't get you into Polaris lounges.
What on earth is wrong with Amex that they're priced the same as their competitors while offering a vastly superior product? *And* you get all the other benefits of a platinum card.
Add some travel benefits but no lounge access to the Gold card (FHR, concierge, insurance) and raise it to the $350-400 level, then bump the Plat to $650-750.
(I'd honestly be surprised if *that* many people take advantage of the Ameriprise loophole.)
Rather than change policies, keep it simple: raise the AF on cards with lounge access. It's a premium product compared to all other lounge networks in the US but Amex isn't pricing it appropriately. United charges $550/year for a UC membership, but a UC isn't nearly on the level of a Centurion lounge and that membership won't get you into Polaris lounges.
What on earth is wrong with Amex that they're priced the same as their competitors while offering a vastly superior product? *And* you get all the other benefits of a platinum card.
Add some travel benefits but no lounge access to the Gold card (FHR, concierge, insurance) and raise it to the $350-400 level, then bump the Plat to $650-750.
(I'd honestly be surprised if *that* many people take advantage of the Ameriprise loophole.)
If you got rid of those obnoxious millennial techies with their corporate additional user cards plus guesting in their buddies or whoever in the terminal raises their fancy, the SFO lounge would be half empty all the time. Get the extra kids out of the MIA lounge, the place wouldn't be a zoo.
Voila, problem solved.
Oct 23, 2018, 9:23 pm
#1353
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, UA Gold, Marriott LTT, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,539
Why should everyone else be forced to pay more? Honestly, just yank lounge access for corporate additional user and personal family cards and restrict the lounges to primary cardholders only, one guest or family member, no extra children.
If you got rid of those obnoxious millennial techies with their corporate additional user cards plus guesting in their buddies or whoever in the terminal raises their fancy, the SFO lounge would be half empty all the time. Get the extra kids out of the MIA lounge, the place wouldn't be a zoo.
Voila, problem solved.
If you got rid of those obnoxious millennial techies with their corporate additional user cards plus guesting in their buddies or whoever in the terminal raises their fancy, the SFO lounge would be half empty all the time. Get the extra kids out of the MIA lounge, the place wouldn't be a zoo.
Voila, problem solved.
I agree that something needs to be done about crowding. Lately I just bypass the Centurion and go to the United Club. I can find a seat there and don't need to wait in line at the bar for a diet coke.
Oct 24, 2018, 6:02 am
#1354
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
Are we going to the same SFO lounge? I see mostly people in their mid-30s to 40s in the lounge. All the millennials I know have a CSR and haven't considered a Platinum card. I'm the only millennial in my extended circle of friends who has the AMEX Platinum (personal version, not corporate). All my friends who work at tech companies don't have corporate credit cards, or if they do I've noticed they are Citi Mastercards.
I agree that something needs to be done about crowding. Lately I just bypass the Centurion and go to the United Club. I can find a seat there and don't need to wait in line at the bar for a diet coke.
I agree that something needs to be done about crowding. Lately I just bypass the Centurion and go to the United Club. I can find a seat there and don't need to wait in line at the bar for a diet coke.
I *am* one of these millennial techies and we don't get corporate platinum cards. Frequent travelers are issued a green corporate Amex but if they want to upgrade it's on them. My plat card is on my own dime. And, yes, Chase has this generation cornered with the CSR.
Oct 24, 2018, 1:00 pm
#1355
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,950
Moderator action
Recent discussion fork regarding Sapphire Reserve rather than lounge crowding has been moved:
Does anyone own BOTH Chase Sapphire Reserve & Amex Platinum?
Does anyone own BOTH Chase Sapphire Reserve & Amex Platinum?
Oct 25, 2018, 1:48 am
#1356
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,400
Oct 25, 2018, 10:14 am
#1358
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
Let's be serious here: There's no reason anyone would keep re-opening Ameriprise Platinum cards except to use the (free) benefits. Nobody is doing it so they can rack up a whopping 1x points on the vast majority of their spending.
Oct 25, 2018, 10:45 am
#1359
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,012
How does that make an ameriprise platinum cardholder different than any other platinum cardholder?
Oct 25, 2018, 10:53 am
#1360
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,950
What's missing is any hard data on the proportion of Platinum accounts that are Ameriprise co-branded.
Oct 25, 2018, 11:02 am
#1361
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,012
I understand the difference (and I think it's fair to assume that at least some of those who hold an ameriprise plat. might not otherwise hold a platinum card if they had to pay the $550 annual fee), I just don't see the logic in asserting such cardholders 'disproportionately' use the airport lounges.
Oct 25, 2018, 11:11 am
#1362
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,950
I see the reasoning inasmuch as 5X airfare and airport lounge access (not just Centurion lounge access) are the two leading product benefits, but without evidence I don't think we can quantify the extent to which it contributes to Centurion lounge crowding.
Oct 25, 2018, 11:15 am
#1363
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
I understand the difference (and I think it's fair to assume that at least some of those who hold an ameriprise plat. might not otherwise hold a platinum card if they had to pay the $550 annual fee), I just don't see the logic in asserting such cardholders 'disproportionately' use the airport lounges.
The median Amex Plat cardholder probably doesn't visit a Centurion Lounge once per year. The Ameriprise Platinum churners assuredly use the lounges more than that — and probably a lot more than that.
Oct 25, 2018, 11:46 am
#1364
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Various
Posts: 2,155
Sounds like classic AmEx though with regards to the Ameriprise loophole - I've pointed out to them many times that the Centurion registration portal to get Hertz President's Circle is wide open, and anyone can apply and no one ever does anything about it. Just like the incompetence with the Ticketmaster priority seats, as long as you know the right telephone number to enter (which you can search for in seconds)and pay with any AmEx card, you're good to go. I mean how hard would it actually be to fix any of these problems?
Someone is probably being paid on the number of 'acquired' customers too
Someone is probably being paid on the number of 'acquired' customers too
Oct 25, 2018, 11:47 am
#1365
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,857
You don't see the logic? Why else would people go to the trouble of opening and closing an Ameriprise Platinum card every 12 months if they weren't using the benefits?
The median Amex Plat cardholder probably doesn't visit a Centurion Lounge once per year. The Ameriprise Platinum churners assuredly use the lounges more than that — and probably a lot more than that.
The median Amex Plat cardholder probably doesn't visit a Centurion Lounge once per year. The Ameriprise Platinum churners assuredly use the lounges more than that — and probably a lot more than that.
Bottom line, despite your "logic", I got Ameriprise because of my reduced use of benefits. I'll likely get it again next year for the same reason. If my travel plans pick up, I'd have no issue ponying up the AF.
