Amex Platinum Card Airport Lounge Access Guide

Link: Apply now for The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Platinum offers a variety of useful perks. I’d argue that the single best perk of the card is airport lounge access, so in this post I wanted to go over everything you need to know about accessing lounges with the US-issued version of the Amex Platinum. There’s not another card that offers such comprehensive access to airport lounges, in my opinion.

Which lounges can you visit with the Amex Platinum?

The Amex Platinum Card offers access to lounges across the global, thanks to the American Express Global Lounge Collection. In this post I wanted to go over all the details of this, including which lounges are included, how many guests you can bring into lounges, and what you need in order to gain access to these lounges.

With the Amex Platinum you can access Amex Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Plaza Premium Lounges, Escape Lounges, select Lufthansa Lounges, and more.

Note that lounge access perks are identical on The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review). On top of that, authorized users on the Amex Platinum also get the same lounge access benefits.

I’ll recap all the lounge access opportunities with the Amex Platinum below. If you just want to see which lounges you have access to by airport, you can check out the Amex Platinum lounge directory here.

Domestic Amex Centurion Lounges

The Amex Platinum offers access to Amex’s network of domestic Centurion Lounges:

• You can access Centurion Lounges when flying with any airline, as long as you have a boarding pass for a flight departing within three hours, or you’re connecting (you can’t use the lounge on arrival)
• If you spend at least $75,000 per calendar year on your eligible Amex Platinum Card, you can bring two guests into Centurion Lounges on a complimentary basis
• If you don’t reach the spending requirement, you can pay for guests — it’s $50 for each guest, or $30 for guests under the age of 18 (babies under two can be brought in at no extra cost)
• You need to present your Amex Platinum Card to be admitted; there’s no further registration required

Amex’s network of Centurion Lounges is known for offering great hot food and cocktails. It’s a significant step up over your typical domestic airport lounges. Currently there are over a dozen Centurion Lounge locations in the United States, including in Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas (DFW), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK & LGA), Philadelphia (PHL), Phoenix (PHX), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA).

International Amex Centurion Lounges

The Amex Platinum doesn’t just offer access to Amex’s Centurion Lounges in the United States, but also to the international network of lounges. Historically these were mostly referred to as American Express International Lounges, though in the meantime, most have been rebranded as Centurion Lounges.

• You can access Amex Centurion Lounges when flying with any airline, as long as you have a same day boarding pass
• Requirements regarding when you can visit lounges varies — some lounges can be accessed up to four hours before departure, while other lounges can be accessed up to three hours before departure
• Guesting privileges vary by lounge — some lounges allow no guests for free, others allow one guest for free, and some allow two guests for free
• You need to present your Amex Platinum to be admitted; there’s no further registration required

Amex’s network of international lounges includes locations in Buenos Aires (EZE), Delhi (DEL), Hong Kong (HKG), London (LHR), Melbourne (MEL), Mexico City (MEX), Monterrey (MTY) Mumbai (BOM), Sao Paulo (GRU), Stockholm (ARN), and Sydney (SYD).

Delta Sky Clubs

The Amex Platinum offers access to Delta Sky Clubs, with some restrictions:

• You can access Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta the same day, either on arrival or departure
• You can access lounges up to three hours prior to scheduled departure, or on arrival
• If you want to bring any guests with you, you’ll have to pay $50 per guest
• You need to present your Amex Platinum to be admitted (alternatively you can save your Amex Platinum to your Delta SkyMiles profile, and then you don’t even need to present the card); there’s no further registration required

Note that as of February 1, 2025, new Delta Sky Club access restrictions will be added for those with the Amex Platinum. Specifically, members will be limited to 10 Sky Club visits per year, unless they spend at least $75,000 per year on their card, in which case they can get unlimited visits.

Generally speaking Delta Sky Clubs are superior to American Admirals Clubs and United Clubs, and have helpful agents, solid complimentary food and drinks, and more. Currently there are over 50 Delta Sky Club locations, including at many major airports around the United States. The major issues with Sky Clubs is crowding, given the popularity of these lounges.

Priority Pass Select Lounges

The Amex Platinum offers a Priority Pass Select membership (Enrollment required), which works a bit differently than the rest of the card’s lounge access perks:

• You can access Priority Pass lounges when flying with any airline, as long as you have a same day boarding pass; however, individual lounges may restrict for how long you can access lounges, and also how long before departure you can access lounges (often access is limited to three hours)
• You need to register for a Priority Pass Select membership through your Amex Platinum account, and then you’ll be mailed a Priority Pass card; you’ll then use that card (rather than the Amex Platinum) to access Priority Pass lounges
• You can bring up to two guests with you at no additional cost, though individual lounges may limit guesting privileges beyond that
• Priority Pass Select memberships issued through the Amex Platinum aren’t eligible for complimentary access to some “experiences” lounges, including Priority Pass restaurants

As far as the registration process for Priority Pass goes, just log into your Amex Platinum account, and click on the “Benefits” tab.

Then scroll down until you see the enrollment link for Priority Pass Select. After you make the request, you should receive your Priority Pass card in the mail within 10-14 days.

Priority Pass is the world’s largest network of independent airport lounges, with over 1,300 lounges around the world. You can find all Priority Pass locations here, or you can always search the Amex Global Lounge Collection directory. The quality of Priority Pass Lounges varies greatly — some are great, while others, well, not so much.

Plaza Premium Lounges

The Amex Platinum offers access to Plaza Premium Lounges, with some restrictions:

• You can access Plaza Premium Lounges when flying with any airline, as long as you have a boarding pass for same day travel
• You can bring up to one guest with you at no additional cost
• You need to present your Amex Platinum to be admitted; there’s no further registration required

Plaza Premium Lounges are among the best contract lounges you’ll find out there. Currently, there are around 100 Plaza Premium Lounge locations, with the group being particularly popular in Asia and Europe. Furthermore, most Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses belong to Plaza Premium during select hours.

Note that while most Plaza Premium locations also belong to Priority Pass, in some cases you’ll find better entry policies for those accessing through Amex.

Escape Lounges

The Amex Platinum offers access to Escape Lounges in the United States, with some restrictions:

• You can access Escape Lounges when flying with any airline, as long as you have a boarding pass for same day travel
• You can bring up to two guests with you at no additional cost
• You need to present your Amex Platinum to be admitted; there’s no further registration required

Escape Lounges are becoming increasingly popular in the United States, with over a dozen locations, including in Cincinnati (CVG), Columbus (CMH), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP), Hartford (BDL), Minneapolis (MSP), Oakland (OAK), Phoenix (PHX), Providence (PVD), Reno (RNO), Sacramento (SMF), Syracuse (SYR), and and West Palm Beach (PBI).

While not quite as good as Centurion Lounges, I’ve found the food and service at Escape Lounges to be above average.

Select Lufthansa Lounges

The Amex Platinum offers access to select Lufthansa Lounges, with some restrictions:

• You can access Lufthansa Lounges when flying same day on Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian
• You can’t bring any complimentary guests into the lounge
• You need to present your Amex Platinum to be admitted; there’s no further registration required

The type of Lufthansa Lounge you can access depends on what cabin you’re traveling in:

• You can access Lufthansa Business Lounges with the Amex Platinum when flying economy class
• You can access Lufthansa Senator Lounges with the Amex Platinum when flying business class

You’ll want to check the Amex Global Lounge Collection directory to see which Lufthansa Lounges are participating at a given point. Well over a dozen Lufthansa Lounges are eligible right now — United States locations include Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), and Washington (IAD).

Does the Amex Platinum have the best lounge access benefit?

There are several premium credit cards nowadays that offer airport lounge access. Which card has the best lounge access plan really depends on what you’re looking for.

On balance, I’d say no other card can compete with the Amex Platinum when it comes to the selection of lounges you have access to. Obviously there’s no “one size fits all” card for lounge access, but at a minimum no other card is as well rounded as the Amex Platinum.

Like many cards, the Amex Platinum offers a Priority Pass membership, but what sets this card apart is everything beyond that. The Amex Platinum offers access to Amex Centurion Lounges, access to Plaza Premium Lounges, access to Escape Lounges, etc.

How do to the two other most popular premium credit cards compare?

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (review) offers a Priority Pass membership, as well as access to Chase Sapphire Lounges; while Chase Sapphire Lounges are great, the lounge network is still quite small
• The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) (Rates & Fees) offers a Priority Pass membership, access to Plaza Premium Lounges, and access to Capital One Lounges; Capital One Lounges are excellent, but the network is quite small

Bottom line

In my opinion, Amex Platinum Card offers the most comprehensive airport lounge access perks of any premium credit card. In addition to a Priority Pass membership (which is pretty standard among premium cards), you also get access to Amex Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Escape Lounges, select Lufthansa Lounges, and more. You can’t beat just how well-rounded the lounge access offered by the card is.

If you have the Amex Platinum, do you value the airport lounge access benefit? Do you think there’s a better card for airport lounge access?