krazykanuck

While that's probably true, I don't see how ORD gets one. Not because Amex doesn't want to put one there, but simply space constraints. That airport is packed to the rafters as it is, and the fact that not all terminals are connected airside is another strike against it. Also with how busy it is, it would have to be at least the size of LAS/DFW which would probably be too small to begin with. Short of turning the walking side of the neon underground walkway into the Centurion Lounge, I just don't see how it would be feasible

transportprof

There could be more room for a CL @ORD landside than airside. Particularly at the Hilton hotel, which is connected to most of the terminals.

stc

I don't understand your point. IIRC, Amex only ever granted access to DL Sky Club if you had a real Platinum Card (not a co-branded one) and it still does.

mia

See here. It was a change in Delta's guest policy:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-1-2014-a.html

stc

Ah, right, for some reason I was mis-parsing your post. Thanks.

Fortunately, it doesn't affect me as beside my Amex card, I have a Lifetime Delta Sky Club membership.

kb9522

I must be missing something. My MB co-branded plat allows me into DL Sky Clubs...

mia

stc misunderstood GUWonder's post, and apparently thought it was a reference to cards such as the Skymiles Platinum Credit Card which does not provide any lounge access.

GUWonder

Remember the death of the Plat cardholders' free companion/guest at DL lounges? Some of us do.

mia

You mean the change in guest policy for Skyclub members which also applies to American Express Platinum cardholders, as discussed in this thread?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-1-2014-a.html

This was a policy change at Delta that incidentally affected American Express cardholders. American Express came out better than Citi and Chase who now have no AA or UA lounge access for their $450 proprietary cardholders. This is part of a structural consolidation in the USA airline market that changed the way that the airlines use their lounge space. American Express recognized this and started building their own lounges, while Citi and Chase did exactly nothing.

Comparing American Express 2017 to American Express c 2010 is an unproductive exercise. What matters is American Express versus other issuers today, and by any measure American Express provides the most lounge access.

cmd320

What? Citi disAAdvantage Executive and Chase MileagePlus Club cards both come with respective club memberships. By any measure Amex is on par with its competitors. Nothing special.

gregsfortytwo

Right, but the Sapphire Reserve and Citi Premier are just Priority Pass, which is much worse than the Amex Platinum.
Although the MileagePlus Clb Card comes with guest access, which puts it ahead of the Amex Delta Reserve in terms of co-branded cards.

(Aside: I'm really enjoying the repeating mis-parseable posts in this thread. )

GUWonder

No, I mean the change in guest policy for those using the Amex Plat to get into the DL lounges. SkyClub changes for SkyClub members are not guided by all the same contractual terms as Amex has with DL. DL did push against Amex at around the same time, but the outcome was an indication of the times (including that of Amex's relative strength/weakness) and Amex' willingness/lack of willingness to do what it takes to keep the older access policy for Amex Plat customers. I understand the concept of Amex being financially prudent for its own self-interest and how that may have even be not an entirely bad thing for some of us. I also understand how that was a wake-up call of sort for Amex.

Still, comparing Amex 2017 to Amex three or so years ago is not an unproductive exercise as the fees have increased while the benefits profile has been changed. Part of making a rational decision about acquiring/retaining a service may include looking at the history of prices and benefits and what has gone on in that area. Also, comparing Amex 2017 to Chase or Citi in 2017 isn't the only exercise that may or may not be a productive exercise. Just because the market conditions are somewhat different in Q1/Q2 2017 than in Q1/Q2 2014 doesn't mean that recognizing the changes in the costs and benefits for consumers over time isn't still an effective exercise in deciding whether or not the card is as worth it as it used to be -- whether that means considering Amex product/service over time, or whether that means comparing Amex product/service over time with say Citi and Chase.

The Amex Plat-related lounge benefits having changed over time is definitely a factor for some to consider about the value gotten from the product; just as "over-crowding" of Centurion Lounges may be.

dhuey

Even with larger spaces and more lounges, crowding at Centurion Lounges is likely to be a persistent problem if the USA legacy carriers' lounges remain much less desirable. At SFO, for example, only a few of the foreign carriers' lounges are on par or better than Centurion. (UA's Polaris Lounge seems like it will also be comparable.)

chrisremo

While I support building more Centurion Lounges in different airports, realistically doing so would only make overcrowding worse. The more airports have them, the more people an Amex Plat membership is going to have higher value for. Building a new lounge at an airport that doesn't already have one won't do anything to draw people away from existing lounges.

An LAX lounge will attract more LAX-based fliers to the Plat, which means they'll use the LAX lounge when they're there, but will also increase traffic from those new cardholders in, say, the SFO lounge, when they're flying through that airport.

I still think they should do it, but I definitely don't think it will reduce overcrowding. I don't see any way to do that without building additional lounges at airports that already have them (or expanding existing lounges, which seems logistically even tougher), increasing Plat annual fees (we'll see if this makes any difference), or curtailing access more than they already recently did.

It's hard to imagine the first of those happening, as from Amex's standpoint that money would surely be better spent expanding the network overall.

Katlor

I wonder if the crowding in Centurion lounges will have the effect of encouraging more independent lounges like The Club to open more lounges in U.S. airports. As it is, the crowding in the Las Vegas Centurion Lounge has led me to start visiting The Club instead, since it is quiet. Sure, the Centurion lounge has fancier furniture and chef-cooked food, but the value of Centurion for me has gone way down since the lounges got louder and busier. There's probably a business model for independent lounges in serving people who are willing to forego the food/fancy decor at Centurions for a cocktail or coffee and some peace and quiet.