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£400 + 40,000 POINTS: Why Amex Platinum gets you into more lounges than you think

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American Express is currently running an excellent sign-up bonus of £400 of Amex Travel credit and 40,000 Membership Rewards points when you take out The Platinum Card.

The points would convert into 40,000 Avios or lots of other great travel rewards. Even better, you qualify for the bonus even if you have a British Airways American Express card as long as you meet the other criteria.

Our introductory article on the ‘£400 + 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards points’ offer is here. Remember that you can still get a pro-rata refund on the annual fee as long as you cancel by ‘late 2024’ – Amex isn’t being more specific than that.

The Platinum Card application page is here. The offer runs to 27th August.

American Express Platinum airport lounges

The representative APR is 694.9% variable, including the annual fee.  The representative APR on purchases is 30.0% variable.

Last week we looked at:

…. and we will cover some other features in the coming weeks.

Today I want to look at another of the key benefits of The Platinum Card from American Express – the wide range of airport lounges (and three Eurostar lounges) that you can access.

American Express has created a website featuring all of the airport lounge which you can access with The Platinum Card. You can find it here.

Let’s start with Priority Pass

Priority Pass is a network of 1,400 independent airport lounges across the world. The Priority Pass website here has a list of all of the lounges you can access – you are very likely to find one wherever you are travelling.

Your American Express Platinum card comes with two free Priority Pass cards. You, as main cardholder, receive one and your first supplementary cardholder receives one. They arrive in the post at roughly the same time as your Platinum card.

Each Priority Pass card lets you take a guest into a lounge for free. Some people don’t join the dots here – what this means is that you can get a full family of four into an airport lounge with your Priority Pass. All you need to do is make sure that your partner is your first supplementary cardholder on your Platinum account and so gets their own Priority Pass. Both adults can then guest in one child each.

Additional guest are charged at £24 each. This is automatically charged by Priority Pass to your Platinum card.

Interestingly, this package is better than any which Priority Pass sells directly.  If you look at their website, you’ll see that it is impossible to buy a version which comes with unlimited free entry for both yourself and a guest. The only way to get a Priority Pass which does this is via American Express Platinum.

Priority Pass also has a deal with Pizza Express at London Gatwick’s South Terminal. This is the terminal used by British Airways. You can go to Pizza Express, show your Priority Pass and get £36 of credit (£18 x 2 people) to spend on food and drink, either to eat in or take away.

Note that, whilst other restaurants offer a £18 credit for Priority Pass cardholders, you do not qualify for these if your card is issued by American Express. Pizza Express at Gatwick is the only restaurant which you can visit.

In peak periods it can be difficult to get access to Priority Pass lounges at certain UK airports. As a trial, you can now pre-book selected UK lounges for free – click for details. At airports outside the UK you are unlikely to be refused entry.

American Express Platinum Delta lounge access

Lounge access with Delta

If you are flying with US airline Delta, your Amex Platinum card gets you (but no guests) access to Delta SkyClub lounges.

This can be more valuable than you think because – as I found myself when flying with Delta from Atlanta to Washington DC a couple of years ago – even having a domestic First Class flight ticket with Delta does not automatically get you into their lounges. Luckily I had my American Express Platinum card with me.

This does NOT allow you to use the Virgin Clubhouse in Heathrow Terminal 3, which is Delta’s London facility – you can only use Delta-branded lounges.

Lufthansa Lounge entrance

Lounge access with Lufthansa

If you are flying on Lufthansa, SWISS or Austrian in Economy, you can access selected Lufthansa lounges in Europe. This includes the lounge in Heathrow Terminal 2, image above.

If you are flying in Business Class, you can access the Senator Lounge (in Heathrow this is a separate room at the back of the main lounge) which is usually reserved for Miles & More Senator members, the equivalent of British Airways Gold.

You can find out more about the Lufthansa / American Express lounge access partnership in this HfP article. No guests are allowed, although if your partner has a supplementary Platinum card on your account then clearly they can come in with you.

Eurostar lounge St Pancras

Lounge access with Eurostar

Away from the airport, American Express Platinum also gets you access to all Eurostar Business Premier Lounges.

The Paris lounge is particularly pleasant – see our review of the Eurostar Paris lounge here. A cocktail bar has also been added to the lounge at London St Pancras (see above, it’s closed in the morning!) – our most recent review of the Eurostar lounge at London St Pancras is here. We also have a review of the Eurostar lounge in Brussels here.

This benefit can be a money saver. With lounge access provided by your Platinum card, there is arguably little benefit in splashing out for a Business Premier ticket. Standard Premier offers exactly the same seat – albeit with a lower quality meal – and American Express handles lounge access for you.

Lounge access is for the cardmember only and no guests are permitted. Your partner could join you if they have a supplementary Platinum card on your account.

The benefit is not valid on Eurostar trips which do not start or end in the UK since the lounges are all behind passport control.

American Express Centurion lounges, inc Heathrow

American Express is rolling out its own network of airport lounges. Despite being called Centurion Lounges, they are accessible by anyone with a Platinum or Centurion American Express card. You are allowed two free guests.

The first Centurion Lounge in Europe opened at Heathrow Terminal 3. It is impressive – click here for our Heathrow Centurion Lounge review which was recently updated. A photo is above.

You can find out where other Centurion Lounge are (mainly the US and Hong Kong) in this HfP article.

Other American Express-branded lounges

American Express also operates some other lounges globally. Full details are here.

They are, confusingly, also branded as ‘Centurion’ but are not done to the same quality. You can find these in Stockholm, Mumbai, Delhi, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Melbourne, Mexico City, Monterrey and Sydney. There are plans to upgrade some of these and merge them into the main ‘Centurion’ brand.

Conclusion

As you can see, American Express Platinum cardholders get a wide range of airport and rail lounge benefits. There is a lot more too it than just a Priority Pass.

You can see the full ‘American Express Global Lounge Collection ‘ on this special website.

If you want to learn more about the current special ‘£400 + 40,000 points’ bonus on The Platinum Card, our core article on the deal is here.

You can apply for The Platinum Card here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Bonus: 80,000 points
SPECIAL OFFER

Read our full review

Other information:

  • Two Priority Pass cards, each allowing two people into 1,400 airport lounges
  • Elite status in four major hotel loyalty programmes
  • Comprehensive travel insurance
  • £400 per year of restaurant credit (T&C apply)
  • £50 per half year of Harvey Nichols credit (ends June 2025)
  • Annual fee: £650

Representative 694.9% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £650 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 30.0% APR variable.

Apply here
See if you qualify for the 80,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 80,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card if you spend £10,000 within six months of signing up.

This is a special offer which runs to 27th May 2025.  The standard bonus is 50,000 Membership Rewards points.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible.  You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Points or other airlines (usually at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

This is the ONLY personal American Express card where you still qualify for the bonus if you already hold a British Airways American Express card.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card which earns Membership Rewards points.  This includes The Platinum Card and Preferred Rewards Gold.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held any other American Express card, including the British Airways, Marriott and Nectar cards.

For clarity, you can still apply for The Platinum Card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the long list of other benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with an unrivalled list of benefits for the keen traveller.

Your personal travel patterns will determine which of these is the most valuable.  The key benefits are:

Full comprehensive travel insurance for you, your family and the family of your supplementary cardholder, subject to enrolment

Two Priority Pass cards, each of which allows the holder and a guest unlimited free access to 1,400 airport lounges

Elite status in four major hotel loyalty schemes: Marriott Bonvoy (Gold), Hilton Honors (Gold), Radisson Rewards (Premium), MeliaRewards (Gold)

Access to Eurostar lounges, irrespective of travel class

£200 per year to spend in over 170 UK restaurants (£100 per half year)

£200 per year to spend in over 1,500 international restaurants (£100 per half year)

£50 to spend at Harvey Nichols, instore or online (£50 per half year, this benefit ends on 30th June 2025)

You need a minimum personal income of £35,000 to apply for the card.

Category

American Express Platinum card

Comments (60)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Lumma says:
    29 Jul29 July 04:34

    If you’re not married, can you get the supplementary card in your own name to get the second priority pass and use it when travelling as a four? Or is there any name checking?

    • JDB says:
      29 Jul29 July 07:18

      Using a card in someone else’s name to gain access to a sporting venue or private club is considered an offence of fraud by misrepresentation. While some may consider it trivial like perhaps stealing a Mars Bar, it’s an offence nevertheless. Is lounge access really so important so as to contemplate law breaking?

      • Lumma says:
        29 Jul29 July 07:52

        That’s not really what I was asking. Amex allows you to get a supplementary card in your own name if you want (handy for keeping business expenses separate from personal one or getting more Amex offers).

        What I was wondering was what happens with the extra Priority Pass if you do this? Both cards would presumably have the main card holder’s name on, so could you use these two cards for a group of four unrelated people?

        • Nick says:
          29 Jul29 July 08:04

          The name checking seems to have gotten a little more strict nowadays – some lounges won’t let you use multiple cards in your own namn when bringing in multiple people

        • JDB says:
          29 Jul29 July 08:49

          @Lumma – you rather answered your own question in the first post asking whether there was name checking – i.e. you have already worked that the plan fails if there is any such checking.

    • Chrisasaurus says:
      29 Jul29 July 16:20

      Regardless of whether this is good or bad, the second priority pass would also be in your name so you’re still only getting three people in…

  • Nick G says:
    29 Jul29 July 06:36

    Just got my first platinum this week. Couple of questions.

    1. Travelling as a family of 3, wife also has a supplementary card. Can we pay for lounge access for our 10yr old for Eurostar if we bought standard premier. Also same for Lufthansa lounge?

    2. Flying CE next week from T5. Never used the plaza premium lounge before. Any views on BA galleries v PP?

    2.

    • Nico says:
      29 Jul29 July 06:59

      BA lounge much nicer

    • Rob says:
      29 Jul29 July 08:25

      Eurostar – no, you’re stuck. Same with Lufthansa.

      T5 – I always preferred Plaza but lots of complaints of late.

      Note that Plaza (when you enter by showing Amex Plat rather than PPass) allows 2 guests.

      • Thegasman says:
        29 Jul29 July 09:41

        Plaza was lovely both for decor & food/beverage selection/quality with added benefit of being much less crowded than BA lounges when it first opened such that I often found it preferable to Galleries First at peak periods.

        It’s now much busier, tattier & food & drink very poor. To be fair to them, most U.K. 3rd party lounges have also nose dived to the point of being no better than a Starbucks in main terminal.

        • Dee says:
          4 Aug4 August 10:54

          Plaza lounge in Heathrow T2 was a very poor experience. Overcrowded. Noisy. Pleather seats completely worn out.
          Not a premium experience at all.

  • jj says:
    29 Jul29 July 06:46

    Including Priority Pass places in an article on lounges lounges is like including McDonalds in an article on restaurants – technically accurate, but scarcely in the same league.

    Honestly, folk – don’t bother. Dirty, overcrowded, cheap drinks and cheaper food. You’re better off in a restaurant in most cases.

    • Icewhite says:
      29 Jul29 July 08:54

      +1

    • Peter K says:
      29 Jul29 July 09:12

      This old chestnut again? Sigh.

      It’s very lounge and airport dependant. Some airports don’t have restaurants, some have lovely lounges. Some airports don’t have airline lounges but do have PP ones etc etc

      • babyg says:
        29 Jul29 July 09:52

        +1 UK(especially London) there are many poor examples of PP lounges… outside of the UK there are plenty of nice PP lounges…

        • TGLoyalty says:
          29 Jul29 July 13:32

          I think the clubrooms are quite good but cost a supplement and No1 are usually pleasant enough unless you get a bad crowd but I probably travel very off peak so generally miss the peak madness

    • Bernard says:
      29 Jul29 July 12:54

      +1, especially chav-o-rama no.1 lounge Gatwick north. Vile.
      For cheap Prosecco and punch up any Gatwick airport Wetherspoons can offer better

      • Ken says:
        29 Jul29 July 16:59

        Lovely , imagine paying £40 each for that.

      • Domo1915 says:
        29 Jul29 July 20:00

        Yorkshire lounge is poor if you’re expecting any luxury but it at least had some regional beer on draft versus some warm bottles ive been offered recently at both Liverpool and
        Manchester T1. Which are both equally abysmal.

  • Thomas Philip Cook says:
    29 Jul29 July 08:46

    I have to say we went into the Centurion lounge in LAX a couple of weeks ago, and it was appalling! Totally not what we expected. Poor food, layout, drink options, and overcrowded. We left and went to the BA lounge which was serene and miles better!

    • JDB says:
      29 Jul29 July 09:10

      This is one of the reasons Amex has been talking about introducing a new card between Platinum and Centurion and that this new card would be the lowest card giving access to Centurion lounges. They need to do something as your experience (particularly in respect of overcrowding) isn’t unusual and increasing capacity is very difficult at key airports so they need to tighten entry criteria or the concept of their own brand lounges will fall apart.

      • Tom Cook says:
        29 Jul29 July 09:17

        It was the first Centurion lounge we’d tried and we were quite shocked tbh as we were looking forward to seeing what the hype is about. I didn’t know you could guest two people in so maybe that is something that they should look at as there were way too many people in there. Some people were sat on the floor!

        • JDB says:
          29 Jul29 July 09:41

          Yes, two guests seems ridiculously generous as a standard policy when capacity is so incredibly tight. While the idea of allowing two guests sounds generous in principle, those who encounter unpleasantly overcrowded lounges or have to go on a waiting list maybe to get in are going to be pretty cheesed off thus generating ill will.

        • jj says:
          29 Jul29 July 10:20

          I think that some of the hype comes from US bloggers who compare the Centurion lounges with the membership-based US airline lounges. Against that low bar, the Centurion lounges look pretty good.

          My experiences of the T3 Centurion lounge in LHR have always been good.

        • TGLoyalty says:
          29 Jul29 July 13:33

          I didn’t think American platinum member could guest anyone for free any more

          U.K. plat holders still can and centurion members can

          • ken says:
            29 Jul29 July 16:09

            2 guests if you spend $75k in a year…

            I suspect its the sheer number of primary card holders as its easy to use coupons to recoup most (if not all) of the card cost.

            Thats before the 100k (or whatever ) points for applying.

          • Chrisasaurus says:
            29 Jul29 July 18:33

            Correct, they can’t without a fee (and has been the case over a year)

      • brian says:
        29 Jul29 July 10:49

        Would be very unimpressed if they do this at a global level and it could be enough for for me to cancel my card.
        I regularly use the Centurion lounge in São Paulo and there’s never more than a handful of people there.

    • ChasP says:
      29 Jul29 July 12:38

      I would like to tell you what the Centurion lounge in Houston was like but there was a 30-45 minute queue – unless you had a Centurion card
      But the BA lounge was nice and quiet

    • Thaliasilje says:
      29 Jul29 July 16:43

      Totally agree. Felt very classless, everything from food to people around.

  • Kevin C says:
    29 Jul29 July 09:39

    We’re currently in Osaka where, on the way back to the hotel, I spotted something called City Terminal by Plaza Premium. Apparently it has just opened. No idea if I can get in or not. It didn’t look that exciting (there is a big sign saying Costa Coffee) but I might have time to investigate.

  • LittleNick says:
    29 Jul29 July 10:24

    “The first Centurion Lounge in Europe opened at Heathrow Terminal 3 last Autumn.” – I think this is a little out of date and needs amending, didn’t it open in autumn 21 or 22?

    • Rob says:
      29 Jul29 July 14:55

      Sorry, will tweak.

      • Ryan says:
        29 Jul29 July 16:07

        I still don’t understand how anyone can call this lounge impressive. Dark, small, basic food selection. Maybe it’s all relative, because T3 isn’t very nice outside the lounges.

        • jj says:
          29 Jul29 July 17:23

          Impressive is certainly too strong an adjective. It’s dark, but it’s quite elegant by lounge standards. I haven’t found it too small for the number of people using it. Maybe this is a matter of taste, but I’ve found the food to be better than most lounges, including the BA lounges. I’d obviously much rather be in the Cathay first class lounge, but that’s not always possible.

          • JDB says:
            29 Jul29 July 18:23

            @jj – it’s clearly too small at times as people report being refused entry and being put on a waiting list.

        • Rob says:
          29 Jul29 July 20:27

          When I was there to re-review it earlier this year – admittedly at 6.30am or whatever – it was pretty empty and the food out was impressive. Absolutely nothing to complain about.

  • Ironside says:
    29 Jul29 July 11:40

    “At airports outside the UK you are unlikely to be refused entry.”

    Usually true on the European mainland but I wouldn’t rely on this statement, especially at US hub airports. At ATL I was turned away from every PP lounge across Concourses B to F – or more accurately given a waiting time of several hours.

    However it was the Platinum card that saved me. As it was busy, they were turning away Virgin pax at the Delta International lounge – even for Golds and Upper Class – but my AMEX seemed to give me priority. No idea why.

  • Tim says:
    29 Jul29 July 13:37

    “We will cover some other features in the coming weeks”. Will you be covering the Airfare Benefit? I’m interested in whether you get genuine savings. Only yesterday – in conjunction with the basic Amex Rewards Card, their online travel portal quoted me £90 more than BA for the exact same flights. Needless to day, I booked direct via BA.

    • LittleNick says:
      29 Jul29 July 14:26

      Yep, they’ve never mentioned the international airline program via Plat? But BA is not a member of the program, I’m sure it was in the past though

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