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)
Jun 24, 2019, 4:00 pm
#1921
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We know you're bitter about it going away but, for about the tenth time, nobody has blamed the Ameriprise people for being the primary cause of Centurion Lounge crowding.
Jun 24, 2019, 4:06 pm
#1922
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ROTFLOL They just get blamed for being a substantial cause of who knows what. 
It wouldn’t make sense for me to ever be bitter about the fee-waiver coming or going. I have not needed a fee-waived Ameriprise Platinum card to access the Centurion lounges, and I still don’t.
Jun 24, 2019, 4:39 pm
#1923
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Maybe I confused you with someone else. Every time the Ameriprise comes up, there are one or two people who come out of the woodwork to insist the free Ameriprise cards didn't contribute at all to the lounge crowding.
In any event, I've never seen anyone suggest the Ameriprise was the primary driver of any crowding issues.
In any event, I've never seen anyone suggest the Ameriprise was the primary driver of any crowding issues.
Jun 24, 2019, 4:55 pm
#1924
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Join Date: May 2012
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The one and only solution is to expand the size of the lounges and the lounge network. Other than that, there is no real solution to the crowding at Centurion Lounges.
Jun 24, 2019, 5:51 pm
#1925
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My bet is that the Amex solution is almost certainly going to be to raise the cost of the Platinum cards — including for additional Plat cards on a given Plat card account — and/or to limit how and how many entries/guests each card grants to the holder of a Plat card.
The economy declining into substantial recession will address the overcrowding issue in ways that Amex’s tweaks won’t.
Jun 24, 2019, 6:38 pm
#1926
Join Date: Aug 2017
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Remember that the AMEX Platinum is one of the easiest AMEX cards to get approved for (and probably one of the easiest travel cards to be approved for). It is charge card, after all. And the $550 fee more than justifies lounge access without any additional card spend - the airlines all sell lounge memberships in that same ballpark. The fact is that the card isn't as high end, nor is the clientele as specific, as you may imagine, and AMEX is probably fine with that
I would strongly argue they are not in the lounge membership business. Remember the card has some other perks, which most people are likely to redeem at least some amount. Is the smart business model here to crowd lounges, expand expensive airport real estate, to make $100 a year for "lounge members" while alienating your big-spenders and turning it into a family food lounge?
Jun 25, 2019, 12:57 pm
#1927
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It's a question about what business American Express wants to be in. Are they a premium credit card or a lounge membership?
I would strongly argue they are not in the lounge membership business. Remember the card has some other perks, which most people are likely to redeem at least some amount. Is the smart business model here to crowd lounges, expand expensive airport real estate, to make $100 a year for "lounge members" while alienating your big-spenders and turning it into a family food lounge?
I would strongly argue they are not in the lounge membership business. Remember the card has some other perks, which most people are likely to redeem at least some amount. Is the smart business model here to crowd lounges, expand expensive airport real estate, to make $100 a year for "lounge members" while alienating your big-spenders and turning it into a family food lounge?
Its not like there's crickets in the united clubs in SFO (or EWR, which is an absolute mess lounge wise). There are a lot of people traveling a lot who, for one reason or another, think that its a good use of (not really that much) money to gain access to lounges. I'd argue the airline lounges are actually better for business than the cent lounges, those tend to have workstations, etc for people who want to sit down and get stuff done. The cents are very much about the F&B experience.
Jun 25, 2019, 1:11 pm
#1928
Join Date: May 2011
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100% - for actual work, give me a SkyClub or an Admirals Club any day over any Centurion lounge I've seen. Thankfully Admirals Clubs still sell access on a on-off basis, which I use occasionally (and get reimbursed for via the Amex credit).
Jun 25, 2019, 11:48 pm
#1929
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Jun 26, 2019, 11:55 am
#1930
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Jun 26, 2019, 12:05 pm
#1931
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: PDX
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I was recently in DFW, and it was SO crowded. There was almost no where to sit, and kids were running around and screaming. After a little bit I left and went into the DL SC at DFW which was MUCH quieter, and had easier access to my gate.
Jun 26, 2019, 1:40 pm
#1932
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I did find it odd that I met 2 underwriters from Ameriprise the last time I was stuck in a Centurion lounge in PHL.
Jun 26, 2019, 2:44 pm
#1933
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Jun 26, 2019, 7:39 pm
#1934
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Jun 27, 2019, 7:42 am
#1935
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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.
Maybe I confused you with someone else. Every time the Ameriprise comes up, there are one or two people who come out of the woodwork to insist the free Ameriprise cards didn't contribute at all to the lounge crowding.
In any event, I've never seen anyone suggest the Ameriprise was the primary driver of any crowding issues.
In any event, I've never seen anyone suggest the Ameriprise was the primary driver of any crowding issues.
I'll give you credit though - when you see a dead equine, you continue to flog the hell out of it.