The Amex Platinum – The Best Card for Worldwide Lounge Access [By Far]

If The Platinum Card^® by American Express is not already in your wallet, here’s a quick overview of the card below. It’s our favorite card for luxury perks and benefits, which of course includes lounge access!

Amex Platinum

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$695

APR

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Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel^® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel^®.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• Enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, with over $500 of annual value if you visit Centurion Lounges and each of our partner lounges including Delta Sky Club^® lounges when flying an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations) , select Lufthansa lounges when flying Lufthansa, Plaza Premium lounges and Escape Lounges, and enroll in Priority Pass Select. See terms.
• A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card^®.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Apply and find out if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of as high as 175,000 points with the Amex Platinum. Welcome offers may vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

(If you’re a business owner, The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express offers the exact same lounge access benefits.)

The American Express Global Lounge Collection

You don’t have to fly a specific airline or purchase a premium class of service to have worldwide lounge access.

Your Amex Platinum card comes with complimentary lounge access to over 1,400 different lounge properties worldwide, including the vast network of Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required).

You’ll have access to any of the lounge networks within the American Express Global Lounge Collection:

• The luxurious Centurion Lounges (both in the U.S. and abroad)
• 10 visits to Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta same-day) with the ability to unlock unlimited visits through spend
• Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner
• Select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying Lufthansa same-day)
• Plaza Premium Lounges
• Priority Pass lounges
• Select Virgin Clubhouses

We’ll discuss the details of these lounge networks later in this article but first, let’s look at the potential value of the Amex Platinum card’s complimentary lounge access benefit.

Hot Tip: With over 1,400 lounges worldwide, the Amex Platinum card offers the most comprehensive lounge access benefit of any travel credit card. 

The Value of Complimentary Lounge Access

The cost of purchasing an airport lounge membership is constantly increasing. It’s not unusual to see $600 annual membership fees for access to a single lounge network.

To understand the value of the complimentary lounge membership that comes with the Amex Platinum card, let’s look at what membership would cost for a typical airport lounge network.

Yes, annual lounge membership can be expensive. However, with a yearly fee, is the complimentary lounge access that comes with the Amex Platinum card worth it?

Let’s do the math.

Value for Family Lounge Access

Unfortunately, as of February 1, 2023, complimentary guest access for Amex Platinum cardholders has been eliminated. The fee per guest will be $50 per adult or $30 per child between 2 to 17 years old. Complimentary guest access will be reinstated once you’ve spent $75,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.

Until then, if you frequently travel with a large family, it can be frustrating when lounge access is denied to more than 2 guests. Sure, you and your partner could each be primary cardholders with your own individual cards, but fortunately, that’s not necessary.

For $195 per card, you can add authorized users to your Amex Platinum card. Each authorized user receives the same lounge benefits as the primary cardholder (see rates & fees).

Remember that authorized users don’t have to be traveling with you to have lounge access.

Value for the Delta Air Lines Traveler

Without the Amex Platinum card, a frequent Delta traveler without high-level elite status would need to purchase a Sky Club membership to have lounge access.

A Delta Sky Club membership that allows 2 guests would cost $845 annually. A single membership is $545.

For $725 annually, the Amex Platinum card could secure access for an entire family to over 1,400 lounges worldwide, not just Delta-affiliated lounges.

Bottom Line: The Amex Platinum card, with an annual fee near the same cost of a single Sky Club membership, deliver far more value for the Delta traveler. Plus, you’ll receive all the additional benefits of the card, including the initial welcome offer, statement credits, hotel/rental car elite status, and access to more than Delta-affiliated lounges. 

Value for the Leisure Traveler

If you currently pay for lounge access, having the Amex Platinum card for complimentary lounge access as a leisure traveler makes sense. If you’d simply like to add the luxury of having airport lounge access to your travels, it also makes sense.

If you travel just once a quarter and pay for 2 travelers to access a lounge, you could be spending $400 a year on lounge access. Having the Amex Platinum card will add unlimited worldwide lounge access to your travels for yourself plus 2 guests. You can visit for 15 minutes or 3 hours without considering whether it’s worth the $50 day pass fee for each person.

The Global Lounge Benefit Details

Having complimentary access to a variety of airport lounges during your travels may sound very appealing. However, it’s always good to dig deeper and learn more about the actual benefits you’ll be receiving.

For a credit card benefit to have value for you, you’ll need to be able to utilize that benefit.

Let’s take a look at the impressive collection of lounges and lounge alternatives in the American Express Global Lounge Collection that you’ll have complimentary access to with your Amex Platinum card.

The Centurion Lounge Network

Membership to this elite network of luxury airport lounges is not for sale. You’ll need to have either the Amex Platinum card, Amex Business Platinum card, or the Centurion^® Card by American Express to gain access.

Centurion Lounges, both in the U.S. and abroad, are the coolest places to hang out if you’re a frequent traveler. Order from the menu, take a nap in the zen room, or relax with a premium cocktail during your visit.

You may even choose to get a manicure or massage if your schedule allows. Services and amenities vary by location, but it’s always an elevated experience.

Cardholders can no longer bring in 2 additional guests at no charge as of February 1, 2023.

Centurion Lounge Benefits

Additional Amenities Available at Some Centurion Lounges

Priority Pass Select

Priority Pass lounges seem to be available everywhere, and there’s a reason. There are more than 1,300 locations worldwide, so you’re likely to find one available during your travels.

You may also use your Priority Pass Select membership to take a nap at Minute Suites. You’ll receive the first hour free.

You must sign up for Priority Pass once you receive your Amex Platinum card welcome package in the mail. Log in to your online account and sign up under the benefits tab or call the number on the back of your card.

We’ve put together an extensive guide to Priority Pass with a list of benefits, plus lounge, restaurant, and Minute Suite locations in the U.S.

Delta Sky Club

Cardholders who are traveling the same day on Delta have access to over 50 Delta Sky Clubs so long as they haven’t used their allotted 10 visits, or have unlocked unlimited visits by spending $75,000 or more the previous calendar year.

Just show your boarding pass, ID, and your Amex Platinum card for entry.

While guests are not included for complimentary access, the cardholder may purchase discounted access for up to 2 guests for $29 each.

Lufthansa Lounges

Cardholders receive complimentary access to Lufthansa business class lounges when flying same-day on a Lufthansa Group flight (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines). If the cardholder is flying business class, they’ll also have access to the Lufthansa Senator Lounges.

Guests may be granted access for a fee.

Virgin Clubhouses

Cardholders are eligible to visit Virgin Clubhouses in New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Washington, D.C. (IAD), and Johannesburg (JNB) in South Africa.

Plaza Premium Lounges

Based in Hong Kong, Plaza Premium Lounges has a vast network of airport lounges available to the Amex Platinum cardholder.

You’ll find 120+ lounges worldwide in the Plaza Premium Lounges network.

Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner

With 10+ locations throughout the U.S., Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner offers a place to enjoy a premium beverage, have a bite to eat, catch up on work, or relax between flights.

Cardholders may bring 2 additional guests at no charge.

Final Thoughts

If you currently pay for an annual airport lounge membership, you’ll be thrilled with the value you receive from the Amex Platinum card.

For less than the price of just a couple of day passes per month, you can enjoy unlimited worldwide lounge access with the card. You’ll also enjoy the long list of other premium travel benefits that come with the card.

If you’ve been without lounge membership and have considered adding lounge access to your travels, you won’t find a more cost-effective route to unlimited worldwide lounge access for you and your guests.