Most of my credit cards are ones that give me lounge access (AmEx Plainum, Amerian Airlines, United Airlines). I really dislike traveling without lounge access and except at airports that don’t have a lounge will not travel that way anymore. I know this is very (as my kids put it) “bougie” but lounges with their clean well maintained and usually fairly empty women’s rooms are something that is very important to me.
2 Likes
I travel quite a bit for work and I dont use the lounges that often for a couple of reasons.
- I try not to have any layovers over 2 hours
- The lounges have gotten really crowded
- The lounges are sometimes really far away from my gate. So do I want to go out of my way to walk an extra 15 minutes and back just for lounge access with a hundred other people, especially if my layover is only around 90 minutes.
3 Likes
This is outrageous. They can try to disguise this as being good for people, but the stench will cling to it just the same.
3 Likes
Okay maybe someone can help answer this. I am still in my 40’s so don’t know much about medicare. But our parents are elderly. Would this bill push people who are already on medicare into a different plan? Aka would it require people who are already enrolled in medicare to do anything to opt out?
No, and no. Bill would only affect new enrollees.
2 Likes
Even if it is only for new enrollees, it’s still terrible.
10 Likes
But no matter how crowded it is, the women’s bathroom is almost never crowded. And its CLEAN. To me that is worth its weight in gold. Not every one feels that way but for me it is the top reason I have lounge access. Other things I have found very valuable about the lounges:
- Access to chargers at my seat
- Desk help when my flight was cancelled (probably wouldn’t help if there was some problem effecting every flight but when it was just mine, they helped rebook me very quickly)
- Quiet place for phone call at many in booths for this purpose
4 Likes
Bathrooms have been crowded frequently the last few times I was in one particular lounge. Apparently they need a bigger bathroom.
1 Like
Which card gives you lounge access for United? The United Club card is $695. The United Explorer card (which has gone up in price this year) only gives you 2 passes/year.
Oddly, the last time I was in a lounge (guest of my dad, so it was American Airlines which I never fly) - I disliked the bathroom a lot and went out to use the regular one! This is because although parts were “hands-free” (like the water), there were no paper towels and no way to exit the bathroom without touching the door. It is true there was no line at the lounge bathroom.
I don’t think so, that would not make sense But a lot of decisions lately have not made sense. I’d just keep an eye on whatever ends up being the end game because they don’t have it all figured out yet - sort of left some important stuff out of the bill.
2 Likes
I have been an Amex platinum member for 40+ years. We got it originally because my ex used to travel a lot internationally, and we liked the trip protection, especially the emergency medical evacuation benefit.
My mom at age 88 decided she wanted to on a cruise with her friends this September. I wanted her to have trip cancellation, medical and medical evacuation insurances. It would have cost her $450+ for the trip.
I found out her federal government BCBS covered medical overseas. I then spoke with Amex. They told me that I could get up to 99 companion cards for free. Companion card doesn’t get lounge access, hotel benefits, airline or rental car benefits, but gets all insurance related benefits. I promptly got a companion card for my mom. The additional card would be $195/card and get all the benefits as a primary card holder, which my mom didn’t need.
7 Likes
This comment reminds me of a question that has long been on my mind. How can someone take so darn long to do something they’ve been doing for so many years? 
4 Likes
I’ve just retired and am concerned about whether I will be able to play any of these new-bonus-card games without an employment income.
I have good assets and three income streams and am not yet taking RMDs.
I put most of my spend on my American and Marriott cards trying to keep up with programs. I also have Nordstrom and LLBean that I use primarily for their points.
Is anyone having any issues obtaining new credit cards in retirement?
2 Likes
That is very useful. Thanks. My company’s insurance covers medical evacuation insurance for me and anyone traveling with me. But it does not cover family members traveling on their own. ShawD now has her own Amex Plat and also Chase Sapphire Reserve and ShawSon has Chase Sapphire Reserve. So both are probably now covered, but I might make ShawWife an additional card holder on the Amex Plat.
I fly a lot internationally and really appreciate the calmness and food in the lounges. Recently, I was in the Cathay First Class Lounge in Heathrow and had a great breakfast and excellent coffee before my flight. (Cathay lounges are usually great).
Delta lounges are often almost as chaotic as the airport itself and the same is often true for AA and UA. Because of my status, I get to use the Flagship Lounges on AA even if flying domestically – these are a big improvement over normal domestic lounges-- both in terms of calmness and food.
2 Likes
@Mom22039 -I got my first AMEX in 2022, over a year after I retired. It was pretty easy. I have since upgraded.
Domestic lounges don’t really compare to the ones overseas, which are so much better. When I travel internationally, I usually fly business class, so I don’t need a credit card for lounge access. However, on several short trips within Asia with my girlfriends, we were flying economy and really appreciated being able to bring two guests into a lounge thanks to my Sapphire Reserve card.
@Mom22039, I’ve been retired for years and have no problems getting new credit cards as long as you have good credit.
4 Likes
I don’t have lounge access via credit cards or other means, but I hate spending time in London Gatwick so the last trip through we purchased 3 hours in the Clubroom lounge. It was so relaxing, the food was pretty decent and we had a couple of alcohol drinks. It would have been worth the $160 (for three) just for the peace and quiet.
4 Likes
100%. The Cathay and Singapore Air lounges are amazing. I would purposefully go to the airport early so I could have a proper sit down meal at one of their lounges before any long trip. There is this story of a guy who bought a China Eastern First Class ticket so he could eat in their lounge and then rebook to a different flight. https://www.scrippsnews.com/world/man-uses-first-class-ticket-for-year-s-worth-of-free-meals
Kind of a random retirement related somewhat financial question -
If your adult kids live fairly near where you live and are planning to have kids, would that or did that impact where you decided to live post-retirement?
We considered moving a couple of states away for a couple of years, but now that it’s likely at least one kid fairly nearby will have kids, I am much less inclined to move. I don’t plan to be full-time childcare or anything, but I do want to be able to help some and be part of grandkids’ lives, and I have been assured the parents want that too.
5 Likes