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Starting yesterday, only holders of The Platinum Card® from American Express that spent over $75,000 last year are allowed to bring in two guests on a complimentary basis. All others will need to pay $50 for adults and $30 for children under 18. Children under two will remain free. I have been following reports from people posting on FlyerTalk, the card’s unofficial Facebook group, and Live and Let’s Fly all reporting that the lounges seem much less crowded.
While the data from yesterday and today is not enough to say that the change is actually having an impact, it’s promising. We’ll see what people report around weekend access for Las Vegas or primetime at SFO or JFK.
Anthony’s Take: I’m hoping that the changes to the guest access policy will continue to ease the crowding and help the lounges to go back to being great places to work, rest, and enjoy a great meal before a flight without having to jockey for seats.
Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: I make it a point to always book my flights with The Platinum Card® from American Express as I earn 5X Membership Rewards® points when I purchase these directly from the airline or American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year). This was enough to push me past the $75,000 threshold and grant my guests free access to these fabulous lounges through 1/31/24.
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2 comments
Much less crowded than when? The first day of the new policy was Feb 1 which is a Wednesday which is typically one of the least traveled days. The real comparison will be over Presidents Day weekend.
Hilarious you bloggers running with this click bait story. Mr Lee is on point with his comment. It was a WEDNESDAY in early February. Of course there won’t be crowds.