With the impending loss of American Airlines Admirals Club access for my Platinum card, I’ve been wondering what to do with it lately. Previously, I had waived my hands and justified the $450 annual fee with its $200/yr airline fee reimbursement to get my cost of lounge access down to $250/yr, far below the discounted rate for Executive Platinum members. (Plus, I’ve made occasional use of the card to visit US Airways Clubs and Priority Pass lounges.) I’m still not sold on the swanky American Express Centurion Lounges, as I spend most of my time in airports with disconnected terminal buildings (JFK, LAX, and SFO) rather than those with a unified airside concourse (DFW).
Yesterday, American Express announced two new benefits for the card:
- Beginning in June, cardholders will get free worldwide Boingo access. I currently pay $12.95/mo for domestic Boingo access, so I’d be able to drop this in favor of the card-provided benefit in a few months. After adjusting for Boingo and the airline fee reimbursement, my effective cost of holding the card is about $95/year. There’s still some benefit from Priority Pass and the global aspect of this Boingo offer that I’m not accounting for.
- As an alternative to the Global Entry fee reimbursement, American Express will cover the TSA Precheck enrollment fee.