It’s also likely that Amex believes they went too far in that decision, and this targeted offer is a way to bridge the gap. Final ThoughtsĪmerican Express implemented a requirement on February 1 that you would need to spend $75,000 on your lounge-eligible Amex card in order to be allowed the privilege of guesting in 2 people. Adding an authorized user to your Amex Platinum card or Amex Business Platinum card could be another option to bypass these recurring guest fees. Hot Tip: If you weren’t targeted for this offer, the guest fee is now $50 per adult and $30 per child between 2 to 17 years old. By providing seamless access for guests and a good lounge experience, those guests may apply for the card on their own.Īmerican Express lounges, like pretty much every airline-owned club, have recently been overrun with members and guests, to the point where customers have had to wait in long lines, put their names on waiting lists - or worse - not utilize the lounge at all. Remember, this is a way American Express can market to non-cardholders easily.

They want to incentivize the cardholder’s network to encourage those guests to get the card for themselves.They believe the cardholder has spent enough overall on American Express cards, instead of 1 single card.While it’s anyone’s guess as to why American Express would suddenly want to offer guest access, there are likely a few reasons American Express might be exploring to target this offer: Image Credit: Juan Ruiz via American Express You may want to check your email to see if you were targeted, but outside of that, there isn’t a way to request this special opportunity. There doesn’t appear to be a defined pattern for how American Express is targeting cardholders, but those that were selected will have received an email titled, “You’re now eligible for complimentary guest access to The Centurion Lounge.” In that email, it describes to holders of the Amex Platinum card and the Amex Business Platinum card how they can receive complimentary guest access for up to 2 people through January 31, 2024.

Now, in a very unexpected move, American Express appears to be issuing targeted guest lounge access to cardholders who haven’t met the annual spending requirement yet. While this was disappointing news to some, this new guest policy has allowed the lounges to reduce crowding significantly. American Express officially closed off Centurion Lounge access to cardholders of The Platinum Card ® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express on February 1, 2023, unless they spent $75,000 or more per year on the card.

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