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If you're familiar with airport lounges, chances are you've heard of
American Express has attempted to combat this issue. The lounges currently enforce time limits and policies that restrict guest access. Amex has also introduced a new concept, Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge, to offer cardholders an additional experience beyond the main Centurion spaces. While new lounges open regularly, the growing membership base means you're likely to run into lines during busier times of day or at high-traffic airports.
Here's how the Amex Centurion Lounge waitlist works and how it can help you plan your travel better.
How the Amex Centurion Lounge Waitlist Works
The Amex Centurion Lounge waitlist system lets cardmembers join a queue through the Amex mobile app. The Amex app shows how busy the lounge is. If there’s no wait, you’ll receive a QR code for direct entry. If the lounge is at capacity, you'll see the average wait time and can join the waitlist.
For those familiar, it works much like
One major benefit of the digital waitlist is that it lets you get in line early — even before you reach the lounge. For instance, you can join the waitlist while going through security or getting off a connecting flight. That way, by the time you arrive at the lounge, you're already at the front of the line.
The catch? Once you're notified it's your turn, you have only 10 minutes to check in with the friendly desk agents. You will have to estimate how quickly you can get to the lounge based on wait times to know when to enter the queue. For comparison, Capital One gives its waitlisted guests 15 minutes.
This feature seems available only in U.S. Centurion Lounges. However, international lounges may not need it, since they're typically less crowded than their U.S. counterparts.
Related: Best
How To Join the Amex Centurion Lounge Waitlist
If you have a credit card that grants access to the Centurion Lounge and want to join the waitlist, log in to the Amex app and go to the “Membership” tab. Next, scroll until you see the option to select “Find Airport Lounges.”
You can either search for your airport, or if you have location services enabled for the Amex app, it will automatically suggest the closest lounges. Click your desired lounge.
The selected Centurion Lounge information will show up. If the lounge has space, you can request a QR code for entry. If there is a wait time, a box will show the estimated wait time as a range. Keep in mind this is an estimate, and anecdotally, I have received my notification to access the lounge much sooner than the estimate shows. A button at the bottom will read ‘Join Waitlist' if there is currently one.
After you click it, you will see a notification that reads, “Before continuing, please make sure you're through security and near the lounge.” You'll also have options to scan your boarding pass, upload a boarding document, enter your flight number, or find your flight in a list. This confirms your eligibility based on your flight times. Otherwise, you can skip this and confirm these details when you get to the lounge.
Lastly, you'll need to acknowledge that you have a confirmed, same-day boarding pass, that you'll access the lounge within three hours of your scheduled departure or within five hours of your connecting flight, and that this is either your departure airport or you're connecting elsewhere.
You’ll quickly confirm your personal details and accept the terms and conditions. You’ll also be able to add guests and choose whether to receive notifications by text or email.
After confirmation, you’ll get a message that you’ve been added to the Amex Centurion lounge waitlist. When you’re notified it’s your turn, you have 10 minutes to check in, or you’ll need to restart the process.
Bottom Line
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