Amex Platium lounge access Asia trip

I am considering applying for an Amex card, please let me know if my plan is sound.

I am planning to apply for the Amex Platium in March. Plan is I am the primary cardholder. My niece will be secondary (authorized user)

My niece is doing a YEG-YVR-PVG-TAO round trip with my elder mom later in the year.
If I add her as my authorized user, will both of them have free access to lounges in YVR and PVG? Or should I add my mom as AU too if priority pass will not allow guest free? It will be $175 for authorized user(s), right?

Which lounge will they have access to if any at PVG and YVR?
I see that Some lounges has time limit such as 2 hour. Is it the case in either of the airport?

I have the good credit in both US and Canada. Which one should I apply? My primary residence is In US. So I prefer to apply for US card, but if Canadian card will give me better access, I can do that as well.

Thanks for your help!

I might be able to provide some insights as I have the AMEX Plat Business and a Priority Pass membership.

Things may be a bit more complicated because the additional AMEX Plat cards are not separate accounts. There is only one account, under your name, which you allow access to others. So, while they will have nearly all of the benefits of AMEX Platinum that you have, some of the benefits might not be transferable, and Priority Pass may be one of the latter. I would check to make sure. Priority Pass does not allow guests for free; there is a $27 USD per visit for all the guests and there is no limit to the number of guests. I think that your niece and mom may be granted access based on your status, but they would have to pay for each visit to the lounge. If they get Priority Pass membership through you, it is likely to be one in which they are allowed in, but must pay the $27 USD visit fee/guest. Priority Pass offers "family" memberships, where additional family members can access the lounges on their own, but they still must pay the $27 USD visit fee.

The fee for the additional AMEX Plat card is indeed $175USD.

You did not state which airline you would be traveling with but one of the benefits of AMEX Plat is access to select American Airlines, Delta and US Airways airport lounges. This benefit would also be free to your additional card users because there is no fee for up to 2 or 3 guests for these lounges. So, that may be a possibility if you're traveling with any of these airlines...but I smell AC in there.

I am sure the lounges will let you know of any time limits...
In PVG, there are 4 Priority Pass lounges: 2 First Class lounges @ intl terminal and 2 First Class lounges @ domestic terminal.
In YVR, the Intl Priority Pass lounges are Alaska Airlines Board Room and Plaza Premium Lounge, and only the latter for domestic.

I doubt that there will be better benefits for AMEX outside the US than you would get inside, unless it is some kind of limited time promo. I would apply for a US card...more stability.

My understanding is that AU does have priority pass membership. Someone who has supplemental card confirm either way, please.

Thanks for clarify this. I was misreading the next three cards are $175 total. Now it makes more sense, I will definitely only get one Supplemental card only and only if she will get Priority Pass Benefit.

They are travelling on China Eastern, an affiliate of Delta, I believe, but I do not think that it is a code share and do not think that they will have any access through this route.

I guess that they can access either since they come in on domestic and leaves on international.

Thanks for your help! Now I am debating if the $175 of AU fee is worth for just the four visits they will have. At the least, one of them needs to pay the $27 per visit fee. So that's $283 for four visits. It is $35/person/visit. The YVR lounge sells daypass for $35/person. The only difference is without the memebership, they can not access lounge at PVG. But if it is limited to 2 hours....

Anyone has encountered the limitation?

Authorized users do get their own priority pass membership. You have to call to get it separately. It cannot be done online like the primary cardholder's.

It is $175 for the first through third authorized users. One AU is $175. Three AUs are still $175 total. Every AU past the third is another $175 each.

That's great to know. Does one Call AMEX or Priority Pass?

Something interesting that happened to me is that I lost my Priority Pass SELECT card, which what one gets through AMEX, so I got on the horn with PP to request a replacement, which arrived within a week. However, it was no longer a PP Select card; it just said: Priority Pass. Intrigued, I called back to ask why, and the guy who answered the phone said something like "If I were you I would not complain; the PP card actually has fewer restrictions than the PP Select." I did not ask what the restrictions were; I just thanked him and hung up.

P.S. I just searched for differences between PP Select and PP:

No benefit for me to have the PP card since I am also member of United Club...However, if the PP card can get me into Unted Club lounges, then I might be able to discontinue my membership to the latter (45K miles/yr saved) for the next 2 years for which my PP card is valid

This is indeed correct. I just thought the OP wanted to know what it would cost to add his niece to the card, which would be $175 USD. The rule is: For up to 3 Additional Platinum Cards, the annual fee is $175. Each Additional Platinum Card, after the first 3 Cards, is $175.

Either login to the Amex website or call Priority Pass.

https://rewards.americanexpress.com/olet/splash?campaignId=plpp0401&offerType=platinumprioritypass

Great!

From the link above, here's the answer:
Note: Additional Platinum Card members may not enroll online. Please call the phone number below to enroll.



800-525-3355
Platinum Card

800-492-8468
Business Platinum Card

Thanks for all the reply. Now I know my decision. I will get a Platium AMEX and add both my niece and my mom as AU. So both of them can enter the clubs free. My total out of pocket would be the $175 which is only slightly more than what they would pay for the clubs in YVR twice. But then they will have the access at PVG on both legs of the trip.

The time limit is common for paid contract lounges in Asia, but I'm not sure how it's enforced.

Please note that when you use an AmEx Plat regular charge card, not an airline affiliate AmEx Plat credit card, for access you must have a boarding pass for AA or DL respectively. Codeshares do NOT count, nor are contract and partner lounges included in the program. US lounges are an exception and do not require travel on US.

Note that when you add additional people to your card, this can affect your good standing and credit rating. Do not do it just for lounge access without considering the potential consequences.

I do trust both people will not do anything with the cards. They will not charge anything to it. If they are not abusing it, then it will not affect my credit, right? Anyway, my niece is already AU on my other credit card.
However, if as precaution, can I just apply for the cards, ask them to get pp cards without giving them the credit cards? My understanding is that you need only show pp card with boarding pass, not the credit card. They will not fly AA, DL or US and there is no US Airway club along the trip, so they will not need the AMEX to access any of those clubs.

The lounges I am intended to use are through priority pass came with the cards. II believe you just have to have same day departure ticket/boarding pass. No specific airline is required. They are not using the PLT card for access

They will just need a PP card and a photo ID to enter a participating lounge.

At YVR, you can access a Plaza Premium lounge which also an American Express lounge, but you will need to have an Amex Platinum card in order to enter and bring up to 2 guests.

I thought that is a PP lounge. Can I just show PP card or both PP card and PLT Amex?

I think the Priority Pass membership that you get with AmEx Plat has limited guest privileges, just as it's also not good at UA/CO lounges. I have the real unrestricted Priority Pass, so I've never faced the rules associated with the Select version or whatever it's called.

There are no restrictions to the PP Select membership that I am aware of other than the one about the UACO lounges. At least it says as much in the PP website's FAQs:

Is there a charge for guests? How many lounge visits per year are covered? The regular PP has several options.

It depends on the level of PP membership that one has, which costs real money: https://www.prioritypass.com/Join/What-it-Costs.cfm:

• Standard
• Standard +
• Prestige

A Priority Pass Select membership (at least the one I have through my Business Platinum AMEX) has the same benefits as the Prestige level, i.e., unlimited free visits, with guests paying $27 USD/visit, and no limit (in theory) on the number of guests.

Either card will grand you access. However with Amex Platinum, you can bring up to 2 guests for free and with PP membership from Amex you will pay for each guest.

but you will have to pay for your guests. There are some levels off PP memebership that lets you bring up to 2 guests for free.

There is no restriction on # of lounge visits with Amex PP membership. You can bring guests for $27 each.

Except no access to UA/CO lounges that otherwise accessible by a standard memebership.

Here are T&C for Amex PP:

Priority Pass™ Select

2 These Terms and Conditions govern Platinum Card members’ participation in and use of the Priority Pass Select program. Priority Pass is an independent airport lounge access program. By enrolling in Priority Pass Select, you acknowledge and agree that American Express will verify your Card account number and provide updated Card account information to Priority Pass from time to time. Priority Pass will use this information to fulfill on the Priority Pass Select program and may use this information for marketing related to the program. Once enrolled, Platinum Card members in good standing may access participating Priority Pass Select lounges worldwide on a complimentary basis. Additional Gold Card members are not eligible for complimentary membership. The Priority Pass Select member must present his or her Priority Pass Select card and boarding pass to gain access to participating lounges. In some cases, Priority Pass Select member must be 21 years of age to enter without a parent or guardian. Priority Pass Select members must adhere to all house rules of participating clubs. Amenities may vary among airport lounge locations. Conference rooms may be reserved for a nominal fee. Priority Pass Select lounge partners and locations are subject to change. Member is liable for all accompanying guest visits and will be automatically charged $27 per guest after it has been reported by the participating lounge. All Priority Pass Select members must adhere to the Priority Pass Conditions of Use which will be sent to you with your membership package, and can be viewed at www.prioritypass.com/select. Upon receipt of your enrollment information, Priority Pass will process your membership and send you your personalized membership card together with your Priority Pass Select lounge listings, which you should receive within 10-14 days.

I believe that we are in agreement on all points. As I stated earlier, although I had initially obtained a PP Select card through my Biz Plat AMEX, I lost it, and when the replacement came, it was a PP card, without the "Select: on it. I have not tried to see if it would get me into a UACO lounge, as I am already a member, but I will try it next time..