• American Express (Premium Plaza) Lounge will now require a boarding pass

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:51 am**

It seems that AMEX has imposed a new rule on Premium Plaza lounges. It will no longer allow pilots (working) to access the lounge unless they have a boarding pass. So, that means if you're operating and want to grab a quick bite, you need to present a boarding pass. This is a ridiculous move by them and personally I feel cheated, considering that I forked out $600 for their fees. Sure there are work arounds with that, but it's hardly convenient.

Any thoughts on this?

Hans

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:54 am**

Wonder how many people will book themselves on standby travel, check in, show boarding pass, then cancel the trip.

Not that the cons listed is ever accurate anyway.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:00 am**

GATRKGA wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:54 am Wonder how many people will book themselves on standby travel, check in, show boarding pass, then cancel the trip. Not that the cons listed is ever accurate anyway.

My thoughts exactly... Still beats paying $16 for a dry sandwich

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:28 am**

Pain in the ass though.
Kinda glad I didn't sign up...

Hell knows what they'll change next.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:14 am**

I always thought it seemed a little obvious that the card and lounge was intended for people that were travelling and not people looking to get a cheap snack while at work.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:51 pm**

HansDietrich wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:51 am It seems that AMEX has imposed a new rule on Premium Plaza lounges. It will no longer allow pilots (working) to access the lounge unless they have a boarding pass. So, that means if you're operating and want to grab a quick bite, you need to present a boarding pass. This is a ridiculous move by them and personally I feel cheated, considering that I forked out $600 for their fees. Sure there are work arounds with that, but it's hardly convenient.

Any thoughts on this?

Hans

This was always Amex policy. It’s in the fine print. Lounge ignored it til now

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:06 pm**

GATRKGA wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:54 am Wonder how many people will book themselves on standby travel, check in, show boarding pass, then cancel the trip. Not that the cons listed is ever accurate anyway.

Paid tickets only. Employee pass travel is ineligible for lounge access.

Same rules apply for the Premium Pass (black) card that you get with the Platinum AMEX.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:46 pm**

JAHinYYC wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:06 pm
GATRKGA wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:54 am Wonder how many people will book themselves on standby travel, check in, show boarding pass, then cancel the trip. Not that the cons listed is ever accurate anyway.
Paid tickets only. Employee pass travel is ineligible for lounge access.

Same rules apply for the Premium Pass (black) card that you get with the Platinum AMEX.

Well I'm paying for that ticket. There is a price for it, and it's not "just" security / taxes. I can print that out if they want it.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:36 pm**

And now booking standby to gain lounge access will be abuse of travel privileges. If caught showing the boarding pass after going through crew by pass and being on duty to operate another flight will probably be grounds for taking your RAIC privileges, grounds for termination of travel benefits and potentially grounds for dismissal. I would be very cautious trying to play the system. They are probably out to make an example of a few pilots soon.

The lounges were happy to swipe your card as crew because 1. You never drank alcohol, and 2. Often you came in just to grab a banana or a bag of chips on the run. Amex pays a price for each swipe (really curious what it is). So now Amex is fighting back that this is costing them, especially the abusers with 10 cards on one account. I guess we could all see it coming no?

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:56 pm**

thats a pretty big length to go and a hefty price to pay for mediocre spaghetti and meatballs.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:12 pm**

montado wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:36 pm And now booking standby to gain lounge access will be abuse of travel privileges. If caught showing the boarding pass after going through crew by pass and being on duty to operate another flight will probably be grounds for taking your RAIC privileges, grounds for termination of travel benefits and potentially grounds for dismissal. I would be very cautious trying to play the system. They are probably out to make an example of a few pilots soon.

Good advice. I’m not an expert but trying to scam the system by making fake boarding passes to get into the lounge sounds like a dangerous game, and incredibly easy to track. The party is over. Was good while it lasted.

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 8:18 pm**

Paying passengers were tired of seeing these ghetto lookin pilots trying to get some free food in the lounge no doubt

Posted: **Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:00 pm**

Oddly enough, I agree with everyone... The question stands:

What about traveling stand-by on our time off? I mean we don't get our seats till the very last minute. It seems a bit unfair. I won't be too sad about the lounge. The food / atmosphere got pretty boring pretty quick. Oh well it won't matter for me anymore...

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 12:02 am**

Hold on here...

If I pay for a standby ticket, I should be able to access a lounge if not in uniform. Where does it say that I can't? Often times I have a seat assigned anyway so who is to tell that my boarding pass is standby? Who is to differentiate an online boarding pass saying SBY between a passenger that was rebooked on a flight due to being a misconnect, and a standby employee boarding pass?

For the record. I don't care for the lounge in the first place. I just figure someone will be bright enough to trick the system. Whether they get caught or not is a different argument.

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:11 am**

There is no restriction on accessing the PriorityPass lounges with a standby boarding pass. That restriction only applies to the airline lounges that your Amex card allows you entry into.

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:24 am**

If this has to do with amex getting charged a fee, if we just bought the priority pass off the priority pass website and don't have the amex are we still allowed to go?

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 12:49 pm**

montado wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:36 pm And now booking standby to gain lounge access will be abuse of travel privileges. If caught showing the boarding pass after going through crew by pass and being on duty to operate another flight will probably be grounds for taking your RAIC privileges, grounds for termination of travel benefits and potentially grounds for dismissal. I would be very cautious trying to play the system. They are probably out to make an example of a few pilots soon.

The lounges were happy to swipe your card as crew because 1. You never drank alcohol, and 2. Often you came in just to grab a banana or a bag of chips on the run. Amex pays a price for each swipe (really curious what it is). So now Amex is fighting back that this is costing them, especially the abusers with 10 cards on one account. I guess we could all see it coming no?

Agree, please do not abuse the pass travel and ruin more perks for the rest of us. Sadly it probably will get abused, me myself and I right?

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 12:52 pm**

Right from the priority pass website terms and conditions

“Admittance to lounges is strictly subject to cardholders and any guests, if permitted, being in possession of a valid flight ticket and travel documents for the same day of travel. Airline, airport and other travel industry employees traveling on reduced-rate tickets may not be eligible for access. Outside the US, flight tickets must be accompanied by a valid boarding pass for a departing flight, i.e. outbound passengers only. Please note some lounges in Europe are located within designated Schengen areas of the airport which means that access is only provided to these lounges if cardholders are traveling between Schengen countries”

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:23 pm**

There used to be some saying about free lunches...hmmm...now what what was that again...

Posted: **Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:29 pm**

You said it complex.

Every lounge is now full of pilots in uniform. It should have been obvious to all what was going to happen.

American Express (Premium Plaza) Lounge will now require a boarding pass

American Express (Premium Plaza) Lounge will now require a boarding pass

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