Amex, Chase credit card lounge battle moves beyond the airport

An airport lounge with no security screening or boarding pass.

credit card companies American Express And To follow They are increasingly continuing their luxury lounge war outside the airport. From an air-conditioned retreat in the middle of the desert at Coachella to a meet-and-greet with a special athlete at the Paris Olympics, these companies are investing heavily in world-class accommodations to win over wealthy cardholders.

“It’s very expensive, but I think issuers understand that it’s a premium differentiator,” said Donald Fandetti, managing director of consumer finance equity research at Wells Fargo. “It’s all about providing those services and experiences that make it worth it for the cardholder to pay those annual fees.”

The market’s leading premium cards, American Express’ Platinum and Chase’s Sapphire Reserve cards, both increased their annual fees last year. The Amex Platinum annual fee is now $895, while the Sapphire Reserve is $795.

Perks associated with these cards, such as dining credits, hotel upgrades, and digital partnerships, help offset the cost. This is all an effort to capture and retain the highest spenders. Amex and Chase have been competing to be the card of choice for American elites for years.

Access is increasingly making a difference.

“Credit cards [with] Higher fees will send a certain signal. But what we really need to make sure of is that we understand the psychology of privilege,” said Dan Bennett, head of behavioral science at Ogilvy Consulting. “It’s easy to say, ‘I have a lot of resources.’ “It’s harder to say, ‘I have enough social capital to get into the fields.'”

Some of the events American Express Platinum cardholders will have lounge access to in 2025 include the US Open tennis tournament; Stagecoach music festival in California; and multiple Formula 1 races around the world.

Meanwhile, lounges for Chase Sapphire Reserve customers were available at Chicago music festival Lollapalooza; Miami Art Week; Sundance Film Festival; and the PGA Tour.

While some lounges and brand activations are open to all customers and even all attendees at an event, most of these areas are reserved for premium cardholders only.

“We think this customer is very engaged,” said Laura Picciano, general manager of Chase Sapphire. “Once you get their business, there’s a lot of loyalty there. So it’s an important segment to continue to nurture.”

While temporary credit card lounges have popped up at festivals and sporting events, they have also become popular, permanent fixtures in stadiums and arenas.

American Express has partnerships with more than 20 venues around the world. Eight of them already have venues, including the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and the O2 arena in London, and a new location will open this year at the Barclays Center in New York City.

Bess Spaeth, vice president of global brand management and experiences for American Express, said factors such as footprint, ability to provide food and beverages and display capabilities are taken into consideration when venues decide on lounges.

“It’s a real puzzle to look at all the pieces and try to think holistically in terms of how we can best serve our members in those areas,” Spaeth said.

Chase has built lounges at Madison Square Garden and the Chicago Theater that are open to all customers, but Madison Square Garden has a special area for Sapphire Reserve cardholders.

“Halls are really interesting because economists think of them more as a network good,” said Chenzi Xu, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “These lounges become especially valuable when there are a number of lounges that you can access from a variety of different locations… not just at an airport, but maybe another special event as well.”

Those with a credit score of 720 and above People who typically have to get approved for a Sapphire Reserve or Platinum card spend more than twice the average of people who score between 660 and 719, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

This is key for top tier credit companies. A. 2025 Mastercard report It found that affluent consumers, defined as households with income of $200,000 or more and at least $250,000 in investable assets, spent 4.3 times as much as the general population on discretionary purchases.

According to data from J.D. Power, cardholders with annual fees of more than $500 spent an average of $3,200 per month from May 2025 to June 2026; This represents an increase of approximately 17% compared to the previous 12-month period.

Meanwhile, cardholders with fees under $500 spent an average of $1,144 per month, up nearly 6% from the previous year.

It’s another signal of what economists commonly refer to as a “K-shaped economy,” in which high-income earners step up freely while lower-income consumers pull back in some areas. It also places greater emphasis on higher spenders during a time of economic uncertainty.

“The appeal of the premium segment for these card issuers is that there are high spenders,” Fandetti said. “This business requires a lot of scale. So you have to have a very large revenue base to fund all these lounges, rewards and perks.”

Lounges are just one way credit card companies can leverage their sponsorships with these venues.

Paul Needham, Chase’s president of food and lifestyle, said it also offers things like gift bags, premium viewing areas, exclusive access to products and food monetization through its partnerships.

Chase and American Express also often offer discounts or statement credits for purchases at relevant sponsored venues as well as certain events like music festivals.

“When you look at the broader picture of sports and entertainment venues, I think what we’re really trying to do is both make those moments better for our customers and reach our customers in places and contexts where we know they’re passionate and excited about being there,” Needham said.

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders get access to dinner events at FIFA World Cup venues in New Jersey and California. Meanwhile, Marriott Bonvoy partnered with American Express in April to recreate New York City’s iconic Rao’s restaurant at one of its hotels for a dinner event for cardholders. Marriott have been partners for a long time both American Express and Chase for co-branded credit cards.

This category of cards also includes co-branded offers Delta Airlines And HiltonIn 2025, it accounted for nearly a quarter of American Express card members’ spending. According to the Amex report.

Ogilvy Consulting’s Bennett said one of the most important considerations for credit card companies to be present in some of these physical spaces is whether they can play a unique role in that event. American Express at Coachella is a good example, he said, because it provides a place to cool off in the desert heat.

“You can’t build these kinds of corporate strongholds exactly the same way everywhere. That’s not going to cut it. What will cut it is really understanding the needs of the customer in each of these places,” Bennett said.

Spaeth says part of American Express’s strategy is leaning into fandoms, from collaborations with musical artists like Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo to the NFL and Formula 1.

American Express’ Partnership with Formula 1 It launched in 2023 and marks the first new sports sponsorship in over a decade. A year later, this further expanded the agreement and began offering new fan privileges such as trackside lounges.

“Our hope is that you engage with these moments, deepening the emotional connection you have with American Express, which really puts your American Express card at the top of your wallet,” Spaeth said.