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Amex Platinum cards in Germany now have a cap on Priority Pass use

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Whilst many holders of Priority Pass airport lounge cards in the UK complain that they find it difficult to get access (which is why American Express Platinum is currently trialling free reservations until the end of 2024), it seems that there is no problem in Germany.

(This isn’t a surprise – the UK and US are the only countries where you should have a realistic concern about being turned away from a Priority Pass lounge.)

German holders of The Platinum Card who applied from 2nd September are having their lounge access capped.

From this week, new cardholders are restricted to 50 Priority Pass visits per year if you get your Priority Pass from a German-issued Amex Platinum card.

There are some odd quirks though:

  • the cap only applies to lounges accessed via Priority Pass – lounges which you access by showing your Platinum card (Lufthansa, Plaza Premium, Centurion etc) are not included
  • the cap covers the main and supplementary Platinum cardholders and any guests they bring in without charge – but there is no way of keeping track of how many visits you have done between you
  • the cap of 50 is not, it turns out, a firm cap – it is the level at which American Express is now allowed to terminate your Priority Pass membership, but it many not necessarily do so

Whilst 50 lounge visits seems like a lot, it is just six trips per year for a family of four which uses a lounge at both ends of their journey. That said, the ability to use Plaza Premium lounges outside the cap would remove some of the sting if such a rule was brought in here.

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Comments (80)

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

  • BJ says:
    8 Sep8 September 07:23

    Problems with lounge access and overcrowding could be massively reduced by providing staffed bars with one free alcoholic drink per visit, and by restricting access to 2h prior to scheduled departure time for all except connecting passengers.

    • Jon says:
      8 Sep8 September 09:33

      Barrel of laughs you are…

      • BJ says:
        8 Sep8 September 11:42

        I doubt you’ll be laughing if refused entry or if you get in only to find no seats, disgraceful toilets etc.

    • TGLoyalty says:
      8 Sep8 September 11:25

      The lounges aren’t overcrowded … they just want to limit the number of PP customers accessing them for a knocked down price.

      • BJ says:
        8 Sep8 September 11:44

        Many lounges I’ve accessed are frequently overcrowded

        • TGLoyalty says:
          8 Sep8 September 17:53

          Only overcrowded lounges I’ve been in since 2020 are consistently galleries in the main T5 terminal building.

    • r* says:
      8 Sep8 September 11:52

      2 hours before departure is nonsense tho as it basically means you get about an hour in there given the time to get to gates and the gate closure times.

      Also with such a low number of drinks, whats even the point of a lounge then? And if you applied that to cash customers, you wouldnt be getting in any lounges as they would all be shutting down unless they are being covered by airline reservations cos how many bucket and spaders are paying £40 for a lounge with 1 drink?

      • BJ says:
        8 Sep8 September 15:42

        They’re airport lounges, not country clubs. Many already have 3h limits and still suffer from access and overcrowding issues. Back in the day I was flying UA frequently ISTR it was paid bars in USA with one free drink voucher on entry.

        • r* says:
          8 Sep8 September 19:45

          3 hour limit is different to 2 hours as with 3 hours you have two hours in there, with a 2 hour limit its not long enough unless you want to rush.

          Not sure what the relevance of country club is tho, the lounge is there to just sit around in, have snacks and some drinks. If they take those things away, who is going to pay to go into an area thats the same as the general airport area?

          • BJ says:
            8 Sep8 September 22:48

            @r* except in special circumstances I don’t really get why any non-connecting passenger would want or need to spend more than an hour in an airport lounge but each to their own I suppose.

    • Throwawayname says:
      8 Sep8 September 12:48

      So you pay to get into the lounge for your 6-hour connection but have to wait four hours to get in? Sounds very exciting!

      • BJ says:
        8 Sep8 September 15:44

        “except connecting passengers”

        • Throwawayname says:
          8 Sep8 September 16:38

          Fair enough, didn’t see that! I doubt many originating pax get into the lounge 2.5+ hours before departure.

  • Susan says:
    8 Sep8 September 07:49

    Is Amex now working to actively discourage membership?

  • Froggee says:
    8 Sep8 September 07:50

    If they brought that in here with 50 reservations included then it would be a huge improvement.

    • BJ says:
      8 Sep8 September 08:06

      Are there Priority Pass access issues at EDI or GLA? I almost always have lounge access via ticket, on the few occasions I didn’t last year I had no problems with Priority Pass.

      • Froggee says:
        8 Sep8 September 08:34

        Certainly at Plaza Premium (which currently cannot be reserved anyway). I have heard a fair few complaints about Aspire also of late. A couple of times I’ve struggled to get seating with apparently empty seats blocked off for (from memory) Air France:and KLM. I don’t take early morning flights though when it sounds like things are worse.

        But e.g. when we flew off on our summer holz we didn’t even bother trying given how rammed the airport was as balance of probabilities was poor. It is far from relaxing going there to be told no room at the inn.

        • BJ says:
          8 Sep8 September 09:14

          Thanks, the overcrowding at many lounges is why I think they need to limit alcohol and access time. Plaza at EDI had blocking for Qatar but they’re now back in BA. Sometimes lounges are so bad tgese days that an emoty gate area is much more pleasant if you can find one. At EDI I usually time my arrival at 60-75min before flight departure so there’s rarely time for lounge anyway. Cannot do that next two flights though as we’re departing GLA.

          • r* says:
            8 Sep8 September 12:10

            I think youre underestimating the number of ppl that pay to go into lounges. In the UK ones a large percentage of the tables always seem to be taken by paying customers.

      • Alan says:
        8 Sep8 September 09:04

        Still intermittently at EDI with queues out the door from PP and Aspire waiting for folk to leave for those waiting to be allowed in.

      • Colin_Thames says:
        8 Sep8 September 10:17

        I’ve been booking my visits at EDI Plaza Premium of late but that’s with DragonPass. Don’t think I’ve ever been able to get into Plaza Premium or Aspire without booking. Neither Aspire not as good as Plaza Premium IMHO.

        • dundj says:
          8 Sep8 September 10:49

          Never failed to get into the Plaza Premium Lounge at EDI with the Amex or PP depending upon which one I pull out first. Though it is now far busier than it used to be. I’m normally on the 6am AF or KL flights mind you, however even for later flights I’ve had no issues recently.

          • BJ says:
            8 Sep8 September 11:47

            Thanks to all for EDI info, just curious what to expect wgen flying EasyJet.

      • Andy says:
        8 Sep8 September 10:30

        Never had an issue at GLA, big lounge, 4 drink limit etc.

  • Qrfan says:
    8 Sep8 September 08:18

    I regularly see the priority pass lounge in Montreal limiting entry to airline J passengers. Given the size of the queues being turned away I reckon it’s probably a broader Canadian issue as well.

  • Rich says:
    8 Sep8 September 08:19

    The very heaviest users – weekly commuters with a guest who lounge hop – must be responsible for a disproportionate amount of cost.

    It seems reasonable to introduce a cap if it only affects the top 5%. 50 visits per year direct feel right to me though – even if it is only a soft cap.

  • Erico1875 says:
    8 Sep8 September 08:36

    Last year we were in both the EDI Aspire and Plaza premium using Amex Platinum /PP

  • Nick says:
    8 Sep8 September 08:49

    Had to wait an hour to get into the PP lounge in AMS last week as they limiting the number of entries for PP holders. Looks like the UK problem is spreading.

    • U07ch says:
      8 Sep8 September 09:19

      It’s not just a uk/ us problem. Airports with only one or two lounges seem to have the long queues. KUL satellite had one that looked to be 50 people deep this week. Bkk where there is lots of competition is better.

      • Rizz says:
        8 Sep8 September 09:36

        Rob – what is the basis for your statement about the US and UK…?

        I’ve been regularly turned away at other places, recently a couple of times in Mexico City.

        • Rob says:
          8 Sep8 September 10:17

          Wrong lounge, wrong day, it happens. Never seen it as systematically bad as UK and US.

          • apbj says:
            8 Sep8 September 18:27

            Agree – the queues for lounges in the US (and US-heavy tourist spots in Mexico) are insane.

        • Lumma says:
          8 Sep8 September 11:07

          Doesn’t Mexico City have a rediculous amount of lounges? I remember trying to locate the Iberia one last year being a bit of an ordeal (especially as it wasn’t the one with iberia branding)

    • Don says:
      8 Sep8 September 10:17

      I had the same issue Nick and was told that Amex Plat members were at the bottom of the priority list. Contacted Amex to complain but they didn’t really care and said it was due to P. Pass. Lounge access via the Amex Plat should be marked with an asterisk as it’s not actually guaranteed.

  • Numpty says:
    8 Sep8 September 10:01

    Used Travel Club at KLIA a few weeks ago, no queue and food and drink was very good. Although i hate wandering round in circles on the upper floor trying to find lounge – I never learn.

    Was supposed to use Plaza Premium lounge with the biz class ticket, but that is now only in main terminal, but flight was from satellite terminal – and no satellite train, bus service instead – and it’s a specific gate in main terminal you go to for the business class bus (!), which in the end was probably better than the train.

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