Amex Removes Centurion Lounge For Qantas Ultimate Cardholders

Back in March 2026, we reported on American Express' move to reduce airport lounge access across much of its Australian card lineup. Two of those three changes applied to Qantas Ultimate cardholders, namely same-flight requirement for guests, and the 5-hour layover restriction. The third change applied to Platinum Cards, with Amex reducing the number of guests allowed from two to one.

Now, just months later, American Express isn't only tightening the rules for Qantas Ultimate Cardholders, it's removing the benefit entirely. American Express Australia told Flight Hacks that Centurion Lounge access will be removed as a perk of the Qantas Amex Ultimate Card. This change is expected to be reflected on the Amex and Qantas websites from 29 July 2026.

Note: this story is developing. We've asked Amex to provide further clarity on these changes and will update this article shortly.

What This Means For Qantas Ultimate Cardholders

Qantas Ultimate cardholders currently get two complimentary entries to the Amex Centurion Lounges in Sydney or Melbourne each year, on top of two Qantas Club lounge invitations. Once this change lands, the Centurion entries are gone, leaving the Qantas Club invitations as the card's only lounge benefit.

This builds on what we covered in March. That update introduced the same-flight guest rule and the 5-hour layover restriction for Qantas Ultimate cardholders, alongside a guest allowance cut that only applied to Platinum-tier cards. This time, there's no fine print to parse — the Centurion Lounge benefit is gone for Qantas Ultimate cardholders altogether.

We don't yet know whether existing cardholders lose access immediately or keep it until renewal, or whether there's any compensating change to the card. We've gone back to Amex for these details and will update this article as soon as we hear back.

Which Amex Cards Currently Offer Centurion Lounge Access?

The Qantas Ultimate Card isn't the only card that offers Centurion Lounge access. Below is a list of the Australian consumer/business cards that offer Centurion Lounge access:

Unlimited access (+1 guest on the same flight):

• American Express Centurion
• American Express Platinum
• American Express Platinum Business

Two complimentary entries per year (Sydney and Melbourne only, 1 January to 31 December):

• Qantas American Express Ultimate
• American Express Explorer
• American Express Business Explorer
• American Express Platinum Reserve

For the two-entry tier, entries can be used by the primary cardholder, an additional cardholder, or a guest travelling with them, and access is free for the cardholder's children aged 17 and under. Extra guests beyond that are charged at the lounge reception desk.

Once the Qantas Ultimate change takes effect on 29 July, it'll be the only card on this list to lose Centurion Lounge access altogether. From what we have been told, all other cards keep the benefit as-is, for now.

Summing Up: Is The Qantas Amex Ultimate Still Useful?

All things considered, this is a relatively minor change, as this perk was never that generous. The card offered just two passes a year, and only usable at the Sydney and Melbourne Centurion Lounges. If you weren't flying international out of one of those two cities a couple of times a year, you probably weren't getting much use out this benefit anyway.

The card's core value remains the high 1.25 Qantas Points per dollar earn rate, and the annual $450 Qantas travel credit. These benefits remain untouched, and the credit still effectively cancels out the $450 an annual fee.

This change does however sting for a different reason. This is yet another rewards credit card perk disappearing months after the RBA announced its plan to ban card surcharges.

To be clear, Amex hasn't linked this Centurion Lounge cut to the surcharge ban. It could simply be a coincidence, or a separate cost-cutting decision. But the pattern isn't hard to see, and it's not just Amex. Banks across the board have been trimming rewards, reducing earn rates, and adding fees since the surcharge ban was flagged, as issuers look to claw back a revenue stream that interchange fees used to cover.