As travelers return to the skies, American Express Centurion Lounges are facing overcrowding issues unlike I’ve ever seen…
American Express Centurion Lounge Overcrowding Is Getting Worse
I was recently in the Centurion Lounge at Dallas – Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). It was so packed it took 15 minutes to find a seat. At one point, we tried to stand in an area of the bar apparently designed for wheelchairs and were barked at by the bartender to move. Classy.
Even more classy, the vultures waiting for the feeding troughs to be refilled then swooping down like they had not eaten in weeks.
I walked away shaking my head (the Capital One Lounge was not nearly as crowded).
Then I noticed my friend Ed Pizzarello, who writes the Pizza In Motion blog, posted the following video outside the American Express Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas (LAS):
This is just the line to get into the lounge! Can you imagine how crowded it is inside the lounge?
I’ve seen crowded lounges and waiting lists, but how pathetic to pay $695 each year for a credit card and have to wait in lines like this in order to enter an airport lounge? Nothing screams “relaxing” or “luxurious” like long lines in Las Vegas.
American Express Should Eliminate All Guest Access
It has taken me some time and observation to reach this point (as a husband and father of two who loves to travel with his family), but American Express should immediately eliminate guest access. It should not even be available for purchase; access should be reserved for cardholders and their authorized users (who are also cardholders).
I know that likely cannot be done so quickly, which is why American Express has announced that Platinum cardholders will need to spend $75,000 on the card in 2022 to continue to enjoy guest access in 2023.
But spending $75K is likely not all that hard for most cardmembers and I cannot imagine it will make a huge dent in guest access. And in the meantime, lines out the door and waiting lists mark an urgent problem that must be addressed.
CONCLUSION
It is amazing to me how crowded the American Express Centurion Lounges have become. It has gone from bad to worse and summer has not even started. Perhaps there is really is nothing American Express can do without more notice, but at this point it should eliminate all guest access…there just isn’t room for them.
The days of quiet lots of open seats in lounges is over and ain’t coming back even with their planned change it won’t make much difference. Higher end lounges like Polaris and flagship while not as bad are also seeing more and more people in my view and it will only get worse as more and more people return to travel and airlines try to squeeze every dollar out by offering affordable upgrade options that grant such access.
I use to spend a lot of time in lounge pre flight or with long layovers and now work to arrive just in time to depart or with little connection times. As for Amex price 700 needs to be increased maybe closer to 1200 before you start to see access dent from people ditching card because 700 is easily justifiable if you maximize the benefits (im already at almost 2k this year in savings and benefit redemptions)
Why were you standing in an area designated for handicapped people? You should have your Centurion Lounge Access canceled.
Lol. Sure. Maybe I should get spanked too!
I had the same question. Why were you thinking it was ok to use a space not reserved for you? Fair question. Does that sense of entitlement come with your card or your platform?
It’s rich that you then castigate others for their behavior in the food lines.
Perhaps English is your third language and you were one of the gluttons waiting for his feeding, but as I already mentioned, the area did not say “reserved.” Reading comprehension: you should try it!
Standard operating procedure for this wanker, checkout his other articles and you will get an idea.
Because he’s obviously a pretentious entitled douchebag.
Nice to see others here think you’re just another yuppie complaining doucher. This whole article screams sense of false entitlement and still thinking you are better than even the members of your own “club”. I bet you’d lobby for filtering club access by annual pay…
Honest question that is not applicable any other context but this:
Why should all cardholders suffer when some can prosper and other can suffer. Sounds like a Pareto improvement to me.
This article and your sheer entitled approach: classy.
Thanks.
It was troublesome to hear you mocking the servers asking you to leave the space for people with disabilities. It’s important to respect these spaces on buses, trains, restaurants, shops etc. They are the minority- not fully able people like us.
Maybe limit access to a specific # say 10 visits/year
Makes no sense to not have guest access. You want to come to a friend you should be able to.
The solution is that they need to have larger lounges.
Delta has massive lounges. Amex is legit the size of a crowded bar in NYC but half the size.
Maybe you should consider rethinking the idea with logic such as make it bigger vs limiting. Sadly they were built to small. They need larger and more lounged. We pay a lot for the benefit. It’s simple.
Not rocket science.
The guest access is definitely the root cause of this problem. I have to wait for 20 mins outside lounge at SFO 10 days ago. Now, I am in aspir lounge at YYC. This particular single group of traveller with kid totals 17 person. excited and very noisy. I am just amazed how this large group all get in.
Considering how much airports and the food/coffee offerings have developed, I’ve started to wonder if I care about the lounges at all. True that there are some exceptional lounges around but most are pretty meh in general. I also have trouble to know what lounges I could access due to flight / airline status, Priority Pass and credit card(s).
Recently we flew from ARN to JFK on AY, the lounge AY used for the flight was shared and had a queue — we skipped it. We went to the Amex lounge, a section in a restaurant, got seats luckily but it was rather crowded, not nice at all, and we realised that it would take too long to get any meaningful service. So we left. I didn’t miss any lounge experience.
Peter makes a very valid point. Lounges are no longer much of a benefit. Despite trying AMEX has never really resolved the crowding issue, which was on pause during the pandemic. Matthew’s suggestion will help, but they should also jack up the cost of the card to over $1k as well as restrict to only the card holder.
The airline lounges have become basically a credit card perk, with Polaris being the only exception. Gone are the days where these lounges were a place to get some work done or take a quick shower before a flight.
Bingo – even pre-pandemic I’ll find the best sit down restaurant post-security and have a nice meal and not worry about eating on a flight.
In the few times I’ve had LONG international connections, I avoid the lounge and get a day room. The spend for that the few times I’ve needed it has been about par with the lounge membership costs. Granted I get elite access at international lounges being a lifetime *G and holding OW Emerald but for domestic I rarely can be bothered in locations with overcrowding
Spot on. All overhyped nonsense.
Hang out with the plebs again.
We’re not all that smelly.
I agree with Peter – a lot of redesigned common spaces in airports are quite nice these days and can be less crowded than the “exclusive” lounge.
Absolutely. I have a 7.5 hour halt coming up in Amsterdam, but I do not plan to use a lounge. I did consider buying priority pass, but the total cost of that would probably cover my restaurant bill at the airport. I remember going to lounges with my dad as a kid and they were so much more pleasant. You got 5 star treatment and everything. Compared to now, where people do not even take interest in their jobs, lounges have lost their charm.
That’s completely irrational. How can anyone expect a cardholder and his or her companion NOT able to enter the lounge if they are traveling together?
To say anyone can easily put 75k on a plat each year, is simply untrue.
Only way to reduce crowd, is to hand out less cards, which Amex will never do.
Other option would be to make the lounges LARGER and increase the staff.
Many would prefer to leave their spouse outside the lounge before a long flight.
It would interesting to know what percentage of entries are guests versus cardholder.
When they say ‘guests’ what they really mean is kids.
I have said this many timed before: want to get into the lounge, pay $695/year for your own card. There are way too many people there that would not pay that much to have lounge access but they zoo the place just because they are brought in for free.
Total agreement on this perspective.
How about arriving LAX at around 9pm to connect to a flight to ORD only to find it closed at 430pm?
Oh yeah, pandemic reduced travel. Wait. LAX was v crowded and all three of my flights that day were full. You should be glad to have a line instead of a locked door-kidding..
My AF is due and I will cancel my card unless Amex offers significant discount.
If this card has the Singapore income criteria ,it would be great ! We need 200k income and pay 1400 usd
I think 500K more appropriate, 200K is middle class rabble.
What a disgusting, elitist comment. SAD!
Completely agree with your take, Matthew. After flying over 40 segments so far this year, I have gone to an Amex lounge once and no longer really care if I gain access. Grabbing a quick meal at a less crowded restaurant is often more enjoyable and less of a hassle than walking to an inconvenient lounge location and hoping there isn’t a line and portions large enough to equate to a meal.
I’ve often wanted to keep the Amex Platinum due to the studio lounge at my home airport, but I never use that since it’s 5 minutes from arrival to the gate and not worth spending additional time in an airport.
I don’t fully agree. How about increasing the card fee to a different price class ($1000)? That will send some people away, perhaps 20%. That’s the line out the door. The lounge will still be crowded, but many people will be eliminated here.
Be like Singapore ! 200k income and 1400 annual fees will do the job !
I fully support this. It’s a much better model. I am also advocating the idea of a next level lounge access. For example, United selling a membership that includes Polaris lounges for around $2K a year. To me this would be a great value and very worthwhile.
Even Polaris lounges get quite crowded and the food is not very good.
And their polyester napkins are awful.
My understanding, though, is that the perks are substantially greater overall for the SG platinum than the US platinum. Amex would have to come up with a much better benefit package overall to justify a US$300 increase.
Good point. Quite literally almost anyone can get a platinum card. You don’t even need that high of a credit score. When I’ve walked by the lounges (that usually have long lines), it’s not business travelers, its mostly the younger 20-something instagram crowd.
As soon as they get get rid of the 3 guest cards for 175 fee and instead charge 695 each extra cardholder the cheap people problem and overcrowding is solved
The only solution is that each and every entry for a Platinum cardholder must be paid at $50pp. Give each cardholder some credit balance of $250-$500/y to allow a handful of free entries.
It is amazing to me how Bloggers, like you, love “promoting” the benefits of this card for the clicks and referral bonuses, but then, have moments like this. Careful, not to bite the hand that feeds you….
When did I last promote this card?
Yes Sandy, he’s only promoted his whiteness and white privilege. Please get the facts right.
Show why you would never git into a club. You are an idiot.
“Bloggers, like you”
Are you really that bad at reading comprehension? “But not meeeeeee!”
Whine about LAS more. The lack of a Delta Sky Club is why that individual one is full.
Lounges are sooo last decade. Getting to the airport to walk straight from parking and getting on the plane is “the new black.” Along with timing connections as tight as possible. And if you get a lag and miss a connection etc, go find an empty gate and make your own lounge with something that might be at least edible.
The only exception to this are International lounges (mostly outside the U.S.). Otherwise, the crowds are awful, the people disgusting in their dress and manner (piling plates of Sysco processed crap onto paper plates while holding a Bud Light), the seating is non-existent, it’s impossible to work, and kids are screaming everywhere. M’erica, Post Pandemic
And yes, I am a snob. I don’t care. There, I saved you the comment.
The AY Schengen lounge in HEL on Monday resembled an Amex Lounge in the USA. It took me a solid 15 to find a seat. Lounge crowding is indeed a Global Pandemic.
Yes and no. I don’t usually use the lounge for food unless I haven’t had the chance to grab something to eat after a meeting. But I use the lounge for calls if I need a place. Also, bathrooms are much better than the ones at the airport. And yes, I like your approach about going straight the gate but that is not always an option.
Sometimes the bathrooms are cleaner. The last few times I have been in the united lounges at ORD there has been pee on the floor around the urinals just like in the terminal.
At least Amex lounges have better soap
Somehow the Golden Corral crowd found out about the Amex lounges and have taken them over. Probably what they need to do is go back the original rules of only centurion card holders getting in free, and platinum cards paying for entry. An empty gate is now my go to if I show up before boarding
Do you think Centurion card holders spend their time in an Amex lounge? Increase the annual fee to $1,000 for the Platinum, limit entrance to only cardholders and see what happens. No more free ride.
If they are going to increase the annual fee 40% solely because of the lounge they better be damn well sure that the problem is solved.
No, not only for the lounge but they should add other benefits to it. The $1,000 number no matter what benefits are included will get people out of the card.
And when your flight is delayed/cancelled and you need to rebook from the “lounge” you made at the gate? Most of your comments are not elitist so much as they are clownishly out of touch. The lounges are crowded in part because flights are delayed due to staffing and other factor. The value of lounge access is and has always been help when you need it. Thinking before writing is the new black.
Ok, boomer. As if I want to wait in line at a lounge when I have a flight canceled. No, I am usually on the app and rebooking in under five minutes. Meanwhile you are at the lounge waiting in line for smiles and clicks on a keyboard while I am on a shuttle to a hotel for the night. Or grabbing an Uber to a good restaurant nearby to wait out the delay. I’d say grow up but you sound so old school that I guess maybe that ship has sailed.
Bro, while I agree with you about the class of people at airports, your travel procedures seem unpleasant.
Tight connections, increasing the chances of getting stuck somewhere? “Make your own lounge” by trying to balance some $20 sandwich with your carryon and personal item, then sitting down in dimly lit uncomfortable corner trying to eat with one hand and setting the sandwich on the wrapper so it doesn’t touch the gross surface of the chair next to you? How is that better?
“Tight” connections, as you call them, are different from short ones. I don’t stress. First of all I tend to always forgo any sort of connections and opt for non-stops 80% of the time. If I do need a connection though I go for the 45 minute to one hour type which puts me right off the plane and boarding the next. It’s very rare that I have any issues unless weather or mechanical and, anyway, usually even two hour connections at that point are affected and the situation is not just with short ones. As well, the few times you do see a potential issue early just rebook on the app from the original departure city a whole new routing. Sometimes it’s better to start from the beginning rather than throw yourself into the unknown of mid point anxiety. And if I find that any missed connection will result in more than a 4 hour wait in a hub I will just reschedule things totally or opt for an overnight at the hub city and a more leisurely go the next morning.
Did I use to be like this? No. I used to enjoy a connection because lounges were pleasurable and a nice way to break up a trip. Now they are feeding troughs for everyone and their kids; disgusting, dirty, and over crowded. I actually started traveling like this during Covid (as I kept going the entire time) when lounges were mostly closed and I wanted to minimize airport exposure time. After things opened and then the chaos of air travel became like at no time ever I just was in that mode already and continued because I wanted no part of maximizing any time in these airports with the hordes of crazies like we see now.
And yes, a decent carry-out from a good offering at an airport while sitting at a quiet empty gate certainly beats for me the junk they offer at the domestic lounges now and for which you stand in line behind 25 people to get as you later try and find an empty seat where to eat it. I can access any of the Big Three lounges whenever I want, along with PP and Centurion lounges. I have been maybe twice inside one in the past two years and I fly every few days. The only time I will use a lounge now is International (when they are decent). However, even that is getting hit and miss these days…the AF lounge at IAD the other day was completely overrun as an example.
Do you mean flying private? The “lounges” at private terminals are nothing to write home about, but having valet service and on-board customs processing is wonderful. But what about the climate?! How dare you?!
Because only 10% of the lounge pays the card geez the rest is military (free) or discounted authorized user through black market, Dan’s deals etc.
I was wondering if there’s any statistics that AmEx has released show lounge use by cardholders that have it fee-free. Having been a service member, I’m torn. I understand completely the intent of the Military Lending Act (MLA) and Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), but I have a hard time justifying that intent extends to credit cards like this where there are many, many more levels of credit card that are available that happen to not come with perks like this. This is a nice-to-have card that comes perks at a price ($695), not a must-have for LCpl Timmy (or Maj Timmy, even) because they absolutely need a CC to build credit and the AmEx Platinum is the only game in town.
Not an issue with me, I tend to fly American and they have lounges everywhere at DFW. I flew SFO-LAX and there were only 4 guests in the Admirals lounge and the terminal was packed. At JFK, the Centurion lounge is way less crowded than the Delta Sky lounges. Only at SFO is where I find the Centurion lounge is crowded, but then again it is a very small lounge.
Last night I had the same issue at Buenos Aires Centurion Lounge. First time I see a waiting list. They write down you name and cellphone number and then they call you to return. Something is clearly wrong.
To me, with the exception of the JFK lounge, which I really like, Centurion Lounges have become synonymous with people whose friends think they travel a lot, but in reality they’re not much different than Ma & Pa Kettle in Arkansas despite the fact that they live on a Coast or in Austin. As such, most people in CLs aren’t traveling for business, so their objective is to eat and drink as much as possible. They’re going on vacation, they don’t have work to do, and please don’t get me started on people who camp out or nap in the phone rooms with no intention of ever making a call. These people seem to really enjoy the lounges, and it sells cards, so I think Amex is doing something right, even though they’ve become useless to people like me.
Exactly. The commentary here was not about business phone and laptop use and refreshing toilet and shower, but about all-you-can-eat golden corral and free booze at the bar.
So if you’re looking to exclusively to gentlemen in coat and tie and ladies in dresses and speaking in posh British and French accents in hushed tones, well let’s just say that all lounges are equal but some lounges are more equal than others.
I myself always fly in coat and tie, often surrounded in the lounge by ripped jeans and dirty tee-shirts. I get respect from lounge staff.
I’m not traveling every month, or even every other. But I travel often enough in the year to be affected by this, especially in the last couple of months. JFK is my favorite lounge to date out of all the Centurion’ I’ve been too. Even when it gets crowded, it’s never so crowded that I can’t find a seat. My least favorite is Miami—the overcrowding is abysmal. It took me 25min simply to snag a seat the last time I had a connection. I read another comment on the type of travelers lounges now attract, and in fact many have commented on it: it’s not your typical ‘business’ class traveler. Being on the younger side myself, I love my Platinum for the access it gives me not just to the centurion lounges, but the priority pass lounges as well. And as I often fly out straight from work or with little time in between work and my flight, the lounges are a great option. But the problem here isn’t just the overcrowding, but also the basic travel etiquette that has simply gone out the window. “Golden Corral” really is what it feels like—dress with certain decorum and you get respect. But that no longer exists and it’s really sad to see. Gone are the days of dressing for travel like you might meet your next employer in the seat next to you. Now if they’re Amex is going to increase the fee again, I’m going to need this overcrowding to be addressed. I don’t mind paying the fee, but if anyone can now gain access, then what the point of the exclusivity? I can’t wait until the no guest rule barring you spending 75K goes into effect.
I went on tangent. I apologize.
All depends on where you are. There are (currently) no Centurions in WAS, but I use it mainly for Priority Pass, plus they also have their partner and network lounges. For example, at IAD I can use the VS lounge with the Amex Plat card itself (like a Centurion), or the AF lounge next door with Priority Pass via Amex Plat. And they are both among my favorites. I also have access to AA and UA lounges, and they are sometimes very crowded, too.
But I have certainly been in some very crowded Centurions, in DFW and SFO. Though not so bad I did not eventually find a seat and get some good food and drink. A lot of people are flying, at least domestically, so likely to get worse unless they manage capacity or make the cards harder to get.
One of the main problems is the military gets the card for free. Everyone in our division has one. AMEX should lower the card fee to 395 and make Centurion a 300 dollar adder. This would knock 80 percent of the cheap asses in our division from accessing Centurion as the card would be free but they’d have to pay the add on service.
AMEX should end this benefit.
It’s not an AmEx policy, it’s a federal Act.
Incorrect.
Amex is waiving the CC fees by choice.
There are plenty of banks / credit cards which do NOT waive fees for active military, because it is not an explicit requirement under the MCA.
*MLA
I don’t care how full the place is don’t stand in the area set aside for wheelchairs. Do you do that in car parks too that are full? So a wheelchair user has to come up to you and say do you mind moving? Why would you do that? Just for a minute imagine yourself in a wheelchair with you in the way…
No wonder you are complaining. You truly sound like you are better than other travellers. I can afford to pay for club access and it doesn’t bother me at all if people are lining up for food. Maybe I can afford to take my time and when I went on business trips my company would reimburse food costs any time I used the airport facilities which would often happen where there was no lounge or the lounge was too far from my gate
It didn’t say “wheelchairs only”. It was just a counter low enough for wheelchair access.
They were saving that spot for Brandon Langley’s luggage.
So I’m guessing you’d want a pregnant woman to pee herself or an elderly man to poop himself instead of using the “handicapped”?
If you’re in a bathroom and there is only stall available–a handicapped stall–you can use it. It’s not like a blue placard is required to use such restrooms or bar areas. And just like a restroom, where it is poor form to use a handicapped stall if there are open restrooms, so too this was a move of last resort because literally every other seat was taken throughout the entire lounge.
It’s like on a subway train. There is designated wheelchair area that you can occupy anytime, you’re just expected to automatically move when someone in a wheelchair comes along.
Unfortunately this requires a certain level of situational awareness that many people lack. Maybe the bartender has seen many jerks not move and took it out on you.
That’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, though, but I understand your general argument. In a car park, if someone is parked in a handicapped spot, the owner/driver of said car generally isn’t immediately available to park elsewhere – hence it’s a super dick move. Standing at the lowered countered anyone enables those not in a wheelchair to move immediately should the need arise. Unless ADA requirements specifically forbid able-bodied individuals from standing there, I’m with Matthew on this one. Of course, the second someone needs it, you move no questions asked.
Exactly. We would have moved promptly should a handicapped person showed up.
That is the most stupid comment I heard here today. Yes, you don’t park your car on the disabled parking spot because you won’t be there to know of that will be needed. Also, there is a law that tells you cannot park there if not disabled. Now, I was at DEN airport yesterday and in the gate area there were several seats that were marked for disabled people. Well, there were no disabled people in the area so what is wrong in seating there? Or should I seat on the floor because those seats were reserved? If I saw a disabled person coming I would be the first to stand up but that was never the case. Same goes for bathrooms. Also, hotels have rooms that are fit to disabled people. Do you they never sell those waiting for a disabled person to book them? It is called common sense.
Alex is 100% correct.
It’s called class. Obviously, AEC sets a low bar for class.
This is what happens when every Tom, Dick and Harry with a credit card can access these lounges with their guests, not just the AMEX lounges but lounges everywhere are suffering overcrowdedness with the exception of those for premium passengers only like Polaris or AC Signature Suite. AMEX needs to implement capacity control immediately and I wish other airline lounges would as well. Gone were the days when lounges meant something for those who paid for the privilege by flying in premium cabins. To make things worse, nowadays some lounges even allow day passes for purchase. This needs to stop.
The one solution no one has entertained yet is that maybe AMEX should use the $675 and make the lounges big enough to accommodate all the people that have access to them?
Sure, and they are doing that to an extent (Seattle the latest example). But that is a long-term solution, not a short-term solution that requires addressing.
But then what’s the difference between the lounge and the rest of the airport? If the lounges are big enough for everyone to get in, that kind of ruins it. The whole point of a lounge is to have a quiet, uncrowded area to relax. May as well just open the doors to everyone at that point.
I experience similar overcrowding at the PHX Centurion Lounge. It’s often not worth making your way there, only to be told there’s a wait. And then when you’re let into the lounge after a wait, you still have to fight for a seat.
I was at the re-opening of the United Club at EWR last Thursday. I experienced the same long line of people queueing at the bar. If they’d at least make beer and wine available as self-serve, they could avoid a lot of this.
I said it many times – the only solution is to establish number of visits per calendar year. Something like 10. US Bank Altitutude has a Priority Pass that comes with 4 member + 4 guest visits, more visits -pay.
This, combined with eliminating the SCRA free card benefit would absolutely cut down on overcrowding. 10 visits per cardholder year and you can use them however you want: 10 individual visits, 5 visits as a couple or two visits as a family of 5. Easy to track and completely fair.
We got lucky last month at the CLT, we walked right in around 9am. We were there for about an hour. When we left, the line was out the door, down the stairs and along the hallway.
I agree about the guest access. My husband is the primary and myself and our son have plat. cards. The ability of bringing nine guests along is ridiculous.
Call the Airport Fire Marshall, the overcrowding and long lines disappear!
I don’t have access to amex data but is it really guests that contribute the most?
Would they seat strangers together at the same table? Because if not then removing the guest doesn’t do anything because they would sit at the same table.
How about impose time limits. Someone who sits in a lounge for 3 hours contributes 3x as much to overcrowding compared to someone who stays for 1 hour. Impose a time timit that varies with time of day.
And max number of free visits per year similar to altitude reserve. Once again someone who visits 9 times per year contributes 3x as much as someone who is visits 3 times per year.
I saw a line like that snaking out of the Seattle lounge a couple months ago. I didn’t even bother. What is the point if everyone is packed shoulder to should with no quiet places, and probably screaming kids everywhere?
Because its an amex club. I suppose gaining access impresses someone other than themselves.
I really like the amex lounges though Often crowded. Have waited via text in Sydney and Vegas recently. But Vegas eventually though crowded had really great food and drink. Really great low carb options like roast beef. Miami really nice views too. Not many places left to lounge and relax. I find the American lounges to be the most relaxing and space driven. Eg in ord and Dallas. Had really nice experiences in both recently.
In Vegas saw a lot of delta card holders being denied guests. With kids usually we just try to find an empty gate and then we smash McDonald’s 🙂
Airline lounges are now firmly a mass market offering and the only solution is to make them bigger. There is nothing exclusive about a product that seemingly most travelers have access to.
I have “The Card” but can not use the lounge because I have retired employee airline benefits that means no seat assignment until boarding.
Wrote a letter to the Chairman of Amex and a mindless assistant got back to me.
Obviously if I am given TSA access to the terminal area, have an unassigned board pass for a specific day and flight my intention is I am flying that day .
No budge on the part of Amex.
We have to remember that there are other premiums cards (Chase and Capital One) which have both lounge privileges and that have better acceptance both in the United States and overseas.
Time for card members to rethink their card.
Amex member since ‘79.
Obtain an AA CITI card which will gain you access to AA Admirals clubs even of standby. ….another airline retiree.
This is a very simple problem to solve: have United manage the lounges and provide the food. Crowds will immediately dissipate.
That’s so true. UA is so ghetto it’s unreal.
Go to EWR and see the people fighting to get into the UA lounge that is absolute trash.
It is ridiculous that AMEX waives the annual fee on the plat for all active military. They (and others) should not be doing this for their top tier premium cards.
The Amex in particular is affected because the lounge access is arguably the Platinum card’s most attractive perk, and they’ve completely torpedoed it.
Will strongly consider dropping the card the next time the AF comes up, as the other perks aren’t really attractive enough IMO.
See how an American (I doubt that you’re American) prefers a less crowded lounge to the veterans who sacrifice their lives to protect the nation. Without a nation, there’s no life to begin with, no economy, no credit card fees, no lounge access, no article with bs comments like yours. Grow up selfish people. When you don’t like others or a crowd, you have a big problem. Life is a mirror of who you are.
Agree. Matthew Klint is an elitist snob who benefits from the military he wants to kick out of the lounges. The French word for “shower” comes to mind (Google it, Mattie). Seriously, «Oh boo-hoo there’s a line, A LINE for hors d’œuvres! Sure, that service member may be at the airport on his way overseas to a mission he may not come back from but hey, not my problem.” Stay classy, Matt. Oh, wait…
I served in the USAF. Which branch did you serve in?
As the Chief of Staff Gen Milley once said, “I love the air force, it’s a great alternative to military service.”
But it beats your mother’s basement playing video games.
I’m ex Navy and my brother is retired AF. I have no problem with Amex ending the free Platinum card program for those in the military.
It’s pretty clear lounge use is well outside the capacity of these lounges to support it. Which means you need to prioritize those who are actually paying the freight.
Amex should certainly have the data to tell them who is using what lounges when and where. This data should tell them what they need to do to get the lounges back under capacity.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a comment literally contradict itself halfway through its first sentence. Bravo, and thank you for the laugh.
I am indeed an American, by the way, and I fully support banks ensuring that active members + veterans have access to lines of credit / loans / etc. To argue that this should cover premium products and benefits is asinine. A $20,000 credit line on a green card is worth just as much as $20,000 credit line on a platinum card.
But you seem like the snowflake type who prefers free handouts and what not, so I’m sure that you disagree.
All lounges are crowded as the average consumer earns more and has more discretionary income to purchase lounge access through credit cards. Average FICO scores and such are through the roof and cards like Amex Platinum are given out freely.
The only solution to lounge crowding, as I have said many times, is a deep economic recession. Lounges were empty early 2009.
Wasn’t lounge access restricted to people with paid club memberships back then? It seems getting in with a credit card is a new thing and that this is contributing to overcrowding.
Your wish is our command. From the federal gov’t.
With a focus on the DFW lounge (which I have not visited), my understanding is the the lounge is really popular with American Airlines and United fliers, right? The real “solution” here may be for American to dramatically expand and increase its lounge offering here so more people purchase AA lounge access.
Was just at the Charlotte lounge. It was pretty packed (didn’t help that one of the American clubs was closed). They already now charge for guests and don’t allow arrival passengers. I don’t know what the solution is except build bigger clubs.
In my opinion where Amex has really shot itself in the foot is through making Platinum equivalent to an Entertainment coupon book. They need to take a cue from airlines (oh the irony…) and unbundle the product accordingly. The extra fluff and credits added to the card on top of lounge access is silly, because you’re creating an unnecessary cross-section of cardholders that may only care about some things and not others, but better believe they are going to max the F out the one or two times they do use the other benefits.
So split the card into two distinct product offerings with high annual fees; one with ONLY lounge access as a benefit for cardmember only, and the other with all the other offers and credits Amex doles out. Or the second option is create a base card offering with a high annual fee, plus the ability to add ‘bundles’ of benefits to the card (i.e. entertainment credits, additional users, etc) for additional fees. It amazes me credit card companies don’t use the incredibly successful case studies they have right in front of them that their cardmember base is already actively engaged with (airlines).
That being said, I think you severely underestimate how much the new rules in 2023 will help with the overcrowding. Just based off of my extensive experience and comments I’ve overheard from the +1 & 2 kettles primary cardmembers are dragging into the lounges with them, this will be very helpful in clearing out much of the riff-raff.
You should write up AA’s MCO lounge now. It’s pretty much an ancillary Disney park – running kids and mouse ears everywhere. 🙂
Have to disagree that many cardholders can easily put $75k on the card. I think Amex already solved this problem by eliminating the free guest access as of 2023, but we’ll find out soon enough.
Maybe lounge access using a credit card was always a bad idea. There used to never be this kind of problem back when club membership was not available as part of a credit card perk. The lounges were pristine and exclusive back in those days.
When you say “guest”, I assume that would include kids that aren’t eligible for a card. My wife & I have Amex Plat, and we travel only 2-3 times a year. When we do, I would be pretty mad if Amex told me I can’t get my kids in w/o having to pay an entry fee. People like us are subsidizing you frequent travels (whiners) :D. Instead, Amex should offer say two or three free “guest” passes that can be used over a year. First of all, do we have data that says guests are the root cause? I’ve seen several folks who are single (mostly business travelers) occupying the lounge. They need to expand the lounge area instead.
That’s a totally reasonable solution.
Can only hope this is the case – children don’t belong in lounges.
Crocodile Tears
No big surprise with everyone hawking these credit cards on blogs (this one excepted) and Instagram. Its not just the centurion lounges either. Try going into a United or Delta lounge. Same thing. No tables, kids running wild, people being loud, food gone the instant it’s put out, lines to get a drink. I gave up on lounges and the platinum card. It’s much more relaxing to sit at a quiet gate with take-away food from a decent restaurant than stand in line to have a mushy half-sized turkey sandwich, a bag of lays, and cheap gin and tonic in a lounge.
They need to cut back on Authorized Users. No guests for an AU and charge per AU, rather $175 for 3. The current system incentivizes handing out all three AU’s to friends and family and the whole extended family has lounge access on one primary card. There are just too many holders with access.
Amex platinum cardholders are the poor rich. The ones who haven’t had a good meal or drink in a long time, even if they are paid very well.
As a new card holder, I agree entirely with eliminating guest access. While my wife (an AU) and I didn’t have to wait to get in at SFO , there was no seating and plenty of groups of 3 and 4 people who most likely had guests included. We sat at one the black card reserved tables. When they asked us to move I said “sure, if you can find me another place to sit”. They eventually did get me a table.
Lots of interesting suggestions. I don’t favor eliminating ALL guest access. I’d probably drop the card myself at that point. I wouldn’t mind if all guests had to be paid for, though.
I rarely bring a guest, but have occasionally used the lounge for an informal work meeting with an individual colleague– have a drink and snack and chat before the flight kind of thing. I’ll admit too, I bring my kids on one business trip per year (vail) and would be pretty disappointed if I couldn’t bring them into Denver’s lounge.
I don’t mind paying for guest access though, on a per guest basis. I have wondered what the lounge would look like with a $2k annual fee. I have to imagine it’d be less crowded.
Right. I am usually traveling for business and by myself, but occasionally am flying with family and would like guest access then. I’d be fine with limiting how many times I could bring guests. The cards and airlines are going to have to figure out the new normal.
I only use the SFO lounge after they stop serving alcohol. That’s the only time the crowd abates.
Military get the AMEX platinum free. No $695 fee.
“But spending $75K is likely not all that hard for most cardmembers”. I think you’re way off the mark there. Even if folks could afford it, it doesn’t make financial sense to charge that amount of money to the amex with its poor point earning rates.
I think Amex needs to do a better job of policing the total capacity and starting the wait-list when they are starting to run out of seats/tables. I also like the limited number of Guest passes idea.
I also think Amex should offer grab and go options so folks can enjoy a meal somewhere else. I’ve really enjoyed the grab and go lunch they served at LAX and I found some quiet corner with good tarmac views. This is a failure of imagination on Amexs part.
I have never used the Amex lounge but I have used the Admirals Club and Flagship Lounges (no guests, just me) and I have been lucky. It wouldn’t be worth it for me to hang out in a crowded lounge when the terminal is crowded itself.
This is insane. With everything going on in the world, you’re complaining about airport lounges and trying to gatekeep access. Grow up and get over yourselves.
This is a blog about first world problems. Thanks for reading.
Many 3rd world problems are actually caused by 1st world tomfoolery. More on that later though.
Appreciate the humor!
I don’t have to really deal with the crowding issues when I travel in the morning or later in the day. The line isn’t nearly as long. Maybe if they changed it to 2 hours before a flight entry instead of 3 that night alleviate the crowds too
Saw the same line out of the entrance at Dfw. A problem that needs to be addressed immediately
Don’t forget Sky clubs are also notorious for overcrowding. I’d rank AA then UA after. Had pretty good experiences with Alaska lounges this year.
I experienced the same situation at LGA two weeks ago. However, the staff was amazing in doing their very best to accommodate every guest. They truly went above and beyond. I sent my comments directly to American Express via the QR Code survey. Alas, no reply or acknowledgement from American Express regarding my survey feedback. That is disappointing and unexpected as AMEX is generally game-on with customer/member responsiveness,
At one time, airport lounges were quite exclusive as a haven to the most frequent of travelers. Now, it seems everyone with an affinity card has access, along with guests even if they are not the most frequent of fliers.
I have been a cardholder a long time. I won’t be able to spend $75K. Charge the guests $75 for access, this will eliminate the overcrowding.
Mind your language; whoever you are, calling people “vultures” waiting in the queue for food does not show you; if you look to be “Sophisticated.” About me – this is my 12th year with Amex.
Get your facts right – every year, Amex enrolls customers, which adds up the numbers, equating to the crowd you see. Amex should increase the number of lounges and upgrade the existing ones to accommodate more customers.
Definitely going to bring this to Amex’s attention.
Vultures seems appropriate to me when people stalk the buffet line and stand around waiting for dishes to be refiled, then quickly help themselves.
Adding to the misery. Amex Lounge @ LAX (their largest and newest) operated only for three-weeks before COVID.
Still closed “due to fumes”. Due to the negative press they are offering paper to go bags – think Southwest quality in a white paper bag.
Military – the comments are not against those who have served. It is negative comments towards AMEX who either charge $700 annual membership or offers complimentary to others.
Matthew-would be happy to share some other facts about AMEX and their travel programs.
Please do.
“we tried to stand in an area of the bar designed for wheelchairs and were barked at by the bartender to move. Classy.
Yes. The barman barker is the one here with class.
The tabloids are full of stories of celebrities illegally occupying space reserved for wheelchairs, handicapped, people of determination, et al.
Thankfully, the private club lounges I enjoy have class, as do all the barmen and barmaid. They keep a tight and exclusive bar.
How about they bring back the Priority Pass restaurant benefit… Chase and Capital One still do it, that would give people an option…. I preferred that to the lounge.
And the way the lounge guests sit and eat that nasty, microwaved, garbage food as if they are sampling the finest dishes at a 3-star Michelin restaurant is hilarious. People are insane. I always have lounge access, but I just find an empty gate and enjoy the peace and quiet.
As long as CNN Airport isn’t blaring!
Speaking of that…not sure if I have noticed that any more.
FYI Amex does not provide the card fee free for military folks. It’s part of the Servicemember civil relief act (SCRA) and Military Lending act (MLA). The MLA limits APR for cards and loans and as part of the MLA, most major cards waive the card fees for active service members. It’s service members rights to have these acts for protection and if it causes card fees to be waived so what, they raised their hand to do what most folks won’t do. For the folks who are throwing out military having the card for free, I doubt military members who have this card are traveling that much to contribute to over crowding at the centurion lounges. Military can use just about any airlines lounge for free as long as they are flying on that airline. But I guarantee you can find most military using the USOs. Thank you for your service.
“Amex does not provide the card fee free for military folks.”
“Most major cards waive the card fees for active service members.”
Pick one.
I disagree with this observation. I went to DFW Centurion lounge and the line was long. By the time it was my turn to go to the USO, 75% of the lounge was filled by some “camo backpackers”, Johnny who just finished tech school or little 24 year old Matthew who is on vacation with wife and 3 loud kids after his oversea tour. The food line looked rather grime with the military line nearly wiped out the food. While I do believe that we as a public should show appreciation for these national heroes, Free perks every where isn’t one of them. May be we should charge them $300 instead of $695. That is still a massive discount while weeding out the Little Johny or little Matthew with no credit score and taking the “I deserve xyz”. As you can see most major Airport has USO lounge and if you believe that centurion lounge can replace USO lounge, I may as well stop making my monthly contribution to the USO (my dad is a retired Lt Colonel). It makes no sense for the crowd to show up at the USO if Centurion lounge provides you with higher quality beer, food, and more comfortable chair. After all, as business traveler, I pay to have a quiet space where I can sit down, enjoy some snack before catching the next flight. Not to walk into a chow hall with tons of military boys and men hungry for free food.
Two possible solutions:
1. Remove access for Platinum card holders and restrict it to Centurion card holders (consistent with the lounge name).
Or
2. Minimum household income of $1 million year.
I’d say starting with cardholders only would be a good first step.
If your income is $1 Mil a year, stop chasing the envy of the middle class by flying business or first class and get your own jet or charter one.
I’m probably old now but when I fly all I see are slobs in t-shirts with scabby hair riddled legs in shorts, young thugs that look like they crawled from the ghetto acting like they are going to fly on Spirit to their next rap concert and woke SJW trustafarians in slippers and pajamas who are so lazy they don’t even have the pride or decency to put on some real clothes.
So what do you expect from a lounge who’s credit card is issued to anyone who is breathing and can pay the $550 annual fee? You get what you pay for, if it’s free expect moochers and scrounges.
Screw the general public, They suck, fly charter.
End guests and let AU’s come in 4 times a year. Kids are included as guests. There are too many kids in the lounge and they make a huge mess and noise. Take them to Burger King and look at planes in the terminal.
Was just at crowded SFO CL – 1st time. There were a couple of kids, but not many. Waited outside for a couple minutes, no more. Really…SFO is just too small for such a major airport and the tables are packed too tight together.
LAS is more comfortable, even when crowded. Been there 2x.
SEAttle is too small, but let’s see how the expansion goes. August 2022 is the rumor.
The only thing déclassé about this AMEX lounge was Matthew Clint. Was the lounge overcrowded? Yes. Did AMEX screw up with overselling memberships/passes? Sure.
But standing in the handicapped section, and then name-calling the bartender’s position as classless for asking him/her to move is a good enough reason for the author to be removed from writing stories.
Agreed, there was not enough standing room. SO LEAVE ALREADY. Don’t take the handicapped section and then name-call a hard-working employee when he/she asked you to move from the Americans with Disabilities section. Just because it was overcrowded does NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT to hang outside the window, climb in an area where you are not supposed to be, or stand in the handicapped section and then quip that you are asked to move. Overcrowding does not give you permission to break the rules. If the plane is oversold, they don’t put two people in one seat.
If you had to stand there in the handicapped section for a moment and they asked you to move, do so with class, and don’t write about it. You were much more at fault than the club. Entitled princesses like you make me sick.
You should apologize to everyone for such gross action on your part in this story.
It’s Klint, with a K.
The bartender was an idiot. You’re sounding like one too. Thanks for reading.
Get a grip. The bartender was completely in tbe wrong.
One more thought, Mr. Clint. If an ADA auditor entered the club and noticed non-disabled patrons blocking the disabled area, the only person in trouble would be the staff for not clearing the area. That bartender has no control over AMEX overselling the club. What he/she does have control over is offering to keep the space clear to avoid violations and to allow those in assist chairs etc. to use the space. I hope you go back to that club and directly apologize to the bartender for standing there.
Such ridiculousness. The area is not exclusively for disabled people – there was no sign. The bartender should apologize to me for being rude.
Don’t waste your time responding to these people. They hide behind their keyboards spewing hatred.
Rich White people problems. They all need to disappear.
You want rich white people to disappear? If they do, then no more lounges for us to visit!
How about limiting the number of visits each member (and their guests) can make? To me, that’s more fair than just eliminating access for guests.
Business travelers using lounge twice every week will crowd the lounge way more than families using the lounge during their yearly vacation trips.
Maybe centurion lounges should be limited to just centurion members….. and everyone else who qualifies is paid first entry. It’s not a platinum card lounge. It says centurion, so let’s make it such.
No kids allowed will solve the problem.
This article is exactly what we have been thinking. We ordered an Amex card a few years back, exclusively for the lounge access. I have maybe enjoyed it twice (at the beginning) and I travel a lot. The lines are long and there is a place in the app that asks you to check in. This does nothing and is a waste of time. I have seen many pissed off people being sent away because of the wait, us included. The lounge doesn’t seem exclusive at all and is definitely not high end, at least the one at DFW. During covid, they didn’t even serve food. Now if you do get in, the lines are super long for what appears to be cafeteria food. I also do not enjoy kids running all over the place. We will likely cancel our Amex before they charge us again next year. It is a waste of our money. I tried to send an email to Amex but I couldn’t find one.
Not allowing companions is a ludacris idea. Who would leave their family when traveling together? The 75k minimum is a great start and will weed out a lot of ppl who play credit card point games and only pull out the card when they travel. Can’t please everyone but advocating breaking up fananlies when they travel makes NO sense
Easy. Get a card for the spouse and each child. It’s possible.
I completely agree with your comment. So I own a card , my hubby ( by choice) does not. We frequently use the lounges together. So what,he’d have to wait outside while I enjoy food/ drinks? It’s insane that the author suggested only cardholders..also. I can only speak for my experiences, I rarely have had to wait in long lines to enter, eat, or rest. Peak travel times and/or holidays are probably more crowded,yet I’ve not experienced that. Not allowing your other family member access is absurd!
Not absurd at all. Single people pay the same annual fee but get half the benefit. That’s absurd.
It’s not just AmEx lounges and over promotion has a lot to do with it. Take another look at Matt’s review/puff piece, or those of all the other travel bloggers, who raved over the new United Newark lounge, before actual people. A couple bloggers have now gone back, but even they seem to have missed Friday afternoon in Newark.
The current situation – as I described in my comments on Matt’s post – is just like the AmEx lounge, with long lines to get in, circling the club looking for seats, silly food service plan, thoughtless/homeless travelers, and kids blaring video games. Apparently this is the model for United’s new “good enough leads the way”.
I’m not defending United—the overcrowding is horrible. At least they are working on it by remodeling the C74 lounge. I hope UA adds a pier 2 EWR lounge as well—each pier needs one.
Good lord, the whining in this article and it’s comments is embarrassing. At least the author proposes solutions, but damn…none of this will age well, I promise.
Here’s my solution: Speak with your wallet if you don’t like what Amex is doing. Take the 3-4% of your spending that you’re enabling every year and bring elsewhere if you think the problem is worthy of doing so.
Scrolling through the comments I am in awe about the mindset of (I suppose) affluent Americans crying for a multi-billion $$ corporation to milk them even more by jacking up the fee, just so that all those poor plebs would disappear from the lounges and they could have their rich space to themselves again.
And yes, I have a (european-issued) Platinum that comes with significantly fewer perks for the same fee, I have never brought a guest to a lounge before (other than my girlfriend who has the partner card) and I have been to crowded lounges (mostly PP as there isn’t even a single Centurion lounge in my country).
Never would I have dreamt about whining and crying to kick out the poor folks, instead just deal with it and try to enjoy your time. Most of you guys sound like a bunch of entitled uber-Karens tbh.
Spot on.
These people are embarrassing themselves and America.
Here is a comment
Why would anyone ever stand in such a long line for premium service they supposedly paid in full?.
They are outright laughing in your face and calling you a simpleton!
Steeple!
Spend your money with your feet
Lounges make little sense to me if you don’t have several hours to spend before your flight boards. Lounge in terminal 6 with departure gate in terminal 1 means I don’t really care about your complimentary lounge access for first class ticket buyers. I will deal with the terminal 1 concession stand criminals rather than get out of breath trying to get to and from the lounge.
Haha, serves you right for judging others as gluttonous vultures. You’re one too, you cheap bastard. If you want food, trying paying.
I didn’t eat, sweetheart.
When everyone is special, no one is.
It does not surprise me this occurred at DFW. Dallas is home to the “$30,000” millionaire – they are very pretentious and want to be seen in any lounge like it’s a big deal. They will pawn everything for an AMEX card and a showy car yet live in a studio apartment. I visited once, and after work, they put on a suit to go out to look like they wore one to work. Who does that?
I remember when these lounges first opened. They were awesome. But this problem isn’t exclusive to AMEX. We fly AF quite a bit and the lounge is ALWAYS packed.
To be clear – the crowding issue aside, I still love AMEX Lounge and the concept – when I do eat, I find the food to be very good (better than airline lounges) and I quite appreciate the bartenders. But the lines out the doors or the inability to find seats…that’s just a bit much.
Yeah I tend to agree. Their lounges have come in clutch for me several times when I needed a shower and a quick bite and drink or to do some work. I’d like to think they can see your travel history too so they don’t mind bumping you to the top of a list if necessary. But at the end of the day I think you’re right and they need to figure it out.
Airlines have multiple lounges at busy airports so Amex should have more lounges too. They keep sending offers even if you already have a platinum card but they don’t have enough space at the lounge. Amex should allow only guests who are on the same flight as the card owner. That way nobody would be able to bring anyone they just met on a plane to impress them. One time a woman was trying to get us to take her to the lounge. I’m sure this happens all the time.
They should change the name to platinum lounge. Centurion members are not gettingany value here.
The problem is easily solved by removing access to free alcohol and food. Hand out a snack box and a can of coke and let them sit around. Also remove showers so they have no reason to loiter for hours.
So make the club worthless??
“Even more classy, the vultures waiting for the feeding troughs to be refilled then swooping down like they had not eaten in weeks.”
Is is not their right to eat in the lounge?
Did this guy seriously start the article by complaining about being told to take his perfectly capable self and move it out of a disagree reserved for people with handicaps? Classy stuff, clown.
Learn to read. It was not reserved for nonexistent handicapped people. Further, he was ready to move if a handicapped person was there.
I have a more drastic solution: as the name implies only Centurion (aka Black Card) holders should be allowed .
Everyone nowadays can have a Amex Platinum , considering that annual fee is zero for veterans .
Or at least make two areas , one for the actual Centurion holders and one for the rest
Umm that already exists in the form of reserved tables.
Reading this article reminded me of my own experience the one and only time I ever used a centurion lounge. This one time was within the last year despite being a platinum card holder for over 15 years.
There was a queue, I was unsure if I’d make it into the lounge before my flight time based on the number of people waiting outside, and the lounge was unbearably crowded once is made my way in.
The staff was shockingly polite despite the horrors and the food offering inside was better than all of the priority pass lounges I’d experienced the prior 15 years of experiences… But it was an absolute sh*t show.
That said — from a high level — I’m disappointed in the collapse of priority pass as a legitimate option for lounge access. Over time this offering has gotten worse and worse with fewer lounges accepting Amex card holders restricted times, etc. I recognize the shift to building dedicated and more premium Centurion lounges in more places, but they are still far too few and far between. Despite any new post pandemic travel explosion, or airline staffing caused delays — it is really no wonder that a single centurion lounge can’t handle the capacity of card holders and guest travelers trying to get inside. There are less options otherwise.
That said – I don’t pretend to know the right way of making things better.
On the one hand — as a card holder, and one that travels infrequently — I believe that if I happen to be in an airport that has a lounge, I should absolutely have the ability to redeem this benefit — Especially in light of the increased annual fees over the past few years.
I’m also inclined to agree that there should be some limit or cap on non-card-holding guests. Card holders (and not their guests) should be a priority for entry. Perhaps making guest entry possible for an additional fee ( as priority pass has done ) might balance things a little better (or at least subsidize the building of more or larger lounges in the future.)
I disagree whole-heartedly with charging all cardholders more for an annual fee as the gateway to admittance. What?? Srsly?
And on that note — finally I’ve got to admit I’m truly disheartened by the tone of lot of the comments here. I don’t think there would be much argument that the world is being faced with much greater issues than access to a centurion lounge. Autocratic leaders, pandemics, unprovoked wars, environmental crisis, kids being shot at schools, and on and on and on. The next time you can’t get into a lounge, maybe shrug it off, grab a coffee and a sandwich at an overpriced food court, sit on the floor at your gate and count your blessings/fortunes instead of your entitlement… And cancel your card if you’re not reaping the benefit you feel you deserve.
Every person who commented here and said awful things about people they don’t even know should have their Amex Card shoved up their ass. Way, way up. Can’t get the card out? Can’t get in. Problem solved.
This article and comment thread are possibly the best argument in favor of a Marxist revolution I’ve ever seen. Utterly hilarious! If it were up to me, I’d not only revoke the author’s lounge privileges, I’d put him (and most of the commenters here) on the next flight to a labor camp in Xinjiang.
I have a violin here that’s so small you’d need an electron microscope to see it. If you’d like, I’ll take it out and play “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” in honor of your white people problems.
Nice of you to concede the horrible human rights abuses inflicted upon minorities by the PRC.
It’s a difficult problem for AMEX with no easy solution in my opinion. I think a major contributor to this problem, which I know is frustrating for many travelers, is that the AMEX card is essentially free for Active duty military. I say this with peace and love and not out of disrespect because I believe those that serve should have benefits. Additionally, I mention this as someone who used to be Active duty in the Navy and then decided to keep the card, pay the fee and keep it.
Visited the CLT and IAH lounges this week. Crowded yes, but manageable. Groups of 6 or more certainly stood out from the rest. Military members stood out as well. I myself am a military member and an Amex member since 1996. Some of the comments about ending SCRA benefits are out of place especially considering it is Memorial Day weekend. Perspective eludes some. Arlington National is also running out of space and having to buy nearby land for expansion. My solution to the military issue is perhaps airlines and CC companies should sponsor each airports USO and improve the service/amenities within. Military members would be fine being amongst their own and not impeding on the air some breath.
Alan,
All of those airports have USOs. How about we limit all first class cabins on all airlines to military only…..complementary of course (or else “you don’t support the troops…”) That’s right, no free upgrades for EXPs or DMs…you won’t even be able to BUY a first class ticket. Think if it as the new handicapped spot. NO dirty people who didn’t “SiGn On ThE LiNe” can be there.
Seriously, find….let AMEX extend credit and limit interest charges via the green card…. which really is all SCRA and MLA are…..I hate break it to but that’s all it is. Nothing to do with free lounge access, free walmart etc. You know this but you have to throw out Memorial Day to strengthen your position. Well, Memorial Day is to remember those to died….NOT those who are very much alive getting plastered for free with the rest of their unit during their connection at DFW on their way to Ft. Sill while the dirty people who you’ll say didn’t have the nerve to serve are denied access to their paid-for benefit.
Chris, my argument was not to put military into first class or that they are entitled to centurion lounge access. My argument is that the extension of MLA and SCRA benefits to military members is well earned. Your first class seat and premier lounge access is a direct result of having the best military in the world. Be thankful…then sink into your comfortable surroundings, shut up and get sloshed. God Bless!
Actually my first class seat and lounge access are the result of me paying for the ticket and paying the annual fee. Let me guess, the oxygen I breathe is because of the military too? Well, the doughnut you ate this morning is the result of the girl working at the Dunkin Donuts drive thru window okay. Is the military dangerous? Yes. Is being a cop dangerous? Yes. “YoU DiDnT HaVe ThE BaLLs To SeRvE”. Okay. I also don’t like heights so I’ll never apply to be a tree trimmer or window washer. As far as you guys love to say its a “volunteer” service. ….sure there is no mandatory enlistment…but you didn’t “volunteer”….thats something you do at the United Way or the Red Cross. See, you were PAID. Thats not volunteering. You probably signed up like most did for the free college or you were a f-up so your parents made you. Either of those two avenues are fine with me. In my occupation, I work with a good amount of former military guys. Guess what…..they’re all trying to scam a higher “disability” rating from the VA to get more money and free stuff. Its literally unbelievable. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with these guys and they spend their day advising each other how to screw the government out of more while looking down on everyone else…..because everyone else is unworthy. I’m not saying that they’re all arrogant scammers…..just so happens that a lot that I’ve run into are. It’s a job.
Chris, I’m a physician. Save your entitlement and pettiness for someone else Captain Heel Spurs. Military pay is not that great for most so I don’t blame service members looking to be reimbursed for their ailments along the way. They sleep in cots and tents in sandy places near burn pits. Can’t recall ever seeing a burn pit near a centurion club. I get that you have a bone to pick and that your gratitude stops at your door step. America First to you means ME First. Sincerely praying that I run into you in a lounge one day! Here are my next stops if you’d like to meet up – CLT, IAH, FLL, ATL
And do what exactly? Kick my ass…Get arrested for a felony…Lose your license to practice medicine?
Ok hardo. I’m still not impressed.
Nah, I’d just be happy to get a good look at what a true American capitalist looks like. Take a picture to hang on my dart wall. I’m going to take your advise and use my feet now. Take it easy keyboard commando. (You should apply for disability for all the hard typing you do)
I partially agree with you but partially do not. After all, Centurion Lounge is a Paid service that we paid to get in. While service members deserve recognition and nice treatment, most abuse this system and lead to us paid travelers with no service. While that apply to other service members (standing in line around me waiting for their turn to enter the lounge), that raise the big question mark: Is this the true purpose of the centurion lounge? I know retail and hotel have special discount for military members. They don’t give out free shirt or free room. Why can’t we do the same? Actually, Amex can even make it $150 fee for the platinum card and you will see so many of these big military crowd drop out and go to the USO lounge. I have been to the USO with my dad (retired), they aren’t bad, they gets lots of community help (donation from Walmart, local stores etc). That does not justify overflowing the crowd to a paid service is appropriate, especially when >50% of the people in the lounge are not paying for it.
These lounges are crowded mostly because of what they offer: high-quality healthy food, decent cocktails shaken to order, wine tasting (SFO), showers, the list goes on. Despite all the bagging on AMEX for overcrowding, the fact is that these are lounges that are worth the wait. No domestic airline lounge can say that.
I have an actual Centurion Card. We dont wait to get in. We have reserved seating. Amd in many cases, like in Denver, a bar reserved for us. In conclusion, go black!
Can I be one of your authorized users? 😉
Gave up on AMEX and their lounges long ago after being booted from LAS lounge for not having seat assignment. AA Irrops forced a missed flight. Got the boarding pass to pass through security. But had to go to gate for actual seat assignment. Gate for that flight wouldn’t open for another hour. Thought I’d have a coffee in Centurion lounge. No dice. Was escorted outside whereupon I called AMEX, cancelled my Platinum card and never looked back. Besides, I get better service from my Chase cards anyway.
I joked the other day watching people stalking around the Denver Centurion lounge buffet that it would be a great scene for David Attenborough to narrate. The way people behave anywhere at buffets is just awkward to watch.
Last week I used the UC at DFW… and it was honestly the most packed UC I’ve ever visited. I don’t know if it’s a Dallas thing but it was an absolute zoo, at 3:30p on a Thursday. I didn’t even attempt the Centurion Lounge at DFW that day.
Conversely, this Thursday I flew through SFO and the Centurion there was tranquil as was the F terminal at the time. It really depends on the traffic… I will also say that the Centurion at SFO had hands down the most courteous employees of any of the ones I’ve visited so far. Was very, very impressed.
LOL.
100% agree that guests should be limited. We don’t need the entire family in there. If you want your spouse or child to have a seat, pay a premium for them as an AU.
Also wonder if a solution would be to segregate those looking just to drink vs. eat. vs. sit/snack. Personally, I just want a hot meal before getting on my flight and I’ll bounce. Never take advantage of the bar myself. And there’s plenty of seating areas outside the lounge too.
Centurion lounge access should be just that: for Centurion card holders. Platinum should get maybe 5 free visits and then paid access after that.
I have noticed long lines at SeaTac Int’l. I have no time for any lounges as I was to spend as little time in the airport as possible.
People queuing politely are classless vultures? Sure…
They wouldn’t let you, an able bodied person, utilize spaces reserved for those who aren’t? The horror! The horror!
The greatest surprise is that someone would even post such comments today and think it wise. You’re fortunate to be tucked away in some odd corner of media where no one will notice this dreck, aside from others of your ilk.
You strike me as the type to take both armrests when seated in the aisle, to call flight attendants “sweetheart,” or to give the mother of a crying baby on a flight dirty looks.
Gross.
A lot of false assumptions there! Thanks for reading.
I have traveled alot…visited many lounges…if it’s full it’s full…this writer is a total douchebag. Who are you to judge others?? Worse article ever written. Entitled spoilt brat.
Maybe this guy should be removed. Upset he was told to move from the accessible space?
It’s all about delivery, David. No one should be snapped at for being in area that is not even marked off-limits. But I’m sure you understand that.
I think some are missing the point here. This isn’t about the author – if you’ve traveled lately then you know he’s correct about the overcrowding in not only the AMEX lounges but in most of the airline lounges as well.
To add more data points, I’ve recently visited AMEX lounges in JFK, LGA, SFO. DFW, and DEN. All of them were packed. And when I say “packed,” I mean waiting lines both outside and inside. For example, at SFO the wait was so long that they took your number at the entrance and then texted you when there was enough space available for you to enter, which took close to an hour.
This was not the case pre-covid.
The AMEX lounges are a great travel perk and used to be an easy way to mitigate the hustle and bustle of the airport by having a place where you could relax, have a nice meal with real food, enjoy a complimentary cocktail or two, charge your devices and catch up on a few emails before your flight. Now it’s getting increasingly difficult to do any of that inside the lounge. Honestly, in some airports, you might actually have an easier time relaxing *outside* of the lounge, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of having lounge access in the first place.
It’s like TSA Precheck. Remember the early days of TSA Precheck? The few people who had it used to breeze through that line. Now everyone and their kid brother has TSA Precheck so it barely shaves any time off your wait. Which is why CLEAR is so popular right now. But it’s only a matter of time before CLEAR becomes the new TSA Precheck and then something else will need to pop up to take its place. But you get the point. I digress.
The takeaway is this: there are undeniably too many people in the AMEX lounges currently and its overloading their capacity and creating a bad experience for all involved. I don’t know what the solution is (although $75k in annual spend sounds like a good start) but something has to give. The 3-hour pre-flight access window apparently has not had the intended effect of curtailing the masses so something else needs to be implemented to restore these lounges to what they once were.
Wow, there are a lot of comments. I love the whole, you seem entitled crap, if you pay for something you should receive the service. You really are just pointing out whether it is worth the money or not to have this card. If you still wanted an AMEX card, you could get one with a lot less in annual fees and get rid of this “benefit”. For me, I am mixed on lounge access, I am EP on AA, but have decided to make a change, either I am just going to move to free agent or to United. If I go to free agent, then lounge access will be gone for me, I was looking at AMEX, but articles like this show me the price does not meet the benefit. I appreciate the incites. Mark
Interesting article and comments. I’m a Centurion card holder, and pay almost 20x the annual fee vs platinum. I have been joking on recent trips with the staff that they need to rename it the Amex Platinum lounge. Some lounges have areas saved for cardholders like me but recently I was in Miami and they didn’t. I could have even get in. I was less than thrilled….
these lounges have become pretty much out of control now. I’ve been a cardholder for almost 40 yrs and visited these lounges since their existence, and yeah they’ve lost their elegance and class. seems they let any yahoo in now and just makes them look trashy and loud. no longer a calm place to sit in while waiting for your flight. just pitiful AMEX!
I agree with Patty, Bob, and Mark. I tried the DFW Centurion Lounge last December and yesterday. It was too crowded. Yesterday, we couldn’t find a seat and just left. The Centurion Lounge was advertised as an escape to luxury at the airport, but Amex didn’t deliver. This article was very helpful as I now know it’s an ongoing problem. I was ready to switch all purchases from Citi to Amex. Now I’ll do my part to help with Centurion overcrowding and cancel the card. You’d think a credit card issuer would understand the concept of discipline. Don’t buy what you can’t afford. Don’t sell what you can’t deliver.
Of course, last month, I was in the beautiful. just rebuilt, Qatar Airways Silver Lounge in Doha. Beautiful, and not even the old top lounge. So, I think Centurion is not worth pursuing.
Luckily, I easily can avoid flying through DFW. Although I’m sure that those that do are quit happy (excepting entitled snobs.)
They need to stop giving free AMEX PLAT to military for personal use (Non government cards). We are paying for their FREE card and access to all benefits… Including the lounge. I never renewed my PLAT card over this stuff 2 years ago.
this is the market that will likely be affected most by the 75k spend requirement. Military would still be allowed in, but families traveling with them would need to pay- unless military authorized users are free, which I’m honestly not sure of.