The American Express Centurion Lounge is the pure epitome of luxury for frequent travelers looking to for the relaxation among that dreadfully strenuous flight. Those with a Platinum, Business Platinum, or Centurion Card will receive access to the centurion lounge as one of the back-bone perks, however, in recent years, popularity among the card has turned to an all out over-crowding of the once prestigious luxuriate.
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Eligible Credit Cards:
- Platinum Card from American Express
- Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN
- American Express Centurion (Black Card)
Alternative Credit Cards:
This section is for alternative premium credit cards that we believe to rival the Platinum/Business Platinum;
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Citi Prestige® Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World EliteTM MasterCard®
- Chase Ink Business PreferredSM Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
Major Changes To Centurion Lounge Guest Policy:
In an effort to reduce lounge over-crowding, starting March 30, 2017, the AMEX Centurion guest policy will receive quite the rendering. Previously, primary cardholders were able to access the lounge along with two guest being either two guests or immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, or child under 18) instantiating that more than two guest could have access to the lounge if you had a significant other and more than one child in your party.
After March 30, you can’t bring two guest AND immediate family, affecting those with a family of 4+ quite significantly. Of course, you would be able to add an authorized user for $175 with an additional guest costing $50 per visit, however, this has led many prominent family-travelers to assume that AMEX is not family-friendly and with the annual fee increase to $550 that is going to hit in the near months or so, quite a sum of individuals find no use keeping the card for a longer term. In this case, more presumably, you could say that American Express’s intentions were sought-after.
Moreover, it seems like most of us have forgotten the appeal that the lounge has brought us for so many years. The lounge is solely intended to be a resting area for business and other frequent travelers to peacefully unwind, or do any work-related matters necessary. In a hope to find a solution towards this change in policy, I must add that AMEX could limit the amount of visits for guest rather than an all-out limit on how many are bought in at a time, however, I feel that with any move, folks would be dissatisfied. There’s no denying the over-crowding and maybe, such a move is necessary in order to preserve the lounge’s environment.
Editor’s Note: We’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. If you have anything you want to mention, then please be sure to post a comment in the comment section below!
Conclusion:
The once-glorious Centurion Lounge has seen it’s fair share of business and family related travelers. However, with the lounge receiving such the hype, individuals have resorted to referring the lounge as a zoo rather than the reminiscent resting area it used to be. Now, considering the lounge as a zoo is quite far-stretched, but it does get the point across, definitely for AMEX as they introduce a policy change limiting primary Platinum cardholders to just two guest. Keep in mind that adding an authorized user can rake you a one-time $175 + $50 per visit for that guest. This will prominently affect families consisting of 4+, however, it may very well be necessary in order to preserve the former lounge experience. Don’t forget to check out our complete list of Credit Card Promotions for other bonuses and offers.
