American Express shut down its popular Centurion Lounges back in mid-March. This was presumably done due to a combination of lack of demand, as well as a need for updated procedures. Well, after a closure of over six months, Centurion Lounges started to reopen in a phased approach as of October, and that trend is continuing, as nearly all Centurion Lounges are now open.
Amex Centurion Lounges reopening
The following 10 American Express Centurion Lounge locations have now reopened:
- Charlotte (CLT) as of October 12
- Dallas (DFW) as of October 21
- Houston (IAH) as of October 19
- Las Vegas (LAS) as of December 7
- Los Angeles (LAX) as of November 2
- Miami (MIA) as of October 26
- Philadelphia (PHL) as of October 5
- Phoenix (PHX) as of November 23
- San Francisco (SFO) as of October 12
- Seattle (SEA) as of October 5
In addition to the lounges that have reopened, the new Centurion Lounge New York JFK also opened in October, for a total of 11 open Centurion Lounges
At this point the following Centurion Lounges aren’t yet open, and there’s no timeline yet for them reopening:
- Hong Kong (HKG)
- New York (LGA)
10 US Centurion Lounge locations are now open
How have Amex Centurion Lounges changed?
Amex Centurion Lounges are known for buffets with hot food, excellent drinks, and spas, so how has service change in light of coronavirus?
- Guests have to wear face coverings when entering Centurion Lounges
- Seating has been spaced out to provide additional distancing, and there are plexiglass shields in serving areas
- Hot food is pre-portioned and served by American Express staff, rather than from buffets
- Drinks continue to be served at the bar — the full wine selection is still available, along with a shorter cocktail list, to minimize wait times for drinks
- For Centurion Lounges with spas, services are limited to Theragun massages and digital meditations
- Practices will be re-evaluated on an ongoing basis, so could be modified as time goes on
It sounds to me like Amex is taking the right approach to reopening lounges (I mean, as much as you can while offering indoor drinking and dining), and that the lounge experience should still be significantly more elevated than most other US lounges.
Here are some pictures American Express shared of the updated lounge protocols:
Updated Centurion Lounge procedures
Updated Centurion Lounge procedures
Updated Centurion Lounge procedures
Updated Centurion Lounge procedures
New & expanded Centurion Lounges coming
In addition to lounges that are reopening, here are the latest updates about new and expanded Centurion Lounges:
- Centurion Lounges at Denver International Airport and London Heathrow Airport are on track to open later this year
- The Centurion Lounge Las Vegas will be expanded from 9,000 square feet to over 13,400 square feet, and the expanded space should be ready in 2021
- The Centurion Lounge New York LaGuardia will double in size and relocate to a new space post-security in Terminal B, and should open in 2021
Rendering of the new Centurion Lounge LaGuardia
Bottom line
It’s great to see that Centurion Lounges are reopening — 11 US Centurion Lounges are now open in some capacity, with 10 having been reopened, and one having had its grand opening.
I know many were curious to see when Centurion Lounges would reopen given that other lounges have started to reopen, and all things considered I’d say Amex has done a good job over the past couple of months.
It sounds like Amex is taking good precautions and will still offer a solid experience, with hot food, wine, and (limited) cocktails.
Anyone plan on visiting a Centurion Lounge anytime soon? If you’ve visited a Centurion Lounge since reopenings started, what was your experience like?
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