Amex Platinum just lost Lufthansa lounges, and here’s what still works

Since 1 October 2026, an American Express Platinum card no longer gets you into Lufthansa’s airport lounges anywhere in the world. American Express confirmed in April that “Card Members will no longer have access to Lufthansa Lounges effective October 1, 2026”, and its lounge pages now say the same. The change covers the personal and business Platinum cards and the Centurion card, in the US and in Europe. The rest of the card’s lounge network, more than 1,550 lounges including the Centurion lounges and Priority Pass, is unchanged.

What exactly you lost

You lost the walk-in on an economy ticket. Until 30 September, a Platinum cardholder flying a Lufthansa Group airline could use a Lufthansa Business Lounge with an economy ticket, or a Senator Lounge when flying business, according to Frequent Miler’s reading of the benefit. That covered lounges in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa’s two hubs, and, for UK cardholders, the refurbished lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2. Head for Points reported that Amex confirmed the change for cards issued in Europe as well as the US.

Who should actually care

Mostly people who connect through Frankfurt or Munich in economy. If you fly business with Lufthansa, your ticket already includes the lounge. If you hold Star Alliance Gold status through any member airline, that still gets you in too. The cardholders who lose out are economy passengers on Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian or Brussels Airlines who used the card as their only key. For them, the Platinum’s value now leans more on the Centurion lounges, which are concentrated in the US, and on Priority Pass, whose coverage varies by terminal.

Is the Platinum still worth its fee?

For most people the answer has not changed, because Lufthansa lounges were never the main reason to hold it. The card’s value rests on credits you have to use and on the Centurion network. We worked through which of those credits real travellers use in is the Amex Platinum worth it in 2026, and compared it with its closest rival in Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum. If lounge access is the whole point for you, our list of the best cards for lounge access sets out the catch on each, and the complete guide to travel credit cards covers everything else.

Can I still use Lufthansa lounges with an Amex Platinum card?

No. Since 1 October 2026, Amex Platinum, Business Platinum and Centurion cards no longer give access to Lufthansa lounges anywhere. A Lufthansa business-class ticket or Star Alliance Gold status still does.

Does the change apply to UK Amex Platinum cards?

Yes. Head for Points reported that Amex confirmed it applies to cards issued in Europe, including the UK. UK cardholders keep Priority Pass, the Centurion lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3, Delta lounges when flying Delta and the Eurostar lounges.

Sources: American Express statement reported by LoyaltyLobby, 10 April 2026; American Express Global Lounge Collection benefit pages, checked 2 October 2026; Frequent Miler, 13 April 2026; Head for Points, 11 April 2026. Photos via Pexels: Planespotter Geneva (cover), mdworks, Valeria Drozdova, Tim Samuel.