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American Express Canada has updated its lounge access policy to outline significant changes to how Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders in Canada will access Plaza Premium and Priority Pass lounges. Starting January 1, 2027, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass access for Amex Platinum and Business Platinum in Canada will transition from unlimited to limited annual visits. If you rely on these two networks for airport comfort, this update is important to understand and plan around. Let’s look at exactly what’s changing, who’s affected, and the practical implications for cardholders.
Changes to Platinum Lounge Access – January 1, 2027
Beginning with the 2027 calendar year, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass will move away from default unlimited access for Canadian Platinum cards and shift to a fixed number of complimentary visits per year:
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Basic Platinum and Basic Business Platinum cardholders will receive six (6) complimentary visits per calendar year to each network, totalling 12 visits annually.
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Eligible Supplementary Platinum and Eligible Supplementary Business Platinum cardholders will receive two (2) complimentary visits per calendar year.
A “visit” is defined as one person’s single entry into a participating lounge. The standard entry requirements still apply: a valid, unexpired eligible card; a same-day boarding pass; a government-issued ID, and compliance with each lounge’s house rules and capacity limits.
Crucially, you can apply your complimentary visits to accompanying guests. If you bring a companion and choose to cover their entry, it will deduct one visit from your balance. Once your available visits are used up for the year, you can still enter by paying the prevailing usage fee charged by the lounge network.
Issuance and expiry are straightforward, with complimentary visits allocated when the account opens and then every January 1, and expire December 31 of the same calendar year. Deductions are tied to the eligible Amex card shown at entry.
Platinum Lounge Access – Unlock Unlimited access with annual spend
Amex Canada is also introducing a way to re-enable unlimited access on both Plaza Premium and Priority Pass after January 1, 2027:
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If your total eligible purchases on the Platinum or Business Platinum account reach $20,000 in a calendar year, Amex will upgrade the account to unlimited lounge access for that network.
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Once triggered, unlimited access applies to all eligible Basic and Supplementary Platinum/Business Platinum cardholders on the account. It also includes one (1) complimentary travel companion for the eligible cardmember at entry.
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The unlimited window is generous, starting when Amex processes the upgrade and continuing through December 31 of the following calendar year. For example, if you qualify on May 1, 2027, unlimited access runs from activation through December 31, 2028.
The terms and conditions say the upgrade is usually processed within one week of hitting the threshold, but it can take up to 12 weeks. The $20,000 is based on the transaction date and counts purchases at Amex-accepting merchants, minus returns/credits/adjustments. It excludes interest charges, annual fees, other fees, and cash-equivalent transactions. If returns or chargebacks later drop your eligible spend below the threshold, Amex may revoke the unlimited benefit. Abuse, misuse, or gaming can also lead to revocation or account cancellation under the program rules.
One big constant is that Supplementary Gold cards remain ineligible for both the default visits and the “earned unlimited” benefits. If lounge access for a partner or family member is essential, consider whether a Supplementary Platinum makes sense on your account.
Platinum Lounge Access – No changes in 2026
Through December 31, 2026, Platinum, Business Platinum, and Corporate Platinum cardholders will continue to enjoy complimentary unlimited access to Plaza Premium lounges, typically with one complimentary travel companion (fees for additional guests). Similarly, Priority Pass will continue to function as a membership you must enroll in through Amex.
Note that non-lounge “airport experiences” offered via Priority Pass (like dining credits) are available only in select locations and are always subject to change.
There are no changes to access Centurion lounges, Escape lounges, or the lounges included in the Amex Glocal Lounge Collection. Cardmembers will continue to enjoy unlimited access as they do now.
Are these Negative Changes?
For many Platinum cardholders, six annual visits will comfortably cover solo or occasional travel, especially if you’re also using Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges (Centurion Studio Partner), and airline-specific lounges available under other parts of the Global Lounge Collection. Where the new framework bites is frequent travel with guests, or family travel, where multiple entries per trip are common.
If your lounge habit is heavier, pencil out whether your natural spend on the Platinum/Business Platinum account will cross $20,000 in a calendar year. If it will, you will effectively restore unlimited access at both Plaza Premium and Priority Pass for the remainder of that year and the entire next year, while retaining the convenience of bringing one complimentary guest at entry under the unlimited tier. If you’re close to the threshold, be mindful that returns and credits reduce eligible spend, and that cash equivalents don’t count.
Household structure also matters. If you routinely travel separately from a partner who needs their own access, a Supplementary Platinum (not Gold) can be worth it even with the two-visit default because it becomes fully included if/when the account unlocks unlimited via the $20,000 threshold. Conversely, if your travel is mostly solo, you may find the six-visit bank more than adequate without chasing the unlimited tier at all.
Takeaway
From January 1, 2027, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass access for Amex Platinum and Business Platinum in Canada moves to an annual limit of six visits for the primary cardholder and two for eligible supplementary Platinums, with the option to apply those visits to guests. If you prefer the old, frictionless model, you can still earn back unlimited at both networks by reaching $20,000 in eligible purchases on your account in a calendar year. The good news is that the policy change has been announced well in advance, allowing all cardholders to closely monitor their lounge access requirements before the changes come into play in 2027.
Featured Image Credit: Amex Canada
