Once upon a time, it was common that if he had a membership at the airport that gave him access, he extended to his immediate family when they were traveling with you. Unfortunately, times have changed.
In recent years, in large part due to the increase in demand and the space of the Finito Salon, we have seen a program after program restrict access to the hall.
Now, friends, partners and even children under 18 have to stay out of the room door for some programs, unless you spend enough annually to reach a higher level in that living room ecosystem or Pay guest input fees.
And for the first time, I paid the guest entry rate. Buying room access for my children was the best $ 60 that I could have spent on all that trip.
Here is why it was worth it, in case you are once in a similar situation and, usually, choose to jump the room when the family is on a trip.
The unexpected airport delay
Access to the living room It is good, but it is not so important to us that I usually spend more to bring my children when we travel if they don’t have access.
I would never have guessed that I would spend extra money to take a while in a domestic airport hall.
We were just out of a short Cruise from Miamiwhich meant an early attention and landing call to start the walk to Texas’s house. The flight schedules were not really on our side, so we were going to have a few hours at the airport before our flight home, even if everything worked perfectly. But perfect was not on the agenda that day.
On the other hand, a few hours expected at the airport that morning became more than nine hours when our flight home was delayed … and delayed … and delayed again.
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Miami International Airport (MIA) is not exactly known for being the best airport in the country. At least, in the terminal in which we were, there were not many exits on the doors to boost their devices, the door seat was far from being comfortable, there was a quiming sound without stopping and other passengers who also faced delays throughout the floor of the doors that rested where they could.
We join them in that situation less than ideal during the first hours of the day.
However, as soon as we were within three hours of our originally scheduled flight, which is the early thing that can enter, we go to the American Express Centurion Lounge And I did something that I never really thought I would do: I spent $ 30 for each child to enter the room with me.
If you are not familiar, those with American Express Platinum Card® and American Express Platinum Card® Business You can get up to two courtesy guests spending $ 75,000 or more on eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year.
Otherwise, it costs $ 50 per guest for those of 18 years and more than $ 30 for guests under 18 years (those 2 or less can visit free of charge).
Related: Less expensive cards for access to airport
From chaos to comfort
Spending $ 60 for my two children to relax in a room sounded like something I would probably do until I did. This is what he got us:
- More than five hours with comfortable places to sit on sofas with our own points of sale (given the duration of time, this would have been worth everything alone)
- Nice bathrooms
- Access to unlimited snacks and drinks
- Salon buffet dinner
Taking into account that we spend about $ 55 at the airport lunch in the hours before we could enter the room, easily “mathematics” mathematics in the hard costs we save during the more than five hours we spend there. The airport dinner would probably have cost us more than $ 60, given the price of lunch.
When we left the living room to go to the door, again we face to have to fight to find some space in the floor to sit together, since the entire area of chairs and floor space was full of equally exhausted and unhappy people who had also spent all their day waiting for their flight.
Related: How to choose a credit card for access to airport
A secret place in mine
If you are in a similar situation in the American Express Centurion Lounge at the Miami airport, specifically, there is an area to verify if you have problems finding seats in the rest of the room.
When you enter the living room (after registering), turn immediately to the left and go down the hall, where you can find sofas and tables that are empty even when the rest of the room is quite full.
End
If I thought, as I did, to pay the guest rates for your children to visit a room at the airport with you, it was an option to rule out as something you really do not need to consider, I listen to it.
However, take into account as an option, especially during long delays when things that are not worth suddenly become the best money they spent on their vacation.
For rates and rates of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and rates of the AMEX Business Platinum card, click here.
