I just found a superb airport lounge that had better food than American Express Centurion Lounges but was empty…totally empty. Ontario International Airport, in Southern California’s Inland Empire, offers and Escape Lounge in Terminal 2. It’s not part of the...
“Minor Refurbishment” In American Express Centurion Lounge Seattle
The American Express Centurion Lounge in Seattle is temporarily closed. But the reason why is a head-scratcher. The AMEX Centurion Lounge in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has been closed since Monday. AMEX provided little info on why except this short...
New American Express Lounge Policy Is Absurd
American Express announced fairly draconian new Centurion Lounge access restrictions yesterday. I view the policy change as a huge mistake. First, I note that American Express has recognized the problem of overcrowding and is attempting to ameliorate it. That...
A Timely Suggestion For American Express
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...
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...
Why I’m Excited About the New LAX American Express Lounge
American Express officially announced today it will open a lounge at LAX in 2019. We’ve known about this lounge for several months thanks to various leaks from LAX board meetings, but the official announcement comes with exciting details. First,...
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...
Matthew is Wrong – Hyatt Buying Starwood Benefits Customers
Earlier today I posted about Hyatt potentially buying Starwood hotels as reported by CNBC. Then Matthew from Live and Let’s Fly here on Upgrd wrote this post. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both...
A tour of Hyatt Hotels
If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. After many years of wallowing around in the mire of other programs, I have...