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)
Mar 1, 2019, 4:17 pm
#1666
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,302
What a crappy policy.
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
Mar 1, 2019, 4:24 pm
#1667
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
What a crappy policy.
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
Mar 1, 2019, 4:32 pm
#1668
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,029
What a crappy policy.
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
Regards
Mar 1, 2019, 4:34 pm
#1669
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 777
Apparently more than a few AMEX card holders aren't happy with upcoming time limit restrictions to Centurion lounges; and Conde Nast Traveller has gotten wind of the story.
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/ame...ges-time-limit
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/ame...ges-time-limit
Last edited by BugsyPal; Mar 4, 2019 at 4:09 am Reason: Moderator request for further details.
Mar 1, 2019, 4:56 pm
#1670
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,846
Mar 1, 2019, 5:01 pm
#1671
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,029
Well, because in the case of the poster we are talking about he/she wasn't allowed to and after 3/22 definitely won't be allowed to if not in accordance with the new, documented terms and conditions. Is that a good enough reason why not?
Regards
Regards
Mar 1, 2019, 5:11 pm
#1672
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,846
Mar 1, 2019, 5:47 pm
#1673
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,783
Mar 1, 2019, 9:24 pm
#1674
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 1,780
What a crappy policy.
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
I have an 1845 flight. I arrived at the lounge at 1508, 3 hours and 37 minutes before departure.
My intention was to go in, grab a drink, sit down, and change my flight so I wouldn't have to sit here for 3 hours.
Nope. Can't get in. So I had to pull out my phone and make the change at the counter, in front of her.
New departure time: 1700. Now I'm allowed in
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort. I do not appreciate having to conduct that business before being allowed in.
I should have just used the United Club
When the lounge is that crowed, may be you should use the United lounge so you can change your flight in comfort.
Mar 2, 2019, 12:05 am
#1675
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
I like lounges, because I can go in, grab a drink, sit down, and then attend to my business in comfort.
Mar 2, 2019, 3:44 am
#1676
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,029
Regards
Mar 2, 2019, 9:20 am
#1677
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
I got a very nice phone call from a very nice lady at Amex corporate. Her points:
- A month to get back to me is excessive, and she apologized for that. She clearly had access to all my attempts to communicate (which I did not discuss here) and was unhappy that several led nowhere because they were re-directed to unhelpful places. They are closely monitoring crowding complaints, because...(see next point)
- The policies may change in the future, based on the feedback they are getting.
- They will be trying to integrate with PP better, such as directing people to Yankee Pier, Giants Clubhouse and Air France. She was unaware that the AF lounge requires a BP for a Terminal A departure, according to PP rules, but they are at least trying to be better with providing alternatives.
- While several people here thought "suck it up" was the right response on may part, she disagreed with that. She also agreed with me that "subject to availability" should have been the last resort, not the starting place.
- They are looking at several options for solving this long-term, including expanding the space they have.
Mar 3, 2019, 2:46 pm
#1678
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Some American Express Lounges may have already changed the access rules to the rules starting March 22nd for the Centurion lounges.
I was told that the American Express Lounge in Stockholm stopped allowing on-arrival access with a same day boarding pass on or around January 27th, 2019 and access was allowed to Platinum and Centurion cardholders only upon presentation of a same-day onward/departing boarding pass from ARN. It was made quite clear that Amex previously had no issue with paying for on-arrival access but no longer wants to pay for on-arrival access. The American Express Lounge at ARN is operated by the Pontus restaurant group.
FWIW or not, Amex lounge finders online still don’t mention anything about such lounge currently requiring the same day boarding pass to be an onward /departing boarding pass. So is it the lounge or Amex that jumped the gun in cracking down on arrival access and doing so without advance notice? That lounge space was definitely not close to capacity. It was overwhelmingly empty and remained so for hours at about the time of the above discovery of the policy change coming sooner than expected.
In terms of the longer term, I wouldn’t be surprised if Amex starts selling Amex lounge memberships to Amex card holders with graduated pricing of sort for unlimited access for the card holder (+ 1, or maybe, 2 guests) and borrows from the airline lounge membership pricing models.
I was told that the American Express Lounge in Stockholm stopped allowing on-arrival access with a same day boarding pass on or around January 27th, 2019 and access was allowed to Platinum and Centurion cardholders only upon presentation of a same-day onward/departing boarding pass from ARN. It was made quite clear that Amex previously had no issue with paying for on-arrival access but no longer wants to pay for on-arrival access. The American Express Lounge at ARN is operated by the Pontus restaurant group.
FWIW or not, Amex lounge finders online still don’t mention anything about such lounge currently requiring the same day boarding pass to be an onward /departing boarding pass. So is it the lounge or Amex that jumped the gun in cracking down on arrival access and doing so without advance notice? That lounge space was definitely not close to capacity. It was overwhelmingly empty and remained so for hours at about the time of the above discovery of the policy change coming sooner than expected.
In terms of the longer term, I wouldn’t be surprised if Amex starts selling Amex lounge memberships to Amex card holders with graduated pricing of sort for unlimited access for the card holder (+ 1, or maybe, 2 guests) and borrows from the airline lounge membership pricing models.
Last edited by GUWonder; Mar 3, 2019 at 2:55 pm
Mar 3, 2019, 3:09 pm
#1679
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
March 29, or March 22?
The following now mentions March 22:
https://thecenturionlounge.com/info/access
Which change is going live on March 29th that isn’t going live on the 22nd?
The following now mentions March 22:
https://thecenturionlounge.com/info/access
Which change is going live on March 29th that isn’t going live on the 22nd?
Mar 3, 2019, 4:47 pm
#1680
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952