One of the best benefits of the Amex Platinum cards is Centurion lounge access. Now imagine this. You reach the airport, start the usual check for your essentials, and notice the Amex Platinum card isn’t in your wallet. It’s an easy mistake – switching bags, rushing out the door, or not looking into the sock drawer. The immediate reaction is panic, mostly because lounge access feels tied to that metal card.
But fear not, you can still enter the Centurion Lounge without it. The process is straightforward once you know where to look in the app.
Open the Amex app
Here is how to access a Centurion lounge without your Amex card. Start by opening the Amex app on your phone. Select your Platinum card from the account list. Scroll to the Membership section and choose Lounge Access.
The app lists the lounges available at your airport.
Tap the Centurion Lounge you want to enter. On that page, you’ll see the option to generate an eligibility code.
Enter your flight details.
Then confirm the flight details.
Finally, the app creates a code tied to your account.
This code functions as your entry credential. It replaces the need to show the physical card.
Join the waitlist
Many Centurion Lounges use a waitlist during busy periods. The app lets you join that waitlist immediately, instead of waiting until you physically arrive at the lounge entrance. Doing it from your phone places you in the queue earlier, which usually means a shorter overall wait. You have 10 minutes between the time you generate the code and you walk into the club. After that, you will have to regenerate the code.
What to show at the entrance
When you reach the lounge, you need three things:
- The eligibility code from the Amex app
- Your government-issued ID
- Your same-day boarding pass
Once the code is generated, your access information appears in the lounge system. Staff often confirm your name and flight details without scanning the code itself.
Summary
If you forget your physical Amex Platinum card, you can still access centurion lounges without the card by using the eligibility code in the Amex app. Open the app, generate the code, join the waitlist if needed, and present your ID and boarding pass at the entrance. The process is simple, reliable, and fully supported for travelers who don’t have the physical card with them.
