Many of the best travel cards confer valuable benefits. For example, some cards provide hotel elite status while others offer travel statement credits.
The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offer perhaps the most comprehensive benefits of any premium travel rewards cards.
A key benefit is access to Amex Centurion Lounges for eligible cardholders. What many Platinum Card and Business Platinum cardmembers don’t realize, however, is that Centurion Lounges are just one type of lounge eligible cardmembers can visit within the broader American Express Global Lounge Collection.
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Let’s go through all the types of airport lounges that are part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection.
Which lounges can I access with the Amex Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card?
In addition to Centurion Lounges, both the Amex Platinum and the Amex Business Platinum provide members with access to Delta Sky Club lounges (limited to 10 annual visits) and Priority Pass Select lounges. (Enrollment is required.)
But that’s just a portion of the lounges cardmembers can access. Other lounges around the world include:
- Aspire Lounges
- Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
- Plaza Premium lounges
- Select Lufthansa lounges
- Other Global Lounge Collection partner lounges
Using the Global Lounge Collection website, you can find participating airport lounges during your travels. American Express states that you’ll have access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries.
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As a cardmember of either the personal or business Platinum card, including authorized users with additional Platinum cards but not authorized users with companion Platinum cards, you’ll get access to most eligible lounge networks by showing your eligible card and government-issued identification, plus a valid boarding pass.
However, each lounge network has different access requirements and guest policies, so let’s look at each.
Related: How to maximize benefits with the Amex Platinum Card
American Express Centurion Lounges
Centurion Lounges are the most exclusive lounges available to Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members. They offer a staffed bar, meals, ample nonalcoholic drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi and various seating options.
Some Centurion Lounges also provide complimentary amenities like family rooms.
Centurion Lounge locations in the US
There are currently 15 Centurion Lounges open in the U.S.:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO; under renovation until 2027; temporary lounge in Terminal 2)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport (DCA) near Washington, D.C.
Amex also plans to open Centurion Lounges at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in 2025, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in 2026 and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in 2027.
And the issuer will debut a new dining concept called “Sidecar by Centurion Lounge” in Las Vegas in 2026, offering a quicker, more intimate dining experience to those with a flight departing within 90 minutes.
This is similar to Capital One’s Landing concept, and will offer free wifi and restrooms within the facility.
Centurion Lounge locations abroad
There are currently 15 Centurion Lounges open abroad, located at 11 airports:
- Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) in Mumbai, India
- Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in New Delhi
- Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
- Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) in Australia
- Mexico City International Airport (MEX) (four locations; one of them temporarily closed)
- Monterrey International Airport (MTY) in Mexico (two locations)
- Sydney Airport (SYD)
Amex plans to open a Centurion Lounge at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) in 2026.
Access policy for Centurion Lounges
Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members may only access the Centurion Lounge within three hours of their flight’s scheduled departure. Access upon arrival isn’t allowed unless you have a layover or connecting flight, in which case the three-hour rule doesn’t apply. However, access policies may vary from country to country in international locations.
To gain access, you’ll need to provide a same-day, confirmed boarding pass, your eligible Amex card, and your government-issued identification.
For U.S. Centurion Lounges, it’s a good idea to check into a lounge when you’re 10 minutes or less away from the entrance. If there is no wait, you’ll get a QR code to expedite your entry; if there is a queue, you’ll be placed on a waitlist.
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Guest policy for Centurion Lounges
U.S. Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members must pay $50 per guest age 18 or older and $30 per guest age two through 17 (guests under two years of age are complimentary with proof of age).
However, U.S. Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members can qualify for complimentary guest access for up to two guests per visit after spending $75,000 on eligible purchases with their card within a calendar year.
Suppose you spend at least $75,000 on your Platinum Card within a calendar year. In that case, you’ll get complimentary guest access for up to two guests per visit for the remainder of the calendar year, the following calendar year and until Jan. 31 of the next calendar year. So, if you earn complimentary guest access in 2025, it would be valid through Jan. 31, 2027.
Note, though, that guest policies may vary from country to country in international locations.
Related: Don’t get turned away at the door — top ways to still bring guests into the Amex Centurion Lounge
Access to other lounge networks
Centurion Lounges are great, but many airports don’t have a Centurion Lounge. So, most of the lounges you can visit with an Amex Platinum Card or Amex Business Platinum Card are in other lounge networks. You can use the lounge search function on Amex’s website here to see the current operating hours and locations for lounges.
Delta Sky Club lounges
Amex Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members get access to Delta Sky Club lounges when flying on a Delta-operated flight or a Delta-marketed flight operated by WestJet. (You cannot access Sky Clubs on a basic economy ticket or an equivalent ticket with Delta or a partner airline.)
To find eligible lounges, head to Delta’s website and select “Platinum Card and Centurion Members From American Express” as your membership type.
You can only access Delta Sky Club lounges up to three hours before the scheduled departure of a same-day Delta-operated flight or during a connection between two Delta-operated flights on the same ticket.
To gain access, show your Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card, your government-issued identification and your same-day boarding pass.
Delta grants Amex Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members up to 10 Sky Club visits per program year; authorized users with additional Platinum cards get their own 10-visit allotment each program year. The program year is defined as Feb. 1 through Jan. 31 of the following year.
Here is a tool to track your annual Delta Sky Club visits.
After you have used all 10 visits, additional visits to a Delta Sky Club can be bought for $50 per visit or $25 per visit for Delta Sky Club ‘Grab and Go’. Delta’s Sky Club terms and conditions state:
A visit is an entry to one or more Delta Sky Clubs or usage of the Delta Sky Club “Grab and Go” feature, at one or more airports, for a period of up to 24 hours starting upon the first Delta Sky Club entry or Grab and Go usage.
A single visit permits usage of Delta Sky Club(s) in multiple airports during the 24-hour period. For example, if you visit a Delta Sky Club in different airports on a trip, entry into one or more of these Clubs will be considered part of the same visit as long as these additional entries occur within 24 hours of the first Delta Sky Club entry
Luckily, cardmembers with connecting itineraries or a brief layover during the same day won’t have to worry about whether it’s worth it to enter a Sky Club and burn a visit if they have already entered a Sky Club prior to their departure.
However, if you spend $75,000 or more on your Amex Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card during a calendar year (January through December), you can unlock unlimited Sky Club access through the end of the next program year (February through January).
Amex Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members don’t get any complimentary guests at Delta Sky Clubs, but they can purchase guest access for up to two traveling companions (or their spouse or domestic partner and children under 21) on a per-visit basis at $50 per guest or $25 per guest for Delta Sky Club’s ‘Grab and Go’.
Priority Pass Select lounges
Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members are entitled to complimentary membership in Priority Pass Select. This membership provides access to more than 1,700 lounges worldwide but doesn’t include Priority Pass restaurants. The quality of each Priority Pass lounge varies, but there are some excellent ones. (Enrollment is required.)
To gain access, you must enroll in Priority Pass Select on Amex’s website or by calling Platinum Travel Services.
Then, once your Priority Pass card arrives in the mail, hand it, your government-issued identification and your same-day boarding pass to the front desk attendant at Priority Pass lounges to gain access. Note that some lounges have limited hours for Priority Pass guests.
If the lounge accepts guests, you can bring up to two guests each visit; if you have more than two guests, the lounge will charge you $35 per guest.
Related: 9 domestic lounges that are worth going out of your way for
Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
You can access U.S. Escape Lounges by showing your eligible Amex card, your government-issued identification and a confirmed same-day boarding pass. You may bring two guests with you for no additional cost, but any other guests must purchase a day pass.
The following U.S. airports have Escape Lounges you can access with your Amex Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card:
- Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Connecticut
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Ohio
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
- Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina
- Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in Missouri
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
- Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA)
- Oakland International Airport (OAK) in California
- Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) in Florida
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) (in terminals 3 and 4)
- Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon
- Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)
- Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF) (in terminals A and B)
- Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) in New York
- Tulsa International Airport (TUL)* in Oklahoma
There are also several Escape Lounges in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Plaza Premium lounges
With your Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card, you can access a selection of Plaza Premium lounge locations worldwide. (You can also access some Plaza Premium lounges through Priority Pass.)
You must show your eligible Amex card, your government-issued identification and a confirmed same-day boarding pass to enter. You may enter with up to two guests for no additional cost. Other guests can purchase a day pass, but the cost of a day pass will vary by location.
Lufthansa lounges
Amex Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members can access select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa Group airlines (Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines; excludes Brussels Airlines). You may visit select Lufthansa Business Lounges regardless of your ticket class, but you can also visit participating Lufthansa Senator Lounges when flying business class on these airlines.
Not all Lufthansa lounges participate, so check Amex’s lounge finder page. At participating locations, you must show your eligible Amex card, a government-issued ID and a boarding pass for a same-day Lufthansa Group flight. No guests are included, but some locations may allow guests for a fee.
Additional Global Lounge Collection partner lounges
Platinum Card and Business Platinum Card members also get access to other Global Lounge Collection partner lounges, as indicated by the lounge search function on Amex’s website. To access participating lounges, you must show your Platinum Card or Business Platinum Card, a government-issued ID and a same-day boarding pass for confirmed travel. However, guest access and guest fees will vary. Access is limited to eligible cardmembers.
Related: Is the Amex Platinum worth the annual fee?
Bottom line
The Amex Platinum and the Business Platinum provide access to more lounges than any other cards. It’s why both cards routinely sit at the top of TPG’s list of best cards for airport lounge access.
But it’s not all about quantity; the quality of the lounges accessible with either card is also excellent. For example, we love the locally influenced dishes served at Centurion Lounges and the relaxing spaces in Escape Lounges.
However, we’ve seen lounge access limits as American Express and airlines look to reduce lounge crowding. You must spend a certain amount each year to get guest privileges to Centurion Lounges and additional visits to Delta Sky Clubs.
To learn more about the eligible cards, read our full reviews of the Amex Platinum and the Amex Business Platinum.
Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express
Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
