One of the most exciting new benefits offered by American Express is access to its new line of airport lounges. Dubbed The Centurion Lounge, the company has opened three locations so far in Las Vegas, New York’s LaGuardia, and at Dallas/Fort Worth. These private lounges are an oasis in the middle of three very busy and sometimes chaotic airports.
What is The Centurion Lounge?
American Express launched its first Centurion Lounge at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas in the Fall of 2013. The concept is to provide its customers with a high-end airport lounge experience at airports throughout the United States.
Where Can I Find a Centurion Lounge?
While American Express is currently expanding this program, there are only three Centurion Lounges open to the public at present: Las Vegas (LAS Concourse D, opposite Gate D1), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW Terminal D, opposite Gate D17), and New York’s LaGuardia (LGA Terminal B, pre-security, third level).
Are There More Centurion Lounges in the Works?
Yes, the company says it has plans to open lounges in San Francisco and Miami in the near future.
What Amenities Can I Expect to Enjoy at the Centurion Lounge?
The Centurion Lounge focuses on providing a clean and comfortable spot at which to spend your transit time. Amex throws in plenty of benefits and services to make the wait go by so much more quickly, including:
Food
Each lounge has a celebrity executive chef that designs the menu with a special emphasis on local ingredients and specialties. Dean Fearing, one of the founding fathers of Southwestern cuisine, holds down the fort at DFW, Scarpetta chef and owner Scott Conant focuses on Las Vegas, and Cedric Vongerichten, Chef de Cuisine at New York City’s Perry St., is executive chef at The Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia.
Premium Bar
American Express also decided to focus on craft cocktails at its airport lounges. They even named a celebrity mixologist to focus on lounge offerings. Jim Meehan is one of America’s top mixologists and has worked across the country from Madison, Wisconsin to New York City. He is also a contributing editor to Food & Wine magazine. Here is the cocktail menu he’s devised for The Centurion Lounge:
If mixed drinks aren’t your thing, have no fear. The Centurion Lounge wine director, Anthony Giglio, has you covered with an extensive wine list ranging from Pinot Grigio to Prosecco.
Coffee, espresso, cappuccino and tea are available at all Centurion Lounges throughout the day.
Work and Play
Centurion Lounges also feature a variety of ways to stay connected to the office and your family back home, including semi-private workspaces, a computer bar with printers, fax machines and copiers, hi-speed wi-fi, and conference space.
When you want to relax, you can watch TV, read a magazine or newspaper, or take your kids to the family room that is stocked with age-appropriate toys and video games as well as books and movies. (Only DFW has a family room at the present time.)
The Centurion Lounge at DFW even offers a shower suite featuring LOccitane products and complimentary 15-minute spa treatments by Exhale. There is a shower suite at the Las Vegas location, but no spa. Neither of those facilities can be found at the LaGuardia lounge.
Who Can Access The Centurion Lounge?
Any American Express cardholder can enter a Centurion Lounge for a fee. However, only Platinum and Centurion cardholders get in for free. Those members can also bring in up to two guests or immediate family members (a husband, wife, or domestic partner and children under the age of 18) for free.
All other American Express cardholders must pay $50 for a one-day pass. That pass grants you, and any of your children under 18, access to the lounge for one day.