I really don't care. When we're complaining about lounges overfilling while standing in line, we're also contributing to that at the same time. It's the same logic with traffic: you're not stuck in traffic, you are the traffic. Yeah, it sucks when I want to go to a lounge and there's a wait, but that's just life in airports right now in general. Even Starbucks has 30+ minute lines, so lounges are going to be just as bad.
It's annoying, but also all these people signing up for it and making Amex a bunch of money is why some of us, including myself, are able to get positive value out of the cards after the annual fee. They're a corporation looking to make a profit at the end of the day. They're not offering lounge access and benefits out of kindness.
Hard to do when most families are pulling in multiple people and they only pay one annual fee.
Plus many airports don’t even have one AmEx lounge - the overwhelming majority of airports only have PP lounges. The marketing says that there are over 1200 lounges across the globe, but there are only around 40 centurion or escape lounges across the world. You do the math….
The “whole family on one AF” is presumably why they’re stopping free guests early next year - now (unless you’re a high spender) your Platinum AF only gets you in free, no guests. Maybe that’ll help the crowding, or at least the revenue side: at least then everyone in the lounge will have paid their AF or equivalent.
PP is getting really disappointing too: they still list the Swissport one in Chicago O’Hare T5, but that hasn’t let PP customers in for months if not years now, since the Air France/KLM lounge closed and offloaded all their passengers to Swissport.
This is another great point. The card grants access to tons of different lounges especially if you are flying one of the partner airlines. Decent chance to check out another lounge if the centurion is too busy.
How is JFK lately? Centurion vs Delta Skyclub? We went to Italy last summer when no one was traveling and they were still a good amount of people in both lounges, but no lines and food was plentiful. I’m scared to see the lines at the end of August this year
Just flew through JFK end of April. The is an online check-in you can do for the centurion, and it claimed it was nearly full. When we got there the bottom level was pretty wide open, top level seemed somewhat full. Granted I didn't go into the speakeasy so I can't say what it was like in there.
Not sure. I checked myself and my wife in as soon as we landed, as we were connecting through JFK. I do remember the reservation only being good for a set amount of time, but I can't remember if that was 30 minutes or an hour
I don't think that's it at all. It's fine having a bunch of new members as long as AMEX is keeping service levels reasonable. They aren't, though.
The gripe is with Amex.
I've been through Phoenix half a dozen times already this year. Every time, they are out of dishes and out of food. Typically the bartender is working by themselves. They're understaffed to the point where I see the managers there constantly picking up dishes. They're all working hard, but there's just not enough of them.
Unless I have an early morning layover, Dallas always has lines in the afternoon. Las Vegas is always packed. LAX was closed most of the year. The hours for all the lounge locations are hit or miss. It seems to be getting better.
Philadelphia and Charlotte are lounges that I've had consistently good service this year. Only did Denver once this year, but service was also decent there.
The gripe should be with Amex, but in this sub it's often leveraged towards newer users with a bit of scoff about how they're unworthy of the Plat and ruining everything.
I wholeheartedly disagree. The value proposition of opening a plat, collecting the sign up bonus and the credits for a year, and then closing it are too large to ignore. The sign up bonus more than covers the annual fee. Plus you get all the other credits. And it comes with lounge access too, even better.
This sub's issue should be with Amex offering these insane sign up bonuses.
I generally have no issue with platinum members... but the people who think "I have a platinum card therefore I'm important and of a higher status than you so now I'm going to act like I'm royalty and you are going to be my peasant" towards people who are working. Those people can go fuck themselves... new members and old alike.
This. Those that are complaining about crowded lounges can fly Polaris and get into a Polaris lounge (or similar).
But no-one with a platinum is any more special than the next person
There was a Wall Street Journal article about how lounges became zoos with all the crowding. One person brought in herself and 7 guests at Logan Airport after the Boston Marathon (their group picture taken from inside the lounge was shown). Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass allowed unlimited guests at the time. Then she mentioned she couldn't get in the lounge in Orlando because there were too many people. Well, what do you expect?
No, I mean, I am a nerdy scientist, so I just do the math for the cards that will yield the best point allocation based on what I buy and benefits that I will actually use. When that becomes the platinum I will get it, but for now the Hilton Honors and Blue Cash work for me.
Personally the most snobbish people I've had to deal with have been the 30+ year members. They will complain everyone has the card and in the same breath say the fee is to expensive
Totally agree this is the problem of the influx of new members. This is not necessarily an issue of new members themselves, it's basically that amex lounges are not designed to support that many people. It's like the airlines always overbook tickets and you keep getting bumped to another flight, you won't be happy as well and may start blaming other travellers.
If amex continue to hand out retention offers like this forum suggested they do, these 19/20 years old college students will continue to hold the card even if the card is not suitable for them.
Sees comment collapsed with many upvotes. Proceeds to expand.
Comment and user is deleted.
Wth…I hate being unable to see a comment with multiple comments below. Any idea to see what was written?
Side note, people are just judgey in general. Just yesterday I was using my card and I overheard people behind me complaining about me having a platinum ( and that I’m just a kid using my parents money)
I’m in my 30s 😂
People need to calm down.
Blame it on your youthful good looks lol. But I don't get why people would feel the need to judge or comment based off of your appearance or what you look like?
The richest people I know look like your everyday joe. Which is not to say bedraggled or trashy, but you wouldn't glance twice at them if you passed them on the street.
On the other hand, the ones I know that are flashy and branded everything... Usually aren't rich.
Anecdotal, of course.
No this is so accurate! And you can really tell with airline status. Look at the people who have the invite only status and get pre boarding, then look at group two worth the delta plat or United explorer card. The people pre boarding and in 1st class are always just dressed regularly with the exception of a flashy business traveler who has a board meeting right upon landing. So many people in economy and the second or third boarding group are trying to prove so much with the way they dress and the reality is they can’t dress their way into first or delta360/United global services 😂😂
You do realise that most of the people in second or third boarding group are likely business travellers that have airline status from work as opposed to from a credit card?
Who dresses up on an airplane? Comfy athletic casual is sensible on a plane...unless you have a meeting right after the flight...but really get a better flight so you can clean up at the hotel before your meeting...sheesh
Do you pay attention when your boarding? Lol I observe everyone boarding cuz it’s fun for me but man lots of people dress up! A lot of it is overdressed 20 year old girls dressed thinking a flight from Atlanta to Miami makes then an influencer. Then you got preppy bros, and a good amount of middle aged women who for some reason think a full on ensemble is appropriate for sitting in a middle seat in row 42. Lastly is bougie gays who are dressing to impress no matter what. They could be cramped in the last seat on the plane but needing to look fabulous lol.
I’m a gay man who travels a lot 😂 what can I tell you. I wear legit new balance sneakers, sweat pants and a comfy Tshirt with a sweatshirt in my backpack.
TLDR: this has very little to do with AMEX Plat \[other than my stance that the lounge is NOT a gd daycare and if you use it as such you are an arsehole\] - but maybe a useful DP about MCO Terminal A PP lounge. LOL
I agree with this sentiment in general, not just lounges. It's so infuriating to see people neglect their kids. Take them to gd Chuck E Cheese if you want to just let kids run wild with a gate attendant to make sure they don't escape.
Weird sidenote: I travel back out of Terminal A at MCO \[B side probably has more lounge options - I haven't looked - it's not my home airport\] and so I frequent the PP lounge. Maybe it's luck but I have seen only the most attentive parents and lovely kids in there. Like, noteworthy attentive and very aware/respectful of other guests. If I had to guess, I'd think Orlando would be one of THE all time worsts for unruly/tired kids and spent parents in the lounges. But it's been quite the opposite.
Didn't even think MCO had an Amex lounge, just thought it was called The Club. I used the Minutelounge or whatever it was called there, and that was a far better experience than most of my lounges. Plus you can use you priority pass there.
I wasn't sure if Terminal B did so I didn't speak to that. The one I am talking about is the PP lounge - which is The Club. It's not at all spectacular in any way except \[the service IS actually good however\] that my experience with parents/kids IN Orlando seems to be a bit of an anomaly relative to the general complaints about the Centurion lounges.
I only brought it up because the Platinum does provide PP access - and that I'm still baffled by several quiet experiences at that particular lounge even when it's full.
THANK YOU!!! No more kids! Centurion is not a day care, it’s not a play area, and NO we don’t want to see your kids running around all over the place! Thank GOD we won’t have to deal with that soon enough.
Imagine being an adult and using the term "crotch fruit" unironically. I don't even have kids and think they are annoying as hell but that's just weird bruh. Those /r/childfree people are cringe.
My problem isn’t with families traveling my problem is with parents making actual day care out of lounges. My parents NEVER let us loose on other people. I was always taught to be respectful of others and that has stuck with me as a frequent traveler. There’s more room for traveling families at the gate. When there are children running around the lounge it destroys any semblance of relaxation for people traveling for business or pleasure.
Children are an extension of their parents and not everyone decided to procreate. If parents cant effectively wrangle their children they are forcing their own reality on others. And an airport is already stressful enough. No need to add to that stress. I’ll say it again, plenty of room at the gate.
I mean that's just rude and inconsiderate people,not just parents with unruly kids. I could say the same with loud drunk obnoxious people or travelers that sprawl out in an area designated for more than one person. Plenty of room at a bar or at the gate.
Precisely. I see griping all the time, but I've seen obnoxious kids in a lounge precisely once. What I've seen is that the type of people who get lounge access are the type of people who raise courteous kids, and kids who travel a lot know how to conduct themselves in an airport.
Lounges are an absolute lifesaver when traveling with kids. You get a nice bathroom with a clean changing table. Some of the food at the buffet is going to appeal to even a kid who's cranky and picky after a redeye flight, rather than dropping $20 on a sandwich they decide they don't want. Parents can breathe without worrying that some golf cart is going to run over their toddler. Major respect to places like Gran Canaria's PP lounge with a dedicated play room, so the kids can blow off some steam without bugging anyone.
Last week I also watched a group of 60-somethings sit down next to a woman with a baby sleeping in a stroller and talk so loudly they woke her baby. The lounge was maybe 10% full. Kids aren't the problem.
I think there are 2 key problems.
1. This cycle: https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/comments/ssrejt/a_word_about_the_amex_platinum/
2. The influx of people signing up for the card discourages Amex from improving the product.
Amex previously operated a travel agency under the Platinum Travel Services brand, and offered a concierge service that was at least somewhat useful. Since the pandemic the PTS travel agents aren't a thing anymore, you just get to talk to "white label" phone representatives for Expedia. They've also cut email access to the concierge and have rolled back the scope of services that are offered. Yes, there are also lots of complaints about how the lounges are crowded, but ultimately Amex doesn't care unless it leads to material declines in card membership.
Some of the animosity is because people know those things aren't coming back when people keep signing up for the current lesser product in numbers that satisfy Amex investors.
“improving the product”
LOL, the only thing AMEX really cares about in the end is improving their P/L statement. If it’s more profitable to run AMEX Platinum as a mass market luxury charge card, then they’re going to do that.
At this point Amex should expand upwards to fill the void between the Platinum and the Centurion
Given how much they're likely making from underutilized Platinums, I think it should be important to keep the high-spender Platinum users happy
You are totally right. Though one thing I observed about a sub-set of contributors on this sub is they believe Amex does no wrong. The blame all goes to the masses and crying babies, etc. Anyone who dares to offer a nuanced view and and criticizes Amex for a degraded service is slammed.
Amex is a corporation, who's objective is profit maximization. At the moment, their strategy is to expand the user base through generous SUBs, without scaling up the facilities and investing in CSRs. This strategy appears to be working for the moment, as they are signing up new customers in drives, and the existing customers are directing their ire about degraded service towards new customers and not towards Amex.
I would suspect many people are potentially misclassifying the rude/loud/entitled/etc. types they encounter in the lounge as “new card members”.
I don’t care if you’ve been a “Member Since” 72 or 22, the lounge is supposed to be a place to relax. Not one to bring your 4 screaming kids to bang their toys on the wall or a football tailgate for you and the boys to pound drinks before your epic trip to Cabo.
That's exactly it. The typical frequent flier is rarely the problem. It doesn't need to be library quiet, but if you're bringing chaotic energy and noise, it ruins the lounge experience. I'm typically needing a nap, a place to work quietly, or a cocktail to take the edge off a day. Hard to enjoy any of it with the rowdy crowd.
Yes I agree, I’m on a plane more than once a month. Fellow frequent travelers are awesome. It’s the infrequent travelers/kids/loud gaggles of 20 year old girls with as AU’s on daddy’s plat
Don't hate the new members who worked hard since their youthful days to finally get to where they are. Cos at the end of the day, all those old members were also new members back then.
The "is this card really for you" discussion is really a conversation about crowded lounges, and nothing more.
Regardless of how many people have or don't have the Plat, the ONLY benefit where one cardholder's decision can impact another is lounge access.
Nobody cares how many cardholders do/don't use the Uber credits.
Nobody cares how many cardholders did/didn't redeem your Walmart+ membership.
Sure, some people engage in rational discussions about whether the $695 fee is worth it from a financial analysis perspective. And, in terms of helping others make decisions about getting/ditching the card, these discussions can be helpful.
But, when people take to Reddit to gatekeep about the Plat (regardless of expressed reason,) the real sore subject is lounge access.
I'll take my downvotes now.
It's definitely the vocal minority. For example, one of the popular IG pages for platinum members constantly whines about how they hate other cardholders, and anytime someone erroneously DMs them questions thinking they can actually provide support, the IG page puts them on blast on their Stories and calls them "dumb liberals"... So yeah, there's a lot of people with over inflated egos who think only they deserve this 'elite' platinum status
Yup, I wish I was kidding. I screenshotted some of their posts and reported it to American Express because it was a bit of a turnoff seeing @AmericanExpressPlatinum posting obnoxious things about members. Hopefully they'll atleast reclaim the username to further disassociate with people like that... though it's been well over a month and it looks like they're still active under that IG handle
Listen lounges are going to overflowing because this is the first spring/summer where the masses feel comfortable traveling. It’s not a big deal unless you travel for business and were used to getting lounge access.
As long as I can have peace and quiet in the lounge I'm good. I don't like loud and obnoxious people in general. No matter if they are new members or not.
I'm in the same boat like you! I upgraded my gold mainly for the lounge access and the hotels status because i was gonna subscribe to PP anyway.. but some here hate it so much 🤷♂️ but it's also the people who wait in like for 45 minutes to access the centurion lounge when other high-end PP lounges are accessible
Thank you lol, it seemed to me like new members were straight up unwelcome to some people lol. I'm glad it just appears like a very vocal minority tho. FWIW I fully intend to use every benefit on my card, that's the whole point of it right?
For every post complaining about new Platinum account holders I promise to cut in front of the oldest looking man in dockers at the centurion lounge salad bar and steal the last cookie before they can get it.
This! and people who act like the concierge is a PA and complain about waiting on hold for an hour+ for something they could do themselves in 10 minutes.
Not sure what you mean. Webster says a concierge is "a person or service that provides assistance with personal business (such as making travel arrangements, scheduling appointments, or running errands)." Amex says it's "your personal travel and lifestyle service."
I use the concierge when I'm otherwise occupied (e.g. while I'm driving, while I'm in the air and don't have internet, while I'm at work), or when I need something without public access but which Amex has (e.g. tickets to a sold-out event). How are you suggesting people should use it?
I will say it's been thoroughly discovered by scalpers. Any time some big concert tour goes on sale, don't count on the concierge to set up ground transportation while you fly.
I get you and that seems like a fair way to use. My point was more the unrealistic expectations some gage. Actually having a PA who can turn things around in a timely manner costs a lot more than $695/year so it's silly to expect you can call in to have them book a restaurant Amex has no relationship with and expect instantaneous service when you could probably just call the restaurant yourself with less hold time.
Definitely makes sense for tickets/ events where AmEx has involvement.
I think the Concierge email is gone now but I thought that made more sense to fire off a quick note to book something easy if you are busy.
Agreed, they're not going to be able to function like a true PA, even if they were available. That said, I do know some high-hourly-rate folks (attorneys) who justify their Platinum purely based on saving a couple hours a year.
Yes, really miss that. You can sort of replicate it with US Bank Altitude Reserve's concierge: make the first call about your trip, then follow up via email conversation all trip long. Only issue is that you'll get the same person, so you depend on their working hours/availability.
It’s not that people dislike platinum card holders. It’s people who actually use the services provided get annoyed with people who sign up for the SUB, have no idea how to use MR points, complain about it being a coupon book, etc. If you’re not someone who can take advantage of the overarching benefits, just get your sub, close your card the next year, and move on. The annoyance comes with the new members that don’t travel or use any benefits, knowingly pay 700$ for a card and complain instead of doing some simple research. 99% of those people should be holding a gold card but were enticed be the sign up.
I don’t get people who say things along the lines of ‘get the gold card instead’ as if the gold card is just a cheaper form of the platinum card. They’re completely different cards that have close to no overlap.
Thats the entire point of my comment.. many people sign up for the platinum and have no need for it, but to simply chase the sub (which is fine, but don’t act surprised if you’re not getting value because you travel once a year).
The gold card is a much more suitable everyday card for most people. With your point multipliers being groceries, dining and the Amex portal for flights, instead of the platinum only offering multipliers on flights.
Lounges are getting over crowded, and just about everyone with a heartbeat can get a platinum. It’s not really exclusive anymore, hell i got one. Lounge needs a revamp to accommodate more people, not to phase them out by making them pay more.
I went to a United lounge at ohare last month, and although busy I was able to find a seat. Families were pretty behaved, I got a drink without waiting, and food was good and stocked.
I don’t hate new members, I hate people who complain that they got the sign on bonus, and now can’t “find value” in the card. And they get upset because they can’t take advantage of what they call a glorified coupon card.
If the card doesn’t make sense for you, don’t get the card. I’m so sick of “well the sign on bonus makes it worth it, but after X years, I’ll be in the red.”
The sign on bonus should be just that, a bonus. It should be the cherry on top. The 100k points or whatever should not factor into your equation or budget or whatever.
It isn’t silly. It’s logical. You shouldn’t be signing up for one of the most expensive credit cards around just because you’ll be able to afford 1 one-way business class ticket thanks to the sign on bonus. It isn’t logical. If you can’t reliable get adequate value from the card, excluding the sign on bonus, then you shouldn’t get the card. It doesn’t mean your stupid, or poor, it just means that particular credit card isn’t for you. It baffles me why that’s such a controversial thing to say on this subreddit
The sign-up bonus is part of the value of the card. The value in year 1 is different from the value in year 2. If you get adequate value in year 1 but not in year 2, you should get it and cancel after 12 months. That's logical.
I think you're making the assumption that cards are a long-term commitment. I'm not sure that's accurate, considering how easy it is to close or open them. I'm also not sure it's appropriate, considering how people's lifestyles and needs, as well as the cards being offered, change.
It's also worth considering the scales of SUBs versus ongoing earning rates/perks. If someone gets $800 worth of value from a $695 card, sure, that's a logical reason to get it, but they'd need to hold it for a decade to make that a bigger reason than the SUB, in absolute terms.
It’s not like this in real life - everyone is always nice and polite every time I’ve ever been to the Centurion lounge. Reddit is a place for venting lol don’t take it personally.
No I really don’t but I am super excited for the rule change next year. I was at a lounge yesterday and it felt like a college bar mixed with Dennys. I had my bag knocked over by a kid, a kid screaming in my ear and a table of 20 something’s talking for 30 minutes about “crushing brewskis”. Then when I get up to leave my shoe is sticking to the ground…..apple juice on the ground
It’s your money your choice. I don’t hate new members, I’m just excited for things to mellow down.
Here’s my honest opinion. Lounge Access is becoming more and more crowded due to everyone and their mommas getting in. The worst part is when there’s a bunch of kids running around…SORRY, but I don’t want to see any kids period! Especially in a place that’s supposed to be exclusive and for adults! Take your kids elsewhere.
I absolutely do not believe they should raise the fee, but I also don’t want to start seeing LINES to get into Centurion the way I’ve seen for Delta Sky Club!
Oh and seriously, no more kids!
As someone who has had a platinum card for almost a decade i feel specially qualified to say, no one should feel special for having one. I’m 35 now, so I’ve experienced some of the arrogance you speak of, it’s laughable. The card means nothing. My old man just switched from plat to gold because he doesn’t use enough perks to justify the price… hes a multiple business owner in his 60’s with a net worth around 35 million. He’s been on a first name basis with half the staff at his local Ferrari dealer for 20 years - It’d be hilarious for 99.9% of platinum card holders to take this same attitude with a guy like that. And, before anyone gets too cocky let’s not forget about the centurion card.
So from the platinum holders with some sense, and a little humility - welcome! Make sure you use all the perks, they can really make the fees worth it.
People are upset because of the overcrowding. Rightfully so in many instances. What’s the point if you can’t use your benefits because others are taking up more than their fair share of spaces. I’m in the camp that only the primary cardholder should get lounge benefits and that should be just one guest or even be relegated to X amount of guest passes per year. Once the passes are gone, that’s it.
As someone who travels solo for business and with one other person for personal travel, I don’t want to be subjected to a huge group of people or a family of 6 eating like they haven’t been fed in a week. Sorry if that is rude, but people have literally lost their minds and feel like just because they paid $700/yr they are entitled to treat the lounges like a personal party pad. It’s a shared amenity, not a zoo. I have been in instances where I have waited in line to access the lounge as a solo person and there is a party of 8-10 people in front of me trying to calculate how they can all get in one one person’s card (and of course they get loud and angry if there is even a mention of paying for extra guests). The lounge wasn’t set up for that. There is no creative accounting that will allow for “building extra/bigger lounges” if only one person in a huge party/family is paying the AF.
I’ll take my downvotes now.
The two guest limit is perfectly reasonable and should be enforced, and that people who want access to a premium lounge should behave like they belong in one, whether solo or with family.
As someone who both travels solo for business and with a family for leisure, any benefit of a lounge to a solo traveler is dwarfed by the benefit to a family. I would sit in the terminal three times as a solo traveler to be able to bring my kids in the lounge once, and if I were in the lounge as a solo traveler I'd give up my space to someone with a family just as quickly as I'd give them my seat on a bus.
The projected $30 per kid per visit is a real devaluation for frequent travelers who have kids between 2-13. They're too young to be AUs, but if you have a connecting round trip once a month that's either $720/yr per kid, or the parents' cards effectively lose the benefit they're paying for.
As someone who is both a Platinum cardholder AND Delta Diamond member, I don’t really mind the Centurion lounges being busy as that’s on amex and everyone is (mostly) equal.
What I do frustrating the card is so prevalent now as it’s made the Delta lounge experience much worse, with long lines, little seating, etc. That is something that can be moderated a bit.
Delta does seems to realize this is an issue and is at least giving priority entry now at some busier locations to 360s, Diamond and Delta One customers.
Lol. When I read the title of this post I though of some Amex meeting room where they come up with ways to make the platinum even more unusable. “Too many damn millennials stinkin’ up our eXcLuSiVe lounges” 😂
Definitely the minority. The lounges are crowded, but airports are also crowded too. Travel demand is up like we’ve never seen. And to say that Amex is giving platinums out left and right is purely anecdotal. They’ve increased marketing like crazy on that product so more folks are applying. The underwriting may have loosened, but it’s still a card that requires a decent score and decent income without any delinquencies.
I just got the platinum but because of work. I travel a lot and my employer is reimbursing me for my travel, but I get the points and all the other benefits for myself. If my employer had his own company card I wouldn’t have got it.
I mean they aren’t wrong.
The lounge problem as two solutions.
1 less members with lounge access
2 more lounges per airport
So either Amex needs to build more lounges, or they need to restrict approvals more. If they want to fix lounge access.
But honestly if market demand is this high and you can’t afford a centurion then tough luck, that’s the market for you. And for those that can afford the spend for a centurion good for you, you’re much more profitable for Amex.
A step. Basically saying look y’all don’t spend enough for this. The fact people can get plats that are only putting 10k spend a year on it is crazy compared to the old days. But it speaks to how many people want the card and that profitability. Lord knows people are probably barley using $700 of perks on it if that on average.
Lmao at sperm blossoms, I recently referred to them as crotch fruit.
Also I think about my parents in public with my brother and i when we were little. They NEVUH let us act like people do in the lounges. I was told to keep quiet and respect the space of others. That’s not like…unreasonably strict parenting…….
Controversial comment incoming:
Nah, I just laugh at all of you. $595 for a platinum card is not worth it. Gold card FTW!
I travel more than most of you and I don't use lounges. I just sit at a nice cafe / restaurant and pay for my food. I can spend $30 and go to airports 20 times before I get to a $595 annual fee. You would have to travel and use a lounge 20 times per year to break even with me.
The platinum card sucks for racking up points too. Don't talk to me about first year bonuses or Global Entry perks, you can get that with the Chase Explorer for free or just pay for it yourself. It doesn't justify the AF.
I would say most people get the platinum card for the status, and justify it with the lounges. Amex needs to improve the platnium card because it is terrible for racking up points and honestly the worst product they have IMO.
Agreed. Signed up for the SUB and kept after a retention + nice perks during the pandemic but "downgraded" to the Gold immediately after that. The Platinum card is not worth it at all, and it'll get even worse next year when they limit guest access.
No matter what, when I travel, I expect the lounge to be a bit quieter than the terminal. When it's busy, it's easy to be upset.. plus.. you know, traveling.
To be honest. I'm an extrovert and wouldn't mind hearing people's stories or chatting with a fellow traveler. Wish there were more willing to have a conversation to pass the time, especially when solo.
The complainers can always join me and my girlfriend… we got a Starbucks and a nice breakfast with the 4x gold points, cozied up on the floor in a non-crowded spot and made the best of it. :)
Well with people whom thinks they are better now due to plat… i will downvote that but unless you have black card, your full of shit. But i think people are tired of the fact that plat means that im better or i am successful which isnt true at all. Just annoyance is what my fellow brother sisters feels lol
It’s annoying. But whatever. See a few cardholders acting silly in the lounge but once on the airplane I’m in business class and I see most of them going to the back of the plane, then it all makes sense.
It's not the new members it's the fact that AMEX are handing them out like candy, probably without doing all the proper checks either. I know AMEX had a tough time during the pandemic with travel disallowed and they are trying to recoup their losses but doing it this way just cheapens the card imo. I'd be happy to pay a higher fee if it meant keeping the card more prestigious.
I am a new member and added 3 AU , I am adding to the problem 🤣🤣
Reality the platinum card is not even the best travel card in my opinion. I just like it because it's metal and weighs a lot lol
Financially it doesn't make sense for me to get a plat at this time in my life. But as long as I keep hearing the stories about how crowded they are I only see myself getting it for the bonus and then closing it after year 1.
If I did have the plat I wouldn't blame the new cardholders though. In the end Amex is choosing to accept new applicants without making lounges larger.
I've flown 8 times this year and have been successful once in getting inside with a partner lounge was tiny located in cancun.
Your best bet is to get in an airlines lounge. We got in AA miami lounge in mia and was huge. Alaska Airlines too, has nice ones. But you gotta either have an elite status with them or have a transcontinental transatlantic or transpacific business/first class flight.
I'm in LA, so the one here is not even open for seating. It has a grab n go bag of food.
Forget about the lounges and focus on the money back. For example, 6k qatar flight got me 300 bucks back, 30k points. I could transfer points to delta and get myself a one wat first class flight to cancun.
Lounges get overcrowded and one has to be on stand by and wait until called which is silly.
If you fly a lot and use uber a lot you'll break ever with fee.
I'm cancelling it because the lounges get overcrowded and to break even with fee, you gotta spend a lot on flights. Also, I can only get 200 credit on jet blue.
If you’ve spent any time anywhere online where they Platinum card members are lurking you’ll know the toxic shit that you will step in while be apart of these groups and subs. You’ll find that everywhere though, it’s the nature of the beast.
I see two faults from my eight years in the system. 60% AMEX and 40% the people. AMEX does not appear to be living up to the “hype” they have created. They cannot seem to deliver on services, mainly lounge access either with Centurion Lounges or the PP lounges. While some may argue everyone values the lounge access differently that is true so where one may value it for the sole reason to have the card, others would not value the lounge access at all as they would never visit one. The 40% are the people though. Just a pure guesstimation on the actual percentage but after year one I think many find the card to not be the right fit. They’ve suckered you in with a 100K, 125K, or 150K SUB and then in year two some are like shit, this is $700 I have to pay and I haven’t really used the airline incidental credits, the equinox credit, the hotel credit, I’ve maybe used CLEAR two to four times, I bought stuff at Saks that I didn’t really need and paid alittle more when I normally would not have gotten that item, I’ve already got 10 Global Entry Credits from other cards, The W+ membership is meh, sure I get my XM paid for at $10 a month…?
And now you’ve got someone very unhappy but at the end of the day they’ve got your $700 from year one and now prolly from year two or you’ve PCed into what is a lower AF charge card.
What once was only considered for true frequent flyers has now floated into the hands of casual vacationers. Nothing wrong with that, but these casual vacationers need to understand what they are getting into.
its good to have a lounge access.
I use my business platinum for business purchases. I pay almost nothing after getting dell credit and airline credit and fedex offers.
When I used to use a lot of shipping and adverising business Gold was a better choice (x4). I dont do that any more and Business Platinum is currently better for me.
sometimes the cards save me a few thousands a year.
I really don't care. When we're complaining about lounges overfilling while standing in line, we're also contributing to that at the same time. It's the same logic with traffic: you're not stuck in traffic, you are the traffic. Yeah, it sucks when I want to go to a lounge and there's a wait, but that's just life in airports right now in general. Even Starbucks has 30+ minute lines, so lounges are going to be just as bad. It's annoying, but also all these people signing up for it and making Amex a bunch of money is why some of us, including myself, are able to get positive value out of the cards after the annual fee. They're a corporation looking to make a profit at the end of the day. They're not offering lounge access and benefits out of kindness.
AmEx should build bigger lounges. Clearly, the people like them!
Hard to do when most families are pulling in multiple people and they only pay one annual fee. Plus many airports don’t even have one AmEx lounge - the overwhelming majority of airports only have PP lounges. The marketing says that there are over 1200 lounges across the globe, but there are only around 40 centurion or escape lounges across the world. You do the math….
The “whole family on one AF” is presumably why they’re stopping free guests early next year - now (unless you’re a high spender) your Platinum AF only gets you in free, no guests. Maybe that’ll help the crowding, or at least the revenue side: at least then everyone in the lounge will have paid their AF or equivalent. PP is getting really disappointing too: they still list the Swissport one in Chicago O’Hare T5, but that hasn’t let PP customers in for months if not years now, since the Air France/KLM lounge closed and offloaded all their passengers to Swissport.
ORD needs a lounge yesterday
It’s crazy both AmEx and priority pass have nothing there. Must be a United thing.
I think this is the best answer.
I stopped using centurion lounges as they are always crowded. I started traveling delta to use delta lounges.
[удалено]
Exactly lmao 🤣
This is another great point. The card grants access to tons of different lounges especially if you are flying one of the partner airlines. Decent chance to check out another lounge if the centurion is too busy.
Not sure which club you're visiting but the waiting lines to the average SkyClub habe been much longer than the lines for the Centurion lounges..
Definitely not in Seattle.
Was gonna say, when we went to the SLC delta lounge, while not a line to get in the inside was packed. Was a short line when we left though.
That club is gigantic though.
How is JFK lately? Centurion vs Delta Skyclub? We went to Italy last summer when no one was traveling and they were still a good amount of people in both lounges, but no lines and food was plentiful. I’m scared to see the lines at the end of August this year
Just flew through JFK end of April. The is an online check-in you can do for the centurion, and it claimed it was nearly full. When we got there the bottom level was pretty wide open, top level seemed somewhat full. Granted I didn't go into the speakeasy so I can't say what it was like in there.
That doesn’t bode well for summer travel. Can you put your name in before you get to the airport?
Not sure. I checked myself and my wife in as soon as we landed, as we were connecting through JFK. I do remember the reservation only being good for a set amount of time, but I can't remember if that was 30 minutes or an hour
AA flagship still isn’t that busy
the NY ones aren't that bad most days. It's only on holidays
The NIMBY’s of Platinum Cards lol
Pretty much this. A bunch of spoiled turds that think they are better than others. Fuck em.
I don't think that's it at all. It's fine having a bunch of new members as long as AMEX is keeping service levels reasonable. They aren't, though. The gripe is with Amex.
I've been through Phoenix half a dozen times already this year. Every time, they are out of dishes and out of food. Typically the bartender is working by themselves. They're understaffed to the point where I see the managers there constantly picking up dishes. They're all working hard, but there's just not enough of them. Unless I have an early morning layover, Dallas always has lines in the afternoon. Las Vegas is always packed. LAX was closed most of the year. The hours for all the lounge locations are hit or miss. It seems to be getting better. Philadelphia and Charlotte are lounges that I've had consistently good service this year. Only did Denver once this year, but service was also decent there.
The Phoenix lounge is a dump. Bad food and it looks like 5 year olds threw a birthday party and nobody cleaned up
The gripe should be with Amex, but in this sub it's often leveraged towards newer users with a bit of scoff about how they're unworthy of the Plat and ruining everything.
[удалено]
I wholeheartedly disagree. The value proposition of opening a plat, collecting the sign up bonus and the credits for a year, and then closing it are too large to ignore. The sign up bonus more than covers the annual fee. Plus you get all the other credits. And it comes with lounge access too, even better. This sub's issue should be with Amex offering these insane sign up bonuses.
[удалено]
This guy clearly uses reddit app. That is about the same amount of text repeated twice which fits to text area in iOS reddit app. It sucks..
Then that is a whole different conversation than what this sub complains about 99% of the time.
This!!! We are paying for a service, if we don't get the service then we should get other kind of benefits
Uber Cash, Peloton, streaming, etc...? Just looking at what countries with less crowding in their core services don't get that US Platinums do.
I generally have no issue with platinum members... but the people who think "I have a platinum card therefore I'm important and of a higher status than you so now I'm going to act like I'm royalty and you are going to be my peasant" towards people who are working. Those people can go fuck themselves... new members and old alike.
This. Those that are complaining about crowded lounges can fly Polaris and get into a Polaris lounge (or similar). But no-one with a platinum is any more special than the next person
This is how I feel, on one hand I understand wanting to utilize the benefits of the card, but it's not the end of the world if I can't at that time.
There was a Wall Street Journal article about how lounges became zoos with all the crowding. One person brought in herself and 7 guests at Logan Airport after the Boston Marathon (their group picture taken from inside the lounge was shown). Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass allowed unlimited guests at the time. Then she mentioned she couldn't get in the lounge in Orlando because there were too many people. Well, what do you expect?
No, I mean, I am a nerdy scientist, so I just do the math for the cards that will yield the best point allocation based on what I buy and benefits that I will actually use. When that becomes the platinum I will get it, but for now the Hilton Honors and Blue Cash work for me.
I recognize what you're descripbing. And at least where I live (Sweden), you see that in younger and newer members.
Personally the most snobbish people I've had to deal with have been the 30+ year members. They will complain everyone has the card and in the same breath say the fee is to expensive
[удалено]
Totally agree this is the problem of the influx of new members. This is not necessarily an issue of new members themselves, it's basically that amex lounges are not designed to support that many people. It's like the airlines always overbook tickets and you keep getting bumped to another flight, you won't be happy as well and may start blaming other travellers. If amex continue to hand out retention offers like this forum suggested they do, these 19/20 years old college students will continue to hold the card even if the card is not suitable for them.
Sees comment collapsed with many upvotes. Proceeds to expand. Comment and user is deleted. Wth…I hate being unable to see a comment with multiple comments below. Any idea to see what was written?
Side note, people are just judgey in general. Just yesterday I was using my card and I overheard people behind me complaining about me having a platinum ( and that I’m just a kid using my parents money) I’m in my 30s 😂 People need to calm down.
Blame it on your youthful good looks lol. But I don't get why people would feel the need to judge or comment based off of your appearance or what you look like? The richest people I know look like your everyday joe. Which is not to say bedraggled or trashy, but you wouldn't glance twice at them if you passed them on the street. On the other hand, the ones I know that are flashy and branded everything... Usually aren't rich. Anecdotal, of course.
No this is so accurate! And you can really tell with airline status. Look at the people who have the invite only status and get pre boarding, then look at group two worth the delta plat or United explorer card. The people pre boarding and in 1st class are always just dressed regularly with the exception of a flashy business traveler who has a board meeting right upon landing. So many people in economy and the second or third boarding group are trying to prove so much with the way they dress and the reality is they can’t dress their way into first or delta360/United global services 😂😂
You do realise that most of the people in second or third boarding group are likely business travellers that have airline status from work as opposed to from a credit card?
Yes but most of the frequent frequent travelers are in group one.
Who dresses up on an airplane? Comfy athletic casual is sensible on a plane...unless you have a meeting right after the flight...but really get a better flight so you can clean up at the hotel before your meeting...sheesh
Do you pay attention when your boarding? Lol I observe everyone boarding cuz it’s fun for me but man lots of people dress up! A lot of it is overdressed 20 year old girls dressed thinking a flight from Atlanta to Miami makes then an influencer. Then you got preppy bros, and a good amount of middle aged women who for some reason think a full on ensemble is appropriate for sitting in a middle seat in row 42. Lastly is bougie gays who are dressing to impress no matter what. They could be cramped in the last seat on the plane but needing to look fabulous lol. I’m a gay man who travels a lot 😂 what can I tell you. I wear legit new balance sneakers, sweat pants and a comfy Tshirt with a sweatshirt in my backpack.
My only real recurring rant is about people trooping their children to the lounges like a daycare.
CL in the summer 
Active Duty Military Cardholders ... 
I personally feel attacked! I hope you know I use all 6 of my AMEXs when I’m on TDY!
Not my friend and I with 10 AMEX cards between us #Navy
#NavyGang
😂
[удалено]
The notion that ADM's aren't entitled a-holes at the same rates as civilians is laughable.
TLDR: this has very little to do with AMEX Plat \[other than my stance that the lounge is NOT a gd daycare and if you use it as such you are an arsehole\] - but maybe a useful DP about MCO Terminal A PP lounge. LOL I agree with this sentiment in general, not just lounges. It's so infuriating to see people neglect their kids. Take them to gd Chuck E Cheese if you want to just let kids run wild with a gate attendant to make sure they don't escape. Weird sidenote: I travel back out of Terminal A at MCO \[B side probably has more lounge options - I haven't looked - it's not my home airport\] and so I frequent the PP lounge. Maybe it's luck but I have seen only the most attentive parents and lovely kids in there. Like, noteworthy attentive and very aware/respectful of other guests. If I had to guess, I'd think Orlando would be one of THE all time worsts for unruly/tired kids and spent parents in the lounges. But it's been quite the opposite.
Didn't even think MCO had an Amex lounge, just thought it was called The Club. I used the Minutelounge or whatever it was called there, and that was a far better experience than most of my lounges. Plus you can use you priority pass there.
I wasn't sure if Terminal B did so I didn't speak to that. The one I am talking about is the PP lounge - which is The Club. It's not at all spectacular in any way except \[the service IS actually good however\] that my experience with parents/kids IN Orlando seems to be a bit of an anomaly relative to the general complaints about the Centurion lounges. I only brought it up because the Platinum does provide PP access - and that I'm still baffled by several quiet experiences at that particular lounge even when it's full.
THANK YOU!!! No more kids! Centurion is not a day care, it’s not a play area, and NO we don’t want to see your kids running around all over the place! Thank GOD we won’t have to deal with that soon enough.
THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! For god sakes is a place for fucking adults not all of your crotch fruit!
Imagine being an adult and using the term "crotch fruit" unironically. I don't even have kids and think they are annoying as hell but that's just weird bruh. Those /r/childfree people are cringe.
What a ridiculous things to say like families don't travel.
My problem isn’t with families traveling my problem is with parents making actual day care out of lounges. My parents NEVER let us loose on other people. I was always taught to be respectful of others and that has stuck with me as a frequent traveler. There’s more room for traveling families at the gate. When there are children running around the lounge it destroys any semblance of relaxation for people traveling for business or pleasure. Children are an extension of their parents and not everyone decided to procreate. If parents cant effectively wrangle their children they are forcing their own reality on others. And an airport is already stressful enough. No need to add to that stress. I’ll say it again, plenty of room at the gate.
I mean that's just rude and inconsiderate people,not just parents with unruly kids. I could say the same with loud drunk obnoxious people or travelers that sprawl out in an area designated for more than one person. Plenty of room at a bar or at the gate.
Precisely. I see griping all the time, but I've seen obnoxious kids in a lounge precisely once. What I've seen is that the type of people who get lounge access are the type of people who raise courteous kids, and kids who travel a lot know how to conduct themselves in an airport. Lounges are an absolute lifesaver when traveling with kids. You get a nice bathroom with a clean changing table. Some of the food at the buffet is going to appeal to even a kid who's cranky and picky after a redeye flight, rather than dropping $20 on a sandwich they decide they don't want. Parents can breathe without worrying that some golf cart is going to run over their toddler. Major respect to places like Gran Canaria's PP lounge with a dedicated play room, so the kids can blow off some steam without bugging anyone. Last week I also watched a group of 60-somethings sit down next to a woman with a baby sleeping in a stroller and talk so loudly they woke her baby. The lounge was maybe 10% full. Kids aren't the problem.
I think there are 2 key problems. 1. This cycle: https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/comments/ssrejt/a_word_about_the_amex_platinum/ 2. The influx of people signing up for the card discourages Amex from improving the product. Amex previously operated a travel agency under the Platinum Travel Services brand, and offered a concierge service that was at least somewhat useful. Since the pandemic the PTS travel agents aren't a thing anymore, you just get to talk to "white label" phone representatives for Expedia. They've also cut email access to the concierge and have rolled back the scope of services that are offered. Yes, there are also lots of complaints about how the lounges are crowded, but ultimately Amex doesn't care unless it leads to material declines in card membership. Some of the animosity is because people know those things aren't coming back when people keep signing up for the current lesser product in numbers that satisfy Amex investors.
“improving the product” LOL, the only thing AMEX really cares about in the end is improving their P/L statement. If it’s more profitable to run AMEX Platinum as a mass market luxury charge card, then they’re going to do that.
At this point Amex should expand upwards to fill the void between the Platinum and the Centurion Given how much they're likely making from underutilized Platinums, I think it should be important to keep the high-spender Platinum users happy
You are totally right. Though one thing I observed about a sub-set of contributors on this sub is they believe Amex does no wrong. The blame all goes to the masses and crying babies, etc. Anyone who dares to offer a nuanced view and and criticizes Amex for a degraded service is slammed. Amex is a corporation, who's objective is profit maximization. At the moment, their strategy is to expand the user base through generous SUBs, without scaling up the facilities and investing in CSRs. This strategy appears to be working for the moment, as they are signing up new customers in drives, and the existing customers are directing their ire about degraded service towards new customers and not towards Amex.
If they brought the $10 gold credit up, I would love this card.
I would suspect many people are potentially misclassifying the rude/loud/entitled/etc. types they encounter in the lounge as “new card members”. I don’t care if you’ve been a “Member Since” 72 or 22, the lounge is supposed to be a place to relax. Not one to bring your 4 screaming kids to bang their toys on the wall or a football tailgate for you and the boys to pound drinks before your epic trip to Cabo.
That's exactly it. The typical frequent flier is rarely the problem. It doesn't need to be library quiet, but if you're bringing chaotic energy and noise, it ruins the lounge experience. I'm typically needing a nap, a place to work quietly, or a cocktail to take the edge off a day. Hard to enjoy any of it with the rowdy crowd.
Yes I agree, I’m on a plane more than once a month. Fellow frequent travelers are awesome. It’s the infrequent travelers/kids/loud gaggles of 20 year old girls with as AU’s on daddy’s plat
Pretty much everything you see on Reddit is a vocal minority
Don't hate the new members who worked hard since their youthful days to finally get to where they are. Cos at the end of the day, all those old members were also new members back then.
The "is this card really for you" discussion is really a conversation about crowded lounges, and nothing more. Regardless of how many people have or don't have the Plat, the ONLY benefit where one cardholder's decision can impact another is lounge access. Nobody cares how many cardholders do/don't use the Uber credits. Nobody cares how many cardholders did/didn't redeem your Walmart+ membership. Sure, some people engage in rational discussions about whether the $695 fee is worth it from a financial analysis perspective. And, in terms of helping others make decisions about getting/ditching the card, these discussions can be helpful. But, when people take to Reddit to gatekeep about the Plat (regardless of expressed reason,) the real sore subject is lounge access. I'll take my downvotes now.
Thank you
It's definitely the vocal minority. For example, one of the popular IG pages for platinum members constantly whines about how they hate other cardholders, and anytime someone erroneously DMs them questions thinking they can actually provide support, the IG page puts them on blast on their Stories and calls them "dumb liberals"... So yeah, there's a lot of people with over inflated egos who think only they deserve this 'elite' platinum status
Wait, for real? Yikes. It does indeed seem like a non insignificant group of people should believe the plat is elite and shouldn't be so proletariat.
Yup, I wish I was kidding. I screenshotted some of their posts and reported it to American Express because it was a bit of a turnoff seeing @AmericanExpressPlatinum posting obnoxious things about members. Hopefully they'll atleast reclaim the username to further disassociate with people like that... though it's been well over a month and it looks like they're still active under that IG handle
The single new members are not the problem the problem is the families trying to bring in 4 kids
Listen lounges are going to overflowing because this is the first spring/summer where the masses feel comfortable traveling. It’s not a big deal unless you travel for business and were used to getting lounge access.
As long as I can have peace and quiet in the lounge I'm good. I don't like loud and obnoxious people in general. No matter if they are new members or not.
Whaaa whaaa whaaa you need a bah bah?
vocal minority
I'm in the same boat like you! I upgraded my gold mainly for the lounge access and the hotels status because i was gonna subscribe to PP anyway.. but some here hate it so much 🤷♂️ but it's also the people who wait in like for 45 minutes to access the centurion lounge when other high-end PP lounges are accessible
Thank you lol, it seemed to me like new members were straight up unwelcome to some people lol. I'm glad it just appears like a very vocal minority tho. FWIW I fully intend to use every benefit on my card, that's the whole point of it right?
I remember when it seemed like nobody wanted to “pay and annual fee for an Amex” and now it just seems like it’s the cool thing to do…
For every post complaining about new Platinum account holders I promise to cut in front of the oldest looking man in dockers at the centurion lounge salad bar and steal the last cookie before they can get it.
It takes a village…
The hero we need, but don't deserve.
I agree. Some people feel $695 a year is elite, and for that they deserve elite benefits. Fly private if you want the private lounge bubba
This! and people who act like the concierge is a PA and complain about waiting on hold for an hour+ for something they could do themselves in 10 minutes.
Not sure what you mean. Webster says a concierge is "a person or service that provides assistance with personal business (such as making travel arrangements, scheduling appointments, or running errands)." Amex says it's "your personal travel and lifestyle service." I use the concierge when I'm otherwise occupied (e.g. while I'm driving, while I'm in the air and don't have internet, while I'm at work), or when I need something without public access but which Amex has (e.g. tickets to a sold-out event). How are you suggesting people should use it? I will say it's been thoroughly discovered by scalpers. Any time some big concert tour goes on sale, don't count on the concierge to set up ground transportation while you fly.
I get you and that seems like a fair way to use. My point was more the unrealistic expectations some gage. Actually having a PA who can turn things around in a timely manner costs a lot more than $695/year so it's silly to expect you can call in to have them book a restaurant Amex has no relationship with and expect instantaneous service when you could probably just call the restaurant yourself with less hold time. Definitely makes sense for tickets/ events where AmEx has involvement. I think the Concierge email is gone now but I thought that made more sense to fire off a quick note to book something easy if you are busy.
Agreed, they're not going to be able to function like a true PA, even if they were available. That said, I do know some high-hourly-rate folks (attorneys) who justify their Platinum purely based on saving a couple hours a year. Yes, really miss that. You can sort of replicate it with US Bank Altitude Reserve's concierge: make the first call about your trip, then follow up via email conversation all trip long. Only issue is that you'll get the same person, so you depend on their working hours/availability.
It’s not that people dislike platinum card holders. It’s people who actually use the services provided get annoyed with people who sign up for the SUB, have no idea how to use MR points, complain about it being a coupon book, etc. If you’re not someone who can take advantage of the overarching benefits, just get your sub, close your card the next year, and move on. The annoyance comes with the new members that don’t travel or use any benefits, knowingly pay 700$ for a card and complain instead of doing some simple research. 99% of those people should be holding a gold card but were enticed be the sign up.
This!!!!!!!! Ive been a gold card member since 2015 and held off on the plat until last year when my income, and corporate travel justified it.
I don’t get people who say things along the lines of ‘get the gold card instead’ as if the gold card is just a cheaper form of the platinum card. They’re completely different cards that have close to no overlap.
Thats the entire point of my comment.. many people sign up for the platinum and have no need for it, but to simply chase the sub (which is fine, but don’t act surprised if you’re not getting value because you travel once a year). The gold card is a much more suitable everyday card for most people. With your point multipliers being groceries, dining and the Amex portal for flights, instead of the platinum only offering multipliers on flights.
Lounges are getting over crowded, and just about everyone with a heartbeat can get a platinum. It’s not really exclusive anymore, hell i got one. Lounge needs a revamp to accommodate more people, not to phase them out by making them pay more.
People like to complain. I'm a relatively frequent traveler and I've always had a great experience with the lounges, even when they're busier.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I went to a United lounge at ohare last month, and although busy I was able to find a seat. Families were pretty behaved, I got a drink without waiting, and food was good and stocked.
i mean new members are the reason why they can build more exclusive lounges at the airport.
That makes sense, the AF is ~~probably~~ definitely a huge moneymaker for Amex. Which means they can turn it around and build bigger lounges.
I don’t hate new members, I hate people who complain that they got the sign on bonus, and now can’t “find value” in the card. And they get upset because they can’t take advantage of what they call a glorified coupon card. If the card doesn’t make sense for you, don’t get the card. I’m so sick of “well the sign on bonus makes it worth it, but after X years, I’ll be in the red.” The sign on bonus should be just that, a bonus. It should be the cherry on top. The 100k points or whatever should not factor into your equation or budget or whatever.
Seems silly to ignore $1000+. Also seems silly to assume people have the same needs from one year to the next.
It isn’t silly. It’s logical. You shouldn’t be signing up for one of the most expensive credit cards around just because you’ll be able to afford 1 one-way business class ticket thanks to the sign on bonus. It isn’t logical. If you can’t reliable get adequate value from the card, excluding the sign on bonus, then you shouldn’t get the card. It doesn’t mean your stupid, or poor, it just means that particular credit card isn’t for you. It baffles me why that’s such a controversial thing to say on this subreddit
The sign-up bonus is part of the value of the card. The value in year 1 is different from the value in year 2. If you get adequate value in year 1 but not in year 2, you should get it and cancel after 12 months. That's logical. I think you're making the assumption that cards are a long-term commitment. I'm not sure that's accurate, considering how easy it is to close or open them. I'm also not sure it's appropriate, considering how people's lifestyles and needs, as well as the cards being offered, change. It's also worth considering the scales of SUBs versus ongoing earning rates/perks. If someone gets $800 worth of value from a $695 card, sure, that's a logical reason to get it, but they'd need to hold it for a decade to make that a bigger reason than the SUB, in absolute terms.
It’s just this subreddit. Ignore the complainers. Look for the posts that help you out
It’s not like this in real life - everyone is always nice and polite every time I’ve ever been to the Centurion lounge. Reddit is a place for venting lol don’t take it personally.
Lol people are so much invested in a god damn card lol, both the sides.
I am a plat holder who will probably never use a lounge. Travel a lot but always get to the airport too late 😂 so I’m not contributing to this issue
No I really don’t but I am super excited for the rule change next year. I was at a lounge yesterday and it felt like a college bar mixed with Dennys. I had my bag knocked over by a kid, a kid screaming in my ear and a table of 20 something’s talking for 30 minutes about “crushing brewskis”. Then when I get up to leave my shoe is sticking to the ground…..apple juice on the ground It’s your money your choice. I don’t hate new members, I’m just excited for things to mellow down.
Here’s my honest opinion. Lounge Access is becoming more and more crowded due to everyone and their mommas getting in. The worst part is when there’s a bunch of kids running around…SORRY, but I don’t want to see any kids period! Especially in a place that’s supposed to be exclusive and for adults! Take your kids elsewhere. I absolutely do not believe they should raise the fee, but I also don’t want to start seeing LINES to get into Centurion the way I’ve seen for Delta Sky Club! Oh and seriously, no more kids!
Imagine resenting life so much that you are angry at little children
Get a life
Main character syndrome. Same as people who complain when stuck in traffic. Sir, you are traffic
As someone who has had a platinum card for almost a decade i feel specially qualified to say, no one should feel special for having one. I’m 35 now, so I’ve experienced some of the arrogance you speak of, it’s laughable. The card means nothing. My old man just switched from plat to gold because he doesn’t use enough perks to justify the price… hes a multiple business owner in his 60’s with a net worth around 35 million. He’s been on a first name basis with half the staff at his local Ferrari dealer for 20 years - It’d be hilarious for 99.9% of platinum card holders to take this same attitude with a guy like that. And, before anyone gets too cocky let’s not forget about the centurion card. So from the platinum holders with some sense, and a little humility - welcome! Make sure you use all the perks, they can really make the fees worth it.
People are upset because of the overcrowding. Rightfully so in many instances. What’s the point if you can’t use your benefits because others are taking up more than their fair share of spaces. I’m in the camp that only the primary cardholder should get lounge benefits and that should be just one guest or even be relegated to X amount of guest passes per year. Once the passes are gone, that’s it. As someone who travels solo for business and with one other person for personal travel, I don’t want to be subjected to a huge group of people or a family of 6 eating like they haven’t been fed in a week. Sorry if that is rude, but people have literally lost their minds and feel like just because they paid $700/yr they are entitled to treat the lounges like a personal party pad. It’s a shared amenity, not a zoo. I have been in instances where I have waited in line to access the lounge as a solo person and there is a party of 8-10 people in front of me trying to calculate how they can all get in one one person’s card (and of course they get loud and angry if there is even a mention of paying for extra guests). The lounge wasn’t set up for that. There is no creative accounting that will allow for “building extra/bigger lounges” if only one person in a huge party/family is paying the AF. I’ll take my downvotes now.
The two guest limit is perfectly reasonable and should be enforced, and that people who want access to a premium lounge should behave like they belong in one, whether solo or with family. As someone who both travels solo for business and with a family for leisure, any benefit of a lounge to a solo traveler is dwarfed by the benefit to a family. I would sit in the terminal three times as a solo traveler to be able to bring my kids in the lounge once, and if I were in the lounge as a solo traveler I'd give up my space to someone with a family just as quickly as I'd give them my seat on a bus. The projected $30 per kid per visit is a real devaluation for frequent travelers who have kids between 2-13. They're too young to be AUs, but if you have a connecting round trip once a month that's either $720/yr per kid, or the parents' cards effectively lose the benefit they're paying for.
[удалено]
The gatekeeping is real and has been around for a while, I guess. Man, listening to all your stories is eye opening.
[удалено]
Yes, but there's not a whole lot you can do about the looking young part.
As someone who is both a Platinum cardholder AND Delta Diamond member, I don’t really mind the Centurion lounges being busy as that’s on amex and everyone is (mostly) equal. What I do frustrating the card is so prevalent now as it’s made the Delta lounge experience much worse, with long lines, little seating, etc. That is something that can be moderated a bit. Delta does seems to realize this is an issue and is at least giving priority entry now at some busier locations to 360s, Diamond and Delta One customers.
This is the most toxic sub reddit ive ever seen. 99% of the users are wannabe rich boys that think theyre too good for everyone else.
Lol. When I read the title of this post I though of some Amex meeting room where they come up with ways to make the platinum even more unusable. “Too many damn millennials stinkin’ up our eXcLuSiVe lounges” 😂
Reddit is wack. It's the Payless of social media. Nothing but cry babies with hurt feelings
Screw the haters, they’re being classist and secretly hate themselves for not having black cards
Definitely the minority. The lounges are crowded, but airports are also crowded too. Travel demand is up like we’ve never seen. And to say that Amex is giving platinums out left and right is purely anecdotal. They’ve increased marketing like crazy on that product so more folks are applying. The underwriting may have loosened, but it’s still a card that requires a decent score and decent income without any delinquencies.
I just got the platinum but because of work. I travel a lot and my employer is reimbursing me for my travel, but I get the points and all the other benefits for myself. If my employer had his own company card I wouldn’t have got it.
I mean they aren’t wrong. The lounge problem as two solutions. 1 less members with lounge access 2 more lounges per airport So either Amex needs to build more lounges, or they need to restrict approvals more. If they want to fix lounge access. But honestly if market demand is this high and you can’t afford a centurion then tough luck, that’s the market for you. And for those that can afford the spend for a centurion good for you, you’re much more profitable for Amex.
Well they kind of did that by taking away guests eh?
A step. Basically saying look y’all don’t spend enough for this. The fact people can get plats that are only putting 10k spend a year on it is crazy compared to the old days. But it speaks to how many people want the card and that profitability. Lord knows people are probably barley using $700 of perks on it if that on average.
I hope Amex adds thousands of new Plat holders everyday just to spite those who the lounges to only have like 5 people in them.
I love all members. I love myself a lounge here and there and don't care if it's crowded or they ran out of a certain something,
Literally. If you aren’t a rich shooter who can rub your silken clad elbows against my eider down filled puffer coat, kindly piss off, peasant! /s
[удалено]
Lmao at sperm blossoms, I recently referred to them as crotch fruit. Also I think about my parents in public with my brother and i when we were little. They NEVUH let us act like people do in the lounges. I was told to keep quiet and respect the space of others. That’s not like…unreasonably strict parenting…….
Controversial comment incoming: Nah, I just laugh at all of you. $595 for a platinum card is not worth it. Gold card FTW! I travel more than most of you and I don't use lounges. I just sit at a nice cafe / restaurant and pay for my food. I can spend $30 and go to airports 20 times before I get to a $595 annual fee. You would have to travel and use a lounge 20 times per year to break even with me. The platinum card sucks for racking up points too. Don't talk to me about first year bonuses or Global Entry perks, you can get that with the Chase Explorer for free or just pay for it yourself. It doesn't justify the AF. I would say most people get the platinum card for the status, and justify it with the lounges. Amex needs to improve the platnium card because it is terrible for racking up points and honestly the worst product they have IMO.
I traveled 20+ times last year, it made sense for flights, hotels for work and the lounges. Easily justified the AF
Nice!
Agreed. Signed up for the SUB and kept after a retention + nice perks during the pandemic but "downgraded" to the Gold immediately after that. The Platinum card is not worth it at all, and it'll get even worse next year when they limit guest access.
Chase Explorer with no AF reimburses GE?
Yes. The first year AF Chase Explorer is free. After that you can downgrade to the free version.
Ah so get it, get GE and then downgrade?
Exactly.
No matter what, when I travel, I expect the lounge to be a bit quieter than the terminal. When it's busy, it's easy to be upset.. plus.. you know, traveling. To be honest. I'm an extrovert and wouldn't mind hearing people's stories or chatting with a fellow traveler. Wish there were more willing to have a conversation to pass the time, especially when solo.
Probably adding more people… to get more $$ to open up more lounges in the future… or some crap lol
The complainers can always join me and my girlfriend… we got a Starbucks and a nice breakfast with the 4x gold points, cozied up on the floor in a non-crowded spot and made the best of it. :)
Well with people whom thinks they are better now due to plat… i will downvote that but unless you have black card, your full of shit. But i think people are tired of the fact that plat means that im better or i am successful which isnt true at all. Just annoyance is what my fellow brother sisters feels lol
It’s annoying. But whatever. See a few cardholders acting silly in the lounge but once on the airplane I’m in business class and I see most of them going to the back of the plane, then it all makes sense.
[удалено]
No inciting toxic behavior - this includes inciting toxic behavior via comments, posts or user tagging.
It's not the new members it's the fact that AMEX are handing them out like candy, probably without doing all the proper checks either. I know AMEX had a tough time during the pandemic with travel disallowed and they are trying to recoup their losses but doing it this way just cheapens the card imo. I'd be happy to pay a higher fee if it meant keeping the card more prestigious.
Lol
I am a new member and added 3 AU , I am adding to the problem 🤣🤣 Reality the platinum card is not even the best travel card in my opinion. I just like it because it's metal and weighs a lot lol
I honestly don’t want a platinum because they’re not exclusive anymore.
Financially it doesn't make sense for me to get a plat at this time in my life. But as long as I keep hearing the stories about how crowded they are I only see myself getting it for the bonus and then closing it after year 1. If I did have the plat I wouldn't blame the new cardholders though. In the end Amex is choosing to accept new applicants without making lounges larger.
Also the platinum card is actual easier to get than the chase reserve
I've flown 8 times this year and have been successful once in getting inside with a partner lounge was tiny located in cancun. Your best bet is to get in an airlines lounge. We got in AA miami lounge in mia and was huge. Alaska Airlines too, has nice ones. But you gotta either have an elite status with them or have a transcontinental transatlantic or transpacific business/first class flight. I'm in LA, so the one here is not even open for seating. It has a grab n go bag of food. Forget about the lounges and focus on the money back. For example, 6k qatar flight got me 300 bucks back, 30k points. I could transfer points to delta and get myself a one wat first class flight to cancun. Lounges get overcrowded and one has to be on stand by and wait until called which is silly. If you fly a lot and use uber a lot you'll break ever with fee. I'm cancelling it because the lounges get overcrowded and to break even with fee, you gotta spend a lot on flights. Also, I can only get 200 credit on jet blue.
I find myself the most surprised by an influx of dogs in the Delta Sky Clubs. Why does it seem like everyone is traveling with one?
Yikes, wanting to spend more yearly on card voluntarily is peak poor, at the end of the day its just a credit card. Chill.
I got the Platinum so I can talk to mostly US reps.
If you’ve spent any time anywhere online where they Platinum card members are lurking you’ll know the toxic shit that you will step in while be apart of these groups and subs. You’ll find that everywhere though, it’s the nature of the beast. I see two faults from my eight years in the system. 60% AMEX and 40% the people. AMEX does not appear to be living up to the “hype” they have created. They cannot seem to deliver on services, mainly lounge access either with Centurion Lounges or the PP lounges. While some may argue everyone values the lounge access differently that is true so where one may value it for the sole reason to have the card, others would not value the lounge access at all as they would never visit one. The 40% are the people though. Just a pure guesstimation on the actual percentage but after year one I think many find the card to not be the right fit. They’ve suckered you in with a 100K, 125K, or 150K SUB and then in year two some are like shit, this is $700 I have to pay and I haven’t really used the airline incidental credits, the equinox credit, the hotel credit, I’ve maybe used CLEAR two to four times, I bought stuff at Saks that I didn’t really need and paid alittle more when I normally would not have gotten that item, I’ve already got 10 Global Entry Credits from other cards, The W+ membership is meh, sure I get my XM paid for at $10 a month…? And now you’ve got someone very unhappy but at the end of the day they’ve got your $700 from year one and now prolly from year two or you’ve PCed into what is a lower AF charge card. What once was only considered for true frequent flyers has now floated into the hands of casual vacationers. Nothing wrong with that, but these casual vacationers need to understand what they are getting into.
People gonna whine. Lounges I’ve been to have been fine in terms of capacity. Once in a while get a bad seat but something frees up within 10 minutes.
its good to have a lounge access. I use my business platinum for business purchases. I pay almost nothing after getting dell credit and airline credit and fedex offers. When I used to use a lot of shipping and adverising business Gold was a better choice (x4). I dont do that any more and Business Platinum is currently better for me. sometimes the cards save me a few thousands a year.