A Simple Change Amex Needs to Make to Its Lounges and Pilot Refuses to Show for Inaugural Flight

by Gary Leff

News and notes from around the interweb:

  • Pilot refuses to show up for Air India inaugural flight because he wanted to go to Delhi instead.

  • QuietLion observes, “I find it ironic that, after decades of advertising that all you need to be treated as a VIP is to carry the American Express card, they require members entering the Centurion lounge to show a second form of ID.”

    American Express card, ID, and boarding pass to get into a Centurion lounge is pretty absurd. I just rattle off my AAdvantage number to get into an American club, or they scan my boarding pass. United scans, too. It sure seems like a name match on the American Express card and boarding pass (they do require you to be traveling same day) should be sufficient.


    ID, Card and Boarding Pass Credential Check-in Desk at the Dallas Centurion Lounge

  • Newark Airport will allow more flights. United has three quarters of takeoffs and landings and isn’t even using all it has. This means more competition for United.

  • Double Alaska Airlines miles flying British Airways Seattle – London (registration required). In addition MVP Gold and 75K members will get priority check-in and boarding as well as fast track security and lounge access at Heathrow. (HT: Pizza in Motion)

  • Alaska Airlines will offer one free date change by phone to Emirates awards without a re-price.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  2. If it is not clear to you that many people in this business are unethical, immoral hack jobs (including the one you see in the mirror, since you have posted time and again you are not above bending or stretching rules) it is no wonder that Amex wants a second form of id.

    I don’t blame them at all. The age of innocence is long past.

  3. Would seem that a boarding pass and Amex card should be sufficient. It is possible to get in without the Amex card at some of the lounges as they can look you up in there system. Seattle, I hear, is an exception to this.

  4. Watch out Credit! He (and the credit card marketing department) delete any comments on this site they doesn’t like or approve of! Totally agree with you..

  6. That I agree. Gary doesn’t delete any comments. Neither does lucky.

    True Americans in that regard.

Comments are closed.