Amex Platinum vs Centurion Card: the lounge-access verdict

Same lounges, very different fee#

The Centurion Card and the Platinum Card are both American Express products. On lounge access, they are identical. Each unlocks Priority Pass, the Centurion Lounge network, Plaza Premium, Escape Lounges and Delta Sky Club. The Delta access on both cards only works when you are flying Delta the same day.

The fees are not identical. The Platinum is $895 a year. The Centurion is $5,000. That is a $4,105 gap for zero additional lounge networks.

So who should hold the Centurion?#

Nobody chooses the Centurion for lounge access, and this comparison should not pretend otherwise. Whatever justifies the fee lives outside airport lounges. If lounges are the question, the Platinum is the answer at less than a fifth of the price.

Before you apply either way#

I'd check the next three airports you will depart from and see which of the five programs has a lounge there. Guest rules and visit limits are set by each program, so confirm those terms with American Express first. Ratings on the lounge pages follow the site's methodology.

Putting this into practice#

I would start this comparison with the next few trips already likely to happen. For each card, I'd list the lounges that fit those airports and departure areas, then remove locations that would require an impractical detour. That is a more useful comparison than adding up every lounge in a worldwide network, most of which may never help with those trips.

Guest rules deserve their own line in the calculation. A card that works well for one person can be a different proposition for a couple or family. I'd compare the cost for the party that actually travels, including any separate membership or additional-card charge. I would not assume a benefit on one version of a card applies to another version.

The annual fee is only part of the decision. I would value other benefits at the amount I would realistically use, rather than automatically count a credit at face value. A benefit that requires a booking I would not otherwise make does not reduce my costs in the same way as money saved on an existing plan.

The trade-offs I would check#

I would check enrollment and the credential needed at reception before relying on either card. Some benefits are used through a separate membership rather than by showing the payment card. The issuer's current terms should settle the visit allowance, guest treatment and any airline or fare restriction. The comparison above helps identify the differences worth checking.

For a frequent departure airport, I would put extra weight on the useful options that one card adds over the other. Two cards can share much of a network while differing at the one terminal that matters most. Conversely, an impressive exclusive lounge has little value to me when it sits at an airport outside my normal routes.

I would also separate eligibility for the card from the value of its benefits. A business product and a personal product can have different application requirements and account features. The lounge comparison does not answer those questions. Before applying, I would read the relevant issuer information and make sure the product itself suits the intended use.

Related reading#

• The Amex Platinum Costs $895. A Centurion Lounge Seat Is Still Not Guaranteed.
• Amex Platinum and Centurion cards no longer get you into Lufthansa lounges
• Philadelphia's Centurion Lounge closes Oct. 16 until late 2027. Here's where Amex Platinum still gets you in