American Express Platinum Cardholders Losing Lufthansa Lounge Access Later This Year

Here’s an unfortunate development for anyone who holds the Platinum Card^® from American Express: Soon, you’ll no longer be able to access Lufthansa Lounges with your card.

Here’s what you need to know about this change, along with a look at the lounges you’ll still be eligible to visit as a cardmember.

Amex Platinum Card Removing Lufthansa Lounge Access

From October 1, 2026, your Amex Platinum card will no longer grant entry to Lufthansa Lounges. Note that this change applies to The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Centurion^® Card from American Express, as well.

Eligible cardmembers have been able to access select Lufthansa Lounges when flying same-day with the carrier for several years, so this is a significant benefit cut for those who place a high value on lounge access.

American Express didn’t cite a specific reason for the change, but we can imagine Lufthansa has been experiencing the same overcrowding problem in its lounges that the U.S. carriers and credit card issuers have been talking about for years.

The news comes shortly after American Express and the Lufthansa Group announced an expansion of lounge access for eligible cardmembers to include all of the conglomerate’s carriers.

Generous airport lounge access is one of the primary lures of the Amex Platinum card for many travelers. Thankfully, the card isn’t cutting access to any other lounge network at this time. After October 1, cardmembers will still be able to access over 1,550 lounges worldwide.

Here’s a look at which lounges cardmembers will still be able to visit after the October 1 change:

• Aspire Lounges
• Centurion Lounges (both in the U.S. and abroad)
• 10 visits a year to Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta the same day, plus the ability to unlock unlimited visits)
• Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner
• Plaza Premium Lounges
• Priority Pass lounges (upon enrollment)
• Some Virgin Clubhouses

As you can see, the Amex Platinum card, even after losing Lufthansa Lounges, will still offer a wide variety of options for visiting airport lounges worldwide. However, in an era of rising prices and perceived benefit cuts, this devaluation is a bitter pill to swallow.

Final Thoughts

Starting October 1, Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum cardmembers will lose the ability to visit Lufthansa Lounges when flying with the carrier on a same-day ticket. This is undoubtedly an unfortunate devaluation for cardmembers, many of whom have relied on this access for years.

The silver lining, however, is that the vast majority of the cards’ lounge access remains intact — at least for now.