Update 2/1/23: These new rules are now in place.
Update 2/24/22: Once you hit the $75,000 spend, you receive an e-mail stating you can now bring in two complimentary guests until 01/31/2024. It also states that any platinum authorized user or employee cards on the same account can also bring in two guests. Hat tip to Parts_Unknown-
Update 1/15/22: There is now a spend tracker showing your progress toward the $75,000 spend threshold for guest access. Hat tip to Parts_Unknown-
Update 7/1/21: Cardholders will be able to bring two guests aged 2 through 17 for $30 per person, rather than the previously announced $50.
Update 4/9/21: American Express has officially confirmed this, not sure it was needed considering the terms were updated on their own site (now removed) but good to know for sure.
Original post: American Express has updated the terms for Centurion lounges and beginning February 1, 2023 you’ll no longer get to guests access for free (terms have now been updated again and don’t show these terms, but you can view a screenshot below). Instead a fee of $50 will be charged per guest. If cardholders spend $75,000 within the prior calendar year (or current calendar year) the $50 fee will be waived.
This is an interesting change as for some people it’ll actually be a positive as it should help to reduce overcrowding. For others this will be a huge negative as Centurion Lounge access with guest access is the main perk of the card. This seems to favor business travelers rather than leisure travelers. This was also one of the rumors surrounding the annual fee increase on the personal Platinum card.
I called AMEX to cancel my platinum card because of this reason. Price goes up and benefits get slashed. They were very sorry and have had very negative feedback from cardholders. With that said, I still closed it.
what’s your annual spend on the card?
Does anyone know if the guest policy change applies to the escape lounges as well?
I used to think about inviting strangers into the lounge with me. Never did, probably for the best.
Or just add an authorized user for $175 and get 10k points for doing so. My wife travels a bunch for work, so I got her a card. Solves our access problem.
but you still need to spend 75k to qualify for that right?
No since you’d get a full AU that lets you in
Nope. AU’s get the same benefits, minus the credits, that a platinum user gets.
so, someone still needs to hit the 75k no? Then with that one spend hit, you can bring up to 5 other people if one of those is an AU?
Nope. The 75k spend requirement is to bring in 2 complete guests, meaning anyone at all, who don’t have a Platinum card of any kind. jjwin is suggesting something else- getting an authorized user Platinum card for someone (in this case, their spouse). That person now has their own lounge access using their own card. As mentioned it does cost $175 per year for an AU Platinum card, though also as mentioned there are frequent 10k bonuses for signing up AU cards.
How do u get 10K points for adding an authorized user?
The offer is on the account page. You have to spend $2K in 6 months to get 10K points.
Offer was on the page to add an AU. $2k spend in 6 months. Easy.
cool story, @jjwin. are they offering you 10k points every year? that’s $175 extra per year on an already $700 card/coupon book with fewer than 2 dozen centurion lounges in the world.
No. It’s a one time thing for adding an AU. You must spend $2K to get the 10K in points.
I doubt 10K every year, was just an offer I had.
YMMV but we live at an airport with a Centurion Lounge and my wife has at least one trip a month to take for work. We will re-evaluate once they open the Sapphire Lounge at PHX.
wondering if this also impacts Crypto Arena (Staples Center)
Good question, I’ll find out on the 13th and report back.
Does anyone know if this change applies to Escape Lounges as well, or only to true Centurion lounges?
I don’t think it applies to the Escape lounges from what I’ve read, but I not 100% sure. I’m out of Minneapolis so I hope not.
Curios to see if this has changed crowdness
True dat. The crowd with 2 free guests has been painful for everyone. No seats to sit. The front desk folks at DFW sounded frustrated too when i went alone last month.
I don’t see why it wouldn’t. Some of those lounges were awful with crowds. MIA was one.
There used to be an indicator on the benefits tile to indicate if you qualified for this year, but I don’t see that anymore…does anyone know if you can see from your online account?
Nvm it is back. It is under the “Centurion Lounge Complimentary Guest Access” tile. It will say “Unlocked until Jan 31, 2024” in light grey under the picture with a checkmark to the left if you have the perk unlocked for the year.
“Once you hit the $75,000 spend, you receive an e-mail stating you can now bring in two complimentary guests until 01/31/2024”
Wherein Amex discovers not everyone can be real elites and have them break even from the AF alone, and so now there’s a second tier of pleb Platinums who don’t get their original benefits unless they decide to spend their way back to regular tier Platinums.
Is it $75k just on the Platinum or all Amex card purchases combined?
Hahaha. Is that a serious question?
Unfortunately just the Plat. If the crowd size does not improve, it’s coming down. I can also see them using this as a sign up bonus by waiving that requirement.