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In a travel world filled with airlines that serve pretzels and peanuts, a few bold companies began handing out treats like Stroopwafels and Biscoff cookies. And, in an airport full of mediocre places to wait for flights, American Express offers up the Centurion Lounge.
A trip to the Centurion Lounge promises a next-level lounge experience, so naturally, access is in demand. Only eligible American Express cardholders can access these coveted lounges. Here's a list of the cards that can get you in and everything else you need to know about Amex's Centurion Lounges.
Page Contents
A Brief on the Amex Global Lounge Collection
American Express offers access to a host of different lounges: more than 1,400 airport lounges in 140 countries in fact. The American Express Global Lounge Collection provides eligible cardholders access to Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, Delta SkyClubs, and more. Note that several of these benefits require enrolling an eligible Amex card.
In addition to providing access to these lounges, American Express owns and operates its own collection of lounges: The Centurion Lounge.
Each lounge is designed to be a complete experience and includes free access to chef-prepared meals, complimentary drinks, shower suites, special areas for kids/families, and more.
Cards With Amex Centurion Lounge Access
American Express premium cards offer a slew of fantastic benefits, and one of those benefits is Centurion Lounge access. If you have one of the following cards, you've got access! Just show your card, same-day boarding pass, and government-issued I.D. at the door to get in. Eligible cards include:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express Platinum Card® by Charles Schwab
- The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- Centurion® Card from American Express (Card is available by invitation only)
- The American Express Corporate Platinum Card® (Unavailable to outright applicants)
If you carry any other “flavors” of an Amex Platinum, you're also eligible to enter. This extends to internationally-issued cards as well.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 1.5X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
Delta cards with Centurion Lounge access
Two co-branded Delta cards will also grant you access to Centurion Lounges when flying on Delta that day:
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1.5X miles per dollar on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases after spending $150K per calendar year
- 1 mile on every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Amex Centurion Lounge Locations
Travelers can visit 15 Centurion Lounges in the U.S. as well as international locations across 10 airports. Plus, American Express is in the process of building at least two more lounges in the United States. It will cut the ribbon on new spaces in Salt Lake City (SLC) and Tokyo Haneda (HND) in 2025, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in 2026, and Boston (BOS) sometime in 2027.
If you have an eligible Amex card and find yourself at one of the airports listed below, make sure to stop by and check it out.
U.S. Centurion Lounge locations
- Atlanta: Centurion Lounge ATL
- Charlotte: Centurion Lounge CLT
- Dallas: Centurion Lounge DFW
- Denver: Centurion Lounge DEN
- Houston: Centurion Lounge IAH
- Las Vegas: Centurion Lounges LAS
- Los Angeles: Centurion Lounge LAX
- Miami: Centurion Lounge MIA
- New York City: Centurion Lounge JFK and Centurion Lounge LGA
- Philadelphia: Centurion Lounge PHL
- Phoenix: Centurion Lounge PHX
- San Francisco: Centurion Lounge SFO
- Seattle: Centurion Lounge SEA
- Washington D.C.: Centurion Lounge DCA
International Centurion Lounge locations
American Express updated its international lounges, re-branding all of them to Centurion Lounges and refurbishing them to align them with the rest of the brand.
- Buenos Aires: Centurion Lounge EZE
- Delhi: Centurion Lounge DEL
- Hong Kong: Centurion Lounge HKG
- London: Centurion Lounge LHR
- Melbourne: Centurion Lounge MEL
- Mexico City: Centurion Lounge MEX
- Monterrey: Centurion Lounge MTY
- Mumbai: Centurion Lounge BOM
- Stockholm: Centurion Lounge ARN
- Sydney: Centurion Lounge SYD
American Express formerly operated a Centurion Lounge in São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), but this location was closed permanently in March 2025.
Amex Centurion Lounge Access Rules
Centurion Lounges are unlike Priority Pass lounges, for example, where you can buy a membership outright or even a day pass at the door. If you don't have a card that offers membership, you won't be able to enter the Centurion Lounge. Plain and simple.
- To enter a Centurion Lounge, you must have your eligible card, boarding pass, and a government-issued I.D.
- For Platinum and Delta co-branded cardmembers, Centurion Lounges are only accessible to members departing on that same day.
- Entry for Business Delta Reserve and Delta Reserve cardmembers is limited to entry when flying on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
- You can only access Centurion Lounges prior to departure and on connections. Entry after arriving at your final destination isn't permitted.
- Additionally, you can only enter the lounge up to three hours before your scheduled departure time. If you're connecting or laying over, the three-hour limit isn't enforced. Additionally, you can enter three hours before the lounge closes, even if that's more than three hours before your flight departs. Make sure to have proof of your inbound and next flight with you.
Even if you show up on time with your boarding pass and card in hand, you might still have to wait to get in due to crowding. To help with this, Amex offers a digital waitlist that lets cardholders join the line through the mobile app and get a notification when it’s their turn to enter.
Centurion Lounge Guest Policy
Centurion Lounge guest policies vary by card.
- Amex Platinum and Business Platinum Card: Primary cardholders have access to Amex's Centurion Lounges but must pay $50 for guests (or $30 for children aged 2 through 17). Cardholders who spend $75,000 in a calendar year qualify for complimentary lounge access for up to two guests. Children under 2 are admitted at no cost with an eligible adult.
- Delta Reserve and Business Delta Reserve: Primary cardholders may enter at no extra cost and can bring up to two additional guests, but guests will each be charged $50 for a day pass (or $30 for children aged 2 through 17).
- Amex Centurion Card: Cardholders may enter with two guests or immediate family (spouse or domestic partner plus children under 18).
Children under 2 are allowed into the Centurion Lounge when accompanied by the primary cardholder.
Authorized users (not to be confused with Companion cardmembers) of Platinum-branded cards also have access to the Centurion Lounge. Adding an authorized user costs $195 for each additional Platinum Card for Authorized Users per year. These authorized users can also bring guests for a fee: $50 for adults, or $30 for children aged 2 to 17.
Note that this access applies only to full Platinum-branded cards. Authorized users of the no-annual-fee Companion Platinum Card do not receive Centurion Lounge access (Rates & Fees).
International Centurion Lounge guest policy
American Express guest access policies for international locations vary and may provide complimentary access for additional guests. Here's a summary of each international location's guest policy for complimentary guests:
- Buenos Aires (EZE): One guest plus children under 16
- Delhi (DEL): One guest plus children under 12
- Hong Kong (HKG): Same as U.S. (paid access for up to two guests at $50 or earn complimentary guest access with $75k in annual card spending )
- London (LHR): Same as U.S. (paid access for up to two guests at $50 or earn complimentary guest access with $75k in card spending annually)
- Melbourne (MEL): Two guests OR immediate family (spouse and children under 17)
- Mexico City (MEX): Two guests OR immediate family
- Monterrey (MTY): Two guests OR immediate family
- Mumbai (BOM): Two guests plus children under 12
- Stockholm (ARN): One guest
- Sydney (SYD): Two guests OR immediate family (spouse and children under 17)
Final Thoughts
Access to Centurion Lounges is a great perk on Amex's premium cards. For some, the lounge access alone can justify paying a hefty annual fee. With new locations opening semi-frequently, check back to this page to see if you can use this benefit on your next flight. Or download the AwardWallet app and use our integrated lounge tool to see all of your lounge options.
Just note that due to ever-increasing popularity, you may run into a crowd and there are capacity limits at each lounge.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
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