Update 5/31/24: As of July 1, 2024, the LoungeBuddy iOS Mobile app will no longer be accessible. American Express Card Members can still purchase lounge access with LoungeBuddy through the LoungeBuddy website
American Express has acquired airport lounge booking/review app/website LoungeBuddy. The acquisition is expected to be completed by April 2019. American Express owns and runs a number of lounges under the Centurion brand that are accessible for Platinum & Centurion cardholders. In addition those cardholders also get Priority Pass lounge access. Chris Cracchiolo, Senior Vice President, Global Loyalty and Benefits, American Express had this to say:
With the acquisition of LoungeBuddy, we will be able to leverage its cutting-edge platform to develop additional ways to become an essential part of our Card Members’ digital lives.
It will be interesting to see what American Express does with LoungeBuddy. There is an obvious conflict of interest with one of the lounge operators owning a lounge review site although given the restricted nature of the Centurion lounges I’m not really sure that matters. I suspect this will give American Express a lot of data in regards to the most used lounges. The American Express app currently already uses LoungeBuddy information with the ‘Find A Lounge’ feature. I’m guessing part of the acquisition will be leveraging LoungeBuddy to sell non-American Express cardholders things like the Platinum card.