Originally Posted by e6bpilot

You definitely did. It's in their rules to keep airline riffraff out. I once went in the SEA Centurion and it was 9/10 DL crew. This was before they changed the rule. Now the only way to get in there is to get cleared for a seat early or to just use the refundable ticket hack.
Amex has tightened the rules a bunch in the last few years to cut down on crowding, but there are often lines out the door anyway. I had a platinum card for years but finally decided it isn't worth it any more. I switched to gold and am swimming in points that I can use how I want to.