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Forget Metal Credit Cards – New Amex Parley Is Even More Unique!

RewardExpert Team

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July 1, 2020

Credit card companies, like American Express, Chase and others, continue to up the ante as they roll out new rewards credit cards with better benefits and higher annual fees. Metal credit cards that are heavy and produce a significant “clank” when they hit the counter make a statement. But metal cards can’t compare to bragging to your friends that you’re saving the ocean with your new American Express credit card made from recycled ocean plastic.

American Express Partners With Parley to Reduce Waste

There are literally islands of plastic floating in the middle of the ocean. And that’s a total shame. Luckily for us, organizations like Parley have a mission to combat marine plastic pollution by making companies aware of their impact on our planet.

American Express has partnered with Parley to make changes at the corporate level and inside their Centurion Lounges. The next time you use your American Express Platinum card to enter a Centurion Lounge, you’ll notice quite a few changes.

American Express has pledged to incorporate Parley’s AIR strategy of Avoid, Intercept and Redesign to reduce their carbon footprint and use of single-use plastics:

Phase out single-use plastic straws and coffee stirrers for all its major offices and Centurion airport lounges globally within 30 days
Phase out single-use plastic for Centurion airport lounges by the end of the year
Set a comprehensive waste reduction strategy to reduce single-use plastic and increase recycling rates in its operations globally by the end of the year
Pursue zero waste certification for its New York City headquarters by 2025
Enable American Express colleagues to be a part of the solution by engaging in annual company-run coastal and river clean-ups

And there are many more changes coming from Amex that will help make our world a better place.

American Express Card Made Out of Recycled Ocean Plastic

One of the coolest by-products of American Express’ partnership with Parley is their strategy to reduce “virgin plastic” in credit cards and related products. The new credit card is currently in prototype and should be available in the next 12 months.

You can bet that using recycled ocean plastic will be a huge selling point for everyone who owns an electric car, solar panels and other planet-friendly initiatives.

Click here to learn more about the American Express partnership with Parley.

Conclusion

The end result isn’t a new co-branded, eco-conscious credit card for American Express. Instead, it seems that they will be implementing a strategy to reduce single-use plastics across their entire organization and family of credit cards. This will surely reduce their costs and will be a strong marketing pitch for people who are concerned with the environment.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

UGC Disclosure: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

The Oasis at the Airport: American Express Centurion Lounge

Andrea Rotondo

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July 7, 2020

The Oasis at the Airport: American Express Centurion Lounge

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.

lounge-menu-las — The buffet menu at the Las Vegas Centurion Lounge

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:

bar-menu-las — The cocktail menu at the Las Vegas 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.

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