Amex Cutting Priority Pass Restaurant Access

American Express confirmed Tuesday that it will be cutting complimentary restaurant access for its credit and charge cards that include a Priority Pass membership starting August 1, 2019.

The Priority Pass lounge membership program is one of the most popular and widespread benefits of many premium credit cards, offering access to more than 1,200 airport lounges and restaurants around the globe. In recent years, Priority Pass started adding airport restaurants to its network, allowing members a fixed credit toward food and drinks at the eateries.

As originally reported by View From the Wing, all Amex cards that include a Priority Pass membership will no longer be able to access restaurant credits in the Priority Pass network.

“The Priority Pass Membership benefit offered on American Express Platinum and Centurion Cards and Hilton Ascend, Hilton Aspire, and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Cards will no longer include complimentary access to non-lounge airport experiences,” an Amex spokesperson told TPG. “Non-lounge airport experiences and outlets include but are not limited to restaurants, cafés and bars where a food and beverage credit is offered as an alternative to entrance into a traditional airport lounge.”

Additionally, Amex said that The Business Platinum® Card from American Express will also be seeing this cut, but the company says that Amex Priority Pass access will still include all airport lounges and “select sleeper suites” (i.e Minute Suites).

There are currently 28 restaurants in US airports that are a part of the Priority Pass program and 16 others across the globe. Fortunately, other cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card and Citi Prestige should still offer Priority Pass restaurant access.

TPG has confirmed with Chase that the Sapphire Reserve’s Priority Pass membership will continue to offer access to airport restaurants. We’ve reached out to Citi and US Bank to hear if they have any changes in the works, but they have yet to respond.

Despite this cut, The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum® Card from American Express still offer the best airport lounge access around, since you can still enter Delta SkyClubs when flying Delta and Amex’s own Centurion Lounges with the cards.

Featured image by The Points Guy Staff.