A quartet of new American Express Centurion Lounges offers a perfect opportunity to test how to best limit crowding. American Express recently announced it will open a new Centurion Lounge in Charlotte. AMEX also plans to open lounges in...
What I Transferred To British Airways During American Express Transfer Bonus
Time is running out on a lucrative 40% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards to British Airways Executive Club. If you have not yet moved over any points, check out my earlier post, which outlines why you may...
Competition For Lufthansa First Class Heats Up
If you read my blog regularly, you know that one of my favorite mileage redemptions is for Lufthansa First Class. It’s not that Lufthansa offers the best first class product in the world (though I love it). Rather, Lufthansa...
The Death of Airline Lounge “Memberships” Makes American Express Platinum More Attractive
With American, Delta, and United cracking down on how/when “members” can use their lounges, I question whether membership is even the correct term to describe what airlines now offer. Think about it. If you’re a member of a gym,...
My Experience Using American Express Premium Cabin Airfare Discounts
Is the American Express International Airline Program worth your time? At Award Expert, we are seeing an increasing trend: more and more bookings directly through the American Express or Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portals. While transferring points to airline programs...
I’ll Get The New Amex Gold Card, But Not Yet
There has been a lot of hoopla about the the new American Express Gold Card. Here are my thoughts on the new card. First, let’s review the benefits. On the spending side, you’ll see a nice return on purchases...
How To Maximize The 40% Transfer Bonus From AMEX To British Airways
In short, the shorter the route, the more valuable the redemption. The British Airways redemption chart is distance-based and longhaul flights in premium cabins rarely make sense, especially when competitors offer the same flights for so much cheaper. But...
American Express Cracks Down At SFO Centurion Lounge
I’ve been in the American Express Centurion Lounge in San Francisco twice in the last week. Both times I had to wait for a seat. It’s an all-too-common problem for American Express. Addressing this issue, American Express is now limiting...
Review: American Express Centurion Lounge Mexico City (MEX)
I spent five hours in the The American Express Centurion Lounge in Mexico City and wished I had stayed longer. I visited the Terminal 2 location during my recent extended layover in Mexico City, not really knowing what to...
My New Favorite AMEX Centurion Lounge
Mexico City is home to my new favorite American Express Centurion Lounge. I enjoyed a great massage, shoe shine, haircut, and meal between Aeromexico flights. Talk about a productive layover! The Mexico City AMEX lounges are run a bit...
An Update On My American Express Dispute With Priority Pass
Last month, Priority Pass billed me for three guests at the Timberline Steaks & Grille in Denver Airport when I only had one guest. At the time, I saw two possible reasons for this. One, malicious intent on the...
American Express Makes a Foolish Mistake in Limiting Centurion Lounge Access
American Express has a real problem on its hands: lounge crowding. The network of Centurion Lounges in the USA are routinely so full that it is difficult to find a seat. But new access restrictions American Express is testing...
Would You Take a Quadruple Upgrade in Exchange for Early Checkout?
The title says it all, but let me lay out the context. I booked our stay at The Kahala last week using the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Among the AMEX FHR benefits at the Kahala are:...
Review: American Express Centurion Lounge Hong Kong (HKG)
The beautiful new American Express Centurion Lounge in Hong Kong represents an excellent new addition to the AMEX lounge network. I arrived at the airport nearly 2.5 hours before my flight to Chicago and thus had plenty of time...
Great Deal: ANA First Class R/T for 93K Points
One of the sweet spots in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club award chart is redemptions for ANA First Class. With the current transfer bonus promotion, you can score a round-trip ticket in ANA first class for only 93,000 American...
Another Attempt to Control Crowding in American Express Lounges
In another bid to alleviate chronic overcrowding, American Express will further limit access to its Centurion Lounges. Until now, access has been complimentary for Platinum and Centurion cardholders. Other American Express cardholders could pay $50/person for access. Starting on...
Review: American Express Centurion Lounge Buenos Aires (EZE)
I found the American Express Centurion Lounge to be the best lounge in Buenos Aires’ Ministro Pistarini International Airport. It’s worth a visit. Arriving at 8am, I had the lounge to myself for 30 minutes. Compare that to the crowded...
When Will American Express Centurion Lounge Open at LAX?
I’m a huge fan of the American Express Centurion Lounge concept. Even though these lounges tend to get crowded during peak periods, I still find them to be a valuable oasis. But I’m getting tired of the LAX tease!...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 30, 2017
Greetings from Southern California. My family is now re-united in LA and I’m happy to remain on the ground this week as I prepare for my next big trip. My RTW trip report stalled this week — the photos...
I’m Suspicious of the Big AMEX Transfer Bonus to British Airways
In the last few days we’ve seen a huge change in balance between American Express Membership Reward points and British Airways Avios. First, transfers went from 1.25 AMEX to 1 BA Avios to 1:1. Now AMEX is offering a...
