Plat continental lounge access?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 106
Plat continental lounge access?
I'm flying out to houston from london with my wife on saturday. I've got a businessfirst ticket and she has a economy ticket (although that won't be the final seating arrangement..) and I have a UK platinum charge card. Does the continental lounge access cover her (no supplementary card yet) too in the UK lounge/with the UK card?
#2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: EWR
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HH Diamond, IC Ambassador, SPG Gold
Posts: 224
Here are details from the Amex Platinum US site. I'm not sure if the UK has different rules.
Andrea
Receive complimentary access to participating American Airlines Admirals Club, Continental Airlines Presidents Club, Delta Crown Room Club, and Northwest Airlines WorldClubs locations in airports around the world.1 Simply present the club agent with your Platinum Card, your ticket valid for same day travel on the corresponding airline that is operating the flight, and a government issued ID. Your spouse and children under age 21, or up to two traveling companions, may join you as guests in the club room.
Andrea
Receive complimentary access to participating American Airlines Admirals Club, Continental Airlines Presidents Club, Delta Crown Room Club, and Northwest Airlines WorldClubs locations in airports around the world.1 Simply present the club agent with your Platinum Card, your ticket valid for same day travel on the corresponding airline that is operating the flight, and a government issued ID. Your spouse and children under age 21, or up to two traveling companions, may join you as guests in the club room.
#4
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: NYC
Programs: AA Platinum, SPG Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 310
Nope, sadly this does not happen. When using the amex plat card you need to be flying on the actual airline to use their respective lounge.
#5
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,945
I'm flying out to houston from london with my wife on saturday. I've got a businessfirst ticket and she has a economy ticket (although that won't be the final seating arrangement..) and I have a UK platinum charge card. Does the continental lounge access cover her (no supplementary card yet) too in the UK lounge/with the UK card?
http://prioritypass.com/Lounges/index.cfm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Finland
Programs: AY Platinum,Marriott Gold,HH Diamond,Sixt Platinum,Hertz PC,AMEX Platinum
Posts: 1,946
PriorityPass will charge for the guest, so in this case semantic would need to have a supplementary PriorityPass card also for his wife. I think supplementary PriorityPass card will be only given free of charge to those who have supplementary Amex Platinum card. So he would need to get the supplementary Platinum card first and then supplementary PriorityPass card.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 106
Haven't got around to getting the PP yet..
Turns out the Continental lounge is unavailable in gatwick north, so they're using the Emirates lounge which doesn't allow guests/plat card members to enter. Didn't have time to use it in any case
Turns out the Continental lounge is unavailable in gatwick north, so they're using the Emirates lounge which doesn't allow guests/plat card members to enter. Didn't have time to use it in any case
#8
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN A-List, Marriott Tit
Posts: 258
A modest suggestion for making Plat lounge access comparable to Citi Chairman:
Keep the current arrangement where you get into the lounge of the airline you are flying on, with guests. Plus, 10-20 Priority Pass credits for when you are flying a different airline or an airline that does not have an agreement with Amex, e.g., UA.
This would allow Amex to keep the presumably lower cost agreements it has with the current carriers, but give card members more flexibility at a small additional cost to Amex.
Without this change I may switch to Chairman next year. The lounge program is much better (unlimited PP, with 2 guests) and the other amenities are the same (except FHR?).
Keep the current arrangement where you get into the lounge of the airline you are flying on, with guests. Plus, 10-20 Priority Pass credits for when you are flying a different airline or an airline that does not have an agreement with Amex, e.g., UA.
This would allow Amex to keep the presumably lower cost agreements it has with the current carriers, but give card members more flexibility at a small additional cost to Amex.
Without this change I may switch to Chairman next year. The lounge program is much better (unlimited PP, with 2 guests) and the other amenities are the same (except FHR?).
#9
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Finland
Programs: AY Platinum,Marriott Gold,HH Diamond,Sixt Platinum,Hertz PC,AMEX Platinum
Posts: 1,946
A modest suggestion for making Plat lounge access comparable to Citi Chairman:
Keep the current arrangement where you get into the lounge of the airline you are flying on, with guests. Plus, 10-20 Priority Pass credits for when you are flying a different airline or an airline that does not have an agreement with Amex, e.g., UA.
This would allow Amex to keep the presumably lower cost agreements it has with the current carriers, but give card members more flexibility at a small additional cost to Amex.
Without this change I may switch to Chairman next year. The lounge program is much better (unlimited PP, with 2 guests) and the other amenities are the same (except FHR?).
Keep the current arrangement where you get into the lounge of the airline you are flying on, with guests. Plus, 10-20 Priority Pass credits for when you are flying a different airline or an airline that does not have an agreement with Amex, e.g., UA.
This would allow Amex to keep the presumably lower cost agreements it has with the current carriers, but give card members more flexibility at a small additional cost to Amex.
Without this change I may switch to Chairman next year. The lounge program is much better (unlimited PP, with 2 guests) and the other amenities are the same (except FHR?).
#10
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN A-List, Marriott Tit
Posts: 258
That would only apply for the US Amex card holders - pretty much all the others already receive the PriorityPass from Amex any way and also are able to use the Amex USA lounge access program. Including PriorityPass to US card holders would actually align Platinum benefits more globally.
#11
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,969
I don't see a compelling reason why American Express should standardize their products internationally, rather than adapting to local competitive circumstances. In my opinion, if American Express were to add Priority Pass to the USA issued Platinum Card they would end their separate arrangement with AA, CO, DL and NW because there is substantial overlap with Priority Pass' network. (Note, however, that very very few AA locations accept Priority Pass.)
In Europe American Express needs to offer Priority Pass because AA, CO, DL and NW operate few European locations. The cost of Priority Pass is reflected in the higher annual fees for European Platinum Cards compared to the USA version.
In Europe American Express needs to offer Priority Pass because AA, CO, DL and NW operate few European locations. The cost of Priority Pass is reflected in the higher annual fees for European Platinum Cards compared to the USA version.
#12
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Finland
Programs: AY Platinum,Marriott Gold,HH Diamond,Sixt Platinum,Hertz PC,AMEX Platinum
Posts: 1,946
Prestige.
USA version currently has annual fee of $450 and most of the European cards have annual fee of 550 EUR (about $809 with current exchange rates) so adding PriorityPass to USA version would definitely increase the annual fee and most likely would end the direct relationship with the US airlines and their lounges. With this fee difference it is very easy to add the Prestige level PriorityPass and actually Amex doesn't need to even get a huge discount - well, exchange rates are now playing their own game in this comparison but the point is still that European version of Platinum card is more expensive than USA version. mia is absolutely correct on this topic, the good question is whether any member in USA would actually pay the new higher fee if PriorityPass would be included?
I think the USA version lounge access is actually very good and especially good if considering the annual fee - now even AA has been included in the program so traveling with the USA airlines is much easier. Of course there are airports where the current program doesn't work well in case passenger has a ticket for one participating airline but that airline doesn't have a lounge in that airport/terminal. But that problem is most likely not coming from Amex itself but the airlines have chosen to restrict the program to avoid some costs for themselves.
I don't see a compelling reason why American Express should standardize their products internationally, rather than adapting to local competitive circumstances. In my opinion, if American Express were to add Priority Pass to the USA issued Platinum Card they would end their separate arrangement with AA, CO, DL and NW because there is substantial overlap with Priority Pass' network. (Note, however, that very very few AA locations accept Priority Pass.)
In Europe American Express needs to offer Priority Pass because AA, CO, DL and NW operate few European locations. The cost of Priority Pass is reflected in the higher annual fees for European Platinum Cards compared to the USA version.
In Europe American Express needs to offer Priority Pass because AA, CO, DL and NW operate few European locations. The cost of Priority Pass is reflected in the higher annual fees for European Platinum Cards compared to the USA version.
I think the USA version lounge access is actually very good and especially good if considering the annual fee - now even AA has been included in the program so traveling with the USA airlines is much easier. Of course there are airports where the current program doesn't work well in case passenger has a ticket for one participating airline but that airline doesn't have a lounge in that airport/terminal. But that problem is most likely not coming from Amex itself but the airlines have chosen to restrict the program to avoid some costs for themselves.
#13
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,969
#14
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN A-List, Marriott Tit
Posts: 258
I would pay an extra $100, if that is what it actually costs Amex to provide the PP.