The blogging world was atwitter with condemnation over a change in 2023 for AMEX cardholders, but few have mentioned the collateral damage from the new American Express Centurion lounge charge.
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Centurion Lounge Policy Change “Disclosed”
American Express has changed who can access its Centurion lounges beginning in February 2023. However, they didn’t really announce the new $50 per person guest charge, rather, they simply changed their terms and conditions and astute bloggers caught it. The new change maintains that Hong Kong and London Centurion lounge guest access will remain unchanged, likely due to contractual agreements with cardholders therein.
The current policy allows American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders to access the lounge so long as they present a boarding pass showing confirmed reservations for same-day travel. Each cardholder (including authorized users) is presently permitted to bring two complimentary guests into the lounge with them.
Centurion cardholders will remain exempt from the limitation, as will those who achieve spending of $75,000 in a calendar year with 2022 as the first year in which that spend will be tallied.
The Problem They Are Trying To Solve
There are too many people in American Express Centurion Lounges. That was true before the pandemic and social distancing hasn’t helped matters. Airport rent is expensive and making larger lounges has to stop at a certain point. This is especially true since there’s no direct revenue from the lounges, just an implied reason for holders of the personal and business Platinum card from American Express to continue paying their annual fees.
Turning guests away or asking them to wait to visit is not popular among members, nor is the increasing difficulty in securing seats at many of the lounges. American Express already invests an incredible amount into the soft product with expensive, chef-designed menus, and premium cocktails. But even the wi fi in many locations is becoming constrained.
The bank simultaneously needs more customers, more revenue, and fewer visitors – a tall order.
Collateral Damage
There are some affected by this change that really do not contribute to the problem. Families occupy a minor presence in the lounges but are significantly affected.
Take my situation for example. I hold both a business and personal version of the Platinum card, my wife holds one too in her own right. My daughter, however, will not be eligible for an authorized user account for several years (minors cannot be added as authorized users until they reach the age of 13.) In my specific example, my family pays three annual fees but unless I pay an additional entrance fee, my family won’t be permitted which will leave all of us on the outside looking in.
Before you dispute my assertion to suggest that it’s actually freeloading families bringing in parties of six on a single annual fee and an authorized user (with their two guest children each) I’d point you in the direction of the family rooms. My family frequents the Centurion lounge whenever we travel together on a major trip in which we have time to visit. We have encountered precisely one other child (without their parent, no less) in the family room on any of those dozens of visits.
I have seen plenty of consultants (one of the many hats I wear) bringing in co-workers filling their plates at the buffet and trading stories at the bar. To be fair, Platinum card members are well within their right to bring up to two guests free of charge and they should – Platinum and Centurion AMEX cards aren’t cheap.
However, I find little merit in the suggestion that it’s all these pesky families causing problems of crowding. Families generally consume less food on a per guest basis, far less alcohol, and often occupy space exclusively for them leaving the rest of the lounge to other cardholders. Families are not the problem.
Three couples on a weekend getaway enter the lounge on a single annual fee and an authorized user. Each cardholder can access the lounge plus their two guests each.
In 2023, that option goes away for all the examples (my family, weekend three couple trip, consultant and peers) but in our specific case and those with children under the age of 13, we don’t even have the opportunity to add them as authorized users. The consultant could pay one time and add up to three additional cardholders for the same $175 fee (which actually could make the problem worse) but younger families are ineligible.
Conclusion
There’s no perfect system to process policy/impact how and where product changes are made. Centurion lounges need a manner by which to reduce their visitor load and this accomplishes that goal. However, families are disproportionately affected as collateral damage for other bad actors which is both frustrating and disappointing. This cardholder would at least like a provision that allows for a “family pass” or a younger authorized user to be able to enter as we expect. If holding three Platinum cards isn’t enough to get three people through the hallowed gates of the Centurion lounge then maybe I don’t need any Platinum cards at all.
What do you think? Are families disproportionately affected by this change? Should there be a lower age requirement for adding authorized users?
Lol, hate to break it to you, but a throuple is NOT three couples…
@Danny – Lol. Sometimes I leave easter eggs for my editor to keep her on her toes. Looks like that one got past. Corrected.
People with families think consultants are the problem and consultants think families are the issue. There are bad actors on both sides and threads on flyer talk with examples for both sides too.
100% agreed. But one set of bad actors can still get their co-travelers in for about $58/year, families with children under 13 cannot.
Freudian slip:
“However, families are disproportionately affected as collateral damage for other bad actors which is both frustrating and disappointing.”
Implying that families are bad actors too. Frankly, if you want to bring in a kid, just pay $50.
There are certainly bad actors on both sides, we agree on that. But bad actors travelling frequently with others on business can add AUs at a cost of $175 for three or about $58 each. That’s just over the cost of a single visit. Families can’t do that unless your child is 13, in which case just add an authorized user. However, if they aren’t yet 13, then we can’t add them so yeah, families are certainly collateral damage in this change.
I like your work but on this topic you are mixing the concepts of what families like yours can do (you are all welcome) with your sense of fair play on the economic model (you may be at an economic disadvantage under the new model). Honestly, if it is important then just pay up. If that doesn’t make sense for your budget, well, life ain’t always fair. Seems like a good lesson for parents to share with their children.
I’ll pay up for an authorized user for my daughter in addition to my three outright annual fees, can we get in now?
So Kyle are you going to pay Amex less money after this change? Do you think your business is less likely to provide affiliate marketing for their products?
@Michael – Good questions, let me answer them in order.
1) Yes, if it remains unchanged or without an AU age exemption by 2023 I will likely cancel at least my personal card and possibly more.
2) I can only presume that you’re referring to LALF as “my business” as none of my other companies interact with AMEX on an affiliate level. Assuming that’s correct, unfortunately, I do not have any control over which products are featured as part of that affiliate program. If I did, IHG would never see the light of day for starters.
But more to that point, a lot of readers falsely beieve that we garner a majority of our revenue from affiliate programs and banks like AMEX. We’ve been running the affiliate program for 18 months (approx.) and to date I have not seen a single dollar from AMEX. In fact, revenue from affiliate links has so far accounted for less than 0.1% of revenue for LALF. We have hardly been shy about our distaste for their products and product changes:
https://bitly.com/3x8lH5C
https://bitly.com/3eslWjN
https://bitly.com/3eePtxa
https://bitly.com/3egKwnx
I’m not sure that answered your question but I am happy to engage further.
There is a simple solution, much higher annual fees. Too many people have the platinum card now. Raise fees to $1000 and crowding will go down. Amex still makes enough money. Sorry but there are just too many people with “premium” cards for it to be actually premium.
And they are. Personal cards are said to be going up to $699. But even at that price plus an AU ($874 total) which is, frankly, pretty close still wouldn’t allow my family through the doors due to the age limitation. This reinforces the collateral damage element.
Actually, no. That’s the point of the post. You aren’t standing up for parents. You want other groups to set rules that you like and complain when they don’t. There are plenty of good reasons why a four year old should not be issued an Amex card. Good luck adjudicating a fraud claim on a card issued to someone too young to even speak or read. Seems you do have quite a bit in common with other occupants of the kids room.
Thanks for stopping by.
Yes but if they did $1000 primary and $500 for an AU, I think they could reverse the policy and allow 1 guest per cardholder.
That’s probably true.
Why don’t you add your child as an authorized user. Amex allows them to be added without a SSN (they’ll just keep ‘reminding’ you to add it) and an ID won’t be needed at checkin since she’s under 16 anyways. I don’t understand this mentality…if it’s really that important to you to get a child in, there are ways.
I guess I was just following the rules. I’ve inquired and they said 13 and up so if you have a child that is clearly under 13, lack of an ID doesn’t really overcome the obvious.
Kyle, just stop. Your family will still be allowed through the door. Your original argument was fine but your responses are just confrontational and on this, are not correct. Nobody’s kids are denied anything. You just have to pay for them.
The last think I want in an airport lounge is a ton of families. Thank goodness they will mostly be gone. Amex lounges are not places for kids. should be a retreat from the crying and screaming. I could not be happier with these changes.
Frankly, I think limiting kids to these business lounges is a good idea (sorry to say that, I have kids too…) In more than one occasions, I’ve experienced kids and parents just treating the Centurion and other business class lounges as “McDonald Playground”. The kids are “free” to run around, throwing stuff at each other, screaming and yelling, and hitting chairs and sofas where other peaceful seeking travelers are sitting at…. I’m Sorry… but the original idea of having these lounges are more target toward the business travellers or travellers who would prefer an exclusive and quiet ambience before departure. AE is just trying to bring back this grass root environment to its airport lounges. When I am bring my kids on a flight, I try not to bring them into the lounges…I’ll just bring them to the airport playroom (if there is one) or just sit at the gate terminal sitting area; as I understand how sometimes the turmoil and disturbance my kids could created in these quiet lounges…
Kicking out members that disobey the rules is incumbent on management. Whether it’s kids running around, or adults behaving poorly – if they don’t follow the rules they should be shown the door. And I agree that a nice ambiance before departure is the purpose. There are phone rooms for people who need to speak on the phone and there are family rooms for those with children. If someone is talking loudly or on speakerphone in the main lounge that doesn’t help with the “quiet ambiance” any more than an undisciplined child.
@Kylet Stewart, do you really think “consultants” are going to add their coworkers as authorized users? I’m not adding a coworkers I don’t know really well as an authorized user. I think it’s more likely folks will add family (siblings and parents) whom they trust as authorized users before people will add their coworkers.
I know several who do this.
You should start posting only pro-family stuff I love seeing all the loners get all worked up in the comments
I’m not the biggest fan of Kyle, but I do like it when he becomes pro family.
Also lounges in military cities since they all get the card for free. The lounges are packed with them. Know how I can tell who they are???? They don’t shut up about it and wear all kinds of identifying stuff to show how cool they are. Just make it a free USO lounge and deny access to everyone else…..or as they like “you didn’t have the ba**s to join”…….yawn ok hero.
Thanks for posting this. Totally agree. Families with well-behaved kids under the age of 13 are rarely the problem but now are basically persona non Grata. I only bring my kids along once or twice a year (max). Even if they kept the currently planned restrictions but allowed a couple of family passes a year would be fine by me.
Family passes would do the trick. And what is this ridiculous notion you mention of a family with well-behaved children? Non-sense!
I get the issue, but the Centurion lounges were set up primarily for business travelers if I am not mistaken. If I am I apologize up front. All the lounges, not just Centurion, are over crowed with the advent of the lounges via credit card. The credit cards for airline lounges are less expensive than paying for them outright.
There will be some hiccups with this new policy but I believe thing will be straightened out with the advent of time.
They were set up for cardholders. We are cardholders thrice over.
I’d also argue that if your sole purpose for the card is to replace a lounge then 1) They aren’t cheaper necessarily, and 2) There are substantially fewer than American, Delta or United individually.
Kyle,
You can EASILY get an additional card for someone with a name and you can make up a birthday. I have gotten cards for family members that don’t live in the USA and don’t have a SSN. I only use their passport and AMEX does NOT ask for any ID so there is no reason you couldn’t give your kid’s name and just make up a DOB.
I understand this but AMEX’s terms state the AU cardholder must be 13. My daughter is clearly nowhere near 13. She might hold the card but imagine her checking in at the lounge with her boarding pass. It won’t pass the smell test and consider the same would be true for children obviously far younger (think 3 or 4.) If the kid if 11 or 12, ok, but much younger – it won’t work. And if it doesn’t, I am out my $175 at least and still sitting outside the lounge.
Amex Plat is a supposed to be premium card. If you have them just for lounge access ,then this card isn’t for you. Amex devalued its platinum by whoring out to everyone, which caused the issue at hand. Glad they are doing something about it. No issue with families in the lounge, I plan to bring my wife and kid, but I pay to play 🙂
I agree with pay to play, except in this case I literally cannot.
@Kyle Maybe they are planning on doing away with the family rooms? That would cater to the business crowd by not only reducing overcrowding by reducing the number of people, but by claiming that space for the more impacted use.
Omg I really can’t believe this dialogue has gone on so long. This comment section is exhausting, and clearly there isn’t going to be anything one can say to convince Kyle that no one wants to be around his children when they are trying to have some peace and quiet on a layover.
Bottom line. You chose to have kids, deal with the well known consequences of having to be relegated to the world of other loud family environments. I’m sure you wouldn’t take a 6 year old into a 3 star Michelin restaurant. Same logic here. It would be extremely selfish and inconsiderate to do so.
Thank god AMEX is putting their foot down here.
I think Amex has erred on several levels.
1. We have no idea yet what post pandemic lounge usage patterns are going to look like. Overcrowding may not even be an issue again for a while.
2.I’d bet my right arm they haven’t looked at any data on who exactly is using up lounge space. Is it card holders and their families? Guests? AU’s? They should have started tracking all of this over the next year or so. That would have allowed them to take a more targeted approach. They would have been able to see that a card holder traveling with his wife and kids was such a small segment of the usage that they could have continued to allow this without materially impacting crowding. They might have found that AUs were a huge percentage of lounge users and that was what they needed to target.
3. If they did look at the data and have the numbers to show that what they are doing is in fact required then why not communicate that openly and honestly? If they could show that essentially barring families was in fact required to address overcrowding then it would be a far easier pill to swallow.
I’ve not been in a Centurion Lounge but I’m with you. I’d bet that families don’t have a material impact on lounge crowding. Since you can’t make kids into AU’s perhaps the best solution for Amex is to allow a card member or AU up to two children at a time. That of course assumes that this is an issue they care about at all. Which I doubt very much.
Collateral damage? And people thought only Matthew gave in to hyperbole…
@121pilot the Amex lounges are already overcrowded. It’ll surely be worse in a post COVID world. Last week, MIA had a wait of over an hour to get in. The wait at DFW has generally been around 30 minutes whenever I’ve been by over the past 6 weeks. OTOH I have never waited to get in to an AC in either airport.
Children may not consume much, but they do count as a person, and a quiet family of 5 counts for 5 people just as much as 5 solo cardholders. The difference in admitting the 5 cardholders is that you’ve admitted 5AFs vs 1 when the family is let in.
All this nonsense about families…let’s just put out this poorly-kept secret:
A fair number of biz travelers just don’t want to see kids in the CL. Full stop.
Aside from the capacity issues @Jerry mentions – which are absolutely well-founded, families aren’t the sole problem for overcrowding, and we all know that. I can imagine that everyone reading this has guested at least 1 or 2 people at one time or another. Heck, maybe even every time. And that’s because we biz travelers treat the CLs like “free” bars that also have a restaurant attached, and are an exclusive reprieve from the throngs of “infrequent travelers” – a term that often includes large families with children going on their annual [insert holiday] trip – that roam the rest of the airport. And they don’t want to ditch their colleagues when they head off to the CL for “free” booze and food. But they also don’t want to go somewhere that’s JUST LIKE the rest of the airport. This whole “families are causing overcrowding” argument is a red herring. And it’s perfectly okay to think kids don’t belong in the CL. And I agree. But let’s just be honest about it. Maybe AmEx agrees and that’s why families are being “disproportionally” affected.
Plus, it’s easier to kick out a loudmouthed, (drunk) adult a**hole than it is to tell parents that their (obviously precious and wonderful) loudmouthed, a**hole child needs to be quiet/calm down or risk expulsion. People almost expect kids to be loud, too, so the presumed probability that a child will be obnoxious is higher than that of a biz traveler hammering away on their laptop.
I have not had a problem with kids in Centurion lounges because I never saw that many. Pre-COVID, the problem was too many adults, period. Once the one in DCA opens, I can’t even imagine how crowded that one will be.
I also have no problem with military getting the plat card for free. I was never clear whether it was USAA, Penfed, or Amex that did that.
@Arthur, it’s a benefit offered by Amex for its own in-house cards with annual fees, to active duty military. USAA’s Amex network cards are issued by USAA, and PenFed doesn’t have any Amex cards anymore since the Pathfinder was converted to VISA.
@Jerry are those lounges operating at 100% capacity or do they have COVID related restrictions in place?
If the latter is true then it’s not a good measure of what things will be like as we return to normal.
^^^^This
@Arthur – That’s exactly my point. Not that many families are in there anyway, and the ones that wouldn’t qualify for an AU card are even smaller than that. This is why these families are collateral damage but not the intended target. This got lost on a few commenters.
@DCA Will Always Be National – A lot of those same business travelers don’t want to see kids in business class either, but that happens too. Just like there are poorly behaved children, there are poorly behaved adults on airplanes, in lounges, at restaurants – at the end of the day they are all just people.
You call it a red herring, I call it collateral damage – either way families with kids under 13 are not likely the intended target but are affected.
@S – From your comment “Bottom line. You chose to have kids, deal with the well-known consequences of having to be relegated to the world of other loud family environments. I’m sure you wouldn’t take a 6-year old into a 3 star Michelin restaurant. Same logic here. It would be extremely selfish and inconsiderate to do so.”
Maybe you’re new here, but our daughter has been joining us in the front of the plane and in Michelin-starred restaurants for a long time. If she can’t behave and we can’t control her we would leave the restaurant or offer our seats to someone in coach. Luckily (and with diligent parenting) we haven’t had that issue. But your assumptions are incorrect. Not everyone is just looking around for chicken nuggets and a ball pit for their kids or deciding they can’t enjoy nice things because they choose not to parent. Our kid eats broccoli willingly. This is a combination of her being amazing, but we have also enforced that this is what’s for dinner, it’s a combination of effort and luck.
That said, here is an exact counter to your assertion that we wouldn’t bring our child to a Michelin-starred restaurant. Here is a reflection on our trip to Gaggan in Bangkok, a two-star restaurant and at the time, voted the best in Asia and second-best in the world. https://bit.ly/3fbbU69