Amex Cardholders Have a New Way to Access Airport Lounges
Eligible American Express cardholders may now be able to use their physical card to verify Priority Pass™ membership at participating airport lounges.
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Airport lounge access can make a long layover or flight delay a little more comfortable. But even if your card includes lounge benefits, getting through the door can sometimes require keeping track of another membership card or pulling up a digital pass on your phone.
For some American Express cardholders, that process just got simpler. Travelers who receive a Priority Pass membership through an eligible American Express card may now be able to use their physical Amex card to verify their membership at participating Priority Pass lounges.
Previously, members generally needed to present a physical or digital Priority Pass membership card. The update doesn't expand lounge access or change existing benefits. It simply gives eligible cardholders another way to verify their membership, potentially making lounge access a little easier.
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What changed with Priority Pass access?
Priority Pass is an independent airport lounge program that partners with credit card issuers, including American Express, to provide eligible cardholders with lounge access.
Traditionally, travelers who received Priority Pass as a card benefit still needed their separate Priority Pass credentials to get into a participating lounge. Priority Pass now lists a bank-issued payment card as one of the possible ways eligible members can enter lounges, alongside its physical and digital membership cards.
The company notes that payment-card access is available only to members who receive Priority Pass as a benefit of an eligible payment card and that not every lounge accepts this method.
American Express has also updated terms for several eligible cards. For example, the terms for American Express Platinum Card® say enrolled cardholders may be able to enter select Priority Pass lounges by presenting their valid physical Platinum Card and airline boarding pass.
The change comes as Priority Pass has been directing some Amex members toward its newer Priority Pass+ app. Current members have also been notified that existing physical Priority Pass cards will continue working until their expiration date, after which eligible members can use their Digital Membership Card or qualifying American Express card.
The Priority Pass app isn't going away. Members can still use it to find participating lounges, check hours and amenities and confirm which forms of entry a particular lounge accepts.
Which Amex cards include this Priority Pass option?
The new option applies to travelers who receive an eligible Priority Pass membership through certain American Express cards. Simply carrying an American Express card doesn't automatically give you Priority Pass access.
Eligible U.S. cards include:
- American Express Platinum Card®
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Certain other eligible Platinum products, including some corporate and co-branded versions
Card benefits and eligibility can change, so check the current terms for your specific card before relying on lounge access.
There's another important step: You need to enroll in Priority Pass first.
The payment-card entry feature also isn't automatically available to everyone who receives Priority Pass through an eligible card. Priority Pass describes payment-card access as an exclusive feature for eligible card-linked memberships and advises members to contact their issuer to determine whether it's available to them.
Why you may want to carry your physical Amex card
If you're used to keeping your Priority Pass Digital Membership Card on your phone, you may wonder why this change matters. Think of your physical Amex card as another backup. Phones run out of battery, apps occasionally don't load and airport Wi-Fi isn't always reliable.
Priority Pass itself advises members whose smartphones run out of power to use an accepted physical card for lounge access. Having another way to verify your membership could be especially useful during an already hectic travel day.
What to know before visiting a Priority Pass lounge
Easier membership verification doesn't mean every Priority Pass lounge will automatically let you in. Before your trip, look up the airport and lounge in the Priority Pass app or on the Priority Pass website.
Check the lounge's operating hours, location within the airport, access rules and whether your physical payment card is an accepted form of entry.
You should also have your same-day boarding pass available. American Express's current Priority Pass terms require eligible members using their physical Amex card for entry to also present an airline boarding pass. Depending on the lounge and airport, you may also need identification.
Keep in mind that Priority Pass access is still subject to individual lounge policies and space availability. A lounge can restrict entry when it reaches capacity, and guest rules can vary by membership and location.
That's another reason not to delete the Priority Pass app just because your Amex card can now get you through the door at some locations. The app remains useful for checking lounge locations, hours, amenities and entry information before you arrive. Priority Pass specifically recommends reviewing a lounge's listing to confirm which forms of entry it accepts.
One less thing to carry when you travel
For eligible American Express cardholders, this is a small change, but potentially a useful one. If you've already enrolled in Priority Pass through a qualifying Amex card, your physical card may now double as your membership credential at participating lounges.
It doesn't add new lounges to your membership or change your guest privileges. What it does provide is another way to get through the door if you don't have your Priority Pass card handy or can't access the app.
Before your next flight, check the Priority Pass listing for the lounge you plan to visit and review the benefits for your specific American Express card. And even if you usually travel wallet-free, this may be one trip where it's worth bringing the physical card along.
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