America Express has had a huge conundrum with its Centurion lounges. They promote access to acquire premium credit card customers, but customers show up and have a subpar experience because the lounges are too crowded. They’ve been battling this over the past half dozen years and nothing has worked.
When you build a nice airport lounge it’s going to be busier than you expect even after accounting for the knowledge that it’s going to be busier than you expect. People come to the airport earlier. They stay longer. They go out of their way to reach the lounge by changing terminals. Add in that the food and drink is actually pretty good in American Express Centurion lounges and they’ve become so busy nobody goes there anymore.
American Express has been imposing access limits of various kinds for the past half dozen years but it hasn’t solved the problem. They limited who could buy guest access. They limited access to departing passengers only within 3 hours of their scheduled flight. Those didn’t make much of a difference.
So in February Platinum cardmembers who spend less than $75,000 per year on their card lost the ability to bring in any guests for free. My wife has an authorized user Platinum card on my account and can get into the lounge without a fee. We cannot get an authorized user card for our daughter, since she’s under 13, so we’d have to pay to bring her into the lounge with us.
Each change makes some incremental difference in crowding, but American Express keeps adding more people with access to these lounges.
- Aggressively acquiring new cardmembers
- Expanding who has access, with Delta’s premium cardmembers gaining access to Centurion lounges when flying Delta to reduce crowding in Delta’s lounges
Sadly even after limiting guests of those who aren’t big spenders with Amex, there are still lines to get in. Here’s the queue to get into the elevator up to the Centurion lounge in Denver, to wait in line to get in upstairs. (HT: Douglas)
I cannot imagine putting $75,000 spending on the Platinum Card – most spend earning merely 1 point per dollar – in order to get free guest access so that you can stand in line to get in. I haven’t bothered to head over to a Centurion lounge in the past six months.
Leaving LHR in the morning. The Centurion lounge is almost the only option for Delta. They don’t have their own lounge here.
See how it goes.
Rarely in an airport where a centurion lounge is located.
I haven’t bothered accessing a CL in probably about a year. I’ve seen that line in DEN and just laughed and kept walking. Even when/if you do finally get in, the experience is going to be positively miserable.
I’d there is a line I don’t go in. Nothing IMHO is worth standing in line for. I’ll check for a Priority Pass lounge or just find a quiet place and get on the airport WiFi.
That being said I have never waiting for the Centurion Lounge at my home airport (CLT). I go to Denver frequently and that one does seem more crowded than most. Maybe because only lounge option outside of airline lounges. I have gotten in and walked around f without finding a seat so immediately left. Again my time is worth more than waiting around d for any food or drink. Luckily I can buy whatever I want and would rather do that than wait.
Never understood all the sheep that waiting in line at an airport lounge!
The line at DFW was crazy!!! I used the Capital One Lounge –
When you say it “isn’t working” I agree if you mean to reduce crowding. However in every club I’ve been to since the change, I’ve observed a surprising number of people paying the $50 guest fee (which I would never do). So it’s working, to create piles of new income for Amex but has done nothing for the guests but make them pay more.
I’ve never been to a Cent. Lounge but have a flight out of LGA in July. Traveling with wife and a child. Is it worth it to pay $80 ($50 +$30) for them to experience the lounge at LGA for those that’s been to this lounge recently? Appreciate your feedbacks.
The CLT CL is routinely a hot, hot mess. It’s not helped by the fact that the ACs in CLT are subpar, but AMEX undersized it. Around any time there is a bank of flights there is a line, the lounge is crowded, kids are running around everywhere and the line to the bar are not worth the free booze.
I now generally avoid CLs. Only keep my AMEX platinum because it provides access to DL SCs (and I dropped my DL AMEX Reserve since it duplicated benefits and SkyPesos are worthless)
Doesn’t work to reduce the crowd when Amex gave guess access back to a good amount of Platinum card holders at the beginning of the year.
Amex should cut the customers out who fly Frontier, Spirit and maybe even Southwest, it would cut a huge amount of lounge access and it might not really lose Amex customers. The people who fly budget airlines should be treated differently from the legacy carriers.
Another idea that is a long shot but Amex should just partner with AA, Alaska and United for free Lounge Access (If flying that Airline) where a CL is located similar to what amex does with Delta Lounges and having specific Amex cards, partnering with those airlines would cover the entire CL lounge network
I’ve been using CLT as a home airport for about a year now, traveling at least once a week (though I am so over the whole CLT experience from parking to everything that I live near to Concord and have actually found I can tolerate Allegiant for a couple hours and it isn’t that bad). I’ve been in the CL exactly once and that was at 0530 or so when it opened, and had no hot food out. I generally avoid flying American, but am on Contour a lot and they moved from A to E so I walk by the CL… never bother going in seeing a line. The Club at CLT on the other side of the airport is more manageable 80% of the time… only goes on a wait mid-day, but there’s plenty of pleasant places to sit in the new terminal.
The Escape Lounge/Amex Light in FLL is a disaster. Even having a reservation confirmed with confirmation number (and paying ahead for a guest) they told me a 90 minute wait with over 30 parties ahead of me.
I’m to the point I’d pay just to have somewhere in the airport with snack food, sodas, and not have to look at a sea of people with some peace and quiet.
@John – first of all if Amex cut access to any airline’s passengers there would be an immediate lawsuit and likely an injunction. Also Amex wouldn’t want to alienate that airline e or their passengers. Also you mention AA, Alaska and United. Obviously you don’t k ow Amex’s primary relationship is with Delta hence the complimentary benefits of Amex Platinum members to Sky Clubs and Delta Amex Reserve members to Centurion Lounges. That relationship has a long time to run so such access isn’t changing
Maybe cut it to 2 hours before the flight and limit connection to the same. Otherwise increase cost of paying for a guest to $100 – that would likely cut some back.
BTW now retired so I avoid flights on Monday morning and Thursday evening to miss business rush which helps w access.
Isn’t this one of the smaller Centurion Lounge locations?
People have reported fewer crowds at the SFO location – though frankly that could be due to less people flying for business there.
I have visited JFK – which never really got too crowded. It looks the same.
@Doug you should be using the Virgin Atlantic lounge at LHR if you have high enough status or flying business.
The overcrowding issue isn’t due to families. It’s allowing DL Plat card access and… hate to say it… but $0 fee cards to service members.
I’m in no way arguing that the “free” platinum cards for Service members should stop, but it’s a large driver of the overcrowding.
The restrictions are making a positive difference at many lounges. I’ve had good experiences at SFO and SEA since Feb. 1, both lounges that were previously notorious for horrible overcrowding. It helps that AMEX has expanded both lounges recently.
I would never pay $50, or even $25, to bring a guest into a lounge. That money is much better spent in the terminal. In just the last 10 years, public airport terminals have come a long way. Gone is the crummy paid Boingo wifi, now it’s fast and free for everyone. Many airports have refurbished seating in the gate areas, and the dining venues are often more appealing than the bland buffets of salad and chicken found inside lounges.
Having said that, I do have an Amex platinum and I will definitely stand in line if I have enough time to spare before my flight and need a free meal that I’m not picky about.
When traveling, to help improve customer satisfaction and due to overcrowding, when you try to stop into an American Express Centurion® Lounge during your airport layover, you might have a brief 60 to 120-minute wait to enter. This year, your AMEX membership is no longer worthy of full membership privileges like complimentary access for your wife and a guest unless you have previously spent $75,000 on your American Express card. However, there is good news. Complimentary access, with proof of age, is available for toddlers under two to the Centurion Lounge collection to enjoy the fun, run-of-the-house amenities. Now, kiddos can get away from it all in thoughtfully curated spaces designed for play or relaxation while they travel. Youngsters can mingle with C-level executives seated near the bar and dine in decadence with cuisine created by James Beard Award-winning chef Dean Fearing. Because kids can drink non-alcoholic beer in most states across the USA, they may enjoy mocktails developed by one of the nation’s top mixologists,
Finally, with complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi in Centurion Lounges, your kiddies can play “Baby Shark” for seven-hour in the lounge while waiting for their next connecting flight. Your AMEX membership still has some privileges. Don’t leave home without it.
The ‘Escape’ Lounge in PHX is never crowded when I use it. That may be because it’s not a ‘full’
CL or it may be that it’s located in Terminal 3, instead of 4 so all the AA flyers aren’t using it…..
Allow centurion + 75k spend in for free. Charge everyone else 15-25$, see what happens.
Just a reminder that you can cut an hour off of the three hour prior to departure rule as you need time to get to the gate and board, so really only two hours of useful lounge time, unless your gate is next door.
I was at SEA lounge a few weeks ago, not too crowded. At LAX lounge in Feb, it was infested. Had a drink at the bar and went and stayed at to Star Alliance Gold lounge which was also fairly crowded but more spacious, large balcony and much better experience. LAX lounge was cramped, very compartmentalized… not enough open spaces.
Re: service members… Sure, $0 fee, but with restricted benefits, like no lounge access. I’m paying $675 plus $175 (?) for additional users and spend > $75k/yr. I shouldn’t have to wait to enter into a crowded space.
Stop providing lounge access to cardholders with waived annual fees. Yes, military. There, I said it. The SCRA/MLA says nothing about lounge access. Of course, we all know that AMEX doesn’t have the balls to do this.
@Chris MOST military members have no idea they can get a card with waived fees. I work in DoD and you’d be shocked how this just isn’t widely known. That’s a VERY small percentage of the lounge users. Which is why most USOs are also very crowded even though they’re usually in inconvenient locations.
Recently went to LAX and it was great, except that it closed at 10p.m. and our flight was at midnight.
Haven’t seen a line at any CL I’ve visited or passed since the changes went into effect
I concur with what others have expressed – no entry for people on a waived fee card. I’ve been in lounges (Phoenix) where 15 to 20 military members were in the lounge emptying the buffet selections. Why am I paying $675 while others pay zero and have the exact same benefits? Waived fee members may be a small percentage but wherever you can chip away at the number of people who access the lounge makes a difference.
@ken You’re paying the fee because you haven’t volunteered to be shot at? :shrug:
People saying to cut military access are clueless. Military make up a very small portion of travelers and most are not even aware they can get the card. And it’s not just given to ANY Soldier/Sailor/Airman/Marine/Coastguardsman. You still have to qualify financially for the Platinum card. I’m a retired Colonel and physician who enjoyed lounge access on average twice a year while on Active Duty. I got more value out of the the $240 streaming and the Global Entry reimbursement. I sincerely appreciated how kind Amex was/is to our Service men and women who KNIT THE BLANKET OF FREEDOM UNDER WHICH WE ALL SLEEP and showed that appreciation by remaining a loyal card holder long after my “free” Platinum card benefit had ended with my retirement after 25 years in uniform. So instead of blaming our military members for the long line, next time sit down with them and thank them for stepping up and serving. They’ll appreciate the kindness, I promise.
@Joe I will tell you what will happen, Amex will lose a lot of revenue, the end.
If you think for a moment that folks are going to fork over $695 annual + an additional $175 for an additional cardholder AND pay $15-$25 per visit, your sir, are off your rocker!
My opinion will probably be unpopular, but willing to share with the group:
My US based AMEX platinum card offers supplemental cards (with all the same perks and benefits) for a fairly low fixed price.
My Canadian based AMEX platinum card offers supplemental cards (again, with all the same perks and benefits) at fixed price of $175 PER SUPPLEMENTAL CARD.
This benefit of getting 3 supplemental cards for (can’t remember the exact amount) $200 is killing the lounge experience!
Just my 2 cents
@Gary I just paid my annual renewal on Amex — was it $695??? I have put it on my calendar to cancel next year, and I’ve been a member since (pun intended) 1998 .– actually way earlier but that’s when they picked me back up.
The ONLY benefit I have any interest in is the lounge access, which is just not unsable. So, they lost me.
I’d really like a premium card comparison here one day.
CL, Escape or Priority Pass, the lounges are all useless. I say connecting passengers only. Eat before you leave for the airport. I’m like 10% for getting in when I have a 60-90 minute connection where I would be in the lounge for maybe 30 min. The wait is always at least 90-120 min.
@USAF
Enough with the “I served” crap. We’re not at war….at least until Brandon starts one with Chy-NA. Were you forced at gunpoint to enlist? Look, lots of people “serve” like: cops, firemen, doctors, nurses, teachers etc. Shall we grant them all waived cards? Why not? As far as qualifying, the only thing you need for an AMEX Platinum is a pulse and $695….as for those who “serve” just a pulse.
@CHRIS Guess what? MOST of those people you mentioned DO get discounts on a ton of items from businesses (except maybe doctors and nurses, and they both are well compensated professions). In this particular case, yes Amex chose just one of them. So what? You’re worried because it somehow impacts you? Believe me, it doesn’t. The issue is too many people can afford the card, which is why the fee will continue to increase.
And we haven’t been ‘at war’ since WW2 but there’s been tens of thousands of servicemembers killed. We still have people deployed to Sudan, Egypt, and numerous other places (hell about 15k Reservists and National Guard are still being activated on a yearly basis). Just because you didn’t bother to sign up doesn’t mean you get to downplay it.
We are rarely in the right terminal to access the Centurion lounges but when we do so and there is a line not good for our 2 visits a yar..
USAF Doc says:
People saying to cut military access are clueless. Military make up a very small portion of travelers and most are not even aware they can get the card. And it’s not just given to ANY Soldier/Sailor/Airman/Marine/Coastguardsman. You still have to qualify financially for the Platinum card.
I’m not clueless when I suggest cutting lounge access to non fee members who pay nothing while the rest of us annually pay almost $700. The military members may be a small portion of the travelers, but chipping away at the number of people accessing the lounge can only help alleviate the crowding. And the statement that the military members have to qualify financially for the card….well duh, how is that any different from anyone? I’m not sure how that is relevant to the access issue (obviously people without a card aren’t in the lounge unless as a guest).
The over crowding issue seems to be affecting both the Centurion Lounges and The Delta Sky Clubs. Both have taken measures to combat the problem but it seems there hasn’t been an effective solution…yet.
The Delta issue IMO is due to the Platinum Amex cards having access (and the AUs). The Centurion issue is most likely because – if you have the card – you can be flying any carrier including Belken Airlines (anyone out there get that reference?) and you’re in.
What’s the answer? I honestly don’t know. But, as someone posted previously, clearly there’s a lot of people who can afford the $695 for the card.
Perhaps they should limit the number of times you can use the lounge per year or month to cut down on the number of people.
I paid $60 for both my kids (under 13) the other day to enter the CLT Centurion lounge for a 9 am flight. I was surprised that the breakfast was so poor considering it has always been good before. I don’t travel too much, but when I do, I usually take my kids. Having said that, I feel forced to pay the fee or otherwise I will just dump the card because then how else could I use the lounge? Maybe time to switch over to the amerian airlines lounge. Although the CLT Centurion lounge is busy, I have never been forced to stand very long. They should get rid of the reserved tables which is just silly if you are standing there while the reserved tables are emtpy.
@Ken
The fact Servicemembers have to qualify for the card demonstrates they’re educated and well employed. Amex may not make money off of us for a few years but I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one who paid for the card upon retirement because I was so happy with the service I received while getting the card for free. No different than when airlines offer a status match to lure customers away from their competition–albeit for a longer “grace period” for Servicemembers. But if you’d like to create a viable alternative for our Military members please consider making a donation to the USO so they can expand their drop in centers to better serve our Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen/Marines/Coastguardsmen.
Since my child cannot get a credit card it would be quite rediculous if they stopped letting people with kids in
Reading the comments, I can’t believe there are people concerned about military cardholders. There are only 1.4 million active duty military in the US (most of whom don’t know about the card and wouldn’t qualify anyway). There are more snobby elites in NYC alone. 🙂
Speaking more broadly, I’ve been visiting airport lounges for decades. For almost all that time, they were (usually) a peaceful oasis with mediocre-to-poor food and beverage. I always thought “why don’t they make the food better — that would be great.” Little did I know that good food and drink would kill the best thing about airport lounges!
“KNIT THE BLANKET OF FREEDOM UNDER WHICH WE ALL SLEEP”
Holy LOL. For the past 70 years, the only goal of the US military is to sustain economic imperialism.
@CHRIS
I’m sorry you couldn’t meet standards to serve your country. Was it a physical limitation or were you always emotionally/mentally stunted ? And just drop the “Brandon” stuff. We serve regardless of who the President is. I served under Presidents of BOTH parties. There were things I liked and disliked about ALL of them but I still did my job (as the vast majority of Service members do) with excellence and dignity. Now please excuse me but my lunch break is over and I have to get back to seeing patients. Enjoy being a tough guy from the comfort of your couch.
Canceled my Platinum card. The Capital One Venture X is a strong alternative for many purposes, though there aren’t many Capital One lounges yet. I love the one in DFW.
@Jarhead you act like that economic imperialism hasn’t benefitted most Americans
@USAF
Oh there’s the “You didn’t make the cut” argument… is that all you guts really got? I never applied as I wasn’t interested. I also never applied to be a flight attendant…they like to use that line too.
I visit Centurion Lounges in LGA, CLT, DFW, PHX, and LAS. I’ve only ever seen a line once, in DFW, several years ago. I find DFW, CLT, and LAS are often fairly crowded (and noisy) but not so much that I can’t find a seat. No idea why experience is better than what others are reporting.
@TravelWarr Look at the lines folks are willing to stand in just to get bottom shelf liquor, room temperature hummus and crackers or mac & cheese that looks to be several hours past its prime. There’s no incentive for Amex or Delta to do anything.
When you can serve crap on a 4″ plate and have folks line up in droves while charging them between $550-$695 per year, you’d be a fool to mess with such.
I don’t travel that much but I haven’t had any overcrowding in the AmEx lounges I went to in December and March. I was irritated that when my 7am flight was canceled and I was rescheduled for one 12 hours later with a stand-by 3 hours later, they wouldn’t let me in because my ticket was a “stand-by” ticket. Seems like they should have let me choose which 3 hours I wanted, the 3 hours before the stand-by flight or the 3 hours before the one I had a confirmed seat on. Since Denver had no PP lounge, I ended using my PP at restaurants, then buying a United day pass for $59 and was able to stay there most of the day.
Anyway I don’t think it’s right that travel warriors can use the lounge hundreds of times a year, and sometimes even with multiple guests, and then a person who might use it 5 times a year can’t get in. I think there should be limits on number of visits, beyond which you pay a fee. I also wish more credit cards would offer limited number of visits. Even if you got a pretty generous amount like 50-person visits a year, that would probably help overcrowding a lot.
@USAF Doc…Amen brother! I guess if it were easy everyone would do it…right CHRIS?