This is why we can’t have nice things.

I didn’t state this was the rule.

If they don’t make a distinction between staying longer than three hours due to a flight delay or schedule change or simply because you feel like it, they shouldn’t restrict entrance to threee hours before scheduled departure because that figure can change.

The goal is to prevent overcrowding of the lounge, but the manner in which they are attempting to achieve it is not user friendly and potentially unfair. If I arrive 4 hours before my flight’s departure time whether due to leisure, work, or an international layover, why should I not have the same access to the lounge as someone who has their flight delayed by one hour?

Bottomline is that AMEX changed the terms of use of the lounge and it’s no longer as convenient, but it’s still possible to use at one’s convenience.

Presenting a secondary boarding pass does not violate their rules so no, I do abide by the posted rule.

AMEX originally created these lounges as a hard product with no entrance restrictions beyond a valid same-day boarding pass. They could be used for arrivals or departures and you could arrive at any time. They allowed access to Centurion, Platinum, and buy-ups from any other AMEX card. Because AMEX provided such a great product and did not increase the lounge size to meet the demand generated by their issuance of Platinum cards, they began to take steps to address over-utilization. First, they limited the number of guests allowed to accompany a cardholder. Second, they removed the ability to buy-up access from standard AMEX cards. Most recently, they fundamentally changed the nature of the lounge utilization by designating them departure access only and with an entrance time-limit based upon flight departure time. They made this most recent change without notify in any form existing cardholders and travelers were only presented with the information after they already reached a lounge. It would have been nice if AMEX notified travelers before they made they change, but they weren't obligated to and they did not.

AMEX instituted a rule that strictly says entrance is restricted to T-3 from departure time. Presenting a boarding pass that meets this requirement doesn't violate the rule. This action allows me access to the lounge and abides by their policies. Not following your ethical code does not mean I don’t think ‘the rules apply to me’. This is where you need to make a distinction in your thinking.

For example, Steve Jobs was on multiple organ replacement lists because he had the means to be present in each of the states for which the lists existed. His means gave him increased agency. Did he violated any rules by doing so? No. Did he violate the ethical code of others? Yes.

Frankly, it is this type of attitude as to why people may refrain from participating here on FlyerTalk. Good day, sir.

Please. You abused an airline’s refund policy so you could circumvent a lounge’s entry policy.