Honestly, Centurion Lounge Access is the main reason I keep American Express’s Business PlatinumCard®, and my husband keeps American Express’s PlatinumCard®. We often fly over airports with centurion lounges and like to stop and drink and eat before departure, or stay for hours and work for hours.
American Express continues to open new Centurion lounges and has changed access policies for these lounges several times. I’ll discuss in this article what you should know about Amex Centurion Lounge access.
Where is the Centurion Lounge?
Here is a list of US airports that currently have Amex Centurion lounges, where you can find each lounge:
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): At the intersection of Concourses D and E
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): In terminal D, opposite Gate D12
- Denver International Airport (den): near Concourse C, near C46
- George Bush InterContinental Airport (iah): Through the elevator of the tax-free shop located near door D12
- Harry Reed International Airport (LAS): On the hall D, opposite D1, opposite to the hall D1
- Hartsfield – Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): In Concourse E, next to E11
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): At Terminal 4, go beyond the security checkpoint and on the left side of the escalator, take passengers downstairs
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA): at terminal B, before the footbridge of the Oriental Hall
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): Tom Bradley International Terminal before the bridge leading to the hall
- Miami International Airport (MIA): near lobby D, near D12
- Philadelphia International Airport (phl): West Terminal A near gate of A14
- Phoenix Skyport International Airport (phx): in 4 terminals, close to the door B22
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): at the second terminal, before the entrance to door B
- San Francisco International Airport (sfo): At the 3rd end, near D12 (this position is temporary; the permanent position should reopen in 2027)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Ocean): At the Central Terminal, accessible from the food court via elevator or stairs
Related: How to choose an airport lounge to access credit card
Here is the list of international airports with Centurion Lounge:
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (bom)
- Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (del)
- Monterrey International Airport (mty)
- Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Melbourne Airport (Mer)
- Mexico City International Airport (MEX)
- Ezeiza Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Eze)
- Stockholm Arlanda Airport (arn)
- Sydney Airport (SYD)
Amex also plans to open a centurion lounge at Haneda Airport (HND), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
Finally, I should mention the Amex Centurion Club in New York City, which offers paid drinks and meals. This is different from the centurion lounge you find at the airport, so I won’t discuss it further in the guide.
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Related: A guide to lounge access with Amex Platinum and Business Platinum
How to enter the Centurion Lounge
Now that you know where the Amex Centurion lounge is, here’s how to use a U.S. issued card to get into these popular airport lounges
Cards for centurion lounges are provided
The following American Express boarding believers can enter the Centurion Lounge for free:
- Platinum card members (including other platinum card members, but not companion platinum cardmbers)
- Business Platinum Send Cembers (including other platinum members, but not additional gold and other business expense cards)
- platinum cardembers company
- Delta Snowman® Reserve American Express Card Membership (including other Delta Skymiles Reserve Card Membership)
- Delta Snowman® Reserve Commercial American Express Card Membership (including additional Delta Reserve Business Card Membership)
- Centurion cardmembers
Delta Reserve and Reserve BusinessCardmbers are only allowed to gain access to Centurion Lounge when they are on the same day marketing or Delta-operated flights and book with American Express fees or credit cards issued by the Americas.
Information about the company’s Platinum and Centurion has been collected independently by Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Amex Platinum vs. Business Platinum: Which premium Amex card is right for you?
Here are some welcome offers for some cards that offer access to the Centurion Lounge:
- Platinum card for American Express (Annual fee of $695; see Fees and Fees): Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to spend $8,000 in the first six months of card membership, earning up to 175,000 members reward points after purchasing $8,000. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- American Express Business Platinum Card (Annual fee of $695; see Fees and Fees): Earn 150,000 Member Reward Points after you spend $20,000 in the first three months of your card membership on a Qualified Purchase. Additionally, $500 in verified flights were spent on eligible flights booked directly with the airline or during the first three months of card membership or through American Express Travel, earning $500 in statement credit. You can earn or both of these offers; the offer ends on June 30.
- DeltaSkymiles® Reserve American Express Card ($650 annual fee; see Fees and Fees): Make 100,000 miles after you spend $6,000 on a purchase on a new card in the first six months of your card membership. The offer ends on July 16.
- DeltaSkymiles® Reserve Business American Express Card ($650 annual fee; see Fees and Fees): Earn 110,000 miles of bonus miles after spending $12,000 on a new card purchase in the first six months of card membership. The offer ends on July 16.
What does the Centurion Lounge need
On the check-in desk in the Centurion Lounge, you must display the following:
- Valid card
- The day boarding pass
- Physical government issuance ID
For example, when I visited the Centurion Lounge in Atlanta last week, I handed over my platinum card and driver’s license and then held my mobile boarding pass for agents to scan.
The name, boarding pass and ID on the card must match. Additionally, Delta Skymiles Reserve and Reserve Card members are only able to access Centurion lounges in the U.S., Hong Kong and London when they were on the same day of Delta marketing or Delta flights, and they booked American Express fees or credit cards issued in the U.S.
Your boarding pass must show confirmed seats or area allocations, meaning standby and non-payment passengers are generally not eligible for Centurion Lounge access. AMEX also prohibits access to airlines, airports and industry employees, or wear branded clothing, company IDs or airport ID badges.
Some International Centurion Lounge locations may recognize qualified cardholders and confirm that any same-day trips are retained, including arrivals. However, Centurion Lounge locations in the United States, Hong Kong and London usually receive card members only within three hours of the listed boarding pass departure time.
The main exception to the three-hour rule is if you depart on the same day or connect to the flight, or if the lounge is closed after your day departure (the lounge may acknowledge you three hours before closing). However, AMEX excludes Centurion cards from certain access rules, so be sure to log in to your account and check access policies if you are a Centurion Cardurion Cardmember.
Related: The best lounge access credit cards can be added to your wallet
Centurion Lounge Guest Policy
Even if you have a centurion’s lounge, you won’t usually get any free guests except for children under 2 years of age.
However, the company’s Platinum Card members receive two free guests at Centurion lounges in the United States, London and Hong Kong, while Centurion members receive two free guests or immediate family members (spouse or family partner, as well as children under the age of 18).
If you have a guest that you have to pay, it is usually $50 per guest aged 18 and older, and $30 per guest under 18 years old. You can use any entity’s U.S. Express Card to pay for your guests, but Delta Reserve and Reserve BusinesserCardmembers can only pay up to two guests (each person must fly in the same Delta-delta-Marketed or Delta-sarket or Delta-plutlaper).
Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cardmembers can avoid paying up to two guests per visit to spend $75,000 or more of eligible purchases over the calendar year. Once you reach this threshold, you will get free visitors for the rest of the calendar year and an additional 13 months. Free guest access is limited to two guests per card member per visit, even if you get this privilege on multiple cards or accounts.
However, it is worth noting that some international centurion lounges have different guest policies. For example, when I visited the Centurion Lounge in Stockholm, the Platinum Card Member got a free guest. The Centurion Lounge in Mexico City is charged USD 70 per guest. Therefore, please double-check the guest policies of the lounge you intend to visit on the Centurion Lounge website.
Related: Amex Platinum vs. Delta Reserve: Which card is best for Delta Loyalists?
Bottom line
Amex Centurion lounge access can be a valuable interest in select American Express cards, including Platinum cards from American Express and Business Platinum cards from American Express. If you travel frequently from one or more airports with centurion lounges, this may be a compelling reason to get and keep a freely available card.
Unfortunately, you usually have to pay to bring a guest to Centurion Lounges. So if you are usually traveling alone or with a card person with a Centurion Centurion lounge access, it is best to use this card PERK. After all, if I had to pay the guest fee for my husband each time, I would have access to the Centurion lounge much less.
For rates and fees for Amex Platinum cards, click here.
For rates and fees for Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For the rates and fees of incremental reserve cards, click here.
For rates and fees for Delta Business Reserve Cards, click here.
