Opinion: Centurion Lounge Guest Policy Change & Why the AMEX Platinum Card Is Still Valuable

The Centurion Lounge is a premium airport lounge by American Express (AMEX). Currently, there are 13 domestic and 10 international locations. The footprint may be minuscule compared to the number of lounges offered by Priority Pass, the quality of amenities such as complimentary food and services is far superior to most airport lounges. I’ve been to a handful of Centurion Lounges, and they have always exceeded or met my expectations, and I would always choose them over typical lounges in the Priority Pass network. For instance, each Centurion Lounge’s food and drink menus are thoughtfully curated by famous chefs who often hold Michelin Stars, and some lounges have unique amenities such as complimentary massage service or a hidden speakeasy.

Centurion Lounge Access

In order to enter the Centurion Lounge, you must carry a credit card that qualifies you for entry. These cards are:

• The AMEX Platinum Card

• The AMEX Platinum Business Card

• The AMEX Platinum Charles Schwab Card

• The AMEX Platinum Goldman Sachs Card

• The AMEX Platinum Morgan Stanley Card

• The AMEX Delta Reserve Card

• The AMEX Delta Reserve Business Card

• The AMEX Centurion Card

Any version of the AMEX Platinum Card will grant you access to the Centurion Lounge network.

For both Delta Reserve Cards, travelers must fly Delta and must have paid the airfare with either version of the cards. Cardmembers of the Centurion Card have the least restrictions and can use the lounge as long as they can provide a confirmed, same-day reservation, which means they can use the lounge even after they land from a flight. In addition, Centurion cardmembers are guaranteed to enter the lounge, even when the lounge is at capacity. Usually, Centurion Lounges will have separate reserved tables for Centurion cardmembers. They can also enjoy complimentary champagne and special menu items, depending on the location.

Centurion L:ounges offer great food and drink menus as well as unique amenities depending on the location. Photo credit: www.thecenturionlounge.com

If you’d like to apply for the American Express Platinum Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!

Current Centurion Lounge Guest Policy

Unfortunately, things get a little strict for those who carry all other versions of the Platinum Cards, First, they can’t use the lounge if the itinerary ended, which means unless there is a connecting flight, regular Platinum cardholders cannot enter Centurion Lounges. Second, the time of entry is restricted to three hours prior to the departure flight. Even if you arrive at your terminal five hours early, you’d have to wait two hours to gain entry to the Centurion Lounge. These restrictions are actually not too bad in my opinion, since I usually want to head straight to my destination as soon as I land, whether the destination is a hotel or a tourist spot, and I look for flights with less than two-hour layover.

The food menu at the JFK Centurion Lounge is created by Chef Ignacio Mattos who holds one Michelin star at his NYC restaurant, Estela. Photo credit: www.thecenturionlounge.com

The highlight of the Centurion Lounge is its guest policy. Of course, Centurion members get special treatment, and they can enter with up to two guests or immediate family (defined as spouse or domestic partner, and children under 18) at no charge. Delta Reserve cardmembers may bring up to two guests but will have to pay $50 per person, per location. All other Platinum cardholders may bring up to two guests at no additional charge. This is a sweet perk since Centurion Lounges are usually not as crowded as other airport lounges, the food is actually quite delicious, and some locations offer complimentary massage service.

Future Centurion Lounge Guest Policy

Starting February 1, 2023, a new guest policy will be in effect, and most personal and business AMEX Platinum cardholders will need to pay $50 per guest for each Centurion Lounge visit. If you were to spend more than $75,000 per year using your Platinum Card, you can continue to receive complimentary passes for up to two guests. Primary cardholders and authorized users can still enjoy the lounge at no additional charge, and no change has been announced for Centurion members.

Each guest who wishes to enter the Centurion Lounge will soon have to pay $50 per visit.

Though this news doesn’t affect solo travelers, it’s certainly not a good update for people who travel with family members or a significant other. Moreover, the AMEX Platinum Card’s multipliers are too weak to put $75,000 on the card. Luckily, there are two ways to get around the guest policy change.

Adding Authorized Users

You can consider appointing your travel companions as authorized users. AMEX charges a flat yearly fee of $175 for the first three authorized users, and additional authorized users on top of the first three will have to pay $175 each. In a nuclear family setup, your spouse and two kids can become authorized users of the card, and you will only pay $175 for all three members, which can break down to about $60 per authorized user. Under AMEX’s terms and conditions, authorized users have to be at least 13 years old, and since the AMEX Platinum Card is a charge card, you may need close supervision on utilization of the cards. If a family of four were to travel more than once a year, this setup becomes a practical solution.

Getting the AMEX Platinum Morgan Stanley Card

If you want to circumvent the guest policy change without paying the authorized user fee, you may consider applying for the AMEX Platinum Morgan Stanley Card. The beauty of this method is that the first authorized user is free, and then the flat fee of $175 applies to the next three authorized users. Additional authorized users on top of the first four will have to pay $175 each. The Morgan Stanley version of the Platinum Card is not for everyone due to financial requirements, and you can find details of the card here.

Based on your financial profile, you may qualify to get the AMEX Platinum Morgan Stanley Card.

Why You Should Still Get the AMEX Platinum Card…Now!

Even with the change to the guest policy, I argue that the AMEX Platinum Card is still worth the $550 annual fee, and now is the best time to get it before it’s too late. The AMEX Platinum Card is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 75,000 Membership Rewards (MR) points after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening. I personally value MR points at 2 cents per point, valuing this “normal” sign-up bonus at $1,500. However, if you use a referral link or search for the offer using Google’s Incognito Mode, you may be able to find bonus offers of either 100,000 points + 10X MR points on grocery and gas purchases for six months (up to $15,000) or even 125,000 MR points + 10X MR points on grocery and gas purchases for six months (up to $15,000). Those elevated signup bonuses tend to have a spending requirement of $5,000 in six months, extending the regular spending timeline by additional three months. If you were lucky enough to get the 125,000 MR points signup bonus with the 10X grocery and gas purchase multipliers, you could earn up to 275,000 MR points, worth up to $5,500. This is the highest offer I’ve seen, and I bet this is the best offer we will see for a while.

The AMEX Platinum Card is offering a historic-high signup bonus right now. Photo credit: www.americanexpress.com

Because the primary focus of owning the AMEX Platinum Card is to fly and travel, the multipliers, other than the airfare earning rate, are fairly weak. The card earns 5X MR points on up to $500,000 per calendar year on flights purchased directly from airlines or on the AMEX travel portal. It also earns 5X MR points on hotels booked and prepaid on the AMEX travel portal, and all other purchases earn 1X MR points.

If you’d like to apply for the American Express Platinum Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!

The AMEX Platinum Card is overloaded with benefits:

• $200 Airline Credit

• $200 Uber Credit

• $100 Saks Fifth Avenue Credit

• Centurion Lounge Access & Priority Pass Membership

• Delta Sky Club Acess When Flying Delta

• Hilton Honors Gold Status

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status

• AMEX Platinum Conceirge Service

• Fine Hotels & Resorts Benefits

• Reimbursed Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Application Fees

You can get complimentary access to Centurion Lounges around the world with your AMEX Platinum Card! Photo credit: www.thecenturionlounge.com

On top of all the benefits mentioned above, Platinum cardholders get purchase protection, return protection, extended warranty on purchased products, secondary auto rental coverage, and complimentary memberships in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive, and Avis Prefered. In addition, from January through June 30, 2021, you can earn up to $30 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card to make purchases with PayPal. In total, each Platinum cardmembers can receive up to $180 until the end of June.

Summary

The Centurion Lounge by AMEX is one of my favorite airport lounges. The food is delicious, and some locations even offer complimentary massage service. Users of the personal and business variations of the AMEX Platinum Card can bring up to two guests when entering the lounge, but unfortunately, the benefit is set to expire. Starting February 1, 2023, the new guest policy states that cardholders will need to pay $50 per guest for each Centurion lounge visit. Primary cardholders and authorized users can still enjoy the lounge at no additional charge. There are some workarounds to the change, such as applying for authorized user cards or getting the Morgan Stanley version of the AMEX Platinum Card. If you haven’t had the AMEX Platinum Card, I recommend that you seriously consider applying for the card. With the historic high sign-up offer and plethora of benefits and perks, the AMEX Platinum Card is still valuable even with the guest policy change.