American Express cuts free plus-ones in airport lounges

High-status travelers complain about overcrowding in airport lounges as airport lounges tighten access restrictions

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One of the most attractive perks of accessing airport lounges is the ability to bring along family members and partners so they can eat, drink and relax for free. However, airport lounges are becoming increasingly pricey as a result.

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Maddie Davidson and her family hiked up to the American Express Centurion Lounge in a neighboring concourse of Sky Harbor International Airport a few weeks ago to enjoy free breakfast and a few mimosas before catching a flight to Orlando, Florida. It was a shock for her when the front desk agent at the lounge told her the cost for her husband and two children would be $110 for the whole family.

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From the beginning of this month, most travelers using American Express premium credit cards will no longer be able to bring two free guests to the American Express lounges. There is now a $50 fee for adults and a $30 fee for children ages 2 to 17. (Ms. Davidson said she paid up because “my kids were hungry and we made them walk all this way.”)

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As American Express's change shows, the great airport lounge crackdown is not slowing down at all. As part of its effort to manage crowds in its Sky Clubs, Delta Air Lines put passengers on the clock last year. In the following months, Delta Air Lines instituted new policies, including a higher guest fee, a higher annual fee, and eligibility requirements for membership in its annual club, as well as limits on the number of passengers who can travel on basic economy tickets. 

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There is a strong desire among lounge operators to restore the premium experience that their most valuable travelers are accustomed to.

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‘Daycare Ban’ 

There has long been a complaint among travelers with lounge access that overcrowding is an issue, and plus ones, especially young ones, are a frequent complaint among these travelers. One member of one platinum cardholder group on Facebook called the change to the policy on Feb. 1 the "first day of the ban on daycare.".

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It has recently been announced that the American Express platinum card, which includes access to the Centurion Lounges and to the Delta Sky Clubs when cardholders fly Delta, will cost $695 annually, up from $550 in 2021. As travel roared back in 2022, the company, which faced skepticism when it raised prices last year, says it logged record sign-ups as a result of the price hike.

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Pablo Rivero, vice president and general manager of American Express's global lounge experiences, says lounge access is one of the top card perks cited by cardholders as one of their favorite perks. (As for what tops it, he declined to say, but he did say there are other travel benefits such as a $200 annual credit for airline incidentals, an annual credit for certain luxury stays at hotels, and a pre-approval for Clear and PreCheck.

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Rivero plays down complaints about chronic crowding at the 13 Centurion Lounges in the U.S., saying travelers rarely wait longer than 10 or 15 minutes. (It took about ten minutes for me to enter lounges in Phoenix and Las Vegas.)

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It was announced more than a year ago that the company would charge all but its highest-spending cardholders for bringing guests, an initiative aimed at ensuring a great customer experience as travel booms and costs rise. There is also an expansion and renovation of the company's lounges, which saw the opening of an expanded lounge in Seattle last week.

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“It's important to us that our cardmembers feel at home when they visit us,” he says.

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We do not know if ending the guest freebies will reduce crowding at the Centurion lounges in the future. Many card members are still able to bring family members with them for free if they add them as authorized users to their cards. A fee of $175 a year is required to add an additional three users ages 13 years and older to your account. Rivero refused to give an exact figure as to the percentage of Centurion lounge visitors who traditionally have brought guests to the lounge, only saying that it varies greatly from one place to another. 

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“Some people bring no guests and some bring multiple guests,” he says.

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Family Travel

Since free guests are still allowed next door to the Centurion Lounge in Phoenix, which is connected to an Escape Lounge for American Express Platinum cardholders, crowds have been noticeably lighter.

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According to some travelers, American Express's new guest policy is aimed at reducing the number of families that visit American Express lounges, especially during busy travel periods such as spring break, summer, and other busy periods.

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The lounges have lowered their guest fees for children as part of the switch to the new policy, according to Mr. Rivero, who emphasized that no one is being denied access under the new policy. In the past, a person bringing in more than two guests was required to pay $50 per person regardless of their age. The price for children has been lowered from $60 to $30, according to him. As a general rule, Delta charges $50 per guest regardless of their age. There are still many visitors to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges who are allowed to bring guests at no additional cost. 

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Since American Express began opening Centurion lounges a decade ago, Todd Kagler spends hundreds of dollars annually on the Platinum card.

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The Baltimore technology sales executive and his wife discussed whether the card is worth it due to the new guest policy this month.

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In addition to frequent vacations with his grandchildren, Mr. Kagler also books flights that have connections in cities with Centurion lounges, he says. During a large family trip to Mexico in December, they brought five grandchildren ages 2 to 13, as a part of the old platinum card guest policy, for free into the Centurion lounge in Dallas. It has been agreed that each of his wife and son will be allowed to have two guests on the account since they are authorized users.

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As a result of tallying up the other travel benefits he uses, he decided to stick with the platinum card. There will be no more en masse gatherings of his grandchildren in his lounge. 

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“I would probably do it if there was just one kid with us,” he says.

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In Vancouver, British Columbia, Ms. Davidson, who is responsible for managing a service division for a contracting company, says the days of her sons' lounges are long gone. They enjoyed french toast, muffins, fruit, apple juice, and time on their iPads in the Phoenix Centurion lounge earlier this month, but the price of $110 is too steep when compared to the cheaper alternatives available at the airport elsewhere. The young children should be allowed free access to the lounges, according to her.

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“This card should definitely be reconsidered,” she says, “since I feel it is absurd.”

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