senatorgirth

The AMEX Plat obviously is not quite as good as a full-blown membership. But club access with the card, plus SPG Gold, two-for-one tix, the flexibility of Membership Rewards points, etc., makes the AMEX Plat. a pretty good value. I could by a full club membership and have slightly better access in a few instances, but I would miss out on all the other Plat. benefits. This is the main reason why if Chase/CO are going to get serious about competing with their ultra-luxe CO Chase MasterCard, they're going to have to offer more perks than just club membership and limited Elite Access benefits.

primedude

Actually, this is something I had been wondering about, but hadn't faced yet. If I'm flying CO, but find myself at an airport with only a DL club, can I get into the club without a standalone CO/DL/NW membership? On the one hand, I'd think not, but on the other hand, those clubs (as well as others) are listed on the PC page essentially as stand-ins for PCs at those airports.
I'd say this does a pretty good job of summing up what I was trying to get across. Like I said, if lounge access ended tomorrow, I'd almost certainly drop the Amex and pick up a PC membership. I'm not sure how much the card annual fee or PC rates would have to change for me to do that otherwise, and in any event, right now the two options are pretty close -- close enough that I'm pretty much indifferent.

WIRunner

I guess i would qualify as one of those "riff raff"
In my defence I had a pre-existing PC account before the offer came for the chase card came

carpboy

Yes you can. A PC, WC, CRC card gives unfettered access to any of the carriers' clubs, maybe even internationally as well. No messing with flights and all that, I think you just have to be flying somewhere that day.

W/ Amex, as you know, if not on the club's carrier that day it is day pass time.

MazdaMP

bump...

CO 1E

Bump for what??

divrdrew

My opinion of the congestion has to do with Priority Pass. CO lounges were originally in the program years back. Then pulled out due to lounge congestion. Guess what...went back into the program a year or two back. Guess what...more congestion in the lounges. Not sure it's a direct cause / effect relationship, but seems the anecdotal evidence points that way. Perhaps CO should take a look at the numbers coming in from that program.

boxinbull

You can priority pass free with the chairman citi card or the b of a amex accolades card as well as foreign amex plat charge cards. I agree drew that some lounges are crowded during certain times. But it must be a great revenue source for dl,co,nwa as they allow access to all their lounges. I would blame the alliances for the crowds because the foreigners get in free while most americans are forced to pay.

The primary lounge that is lost now with priority pass is air canada lounges which were awesome. I guess they changed course due they are now selling memberships themselves.

entropy

I can't imagine the PP cards account for *that* much of the lounge traffic. Most people checking in seem to either have a membership or AX Plat card.

if it is, and CO is getting $20 a head, then good for them.

Since I'm not in a CO hub city, I almost always have to fly thru an airport, that's 4 lounge visits a trip... $80 for CO if I were a PP member (or amex plat).

MilesDavis

I had a PP card back in '05. At IAH on Monday mornings, I never noticed anyone else entering with me who was using this card. In fact, I seem to recall only 3-4 other entries for that particular day on the sign-in sheet.

sbm12

It is closer to $16 per visit. Still, I have to believe that CO makes way more money off the AX folks than it does on regular members on a per capita basis. After my first 25ish visits CO would make nothing more from me as a regular PC member. As a PLT user they continue to make profits. I don't know the average number of visits per member, but if someone travels enough to justify the purchase to themself then there is a pretty good chance they are in the PC a couple times a month. CO makes a lot more money via AX on that crowd.

entropy

16 or 20 doesn't matter that much, I don't think the marginal cost of fritos, sara lee bagels and a couple shots of alcohol is going to add up to 1/3 of that.

Every entry from PP or AX is a + revenue event for CO, while every entry from a Pclub member is only an expense. it would be exceedingly silly for them to give up that revenue stream due to 'crowding'.

Though, certainly, clubs do have severe crowding issues due to space issues. VERY bad @ SFO and EWR C120 at peak times. But the solution is to increase space... I wonder if they could possibly build a second floor on the C120 club...

boxinbull

Now amex plat and centurion holders get admirals club access worlwide when flying on aa. The 450 a year sounds pretty reasonable now.

Xyzzy

They recently increased the size of that club. It's better than it was, but still fairly crowded at peak times.

OPFlyer

CO has posted the new rates on their website. http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...nge/rates.aspx