The hands-down, undisputed best card for airport lounge access is about to get (marginally) worse in the coming months.
American Express quietly announced that starting Oct. 1, travelers with the top-tier *amex platinum* will no longer have access to a dozen-plus Lufthansa Lounges around the globe.
American Express® Card Members will no longer have access to Lufthansa Lounges effective October 1, 2026. Eligible American Express Card Members continue to have access to more than 1,550 airport lounges worldwide, including 32 locations in the Centurion Lounge Network – and can find a current list of airport lounges at www.americanexpress.com/
findalounge.
This little-known agreement between Amex and Lufthansa currently allows Platinum Cardholders access to select Lufthansa Lounges … with a big catch: You must be flying a Lufthansa Group airline – think Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels, and more – to get in. And keep in mind, not every Lufthansa Lounge is included in this agreement.
Travelers in the U.S. are currently able to use the Amex Platinum Card to get into Lufthansa's Lounges in Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), Newark (EWR), New York (JFK), and Washington D.C.-Dulles (IAD). But again, you have to be flying a Lufthansa Group airline (in any class) for access.
Considering most (if not all) of these airports have Priority Pass lounges – which some Lufthansa Lounges are part of – and even American Express Centurion® Lounges that travelers can access, regardless of which airline they're flying, this isn't a huge loss.
In addition to Priority Pass and Amex Centurion Lounges, the Platinum Card also provides access to Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Delta Sky Clubs®.
Delta Sky Club access is limited to just 10 visits per year (Feb. 1 – Jan. 31), and you must be flying Delta (or their partners) to get in. You can restore unlimited Sky Club access – and get the added ability to bring guests into Centurion Lounges – by spending $75,000 per calendar year on your Platinum Card.
If you're trying to access a Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, or Escape Lounge, you can bring two guests in with you – something that isn't possible (without an added fee) at Lufthansa Lounges.
So, yeah … it stinks anytime a benefit is cut – but this news is far from the end of the world.
Bottom Line
The Amex Platinum is losing access to Lufthansa Lounges starting Oct. 1, but this one stings less than it sounds. Between Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and other partners, you’ll still have plenty of ways to get into a lounge – often with fewer restrictions and better perks.
All images courtesy of Lufthansa Group
