I was traveling through Denver (DEN) last night and stopped by the American Express Centurion Lounge to check on crowding…and the lounge was empty. Will we finally see a dissipation of crowding now that new guest access rules are in place?
Data Point: AMEX Centurion Lounge Denver – No Crowding
On February 1, 2023 American Express eliminated guest access for Platinum cardholders. Unless you spend $75,000 on the card each year, guests now cost $50 ($30 for those under 18 and babies under two years old are still free). However, both primary cardmembers and authorized users on the AMEX Platinum continue to receive lounge access, so I truly wondered if that would make any dent in the crowding.
The C Concourse below was bustling, but the AMEX lounge was largely empty at 6:30 pm.
Good news or just a quiet time? This lounge is not as central as it is at other airports.
This Was A Reasonable Change.
When AMEX initially announced it was eliminating complimentary guest access for Platinum cardholders who did not spend $75,000/year on the card, I was against it. Now I’m for it.
At the time, AMEX explained:
“The Centurion Lounge is one of the most popular benefits of the Platinum Card. We want to make sure we continue to back our Card Members when they travel by delivering a comfortable space for our Card Members to recharge and relax, which is why we are making some changes to our Centurion Lounge guest access policy.”
What changed my mind was visits like this (tremendous overcrowding in Dallas) and the fact that authorized users on the card still have access.
Thus, I’m not sure whether it is a devaluation as much as an upgrade for actual cardholders.
While the better solution would have been more lounge space, in the interim this policy make sense to limit crowd lounging. Even if this was not a problem in most lounges at most times (some have made that argument, though I’m not sure I buy it), that creates too much uncertainty: a black-and-white policy seemed appropriate in this case (and unlike Delta’s recent draconian policy banning employees from lounges, does not seem overboard).
CONCLUSION
If Denver was any indication, the days of massive lounge overcrowding may be over. I’m also hearing reports from others that typical hotspots like San Francisco and Las Vegas were not quite as badly crowded yesterday. It will take time to see if this makes any sort of dent in the crowding problem, but at this point American Express had to do something. As long as authorized users continue to have access, this is not a horrible deal if it means you actually can now easily find a seat in the lounge.
Holy cow… Denver was the only Centurion lounge where I was told the wait to just get in was 3 hours. Crazy when our layover was only 1.5 hours. Thus I have never been inside.
I was at DEN yesterday. Airport was a zoo as always. I never go through Concourse C so never checked the lounge there.
Our paths may have crossed!
Hahaha, I would have recognized you and asked for a selfie. I usually fly Delta into A Concourse and then get a United Express into the mountains from B Concourse. I hate Denver airport so I try to spend very little time there.
I bet you would have asked Matthew to take off his shirt so you could get a pic with those famous abs!
Santastico would never, but I may have.
I would favor the recent changes IF the age limit for children was adjusted… my wife and I both have Platinum cards, and a 2-year old. We have to pay $30 to bring him in, AND he is not eligible to be an additional cardmember. This is my last year as a Platinum cardmember…
Totally fair.
@D.B. : it makes total sense. Amex should revisit that policy. Small kids are basically a sunk cost to the lounge as they don’t consume almost anything while other guests that get for free drink their souls. The lounge has a kid’s area so they don’t bother at all. Paying to bring a small children is bad. On the other hand, when kids are older, having the card makes total sense. I have my wife and two teenagers as additional on my account for $165. That’s a great deal, they get their own cards and can come to the lounge with me at no additional charge. One bad thing that you have to read the fine print is that Delta makes it difficult for them to access their lounges. My son is 17 and was traveling alone on Delta. He tried to get into the Delta lounge with his own Amex Platinum and was denied access. They said he needs to be accompanied by an adult.
Good points! I’ll plan to take a break from Platinum for a while (I can get decent value for the annual fee, but it requires a lot of work to maximize each credit), but it may be in play again in another 11 years, lol. I think 13 is the minimum age for an additional cardmember.
I am in the same boat as you (3 year old and 1 year old daughters). I’m also annoyed, but I can tolerate it because:
1) The scarcity is basically with seats, and a 3 year old occupies the same number of seats as a 30 year old.
2) I only travel with my kids a handful of times per year. I can determine on a case by case basis if it’s worth the fee or if I should go somewhere else.
It stinks for us, but it is supply and demand doing its thing.
Disagree. Are individuals from different parties seated at the same table? A 3 year old takes up a seat that would otherwise be empty as they sit at the same table.
Exactly. Also, when my kids were young they loved to the in the kids room so they didn’t take seats from anyone unless you see adults seating in the kids room. Back in the day, we had long layovers when traveling internationally on purpose so kids could rest and entertain themselves before next flight. They spent hours inside the kids rooms in lounges playing, watching TV, etc… Zero bothering to any adult.
Perfect! Please cancel your platinum card so our overcrowding issue would be reduced further. You just proved that AMEX is doing it right.
You beat me to it, totally agree with your statement.
Even with the decentralized location of the DEN lounge (unless you’re flying WN), I usually found it to be very crowded so maybe the new policies are having an effect. The last time I visited there, the buffet looked like a wrestling team had just passed through a Golden Corral after a match.
Wednesdays were never a high guest volume day. Let’s see about reports this afternoon and weekend.
I am in the Houston Centurion Lounge right now. It is noon. Not crowded at all. In fact, I have only seen it this empty near closing time. I was surprised when I walked in. Staff said they weren’t sure yet what the impact would be and people have been paying for guests so far.
The effect of more lounge space is similar to increasing lanes on a highway…
I think this will be more effective.
It’s more akin to putting a toll on a highway – it reduces demand. Adding space never solves crowding, but taxing it sure does.
Don’t get roofied.
Ah the Denver lounge. It’s like a Frat party on a weekend. Lets us not forget all the screaming small kids under 5 years old. This is the worst Amex lounge in the system for overcrowding.
Hopefully change is happening. We shall see
I hope that with less traffic in the Lounges they do not start to CUT STAFFING..That will cause the limited few that get in to not have a great experience!!!
I was in the LAX and SYD lounges last month–before the change took place–both were busy but not super crowded. No wait to enter. YMMV I guess.
This is definitely a huge improvement. That lounge is always packed. The last 3 times I’ve tried to go the line was so long I just turned around and went to the subpar United Club in B. So happy this policy is finally in action!
I was there in early December in the early afternoon and it wasn’t too busy.
I was at CLT today from noon to 4:00PM. It was as busy as ever. Around 2:30 I couldn’t spot an empty seat in the house. Even saw a couple of large families with children. At one point there was a line several people deep snaking through the service corridor to place a drink order. Personally, I’m not so optimistic that the crowds will die down.
Maybe the cancelations at other airports due to weather??
I was in this Lounge (with a guest) on Tuesday night – last day under the old policy. Same time as your visit the next day, and I’d categorize the crowd as fairly crowded – we found seats but not many choices. No screaming babies though, so according to n earlier response we must have been lucky. Interesting to compare the two adjacent evenings.
And remember, every time you use an AMEX card, you are screwing over a small business owner. Granted they choose to accept it, but the card hurts their business and we all pay for it in higher retail prices.
F AMEX and their claims to help small businesses. The card should go the way of Choice and Diners Club. Boycott AMEX, or continue to be selfish as F!
The CLT lounge was a zoo two weeks ago. We were the last three in and I heard the manager tell employees the lounge was shut down for two hours to clear out the crowds. Going thru CLT, we regularly saw the line snaked all the way down the stairs to the main level of the D/E connector.
I don’t have a problem with restricting access. There were trips we took three adult guests in with our three family cards (our 17 yo has his own card). I do think an allowance needs to be made for young children, include their parent. Otherwise, I don’t think the guest fee is outrageous if you want a place to wait away from the gates.
One solution would be to create Business Lounges whereby no children under the age of 12 are allowed. Families are still free to choose the Airline Clubs (Admirals, UAClub, Sky Room, etc). There have been many times where the clubs resemble romper rooms with kids on blankets in the floor, jumping on furniture, shrieking and doing the things that kids naturally do. But for business travelers trying to get work done between flights, this is a nuisance. There could even be Business Class sections within existing clubs. All of this would involve capex and may not be financially feasible, but at least it is an idea. By creating spaces that fit both demographics, everyone’s interests are served.
The Denver Centurion lounge has *always* been empty ever since it opened in 2020. It’s located far away from most United flights, so many travelers don’t have time to go there when switching planes. If this lounge was located near the United lounges, it would be packed. Location is everything here. It explains all.