Amex Platinum Lounge Access Guide (Beyond Centurion Lounges) [2019]

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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. 

The Platinum Card from American Express is the best credit card for lounge access, at least in my opinion. Many people only think about Centurion Lounge access or maybe Priority Pass and Delta SkyClub access when it comes to lounge access offered by the Platinum Card. But there are actually many more different types of lounges you can access with this card.

In this article, I’ll cover all of these different types of lounges and walk you through what you can expect at these lounges in terms of quality and guest policies. Be sure to check out the YouTube video at the end as well! 

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Authorized users

One great thing about the Platinum Card is that authorized users are given full access to these lounges just as the primary cardmember is. You can add up to 3 authorized users for $175, so this can be a great way to receive a lot of value if you’ve got friends or family that you trust and want to offer these perks to.

Centurion Lounge access

Amex Centurion Lounges are among the nicest lounges in the US. They are nicely designed lounges with free wifi, hot food, and drinks including alcohol.

Many have showers and some of the lounges, like at MIA and DFW, offer enhanced amenities such as spa facilities. Each Centurion lounge makes their own specialty cocktails and they are often very good (and strong). The food can be a bit hit or miss at times but it’s generally better than the finger foods/snacks you find at many other lounges in the US.

Here are all of the current locations for Centurion Lounges:

The Centurion Lounge is coming soon to DEN, JFK, LAX, LHR, and CLT.
 
Amex Centurion lounge at IAH.

You must bring your Platinum Card with you to gain access to the Centurion Lounge (along with your same-day boarding pass). If you happen to forget your Platinum Card, some agents will be okay with verifying your ID and still allowing you in but that’s not guaranteed so don’t relay on it.

You are allowed to bring in two guests, regardless of familial status. You used to be able to bring in unlimited immediate family members but, to the dismay of many, American Express changed that policy to only allow two complimentary guests total. If you want to bring in an additional cost, it will cost you a pretty penny at $50 per person.

Although I love Centurion Lounges, there is one major drawback to them.

They can get very crowded, especially during peak business traveler times. This can make finding a place to rest and enjoy a meal or drink virtually impossible. Sometimes these crowds are so bad you don’t even want to step foot inside the lounge. However, in early mornings, early afternoons, and evenings, I found the crowds to be much more manageable.

Amex has recently imposed admission limits to those passengers departing within 3 hours at some lounges to deal with crowds and I’ve even heard that they’ve discussed requiring reservations during some times so I’m sure Amex will continue to experiment with ways to deal with overcrowding.

Las Vegas Centurion Lounge.

Overall, I think that if you frequent or even semi-frequent an airport with a Centurion Lounge, the experience can make worth holding on to the Platinum Card, considering all of the other benefits too.

International American Express Lounges

You’ll also find International American Express lounges across the globe.

  • Buenos Aires (EZE)
  • São Paulo (GRU)
  • Mexico City (MEX)
  • Monterrey (MTY)
  • Toluca (TLC)
  • Delhi (DEL)
  • Mumbai (BOM)
  • Sydney (SYD)
  • Melbourne (MEL)
  • Stockholm (ARN)

The quality and amenities offered by these lounges may vary. For example, some are smaller than US Centurion Lounges and may require you to pay for certain food or drink items, but they generally appear to be of decent quality and thus often worth a visit, assuming you don’t have access to a superior lounge.

I recently visited the Sydney Centurion Lounge on a layover and it was nice to have a lounge to access to freshen up for a flight and get a quick bite but the lounge got very packed, the food was pretty basic, and the shower situation was a bit odd. So I wouldn’t look forward to visiting these lounges in the same way I would a “real” Centurion Lounge.

Sydney Centurion Lounge.

Priority Pass Select

The other major lounge benefit with the Platinum Card is that you get Priority Pass Select, which is a $400 a year pass that comes complimentary with the Platinum Card. This pass gets you access to over 1,000 lounges worldwide. One thing you must remember, is that you have to register for your Priority Pass either online or by calling in. Otherwise, you won’t receive a card and won’t be able to access these lounges.

The guest policy for the Platinum Card’s priority pass was also recently updated, so now you can bring in two guests for free (as opposed to before when you were only allowed one guest).

You must have your Priority Pass card with you when you to gain entrance into the lounge. There’s also a Priority Pass app so you can show them your “e-card” but note that not all Priority Pass lounges are able to scan these so it’s best to keep your card on you.

The quality of these lounges vary dramatically. Generally, I’ve found that the Priority Pass lounges within the US are not very great and can also have crowding issues or access restrictions where you’re not even allowed in.

The Club at MCO, a Priority Pass lounge.

Internationally, however, some of these lounges can be fantastic. If you’re planning any kind of long trip around the globe, having access to these lounges can be invaluable. 

Bidvest Premier Lounge in Cape Town, South Africa.

Priority Pass can also get you access into other VIP-like perks. For example, when flying into MBJ in Jamaica, your Priority Pass gets you into the expedited line for security (as well as the VIP lounge, which is quite nice especially for Caribbean standards).

Delta Sky Clubs

To gain access to Delta Sky Clubs, you must be flying with Delta on that day.  Unfortunately, guests are not complimentary and you’ll have to shell out $29 for each guest to come in to the lounge with you. The good thing about the Platinum Card is once again, authorized users are given this perk, too, so if your travel partner has a Platinum Card they can get in for free, too.

Image via Delta News.

Delta SkyClubs are pretty solid lounges compared to other what other domestic carriers offer and you should be able to get free drinks and snacks.

Airspace lounges

The Platinum Card also offers access to Airspace lounges. There are currently only a couple these lounges and they are found in Cleveland and San Diego. The lounges offer basic snacks and drinks but as a Platinum cardmember, you’ll be given a $10 credit that you can use towards food and drinks, which should be enough to cover a light meal.

The Card Member’s spouse and children under the age of 21 or up to two companions may enter the club as complimentary guests.

Airspace lounge in San Diego. Image via San Diego International Airport.

Escape Lounges

As one of the recent upgrades to the Platinum Card, it now offers access to Escape Lounges, too.

Escape Lounges can be found at:

  • Bradley International Airport (BDL) (which is near Hartford, Connecticut)
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
  • Oakland International Airport (OAK)
  • Reno-Tahoe Airport (RNO)
  • Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)

There are also a few in Ontario and the UK at London Stansted, Manchester, and East Midlands.

Entry to some of these would cost your $40-45 to enter these lounges so these were nice additions to the Platinum’s lounge network.

The BDL and MSP lounges were part of the Priority Pass network but MSP was recently dropped, so now you would gain access to that lounge by your Platinum Card instead of Priority Pass. These lounges are generally regarded as quality lounges, although you have to pay for certain premium items.

You can bring two guests with you to these lounges.

Plaza Premium Lounges

Plaza Premium Lounges can often be accessed with Priority Pass so there’s a large overlap with lounge benefits here. However, there are some lounges that are only accessible with the Platinum Card so you do get access to more venues. But in addition to that, sometimes access is restricted for Priority Pass members but not Platinum members and as a Platinum cardmember, you might be given more benefits (unlimited free drinks, etc.).

These lounges are largely found in Asia but you can find some in other locations like Europe and South America. You can search for locations here.

Card Members may bring up to 1 companion into Plaza Premium Lounges as complimentary guests.

Lufthansa Lounge access

With the Platinum Card you can also get special Lufthansa Lounge access.

As part of The American Express Global Lounge Collection, you can get access to select Lufthansa airport lounges in the satellite area of T2 in Munich Airport 6/1/18-5/31/19, and in Terminal 1 Concourse B of Frankfurt Airport 6/1/18-3/31/19.

Platinum Card Members may enjoy access to Lufthansa Business Lounges (regardless of ticket class) and Lufthansa Senator Lounges (when flying business class) in the Satellite area of T2 in Munich Airport, and T1 Concourse B in Frankfurt Airport.

To access the Lufthansa lounges, Platinum Card Member must present a government issued I.D., a same-day boarding pass showing confirmed reservation on a Lufthansa Group flight (Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian airlines) and a valid Platinum Card.

Lounge access is for Card Members departing from Munich and Frankfurt only.

It’s not clear is Amex is going to renew access to these lounges in the future but it will be interesting to follow what happens.

“Hidden” lounge benefits

I’m always surprised how many cardholders aren’t even aware of the many hidden benefits of the Platinum Card. Beyond the lounge networks above, there are actually several other lounges where you can get access with your Platinum Card. Just keep in mind that these less-advertised perks may be subject to change since they are not highly publicized.

Not all of these lounges will offer full complimentary service. For example, for the Centurion Suite at the Staples Center, the terms state:

This VIP space offers a full service bar with a complete selection of finely crafted cocktails, beer & wine, and an array of non-alcoholic beverages for purchase. Guests can also purchase and order premium food items from the bar, prepared by renowned Levy Restaurants Chef Joseph Martin.

Final Word

I think that the Platinum Card is probably the best card for lounge access. While other cards like the Sapphire Reserve and Citi Prestige offer Priority Pass, the Platinum Card goes beyond that with its quality Centurion Lounges and other lounges located throughout the US and the world. So while the value of lounge access comes down to use, I think these lounge benefits provide me with more than enough value to hang on to the Platinum Card even with its high annual fee.