2025 has gotten off to a very bad start for AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders, with nerfs to the Platinum Statement Credits and Comoclub birthday perks (at least for those fast-tracked from this year onwards).ย Heck, even the free parking at Great World City is gone!
Unfortunately, American Express isn’t done turning the screw yet, because today comes news of another nerfโ this time to airport lounge access for supplementary cardholders.
While supplementary cardholders will continue to receive unlimited access to lounges accessed through the physical card itself (e.g. Centurion and Plaza Premium Lounges), the Priority Pass membership received by the first supplementary cardholder will be cut from unlimited visits (+1 guest each time), to just four visits (+1 guest each time).
AMEX Platinum Charge nerfing lounge access for supplementary cardholders
For context, AMEX Platinum Charge cardholders can access airport lounges either through Priority Pass, or by presenting their physical AMEX card.
| ย | By Priority Pass^ | By physical AMEX card# |
| Centurion Lounges | ย | โ (+2 guests) |
| Delta Sky Club | ย | โ* |
| Escape Lounges | โ (+1 guest) |
โ (+1 guest) |
| Plaza Premium Lounge | โ (+1 guest) |
โ (+1 guest) |
| Priority Pass | โ (+1 guest) |
ย |
| Lufthansa | ย | โ* |
| ^For principal cardholder and first supplementary cardholder #For all principal and supplementary cardholders *Requires same-day boarding pass for a Delta or Lufthansa Group flight respectively |
||
While all supplementary cardholders can visit any lounge where the access mechanism is showing the physical AMEX card, only the first supplementary cardholder gets a Priority Pass membership.
The supplementary cardholder’s Priority Pass membership currently enjoys unlimited visits with one guest, but from 13 February 2025, the entitlement will be cut to just four visits per calendar year, together with one guest.
| ย | Principal | 1st Supp. | 2nd Supp. onwards |
| Priority Pass | Unlimited visits + 1 guest | 4 visits + 1 guest | N/A |
| Physical AMEX Card | Unlimited visits + 1-2 guests | ||
Any visits in excess of the allowance will be charged at US$35.
There are noย changes to Priority Pass of the principal cardholder, which will continue to offer unlimited visits for the cardholder and one guest.ย Also, there are no changes to the entitlements for lounges accessed via the physical AMEX Card.
Priority Pass restrictions for AMEX cards
While we’re talking about Priority Pass, here’s a reminder that the memberships issued by American Express come with extra restrictionsย on non-lounge airport experiences.
Basically, your Priority Pass won’t be valid for airport restaurants, spa treatments, video game lounges, or anything that isn’t a traditional airport lounge. However, for whatever reason, you can still visit capsule hotels and relaxation pods like CapsuleTransit in KUL, or the Sleep n’ Fly pods in DOH and DXB.ย
For a rundown of these restrictions, refer to the article below.
Explained: Non-lounge restrictions for AMEX-issued Priority Pass cards
What are your alternatives?
If you’re looking for a card that offers unlimited lounge access to supplementary cardholders, you can consider the following options:
| Card | Annual Fee |
Supp. Card Lounge Visits |
 Citi ULTIMA |
S$4,238 Supp: 2x free |
Unlimited 2x supp. |
 SC Beyond Card |
S$1,635 Supp: 4x free |
Unlimited 4x supp. |
 HSBC Visa Infinite |
S$497 (Premier) S$662 (Others) Supp: 5x free |
Unlimited 5x supp.ย |
 UOB Reserve |
S$3,924 Supp: 3x free |
Unlimited |
As you’d expect, most of these cards have hefty annual fees, though the HSBC Visa Infinite costs “just” S$497 for HSBC Premier customers (it’s closed to new applications for now, pending a relaunch).
I’m not completely convinced by the StanChart Beyond Card, but all these nerfs to the AMEX Platinum Charge is making it look more and more attractive. Up to four supplementary cardholders enjoy unlimited lounge visits, together with a shared allowance of six guests.
Conclusion
From 13 February 2025, AMEX Platinum Charge supplementary cardholders will see their Priority Pass cut from unlimited visits to just four per calendar year, together with a guest. If it’s any consolation, they’ll still retain their current unlimited visits to all lounges accessed through the physical card itself.ย
Still, with benefits being nerfed left and right, there’s almost certainly going to be a mass exodus of AMEX Platinum Charge cardmembers this year- and maybe that’s the point. It appears the strategy is to trim the higher cost customers, while retaining those who are relatively less concerned about min-maxing.
My membership fee is paid up till October this year, but I’m having a serious think about downgrading to the regular AMEX Platinum Credit Card. I’m sure many of you are facing the same dilemma now, so stay tuned for some thoughts on this in the weeks to come.
I have downgrade to the regular AMEX Platinum Credit Card.
What happens to annual fee paid?
This isn’t a nerf, it’s an annihilation.
Sadly 2025 is looking like the year of nerfs for the Plat card. If they reduce or split into 2 the 20x bonus for first $16,000 spend it may just push me towards cancelling.
I have also noticed the renewal MR points seem to be less too.
I just joined the AMEX Plat Card squadron last week after 5 years with the Hong Kong Plat Card which was great until 2024. And since I moved to SG last year, no point in keeping the HK one which I can choose to keep or close August 2025. SG plat card does have a lot more value but if it sees more nerfs, maybe I might just keep the HK one instead. I noticed after reading Milelion that indeed in just two years, the SG Plat Card did see reductions in welcome MR but the bi-annual benefits is the… Read more »
It’s been getting worse and worse. The vouchers are bad, the credits are bad, there have been no events whatsoever. The airfares on the travel site are bad
Now they’re just adding irritants.
Hi Aaron, if downgrading to the Amex Platinum Credit Card, will it allow me to keep my Membership Rewards points accrued from my current Amex Platinum Charge Card? Would the same option be available if downgrading to even the Amex Personal Card that accrues Membership Rewards points?
The increasing nerfs are making it difficult to justify keeping the Amex Platinum Charge Card, but I don’t want to cash out my accrued Membership Reward points given flexibility/ expiry compared to KF miles etc.
Thanks!
you can keep your MR points. the problem, and probably the only thing standing in the way of me downgrading, is that you will lose the preferential conversion ratio of 400 pts= 250 miles. instead it’s 450 pts= 250 miles which is 12.5% more points, or 10% fewer miles.
Ah yes, another consideration when calculating the cost/ benefit of keeping/ dropping the Amex Plat Charge. Thanks!
Even the plat charge angpow need to collect yourself at Raffles City – another nerf and penny pinching
They want you to visit their pop up store
Agreed. When 75% of Singapore residents (& presumably card members) are Chinese. it would seem reasonable to mail out the red packets to all, or at least the Chinese subscribers. I wouldn’t mind if I don’t receive Hari Raya or Deepavali niceties. Any argument about saving the environment would be more than nullified by the carbon and time involved if just 10% make the trip to Raffles City. Probably they are just hoping nobody will bother collecting, so they can cut the printing costs. Truly penny-pinching for what was once a $200K annual income card. Even $200K AUM preferred banking… Read more »
Interesting from 18/10/24 Press Release on Amex website: Third-quarter consolidated total revenues net of interest expense were $16.6 billion, up 8 percent from $15.4 billion a year ago. The increase was primarily driven by higher net interest income supported by growth in loan volumes, stable growth in Card Member spending, and accelerated card fee revenue growth. So more profit from cardholder debt (maybe lower income clients who roll over balances) and card fees (mass-market adoption by ‘prestige’-seekers). Same press release mentions “large numbers of new premium Card Members with 3.3 million new card acquisitions” Is this the new business strategy… Read more »
when you downgrade to Amex Platinum Credit card, do share with us if there is any issue of Amex points being transferred to the Platinum credit card or need to cash everything out. etc TIA
I just tried to use my Platinum points for my first transaction, and it seems that the Platinum Credit Card and Platinum Card share the same points pool. We don’t need transfer the points from platinum to platinum credit.
Using the physical card as I was still waiting my for my priority pass application, I was denied entry to plaza premium Changi Airport T3 and was informed by the staff that entry is only applicable to priority pass.
Called to cease renewal in March 2023 and never regretted. This card is no longer giving value and itโs not a cheap card. I do not need โmetalโ prestige. Makes card members โjump through the hoopsโ for card benefits. Goodbye forever Amex Plat Charge.