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Free Cathay Pacific Lounge Access at SFO via Klout.. If You Are Cool Enough

May 10, 2012
•
3 min read
Free Cathay Pacific Lounge Access at SFO via Klout.. If You Are Cool Enough
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For those of you social-media-savvy flyers jetting in and out of San Francisco this summer, Klout and Cathay Pacific have partnered to offer a pretty cool perk. People who have downloaded Klout’s new iPhone app (they introduced it last month) and have a score of 40 or higher can show their Klout score at the reception of Cathay’s SFO First and Business Class Lounge for free entry from now through July. I actually find this one of the more useful benefits of Klout - so far, as an "influencer" I've been offered some weird perks like free underwear and energy drinks - no thanks. This is at least a little bit more up my alley, though I probably won't be able to take advantage of it due to my lack of travel plans through SFO.

While the lounge is normally only open to passengers flying business or first on Cathay Pacific or Oneworld partners, this opportunity is open to passengers on any airline who are transiting through the A boarding area of SFO’s International Terminal (the lounge is on level 4).

You can read about the full list of amenities the lounge offers in this release from when it opened back in December. Some of the highlights include white Carrara marble and black Chinese granite fixtures, a Venetian-glass wall installation by Fabbian of Italy, special Cathay Solus Chairs (those round booth-like ones) handcrafted by Poltrona Frau, three shower suites, and of course, a signature Cathay Pacific lounge noodle bar. There are also seven workstations with desktop computers and internet, as well as WiFi throughout—take this video tour to see it all for yourself.

Though it has plenty of detractors, there’s no doubt that Klout is here to stay. The firm provides social media analytics and measures a person’s “influence” based on their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, FourSquare and Google+ profiles and activity, and then assigns them a score between 1-100 based on the amount of influence they have. Klout comes up with this number based on a user’s number of contacts or followers, their activity on each site, and whether their followers/friends pay attention to and re-post/tweet/react to the user’s posts. Higher scores mean higher “status.”

My current Klout score is 62, so I would qualify, though frankly I have lounge access from so many other methods, this doesn't really jazz me up too much. But hey, free is free!

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.