We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

AMEX Centurion Lounges Are a Victim of Their Own Success

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

    Airport lounges are a great place to unwind and enjoy plentiful seating, free drinks and snacks, and fast Wi-Fi – until they’re not.  And that’s what AMEX is facing with their ever-popular Centurion Lounges, which you can access if you have AMEX cards like the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or The Platinum Card® from American Express.

    Despite adding new locations at a rapid clip, and expanding others, it’s not enough.  The lounges are so popular, it’s hard to get a seat.  Or even get through the door!

    Even newly-added restrictions aren’t enough to thin the crowds.  So what’s AMEX to do?

    A Rare Glimpse of Open Seating at an AMEX Centurion Lounge

    Let’s take a look at the current state of these popular lounges.

    AMEX Can’t Keep up With Demand for Centurion Lounges

    Link:   How to Find AMEX Platinum Airport Lounges

    Every business wants to create a product they run out of because demand is so high.  But in the case of AMEX Centurion Lounges, when does the popularity begin to damper the experience for cardholders?  We might already be there, unfortunately.

    Some lounges are limiting entry by timing a visit based on departure, charging for extra guests, and only accepting outbound boarding passes.  But it isn’t enough to improve the experience.

    Finding a Seat Can Actually Be Stressful at Peak Travel Times.  That’s NOT What a Lounge Is Supposed to Do!

    I give them credit for recent openings in Philadelphia and Hong Kong, and planned locations next year for Denver, Los Angeles, and New York-JFK.  They’re doing their best to keep up with the ravenous demand.

    And I understand why folks want in.  They serve full meals, buffet-style, in most locations.  And serve fancy craft cocktails for the low price of $0.  Throw in a few other perks, like a mini spa treatments and oversized comfy chairs, and it’s easy to see why folks love spending time in an airport oasis.

    Last time I was at the Centurion Lounge in Miami, it was standing room only.  I grabbed a drink and finished it while hunting for an open seat.  After circling a few times, I gave up and went to my gate to get some work done.  The noise level was comparable in both spots.  I lamented how popular the lounge was.  And how it was no longer a peaceful place to unwind, but actually a source of stress before flying.

    Had a similar experience at the New York- La Guardia location, too…

    What’s AMEX to Do?

    There was talk about letting cardholders book a spot in advance via the AMEX app.  But that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

    They’ve already limited entry to folks with The Platinum Card® from American Express, one of its personal cards, or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.  If you have another AMEX card, they won’t even sell you a day pass any more.

    One solution would be to simply limit the number of visits for cardholders.  Because right now, you can get unlimited visits (if you can get through the door).

    The Easiest Solution Would Be to Put a Cap on Visits

    Someone who travels every week for work could theoretically use the perk 100+ times per year if they visit the lounge before and after each flight.  Adding a weekly, monthly, or even yearly cap would prevent folks from popping in and taking up a seat for quick visits.

    And if you went over your number of allotted visits, you could get entry if space allows, or pay a fee to get in.

    As it stands, I don’t mind that AMEX is limiting entry to within 2 to 3 hours of a flight’s scheduled departure.  That prevents people from holding seats and tables for several hours.

    What else could AMEX do to prevent overcrowding in their lounges?  Have you had a good or bad experience at a Centurion Lounge lately?

    If you’re ready to travel in luxury for less than the price of economy, subscribe to our newsletter for the latest money saving tricks!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)