The American Express Lounge opened up at Mumbai Airport’s Terminal 2 back in December 2018. The lounge has two different seating areas, with two different service levels. There is the Platinum seating area, which has access to a buffet dining and drinks are payable here. There is also a slightly more formal lounge, referred to as the Centurion area, where guests get access to a full bar, and also a-la-carte dining.
The access policy for the lounge continues to evolve,
- At the time of opening, Platinum Cardmembers and Centurion Cardmembers were allowed into the Centurion lounge area, and Corporate Platinum, Business Platinum and Platinum Reserve members could access only the other area. Also, only the members could access the lounge, and guest access was chargeable.
- Somewhere in October 2019, American Express started to allow a Cardmember to bring along two guests travelling with them for free.
The changes over the last few months helped to bring in the numbers for American Express with the lounge, as more people started to find out about the lounge and use it, rather than skipping it in favour of being with their families.
However, a quiet tweak has been rolled out a few days ago, which will now limit the use of the Centurion lounge area only for Centurion cardmembers. Effective February 20, 2020, the rules have been changed to the effect that Platinum cardmembers are now seated in the other part of the lounge.
Here is the notice that went up at the American Express Lounge. It states that the Centurion Lounge is reserved for Centurion Cardmembers and Platinum cardmembers would only be able to access the Platinum section of the Lounge.
I am travelling at the moment, and I have no idea as to why this change was introduced, but from initial readings, I can put together that this might have been done to harmonise some lounge access policies with the Delhi T3 Lounge. It seems one can access the Delhi Lounge with two guests as well now on.
Eventually, this is unfortunate that American Express whetted our appetite for a good lounge and a good experience by allowing American Express Platinum Charge Cardmembers to access the Centurion Area and are now going to leave it for Centurion Members only going forward again. Fortunately, the food options still continue to be a-la-carte for Platinum Charge Cardmembers.
What do you make of the changes to the access policy for American Express Lounge at Mumbai?
(HT Mihir Shah)
Hi,
The benefits and service remain the same for Platinum card holders just the seating area has changed,
Checked with one of my add on card members who was traveling today
Big diff between the plat charge and credit cards. Much closer to centurion. I will not be going back to the other buffet area. Pretty rubbish.
I feel it is quite unfair to have someone paying 72k in fees access the same lounge that is otherwise offered to cards that cost a tenth.
Globally centurion lounge are only accessible by plat and centurion plus a select few cardholders.
I wonder why they’d turn it into another plaza premium lounge.
I am co branded platinum card holder and they denied for co branded Inter miles amex card … And at the same I use amex lounge Delhi t3 very frequently…..
I didn’t understand……
@Rajeev Rawat, it never was allowed for Jet Airways Platinum cards
That sucks. The buffet area used to be nice and quiet. It will now be full. Le sigh
Is there a sizeable Centurion population that uses the lounge?
I swiped my amex plat charge card in the Bangalore lounge international departure, and was denied access to the lounge and sent to a restaurant instead. That was a bad experience for me. There was no liquor either.
I wonder if other platinum card holder or PP holders experienced the same in Bangalore airport. They were asking Rs 2500 extra to access the lounge, in the name of ongoing renovation and allowing only business class passengers.
I just accessed it the day before yesterday with my sbi credit card. They usually do not accept the Amex for BLR lounge, I really don’t know what’s the catch but it had happened to me last in BLR and also have seen another person being turned away about few months ago for having Amex card.
Sajjad, did you access this at the domestic or international departure?
I was talking about international. BLR
Domestic is as usual, and amex works perfectly fine there.
Given the sizes of the lounges and liberal enough supplementary card rules of Amex, they should simply remove access to cardmember guests. Maybe allow a child with a cardmember but that should be it.
Frankly I don’t care which area of lounge I sit in as long as there is full bar access available. There’s always some liquor with house wine and beer complimentary at Delhi. Is the case similar at regular area of Mumbai?
The Mumbai lounge is far superior when it comes Alcobevs. Interestingly the Centurion bit is a bit boring, compared to the Platinum side. But like Ajay says, they have spoilt us now and this change is a downer.
@Amex Guy, I do have a feeling this is lot to do with the alcohol consumption, but this is just a feeling. The Platinum area does not have free alcohol but the Centurion area does. I once spent a longish time there between flights and saw someone finish up a bottle of top-notch whiskey between two people.
@Ajay. The a la carte dining and free premium alcohol continue for the charge members on the new side as well. They are figuring out how to identify the plat charge card ppl from the rest.
@Nisheel, this was updated about the meals, but good to know drinks are on the house too.
I think Amex following Citi prestige footsteps