As I looked up information about the American Express Centurion Lounge, I discovered something I didn’t know. I was planning to visit the Philadelphia airport location before my flight, and went to the AMEX Lounge Locator website. From there, I ended up at the AMEX Centurion Lounge site, which has information about every worldwide location.
I’d visited this site before to check lounge hours or amenities, but I’d never noticed the page about AMEX Lounge Contactless Mobile Check-in. Since then, Amex has expanded this feature to all U.S. Centurion Lounges and even added a digital waitlist option in late 2024 to help with overcrowding.
Does Mobile Check-In Save Time?
I was interested to see if this mobile check-in allowed you to skip the line somehow, or maybe it was a virtual queue (like at Disney World) that would let you sit somewhere until your place in line was called.
No such luck. All this mobile check-in allows is for you to scan a barcode from the AMEX app instead of having to swipe your Platinum Card (or Centurion Card) at the lounge entrance. In fact, you no longer even need the physical card at all — the QR code plus your ID and boarding pass are enough for entry.
How much time this saves is questionable because you’ll still need to show a picture ID and your boarding pass for a departing flight that’s within 3 hours. And to make it a little trickier, the QR code you generate in the app only stays active for about 10 minutes before it expires. (When this feature first launched, it gave you 30 minutes, but Amex has since shortened the window.) If it does expire, you just open the app and get a new one.
Trying Out the Mobile Pass
I still wanted to see if the lounge could use my mobile pass.
Once you open the AMEX app for your Platinum Card, go to the Membership tab and tap “Airport Lounge Access.”
I picked Miami because it’s the closest location to my home with a Centurion Lounge.
Once I had the Centurion Lounge pulled up, all I had to do was tap “Get check-in code.”
Here’s what you’ll get to enter the Centurion Lounge. The QR code generated is good for about 10 minutes, and if it expires, you can just generate a new one. If the lounge is already full, the app now gives you a different option: you’ll see a button to Join the Waitlist. That puts you in a virtual queue, and you’ll get a notification when space opens up. Once you’re called, you’ll have a short window (around 10 minutes) to check in.
My Experience Using Mobile Check-In
FWIW, the process worked exactly the way it was supposed to. When I arrived, they scanned my QR code and asked for my ID and boarding pass. When everything checked out, I entered the club.
When I tried generating a mobile pass recently, Amex required me to either enter my flight number or confirm that I had a valid boarding pass and government-issued ID, that I was within three hours of my flight, and that the lounge I selected was at my departure or connecting airport. The pass also displayed a clear disclaimer: the QR code does not guarantee access. If the lounge is on a waitlist, you’ll still need to join it, and there may be a short wait before you’re allowed inside. It’s a sign that Amex is constantly updating this feature and refining how it works.
As I said, I’m not sure if this saves any time from handing my Platinum Card to the lounge agent since I have to show two other items for access to the lounge.
What’s Next for Lounge Access?
Maybe this mobile check-in is only the first step in making lounge entry easier. Back when I first noticed it, I wondered if Amex might eventually roll out a true virtual queue. That’s actually happened now — most U.S. Centurion Lounges use a digital waitlist. If the lounge is at capacity, you can join the queue in the Amex app and get a notification when it’s your turn. It’s not a guaranteed seat, but it does mean you don’t have to stand at the door waiting.
Could this expand into something bigger, like making actual reservations for lounge entry? Or even a paid option to skip the line? Those features don’t exist yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Amex keeps experimenting. On one hand, reservations could make the lounge experience more predictable. On the other hand, it could take away the spontaneity that makes lounges a nice perk of holding the Platinum Card.
Would you pay $10 extra to not stand in line? Some people probably would. For now, at least, the app’s mobile check-in and digital waitlist are making the process smoother — just don’t expect them to turn you into a VIP who sails past everyone else.
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