American Express has announced a number of changes to Centurion lounges. They are as follows:
- Escape Lounges will be rebranded and now called ‘Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner’. Platinum cardholders already had access to these lounges, but Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card Members will now gain access as well (no free guest access). Lounges themselves are not changing.
- International Centurion Lounges will be improved. These will now be on par with the domestic Centurion lounges (these are located in Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Sydney, Mumbai, Delhi, São Paulo, Mexico City and Monterrey). Hong Kong lounge will not be improved as it’s already considered as on the same level as the domestic lounge, London lounge that hasn’t opened yet will also remain the same for the same reason.
The Mumbai lounge I was in 18 months ago was tiny. I wonder if that’s the one that will be “improved”.
F.U., Amex
Approved.
Based on your history with American Express welcome offers, introductory APR offers, or the number of cards you have opened and closed, you are not eligible to issue an FU.
I was at HK lounge at opening a few years ago, I wasn’t impressed. Uncomfortable seating and at the time no decent food options. Unless they’ve made improvements then I disagree that it is already domestic level. Of course no big deal since if I’m in HK then I will most certainly have access to superior Cathay lounges.
They had hot food when I was there a few years back.
I agree with WR2 about the HK centurion lounge. I went lounge hopping in HK once, and I thought the Plaza Premium lounge was a better lounge than Centurion.
Food was superior in the Plaza Premium as well.
rip plaza premium as part of pp
The Centurion Lounge in HK is on par with those in the US. Food, drinks and service are as good if not better. The biggest problem with HK CL is its size. It’s just too small.
The Pier and other lounges for Business and First class customers are going to be better.
For Delta cardholders, you have to be traveling on Delta to use those Escape lounges. You should add that.
Some of those Escape lounges are still closed in the US so it would be nice to get them all open first
Is AMEX buying Escape or is this an investment or what?
Wow, so the centurion lounge portfolio basically will grow by 8. Smart move.
Unrelated question, I’m looking to downgrade my platinum card next year. If I get the gold card now+get the sign up bonus, can I downgrade my platinum card to the gold card next year and hold 2 gold cards?
Hey K.M. – yes, you can definitely do that. Amex allows you to have more than 1 of the same card, and your approach of getting the welcome offer first and downgrading second is a smart way to do it 💯
Thanks! I knew it could be done with the Hilton cards so good to read that it works for other Amex cards too.
Given that it’s possible, I’d still wonder if it’s definitely worth it.
Is the Uber credit worth the same as cash to you? Then this can start to make sense, $10 for Grubhub/select restaurants + $10 uber cash would negate the annual fee. The only other way it makes sense is if you MS or spend unusually high on groceries.
Food for thought, as long as you know it’s works for your situation then great. (this is also before considering retention offers, of course).
Hey there thanks for the reply. It makes more sense for me to hold the gold card than to hold the platinum card after these “enhanced” benefits were added. Where I live and where I fly to, the airports don’t have clear or equinox so that’s something like $479 of benefits wasted. And majority of the other new benefits I won’t use either, so it’s close to $1000 of benefits that I won’t use for a higher annual fee. At least with the gold card the benefits are much easier to use for a cheaper fee and I keep my credit history/my wife’s authorized user history.
Yes
I would assume so but you can call Amex to find out for sure.
In some ways 2 Gold cards have a better ROI if you frequently order GH/UE.
Holding more than one Plat card – will make it hard to break even for most people.
Many of the credits are more of a quasi-per member.
Granted you can always use those credits for extended family i.e. Clear, $240 entertainment/streaming credit, equinox, GE/TSA PC – but a Biz plat adding free green card AU’s can get free GE/PC for up to 99 AU’s and those will count toward your MSR *wink*.
Biz plat Greens get GE credit? Thats great and timely news!
You kinda hafta read DoC/DDF/FM and the comments to find all the nuggets and DP to find out about the buried or little known or overlooked benefits, rules and work arounds.
One now has work to “EARN” those card benefits lol.
DP on Biz Plat – green card AUs see no.17
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/amex-business-platinum-card-earn-100000-welcome-bonus-points-now-annual-clear-membership-included/#Global_EntryPre-Check_Fee_Refund_For_You_And_Your_Additional_Cardholders
Cheers buddy
CongestionCharge
Thank you very much, that was one tidbit I did not realize and really appreciate. Go Timbers