Amex Centurion Lounges are part of the American Express Global Lounge program, and they are known for offering spacious seating, Wi-Fi, signature cocktails, snacks and concierge services. These lounges provide a luxe oasis for travelers who find airports stressful and uncomfortable, and they become an option for you if you have one of the travel credit cards that offer access.

If you’ve seen Amex Centurion Lounges in airports and are wondering how you could get an invite, read on to learn what it takes to gain entry and which luxuries you can enjoy once you get your foot in the door.

What is an American Express Centurion Lounge?

Centurion Lounges are chic spaces designed for comfort, with amenities that elevate the travel experience. The brand of lounges currently boasts 40+ locations in airports around the globe, including in Dallas (DFW), Miami (MIA), New York (LGA), London (LHR) and Hong Kong (HKG).

Amex Centurion Lounges offer a quiet space to retreat when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle near your gate, and the following amenities make each stay even better:

  • Signature cocktails
  • Healthy, regionally sourced snacks and foods
  • Travel concierge
  • Quiet workspaces
  • Spacious seating
  • Shower suites (in some locations)
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Spa services
  • Wine tasting
  • Stocked family rooms (in some locations)

Once you’ve used your card to access the lounge, you can put it back in your wallet. All food, cocktails and services within the Centurion Lounge are complimentary.

How to get access to Amex Centurion Lounges

If you hold one of these Amex credit cards, you qualify to enter the Amex Centurion lounge:

The lounge is only available to cardholders scheduled to depart on a flight within the next three hours. That means you can use the lounge for departure flights or layovers, but you can’t enter it at your final destination.

If you’re flying on standby, you’re not eligible to use the lounge unless you have a boarding pass showing a confirmed seat or zone assignment.

To access the Centurion Lounge, you’ll need to present:

  • One of the above Amex cards
  • Your boarding pass showing your reservation for same-day travel
  • A government-issued I.D. card that matches the name on your credit card

Guest access

American Express Centurion Lounges made some sweeping changes in terms of guest access that went into effect on Feb. 1, 2023. Essentially, these changes made it so most Amex cardholders can no longer bring guests into the lounge with them for free.

Specifically, cardholders with the U.S. Platinum, U.S. Business Platinum and Delta Reserve cards are now charged a $50 fee for each guest (or $30 for children ages two through 17) or a comparable rate for international lounges. The only way for Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders, specifically, to continue getting two free guests per visit now is by spending $75,000 on eligible purchases on their card within a calendar year.

Corporate Platinum and Centurion cardholders are able to enter with up to two guests for no charge in any U.S. Centurion Lounge location, as well as in Hong Kong and London.

Rates for additional paid guests

Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders with complimentary guest access, Corporate Platinum cardholders and Centurion cardholders can also purchase day passes for additional guests they want to bring into lounges after the first two. The rates for these day passes are as follows:

  • Guests aged 18+: $50
  • Guests aged two to 17: $30
  • Guests below age two: Free (with proof of age)

Rates for Escape Lounges

There are also separate rules for Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner. Specifically, Platinum and Centurion cardholders may enter this type of lounge with up to two guests for no charge. Meanwhile, individuals with the SkyMiles Reserve can bring in guests at a per-visit rate equal to the guest fee of the respective Escape Lounge location.

Can you purchase access to Centurion Lounges?

Other than the fact cardholders with certain Amex credit cards can pay to bring guests into a Centurion lounge with them, access to this type of airport lounge is not for sale.

Where are Amex Centurion Lounges located?

Here’s a list of Centurion lounges in the U.S. and abroad:

  • Charlotte (CLT)
  • Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
  • Denver (DEN)
  • Houston (IAH)
  • Las Vegas (LAS)
  • Los Angeles (LAX)
  • Miami (MIA)
  • New York (JFK)
  • New York LaGuardia (LGA)
  • Philadelphia (PHL)
  • Phoenix (PHX)
  • San Francisco (SFO)
  • Seattle-Tacoma (SEA)
  • Hong Kong (HKG)
  • London (LHR)
  • Stockholm (ARN)
  • Mumbai (BOM)
  • Delhi (DEL)
  • Buenos Aires (EZE)
  • São Paulo (GRU)
  • Melbourne (MEL)
  • Mexico City (MEX)
  • Monterrey (MTY)
  • Sydney (SYD)

Escape Lounges are also part of this network and accessible with eligible travel credit cards. These Amex Centurion Lounge locations can be found in the following airports:

  • Bradley International Airport (BDL)
  • Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG)
  • Columbus (CMH)
  • Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
  • Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP)
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
  • Oakland (OAK)
  • Palm Beach (PBI)
  • Phoenix (PHX)
  • Rhode Island (PVD)
  • Reno-Tahoe (RNO)
  • Sacramento (SMF)

Best credit cards with Centurion Lounge access

The Platinum Card from American Express: Best for personal travel

The Platinum Card from American Express lets cardholders earn 5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel per calendar year; 2X points on prepaid car rentals through Amex Travel; and 1X points everything else.

Cardholders also qualify for over $2,000 in bonus credits, like up to $200 in airline incidental credits, up to $189 in credits toward CLEAR® Plus membership and up to$100 in credits toward Global Entry  or TSA PreCheck. (Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.)

Best of all, new customers can earn 80,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within six months of account opening. A $695 annual fee applies.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express: Best for small business

The Business Platinum Card from American Express lets you earn 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel.com; 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through AmexTravel.com; 1.5X points (on up to $2,000,000 per calendar year) on key purchases of $5,000 or more; and 1X points on all other purchases.

Cardholders also qualify for over $2,500 in credits toward things like Dell purchases, airline incidental charges, purchases with Indeed.com and Adobe and more (terms apply).

New cardholders can even earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. Similar to the consumer Platinum card, a $695 annual fee applies.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card: Best for frequent Delta travelers

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card lets cardholders enter Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs when traveling with the airline.

Cardholders earn 3X miles on eligible Delta flights and Delta Vacations and 1X miles on other spending. Plus, the card comes with perks like 15 percent off award flights, an annual companion certificate, upgrade priority, a first checked bag free and up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership. Terms apply.

New cardholders are also eligible to earn 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. A $550 annual fee applies.

The bottom line

Amex Centurion Lounges can turn long airport waits into pure pleasure for qualified American Express cardholders. These elite, stylish spaces offer everything from quiet workspaces to spa services and signature cocktails to turn the airport into a destination.

That said, not everyone can enter, so you’ll want to make sure you sign up for the right American Express credit card if you want access.

*The information about The American Express Corporate Platinum Card® and The Centurion Card from American Express has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.