economie

I visited airport lounges by AmEx and Chase. Both are great, but Centurion is better for 2 key reasons.

September 14, 20240
I visited the Austin location in October 2023, which is exclusive to Reserve cardholders and not in the Priority Pass network.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Chase is playing catch-up with its six existing and four planned branded airport lounges, though its overseas footprint is lacking. Chase has a Sapphire Lounge in Hong Kong, but no other international locations.

That compares to the nearly dozen global Centurion lounges across Brazil, Mexico, China, Argentina, Sweden, India, Australia, and the UK.

I’d pay for both AmEx and Chase.
I am seriously considering getting an AmEx Platinum card, but I won’t give up Chase.

Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The $550-a-year Chase Sapphire Reserve and the $695-a-year AmEx Platinum are arguably the best travel credit cards available, but their hefty annual fees add up to $1,245. That’s lowered to $745 and less once you factor in the travel credits, discounts on ride-shares and delivery apps, and freebies like TSA PreCheck.

I personally see the benefits of having both Chase and AmEx for my frequent travel lifestyle, especially since I’d also gain Delta SkyClub access.

AmEx would be beneficial for the Centurion network, which, when combined with Chase, would almost always guarantee me lounge access regardless of the airport. Plus, busy airports like Los Angeles, Denver, and Philadelphia don’t have Priority Pass — but they have a Centurion.

Meanwhile, Chase is vital because of its Hyatt redemptions. I’ve earned status with Hyatt by only booking free rooms with points — plus, I’ve found some stupid good deals. The Hyatt Place on Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach I booked for my honeymoon in November, for example, cost $2,000 at face value, but I only spent 72,000 points.