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Ever since American Express announced it would be ending free guest access to Centurion Lounge for those with The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, traveling couples and families have been feeling the sting of these changes.
From complimentary food from local chefs and free-flowing drinks, the Centurion Lounges are the top tier of airport sanctuaries. Because of this, getting in for as little money as possible is crucial, and we'll show you how.
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Amex Centurion Lounge Guest Policy
On February 1, 2023, American Express changed its Centurion Lounge guest policy and began requiring a per-visit fee for guests. Since then, Amex Platinum and Business Platinum Card Members must pay $50 per adult guest (up to two allowed) or $30 for each child aged 3 to 17. Children under three can still enter for free.
Centurion Lounges are exclusive to select American Express cardholders, and there is no pay-to-access option to get in the lounge outside of your card's benefit.
Related: Skip the Line: How Amex Centurion Lounge Digital Waitlists Help You Avoid the Wait
How to Unlock Complimentary Centurion Lounge Guest Access
To unlock complimentary guest access at Centurion Lounges, Amex Platinum and Business Platinum Card Members must spend $75,000 in eligible purchases within a calendar year.
Once that threshold is met, they can bring up to two guests into the lounge free of charge for the rest of that year, the entire following year, and through January 31 of the third year.
Big spenders can rest easy knowing they’ll enjoy the company of up to two guests every time they travel. But for the rest of us, it’s a pretty big hurdle.
Track your progress toward complimentary Centurion Lounge guest access
To check your progress toward the $75,000 annual spend requirement for complimentary Centurion Lounge guest access, log in to the Amex app or website. Navigate to Membership and Benefits, then click on The Centurion Lounge Complimentary Guest Access. There, you’ll see your accrued eligible spend for the calendar year.
But you can avoid needing to log into your Amex account. Savvy travelers who use AwardWallet and have connected their American Express account will see details about their Membership Rewards balance and card benefits — including a tracker showing progress toward unlocking complimentary guest access.
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Alternatives to Unlocking Unlimited Guest Access or Paying Guest Fees
If you usually travel solo but occasionally want to bring a guest, the simplest option under the current Centurion Lounge policy is to pay the per-visit fee of $30 to $50 per person. But if you plan to travel with a plus one regularly, you'll want to consider other options.
For families or groups who travel often, adding authorized users can be a more cost-effective solution. In a group of four, just a few trips could make it worth adding up to three authorized user Amex Platinum Cards. Each authorized user gets their own Centurion Lounge access, even when traveling alone, so there is no need to worry about one-time guest fees.
It costs $195 for each additional Platinum Card for Authorized Users (Rates & Fees). At $50 per visit, you would break even after just four visits.
If you've got the Business Platinum Card, you can add up to 99 employee cards, but this comes with a steep cost of $350 per user (Rates & Fees). Be sure to do the math before adding an authorized user by comparing that fixed cost to the one-time guest fee.
Related: Full Review of The Platinum Card® from American Express
Encourage your travel companion to apply for their own card
If you regularly travel as a couple, it may be worth having your player two apply for their own Amex Platinum account.
While it may not be worth paying another annual fee just for this one perk (Rates & Fees), your travel companion can also take advantage of the other benefits that come with the Amex Platinum. These include a $199 credit for CLEAR® Plus, a monthly Uber Cash credit, the Saks Fifth Avenue credit, various statement credits, and more. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Amex Disclosure: To receive the Uber Cash benefit, you must add The Platinum Card® from American Express to your account in the Uber app. Please see full terms for more details.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
Accept an invite to a more exclusive Amex card
The American Express Corporate Platinum Card® and Centurion® Card from American Express are exempt from these guest access limitations. That means if you're one of the lucky senior executives issued a Amex Corporate Platinum Card, you'll still be able to bring up to two guests into the lounge at no extra charge.
If you're invited to apply for the Amex Centurion Card and are comfortable with the $10,000 initiation fee and $5,000 annual fee (who wouldn't be…), you’ll also enjoy complimentary access for up to two guests. The card is made of anodized titanium, after all.
Bottom Line
If you're concerned that you won't spend enough to unlock complimentary guest access to Centurion Lounge locations every year, well… don't be. If you're not already spending such large amounts on a regular basis, it does not make sense to stretch your spending on the Amex Platinum. That large spend is generally better spent on credit cards that reward your spending with more tangible rewards or on new card welcome bonuses.
Consider how often you expect to bring guests into a Centurion Lounge each year, and choose the option that makes the most sense for your situation. With the right strategy, you can navigate the Centurion Lounge guest policy without breaking the bank.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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