Some will cry outrage, some will threaten to cancel their American Express Platinum card, and some will continue their lives as before.
American Express has just announced to several media outlets that it will cease its partnership with Lufthansa and it will therefore no longer be possible to enter the German carrier’s waiting rooms by showing one’s Credit Card.
A benefit born during the pandemic
The one between LH and Amex was a unicum in the world of cardholder-airline relationships, sure Delta opens the doors of its lounges to Platinum holders, but it is part of a deal worth billions of dollars that also includes all co-brand cards. In the case of Lufthansa, it is a business born in the pandemic period.
Initially LH had entered into a agreement for a few specific lounges, then later the partnership had expanded to the German carrier’s entire network of halls and just recently the benefit had been extended to all passengers in the group, not only to those who flew Lufthansa rail. In fact, in the same period LH had also opened its American lounges to all Priority Pass holders, benefit that is still in place and provides access, on reduced hours, to JFK, Newark and the other star-studded venues.
It will also cease the privilege for the Centurion holders who will thus lose the opportunity to use the German group’s First Class lounges, and this will come as a blow to holders of the most exclusive of Amex cards.
The benefit
To date, those traveling in business with an LH group carrier, but is an American Express Platinum holder, can access the Lufthansa Senator Lounges. Passengers in lower class, but Platinum holders, have access to Business Lounges instead.
According to reports from LoyaltyLobby and other media all this will no longer be in effect as of October 1.
Why this decision
This had been a strategy that allowed everyone to be happy: in a period of closed lounges Amex offered its owners one more opportunity to gain access to a lounge, likewise LH could to cash in more money in a period of lean cows and few travelers, and of course the owners who, especially in Frankfurt and Munich where there are no independent lounges thus had the opportunity to enter a higher level lounge.
Today with super-crowded lounges and decidedly little need to make cash, the German group has decided to end this partnership, and the beneficiaries will surely be Miles&More and Star Alliance frequent flyers in general who will find themselves visiting potentially less crowded lounges starting next fall.
In conclusion
As of October 1, it will no longer be possible to access LH lounges by showing your American Express Platinum; in the U.S., however, it is still possible to access lounges with PP, but with reduced hours based on the German group’s flights.