American Express is cutting one of its longstanding but lesser known lounge arrangements, and it’s a change cardmembers likely won’t be happy about.
In this post:
Amex loses access to select Lufthansa lounges
The Amex Platinum Card and Amex Centurion Card have what’s known as the Global Lounge Collection, whereby your card gets you access to a variety of airline lounges.
Up until now, this program has included access to select Lufthansa lounges. Specifically, when flying any Lufthansa Group airline, you could access Lufthansa lounges under the following circumstances:
- Those with the Amex Platinum Card can access Lufthansa Business Lounges when flying economy
- Those with the Amex Platinum Card can access Lufthansa Senator Lounges when flying business class
- Those with the Amex Centurion Card can access Lufthansa First Lounges, regardless of the class they’re traveling in; Lufthansa only has First Lounges in Frankfurt and Munich, and the First Class Terminal is excluded from this agreement
Unfortunately this benefit won’t be around much longer, as reflected in the terms & conditions of Amex’s lounge program. As of October 1, 2026, Amex and Lufthansa will be ending their lounge agreement, meaning that the Amex Platinum Card will no longer offer access to any Lufthansa lounge locations (unless they participate in Priority Pass, in which case there’s still potentially indirect access).
I don’t like to see this change, but on the plus side…
I’m obviously not a fan of this perk being cut. It was pretty awesome for those with the Amex Platinum Card (since we could even get a lounge “upgrade” if traveling in business class), and I know those with the Amex Centurion Card also loved their elevated lounge access.
I’m curious if Amex or Lufthansa pushed for this agreement to end. I have to imagine that Lufthansa either didn’t want to extend the agreement anymore, or demanded more money than Amex was willing to pay. Then again, I have a hard time imagining Lufthansa turning down a revenue stream, so I’m not sure what to make of that.
I do think some actual Lufthansa frequent flyers will be happy about this policy change. Lufthansa lounges tend to be very crowded, so this should reduce crowding in some small way. However, I think only a very small percentage of passengers access Lufthansa lounges this way, so I wouldn’t expect it to be a game changer, or anything.
Bottom line
As of October 1, 2026, premium Amex cards will no longer offer access to Lufthansa lounges. This was a longstanding agreement, so I’m sad to see it finally pulled, after so many years. Ultimately these kinds of partnerships do change over time as strategic interests evolve, so this isn’t actually too surprising. But still…
What do you make Amex & Lufthansa cutting ties on lounge access?
In Europe this was super handy benefit. I have been to lounges in FRA, MUC, DUS, LHR while traveling Y. So losing this benefit is a bummer.
As a German Amex Plat user based in Frankfurt, this benefit was one of the main reasons to keep the card despite crappy transfer ratios and loss of other benefits plus the increase of the annual fees. Time to get rid of the card
My cousin quite often took short haul flights on Lufthansa for work, and this Amex benefit worked really well for them at LHR and MUC.
Shame to see it end!
Back in 2019, my family and I were connecting through Frankfurt, and I remember how amazed my parents were when I showed them that we could get free lounge access just from the credit card that they held! I think this was one of the first times that they saw the benefit to me reading so much about this stuff growing up, and they are now much more interested and ask about potential lounge access...
Back in 2019, my family and I were connecting through Frankfurt, and I remember how amazed my parents were when I showed them that we could get free lounge access just from the credit card that they held! I think this was one of the first times that they saw the benefit to me reading so much about this stuff growing up, and they are now much more interested and ask about potential lounge access and other perks before any trip that they do. It's a shame that the partnership is going away, especially since it seemed to be a small group of passengers accessing it this way, but I'm glad that we at least had it for so long.
No!!! My Luftwaffles! Boo... hiss....
May of the LH outstation lounges are dumps (I'm looking at you, IAD), so no great loss.
The CDG one is a dungeon (or at least used to be one when I visited in 2019- I'm still recovering from the trauma).
LH IAD is closed for renovation. So there is hope…
AmEx cardholders won’t be missed!
Eyy, Endre... why doncha go home and getcha... shine-box!!
Actually, any reduction in overcrowded LH lounges is welcome.
They aren't great, true, but for those who have to have a proper ticket to enter in such lounge only to find that there is no seat available, this new rule not so bad.
What makes you think that the percentage of AMEX customers in those lounges is 'very small'? Had it been negligible, the arrangement would've carried on due to inertia/status quo bias.
This isn't about keeping the DUS lounge empty during a cold Tuesday afternoon in February - it's about stopping FRA lounges getting swamped with hordes of intercontinental visitors during periods of peak demand, particularly in the summer season. This would be especially true if, as...
What makes you think that the percentage of AMEX customers in those lounges is 'very small'? Had it been negligible, the arrangement would've carried on due to inertia/status quo bias.
This isn't about keeping the DUS lounge empty during a cold Tuesday afternoon in February - it's about stopping FRA lounges getting swamped with hordes of intercontinental visitors during periods of peak demand, particularly in the summer season. This would be especially true if, as travel-dealz has noted, the exclusion only seems to apply to cards issued in the USA.
I think it's a rare customer-friendly move by the airline as it demonstrates a commitment to prioritising frequent LH/*A pax (even including those who only hold FTL status, whose AFKL/IAG equivalents don't get any access) over casual visitors.
Problem is you can’t buy first class tickets for intra eu flights
Downgraded lounge experience loading. Goodbye first class lounge, hello senator lounge.
On the bright side - I no longer need to prioritise LH tickets in Europe or force MUC/FRA stopovers
Lufthansa lounges aren't great and at many airport locations, AMEX cardholders could only access them during non peak hours.