Amex Platinum Card
Fair warning, I’m still in the honeymoon phase with my refreshed Amex Platinum card. Maybe some of you can relate. I found the changes on the consumer Platinum version overwhelmingly positive, and the Business card ain’t too shabby, either. Amex is speaking my language with the personal card changes, perhaps because I’ve spent years learning to speak theirs. The bank has goosed some benefits I’m already acquainted with, and certain new ones feel familiar thanks to other cards in the bank’s portfolio. Of course, this refresh doesn’t (and, practically, can’t) come with a complete overhaul of the card’s biggest weakness – the underwhelming Centurion Lounge experience. But with this refresh, that means even less to me now.
Amex Centurion Lounges Are Just Okay…
I, certain others who do stuff on the internet for money, and many of you have bemoaned what Centurion Lounges have become. It’s truly disappointing, as Amex had been perhaps the earliest of trendsetters when the bank introduced Centurion Lounges. Amex pushed other banks like Chase and Capital One to create completely new offerings and benefits they probably wouldn’t have otherwise. But in my recent experiences, Chase’s Sapphire Lounges have easily outperformed Centurion ones. Capital One’s unique lounge experiences are worth a visit at least once, even if they aren’t what they once were. (And I can’t get in anymore, anyway.)
Amex’s Centurion Lounges appear to have more prominent issues with overcrowding and customer satisfaction than other banks’ clubs. Perhaps we should expect a bit of that. With 15 lounges domestically and the same number of international locations, Amex offers substantially more lounge options than other banks. With more product, more opportunity for disappointment exists. On the flip side, one can naturally point out that Amex also has more opportunities to impress.
I won’t get into my disappointing experiences today, as you can read plenty about that here and there. And, obviously, the situation’s not great when a Centurion fails a health inspection. But even with this decline – and when they’re open – I’ve been satisfied enough with Centurions as long as I keep my expectations low.
And That’s Been Okay…
So then, I’ve been fine being unimpressed. That’s also because I haven’t ever highly valued Centurion access. In early 2023, I valued lounge access granted by the Platinum card at a mere $50 – across Centurion, Sky Clubs, Priority Pass options, etc. I really didn’t need much, if anything, to justify paying the annual fee on my Schwab Platinum. Indeed, I also know I don’t need to care about all of a given card’s benefits, just enough of them.
Beyond longer, infrequent stays at ATL or CLT locations, I primarily, briefly pass through Centurions on the way to other club options. I’ll grab a cappuccino, maybe something sweet and small, momentarily gaze out a window, and be on my way. I actually prefer airline lounges these days for certain tailored flight assistance bank clubs can’t provide. I’m fine with that arrangement.
Maybe I’m Even More Lenient Now…
But with last week’s arrival of increased Platinum benefit value, I’ll probably be even more tolerant of Centurion shortcomings. I haven’t visited one since, but that’s what I think right now, at least. Overnight, my wife and I are easily getting way more out of the Platinum than we did before. The $200 annual fee hike “con” is a petty difference compared to everything in the “pro” column.
Regarding Amex lounge issues, I recall dreaming aloud years ago on the Spending Time podcast, only half-joking about wanting to see a Platinum card with a $1k annual fee. Could such an annual fee thin out the lounge herd, effectively allowing Platinum loyalists to buy their way out of the crowding issues? (Centurion cardholders more easily do that with their cordoned-off areas.) I’d like to think we’ll see fewer in lounges due to the $895 annual fee, but that probably won’t happen.
Regardless, I’ll sit back, relax, and settle for the imperfect Centurion Lounges even more than I did before, fully knowing the card is exceedingly delivering for me in a plethora of other ways. Amex has generally addressed most all previous Platinum weaknesses I saw, with Centurion Lounges as the exception. But that shortcoming’s probably not as glaring for me now as it once was. And pretty much anything Amex does in the future to incrementally improve Centurions will seem bigger to me than it actually is.
Amex Platinum Card – Conclusion
I think Amex knows exactly what it’s doing here. The bank knows solving their lounge conundrum is a quite larger task than improving other card benefits. In my view, they’ve overdelivered on the latter to compensate for the challenges of the former. I’m happy enough everywhere else with the Platinum to put up with any Centurion inconveniences. Possible Centurion dissatisfaction won’t be the reason I cancel a Platinum card. It seems Amex is betting on such a cardholder sentiment.
Has the new Amex Platinum refresh changed your view of Centurion Lounges? If so, how?
By adding benefits that are hard to use for most people the platinum cards become less valuable. If I didn’t have to try and break even I wouldn’t typically shop at Saks, Lululemon and I would rarely eat at a Resy restaurant on purpose and not be able to use my Gold card which is more points per $. I probably wouldn’t belong to Walmart+ or subscribe to most of the streaming services, although I did get value out of XM radio before they killed that one off. I do get value out of CLEAR reimbursement but it’s hard to explain to my wife why I should visit the Amex lounge by myself since I don’t spend enough on the card when we can simply go to the AA lounge or many priority lounges I have access to. The airline credit which I do value and as an easy offset used to be easy to use but I’ve had to fight for the last few years to get them to credit stuff like seat fees to work. That brings me to the hotel benefits, now $600 per year but the problem I have is that every time I try to use it, the hotels I find are all like $500+ a night which is higher than I typically spend anyway. So I book a $600 per night and get $300 back so I ‘only’ spent $300 because I didn’t get the best rate as I had to book it through Amex travel and had to prepay it…I like the platinum card at $500 per year and less benefits, not at $895 + additional cardholders at a ridiculous rate. Frankly I like my Gold Amex better but I’m sure they will ruin that soon.
Note I didn’t even mention most of the garbage stuff they offer as benefits. Those are like the old entertainment book coupons that never got torn out. My annual Platinum fee comes due in January so I’m going to go out of my way to milk everything I can until then as some sort of game that is starting to be a little masochistic. Uber… yes, Equinox…forget it.
Dan,
Thanks for chiming in. “Hard to use for most people” – hmmm. Definitely YMMV and a personal decision for each individual to uniquely value and consider. I respect the decision for your situation!
If the card isn’t a fit for your circumstances, it’s not. And, that’s okay. And, you move on. What I’ve seen in so many comments is that because the card is not a fit for that reader, it’s a terrible card and it can’t possibly be good for anyone else.
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I have a friend who is not really in the hobby, doesn’t travel much, and is annual fee sensitive. But, he’s keeping the card.
Digital entertainment credit – $300 – no effort
Walmart+ (for the free streaming) – which he values at $60 – no effort
Uber (Eats) credit – $200 – he uses it to buy lunch once a month
Resy credit – which he values at $200 – easy for him to use
Airline reimbursement credit – $200 – easy for him to use
Maybe his wife buys something at Lululemon. Which would be gravy.
With nothing more, he’s there.
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For me, I’ll get the full $400 out of Resy. I’ll get the full $300 out of Lulu. I’ll get the full $100 out of Saks. Etc. (Some of it has to do with “strategies” that are best not discussed in a public forum. And, they are easily captured.) With little effort, I’ll likely NET about $1400 over the annual fee. When the refresh was still in the rumor phase, my wife upgraded her Gold to Platinum. With little effort, she will likely net about $1200 over the annual fee. And, maybe we get an additional Platinum just for the coupons. But, I will not impose our success on anyone else and say “if it’s good for me, it must be good for you.”
All the best.
I’ve visited a number of Centurion Lounges. The overall experience at each of the Centurion Lounges was much the same and was , , , well . . . not my vibe. Now, I simply don’t use them. To me, they are an embarrassment to the Amex brand.
Lee,
I hear you there. But I’ll hold out for any morsel of improvement while taking advantage of enough of the other Platinum perks.
Oh, I LOVE the Platinum Card’s refresh. I use the Delta lounges and the Escape lounges. And, the coupon book is great.