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The changes below have taken effect, and this post is no longer being updated. Here is our archive of major updates from card issuers and loyalty programs.
Priority Pass Select members who have their membership through holding a US-issued American Express card are losing non-lounge access privileges from August 1, 2019. The move affects every membership associated with any Amex card offering Priority Pass membership like the The Platinum Card® from American Express, or the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card card. Priority Pass defines “non-lounge” as bars, cafes, and restaurants. The entire list of non-lounge facilities will be unavailable for Amex Priority Pass Cardholders, bar a select few.
Facilities That Will Remain Available
The cut is deep, and almost every participating Priority Pass restaurant and bar will no longer be accessible from August 1, 2019. There is a handful of facilities that are an exception, and these include:
- Minute Suites at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International ATL- Concourse B & Concourse T
- Minute Suites at Charlotte Douglas International CTL- Atrium
- Minute Suites at Dallas / Fort Worth international DFW- Terminal A & Terminal D
- Minute Suites at Philadelphia International PHL- Terminal B
- Sleep’n’fly – the new airport sleep concept by YAWN at Dubai International DXB- Terminal 3, Concourse A
- The Grain Store at London Gatwick LGW- South Terminal
Amex Cards Affected
Currently, three American Express cards provide you with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. The devaluation of Priority Pass membership affects the following cards:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
One thing to remember is that this only affects Priority Pass Select memberships associated with Amex cards like the Amex Platinum. It does not affect memberships associated with Chase or any other financial institutions. That means Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Citi Prestige® Card Priority Pass cards should still have access to non-lounge facilities. So if you have multiple memberships, remember to take a Sharpie, and mark each Priority Pass card with the name of the credit card it is associated with.
Our Take
This is bad news, and there is no way to sugarcoat it. Even though the Amex Platinum card comes with an impressive host of features and benefits, the devaluation of the Priority Pass membership is a hammer blow to the value of the card, and makes competitor cards like the Sapphire Reserve seem that much more attractive since they provide unrestricted Priority Pass membership. The major concern here is that other issuers will see this move as a clever cost-cutting measure and follow suit. If Chase or Citi pulls this benefit too, you can bet the other won't be far behind.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points + $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
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