Everything you need to know about Amex Centurion Lounge access

If I’m honest, Centurion Lounge access is the primary reason I’ve kept The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and my husband has kept The Platinum Card® from American Express. We frequently fly through airports with Centurion Lounges and enjoy stopping in for a drink and meal before departure, or getting work done for a few hours during a layover.

American Express continues opening new Centurion Lounges and has changed the access policies for these lounges several times. I’ll discuss what you should know about Amex Centurion Lounge access in this article.

Where are Centurion Lounges?

Here’s a list of the U.S. airports that currently have Amex Centurion Lounges and where you’ll 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, across from Gate D12
• Denver International Airport (DEN): In Concourse C, near Gate C46
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH):  Via the elevator located in the Duty Free Shop near Gate D12
• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): In Concourse D, opposite Gate D1
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): In Concourse E, next to Gate E11
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): In Terminal 4, beyond the security checkpoints and to the left of the escalators that take passengers downstairs to the gate level
• LaGuardia Airport (LGA): In Terminal B, before the Eastern Concourse pedestrian bridge
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): In the Tom Bradley International Terminal, before the bridge to the Great Hall
• Miami International Airport (MIA): In Concourse D, near Gate D12
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL): In Terminal A West, near Gate A14
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): In Terminal 4, across from Gate B22
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): In Terminal 2, before the entrance to the B gates
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO): In Terminal 3, near Gate D12 (this location is temporary; the permanent location should reopen in 2027)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA): In the Central Terminal, accessible from the food court by elevator or staircase

Related: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access

And here’s a list of the international airports that currently have Centurion Lounges:

• 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 (MEL)
• Mexico City International Airport (MEX)
• Ezeiza Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE)
• Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
• Sydney Airport (SYD)

Amex is also planning to open Centurion Lounges 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 serves paid drinks and meals. It’s a different experience from the Centurion Lounges you’ll find at airports, so I won’t discuss it further in the guide.

Related: A guide to lounge access with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

How to get into Centurion Lounges

Now that you know where Amex Centurion lounges are, here’s how to get into these popular airport lounges with cards issued in the U.S.

Cards that provide Centurion Lounge access

The following American Express cardmembers get complimentary access to Centurion Lounges:

• Platinum cardmembers (including additional Platinum cardmembers but excluding companion Platinum cardmembers)
• Business Platinum cardmembers (including additional Platinum cardmembers but excluding additional Gold and additional business expense cards)
• Corporate Platinum cardmembers
• Delta SkyMiles Reserve cardmembers (including additional Delta SkyMiles Reserve cardmembers)
• Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business cardmembers (including additional Delta Reserve Business cardmembers)
• Centurion members

Delta Reserve and Reserve Business cardmembers only get Centurion Lounge access when flying on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight booked with a U.S.-issued American Express charge or credit card.

Related: Amex Platinum vs. Business Platinum: Which premium Amex card is right for you?

Here’s a look at the welcome offers on some of the cards that offer Centurion Lounge access:

• The Platinum Card from American Express ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees): Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your Platinum Card within the first six months of card membership.
• The Business Platinum Card from American Express ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees): Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ($650 annual fee; see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Offer ends July 16.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card ($650 annual fee; see rates and fees): Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Offer ends July 16.

It’s also worth checking CardMatch before you apply for a new Platinum or Business Platinum card to see whether Amex has targeted you for a higher offer.

Related: How to use the CardMatch tool to get better credit card welcome offers

What you need for Centurion Lounge access

At the Centurion Lounge check-in desk, you must show the following:

• Valid card
• Same-day boarding pass
• Physical government-issued ID

For example, when I visited the Centurion Lounge in Atlanta last week, I handed over my Business Platinum Card and driver’s license before holding up my mobile boarding pass for the agent to scan.

The name on your card, boarding pass and ID must all match. Additionally, Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business cardmembers can only visit Centurion Lounges in the U.S., Hong Kong and London when flying on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight that they booked with a U.S.-issued American Express charge or credit card.

Your boarding pass must show a confirmed seat or zone assignment, meaning that standby and nonrevenue passengers are usually not eligible for Centurion Lounge access. Amex also prohibits access to airline, airport and industry employees in uniform or wearing branded apparel, company ID or airport ID badges.

Some international Centurion Lounge locations may admit eligible cardmembers with a confirmed reservation for any same-day travel, including arrivals. However, Centurion Lounge locations in the U.S., Hong Kong and London usually only admit cardmembers within three hours of the stated boarding pass departure time.

The primary exceptions to the three-hour rule are if you have a layover or connecting flight that departs on the same day or if your same-day outbound flight departs after the lounge closes for the day (the lounge may admit you up to three hours before closing). However, Amex excludes Centurion cardmembers from some access rules, so be sure to log in to your account and check the access policies if you are a Centurion cardmember.

Related: The best lounge access credit cards to add to your wallet

Centurion Lounge guest policies

Even if you have Centurion Lounge access, you usually won’t get any complimentary guests besides children under 2.

However, Corporate Platinum Card members get two complimentary guests at Centurion Lounges in the U.S., London and Hong Kong, while Centurion members get two complimentary guests or immediate family members (spouse or domestic partner, and children under 18) at no additional charge at all Centurion Lounges.

If you have guests that you must pay for, the cost is usually $50 per guest 18 and older and $30 per guest under 18. You can use any physical American Express card to pay for your guest fees, but Delta Reserve and Reserve Business cardmembers can only pay for up to two guests (each of whom must be flying on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight).

Amex Platinum and Business Platinum cardmembers can avoid paying guest fees for up to two guests per visit by spending $75,000 or more on eligible purchases with their card in a calendar year. Once you reach this threshold, you’ll get complimentary guest access for the rest of the calendar year plus 13 additional months. Complimentary guest access is limited to two guests per cardmember per visit, even if you earn this perk on multiple cards or accounts.

However, it’s worth noting that some international Centurion Lounge locations have different guest policies. For example, when I visited the Centurion Lounge in Stockholm, Platinum cardmembers got one complimentary guest. And Centurion Lounges in Mexico City charge $70 per guest. So double-check the guest policies for the lounge you plan 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 perk of select American Express cards, including The Platinum Card from American Express and The Business Platinum Card from American Express. If you frequently travel from or through one or more airports with Centurion Lounges, that may be a compelling reason to get and keep a card that provides complimentary access.

Unfortunately, you’ll usually have to pay to bring even one guest to Centurion Lounges. So, this card perk is best used if you usually travel alone or with someone with a card that provides Centurion Lounge access. After all, I’d visit Centurion Lounges a lot less if I had to pay a guest fee for my husband each time.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Business Reserve card, click here.