dw

Being reported by TPG this morning, effective immediately for new cardholders and existing cardholders adding new AUs. AU fees now being charged PER AU (no more first three for the flat fee). Existing cardholders with AUs will receive communications on when the increase will be effective for existing AUs (I�d guess next AF posting date, after a minimum notice period).

krazykanuck

While this doesn't negatively impact me, since I don't have any paid AUs, I feel like this is long overdue. It seemed really silly that you could effectively give unlimited Centurion Lounge access for the cost of 1 guest fee, if you used all 3 AU spots.

michael1023

this is clearly a net negative, and while my spouse has the gold card, and not a AU plat card, it starts the trend in the wrong direction, and i will probably keep the plat card when it renews for me on sept 1, but next year, 2024, is a different story, as i bet a nickle the annual fee will go up as well.

dw

I suspect this could do more to reduce CL overcrowding than the new guest rules. For people with three AUs, the $175 fee was almost a no brainer. Now at $195 per AU, it will take 4 annual DL SkyClub and/or CL visits to break even on the AU fee.

lowfareair

I'd say net negative overall, but nice for those without any AUs as it will reduce the number of potential people in the lounges across the next 13 months.

dw

Also note that there is a terminology change. The non AF AU cards, which used to be Gold Cards, are now called "Companion Cards" and are no longer Gold. (Art online looks like they are white.) I suppose this makes sense because there was previously confusion from some on whether the Plat AU Gold Card had the same earning structure as regular Gold Cards.

mia

Official notice is here: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-u...nd-conditions/

lsquare

Totally agree with this decision. Hopefully, less crowding going forward!

mia

There is also a (long) chart documenting the benefits provided by Additional Platinum versus Companion cards.

michael1023

i mean we will see. as for myself, i hope it cuts down on the lounge crowding obviously, because back in May my spouse and I tried to enter the MIA CL, and it was a zoo. i tend to think of airport lounges as quiet spaces for couples, business travelers, etc, not loud bar folks and kids running all over, but that's just me. not going to spend $50 for my spouse for us to stand and eat. so could this work and weed AU's out over the next few months? we will see. but recently, i dont value "lounge access" as a perk anymore when deciding to apply or keep a credit card, actually, its at the bottom of my list now.

mia

The effect will be gradual as card renewals are spread throughout the year. The renewal date for the additional cards is not necessarily the same as the renewal date for the primary card. Some people will renew the primary card, but cancel one or more of the additional cards. Others will close the entire account. Many will simply pay the higher fees.

Boraxo

We knew this was coming as the AU lounge access was too good to last. No way people are going to pay $195 for teen cards anymore.

no doubt more than a few will switch to Morgan Stanley but otherwise it will be Adios!

dw

The Morgan Stanley brokerage account that is a requirement to getting the MS Amex Plat is a lot harder to obtain now that Access Investing is no longer available, so it's no longer an easy way to get one free AU.

notquiteaff

We chose not to get an AU card for my wife when the lounge access rules changed earlier this year. Based on the anticipated travel pattern we determined that we wouldn’t miss enough CL visits to justify the extra expense, and I wanted to see for a year if we would truly miss it. So far we haven’t. We have enjoyed free dining courtesy of Chase/Priority Pass on several occasions where we would have otherwise gone to the SEA CL. For other trips we weren’t in the CL terminal (SFO, LAS, LAX) and wouldn’t have spent time trekking to the lounge even if we still both had access.

Since the access rule changes, I have accessed the CL lounges in SEA and LAX on solo trips just three times. The value of the CL benefit in my overall assessment of the value of the plat card is shrinking.

This rule change makes it less likely that we will get an AU card for lounge access when we reassess for next year. I do applaud them for charging for every AU card now. It just seems more fair.

njvandy

Do we know if this will apply to the Schwab Platinum? How are they allowed to make this change effective immediately? Aren't they supposed to provide 45 days' notice?