American Express is limiting Priority Pass lounge access to its Platinum cardholders in Spain, a sign of what may roll out across Europe and, eventually, the United States.
Sign Of What Is To Come To US? American Express Restricts Priority Pass Access In Spain For Platinum Cardholders
American Express offers Platinum cardholders access to its Global Lounge Collection as a cardholder benefit. The Global Lounge Collection includes its network of Centurion Lounges as well as Plaza Premium Lounges, Delta SkyClubs, and Priority Pass lounges.
As noted by Loyalty Lobby, Platinum cardholders in Spain have received notice that their Priority Pass access will be limited starting later this month. Starting October 24, 2024, Priority Pass access will be capped at:
- 20 visits per calendar year for the primary Platinum cardholder
- 10 visits per calendar year for supplementary Platinum cardholders
Unlimited access to other lounges in the Global Lounge Collection will remain in force.
These 20 visits can be used through the end of 2024, then the number reset and only 20 visits will be offered per calendar year, starting January 1, 2024. Additional visits beyond the annual allotment will cost €30.
Here’s the language that went out to cardholders in Spain:
Might We See The Same Across Europe And In The USA?
It seems to me that AMEX is testing the waters here. Will cardholders revolt? Will they complain at all?
I tend to think this is a small “problem” in that most Platinum cardholders do not approach 20 Priority Pass visits per year. But there are certainly road warriors who might extinguish their allotment every month and this greatly diminishes the value of the card.
If you are in Spain and impacted by this change, I recommend you reach out and voice your dissatisfaction to American Express.
Would this change be enough for you to cancel your American Express Platinum Card?
image: American Express
How good is the catering at Spanish airports? Maybe,Amex is trying to protect clients from a dreadful experience. 🙂
AENA lounges are probably the best, and certainly the most consistent, of any European airport operator (possible exceptions being one lounge at IST and the new Extime concept in Paris). The catering at BCN in particular can rival any airline-run business class lounge.
The ones in T4S at MAD (Neptuno) and in BCN (Sala VIP Miro) are great. They have great wine and a decent selection of good food. It is Spain, and these lounges don’t disappoint when it comes to Spanish specialties. When I fly through there, I will have a plate of cheese, olives, bread, meat, and a good glass of red wine – all from Spain. Excellent!
The other lounge in T4 at Madrid is good but not near at good as Neptuno.
At this point FU amex. Enough, im tired of their coupon book, I dont know how many times a month, ever quarter, every 6 months, every year discounts I get. Uber? Hotel? grub hub? lol its getting out of control!
Chase and Capital one have better lounges too.
Amex sucks. Fee goes up, services go down. Eff them.
They already put a 50 visit cap in Germany a few months ago, so this isn’t an one-off initiative.
Well, good luck getting into a Priority Pass in Europe at least during summer. What a zoo!!! I tried in Rome and was told to leave my phone number that they would text me maybe between 2 and 3 hours when it would be my time to come in. No thanks. By that time I would be inside the plane.
That’s only really a serious problem in the UK. I imagine you were travelling at peak summer from a non-Schengen terminal with multiple widebody flights leaving at the same time. I see that whenever I am flying from EZE (I go there every year or so) and the *A lounge is turning away scores of PP pax because there’s a bunch of intercontinental flights departing within a 2-3 hour period in the evening. I almost feel guilty for [not just jumping, but] entirely sidestepping the queue to get in as an airline guest.
I have an Amex Plat, PP through other CCs, I fly J TATL a lot – and live in Spain and work in both Europe and North America. I’m in the two BCN lounges (Sala Miró and Sala Casals) several times a year, sometimes multiple times per month. The food is always very good and plentiful with a great drink selection and lots of seating. But it’s been getting crowded the last year or so. Admittedly, I never have trouble finding a seat nor is the food ever picked over, but it’s usually full of self-important American business-dickheads that think the lounge is the best place to take up three couches – one per couch – so they can talk about some shitty PowerPoint they just gave to a prospective client. I’d love if this restriction cut down on these types. No, Roger, I don’t care about the PnL statement from Fuckyou, Inc. or what the CFO’s golf handicap is and how you played in Scotland earlier this year. Neither do any of the other 30 people forced to listen to your garbage.
Chingados bastardos
That sounds very Mexican! Feliz día de la hispanidad!
It feels like the Platinum Card has come culturally unmoored. It markets itself as a premium multipurpose pass, but more and more it asks its clients to count and track limited access and petty short-interval credits (how many Sky Club uses… Uber credits… now PP uses at least in some markets… digital subscriptions… etc). The use-friction keeps going up, along with the fees, and it doesn’t make sense any more: It’s no longer a pass but a digital coupon book priced and marketed to people who aren’t generally coupon clippers. I bet I’m not the only one with a Green Card on my horizon.
I think road warriors will the most affected ones, they should be the ones to complain and maybe Amex will increase their visits based on traveling habits.
The should use their smart brains here and do some research, unless they already did…
Every year I have to do the math — do I get the value out of the annual fee to justify. It can’t just be the items I would not purchase if I didn’t have the benefit. But for me the lounge access is a key. I do use the NA lounges in my local airport — we have two, the Centurion that you cannot get in to (cannot be there more the 3 hours before, and a minimum of an hour way once you check in), and a PP lounge that is becoming more and more of a wait list, last time being 30m.
Last year, I was able to between all the various benefits but my renewal coming up again and its getting closer and closer.