Amex Platinum’s Unlimited Lounge Access Now Comes With a £30,000 Catch

American Express is changing Priority Pass lounge access on the UK Platinum Card. From January 1, 2028, most cardholders will get 20 free visits per year for the primary card plus 10 for each supplementary card, rather than unlimited entry. Nothing changes during 2026 or 2027.

There is a way to keep unlimited access: spend £30,000 or more on the card in the previous calendar year. Hit that in 2027 and 2028 stays unlimited for the primary and supplementary cardholders, plus one guest. Eligible purchases at American Express merchants count, while interest, fees and cash-equivalent transactions do not. That works out to £2,500 a month.

Amex says the change is meant to maintain the quality of the lounge experience. The change applies only to Priority Pass. Access to Centurion lounges, Plaza Premium and Eurostar Business Premier lounges stays the same, and Amex has said cardholders get 8 pre-booked entitlements per year through the end of 2027, with nothing yet said about what follows.

UK holders are not the first to see limits. Head for Points notes the UK follows the US and several other countries in capping Priority Pass use on Platinum cards, and Germany, France and Canada were earlier examples. The timing was awkward too, since Amex launched a larger sign-up bonus on the same card the same day.

Sources: Points Well Made, Head for Points