Latest News on AmEx Centurion Lounges
The international network of premium Centurion Lounges isn’t the sole reason that we’ve kept our American Express Platinum Card, but it has certainly made it an easier decision to pay the not-insubstantial annual fees. Indeed, since they’ve added one to Reagan International Airport (DCA), which we use approximately 50% of the time, it has become more of a no-brainer.
That’s not the only one we’ve tried. We frequently stop in at the Dallas outpost for a solid breakfast before flying on to Mexico. We’ve also visited the ones in Charlotte, Houston and Miami. As our international travels ramp up in the coming years, I hope that we’ll see the inside of the lounges in Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and perhaps Sydney and/or Melbourne.
Despite some users’ claims that they’re overcrowded and bit tired, we find the food and service to be solid, and we’ve rarely had to wait more than a few minutes to get in. Occasionally we can’t get an optimal table, but there’s always someplace to sit.
While our AmEx also gets us access to other Priority Pass lounges, the Centurions are the most consistent and we tend to prefer them if given multiple options. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for more news about them. Here are some recent links that caught my attention:
Sidecar By Centurion Lounge: New Amex Lounge Concept Debuting 2026 – While I like the lounges for their food, another primary benefit is just getting away from gate crowding. These “Sidecars” will be in addition to existing lounges, but aimed less at hanging around and more at the crowd who needs to grab food or drink and go. If nothing else, more overall capacity should reduce crowding in the traditional lounges.
American Express is opening a Centurion Lounge at Tokyo Haneda – As implied above, a return to Japan (it’ll be our first since 2007) is high on the to-do list. If we have a long wait (or layover headed elsewhere in Asia) it’ll be nice to have a place to chill.
American Express Announces Plans for New Centurion® Lounge at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Our next European trip will be Greece (no Centurion Lounge in Athens, although there are multiple Priority Pass lounges). Amsterdam hasn’t been on our radar, but you never know – I can’t recall anyone I know ever returning from there without having a smile on their face.
Amex Just Changed Airport Dining Forever With Its New Celebrity Chef Menu – We’ve always found the Centurion food to be good, with solid selections and staff constantly refilling the buffets. You can always find something to eat, but even though I’d be happy if they kept it simple, these efforts and upgrades show that they’re trying to retain our business.
Amex Tripled Seattle’s Centurion Lounge Space Two Years Ago To Fix Crowding -- It’s Still Full, But At Least The Coffee Improved – We haven’t flown through Seattle in several years, but there’s a decent chance we’ll do so on our next trip to Alaska. The fact that travel connoisseur Gary Leff calls it “one of the better Centurion Lounges overall” is a ringing endorsement. We’re not huge coffee nerds, but I like the regional flavor of a full service barista.
Amex’s Worst Centurion Lounge: Philadelphia Is So Packed, Guests Are Sleeping By The Entrance – On the flip side, Leff does not think it’s always sunny in Philadelphia. We don’t ever fly there (it’s about a 3 hour drive depending on traffic) and while Hanna was supposed to have her first layover there this week on the way back from Grand Rapids, Michigan, she ended up switching to a direct flight home.
