A couple of years back, we unofficially learned that an Amex Centurion Lounge would be coming to Newark Airport. While Amex hadn’t announced it at the time, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had approved the project. There’s now an update, as Amex has formally revealed its plans for this lounge… though we’ll have to be patient.
In this post:
17,000 square foot Centurion Lounge planned for Newark
In September 2021, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved the opening of an Amex Centurion Lounge at Newark Airport (EWR). For those not familiar, Centurion Lounges are some of the awesome lounges that those with The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review) have access to. For many cardmembers, lounge access is a favorite perk.
American Express has finalized a 15-year lease to open a lounge in the new Terminal A building. This is exciting on many levels, not just because it will be the largest Centurion Lounge to date, but also because it means there will be a Centurion Lounge at all three major airports in the NYC area.
Furthermore, Newark Airport lacks exciting lounge options other than from United, so it will be nice to have an alternative. If nothing else, more lounge space is always a good thing in terms of less crowding in other lounges.
Details of the Amex Centurion Lounge Newark
American Express plans to open a 17,000 square foot lounge in a 50,000 square foot expansion building of the new Newark Airport Terminal A. The lounge will be located on the third floor of the building, while the areas on the first and second floor will be subleased to third parties.
Per the proposal from 2021, the lease is for around 15 years. American Express is paying a total of $121.5 million over the term of the lease, and is investing approximately $100 million to construct the terminal expansion. The airport itself won’t have to make any capital investments in connection to the lounge.
The lounge will include a variety of amenities, including:
- A viewing terrace overlooking the airfield, Port of Newark, New York and Newark Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline
- Multiple signature Amex food and bar areas
- A piano lounge
- A Jersey jazz-themed bar
- A speakeasy-themed backstage cocktail lounge
- A wellness room, workstation, and “world-class restroom facilities”
This sounds like a pretty awesome Centurion Lounge to me — not only will it be huge, but those are some cool-sounding amenities.
The only bad news about this announcement is that the Centurion Lounge Newark is only expected to open in 2026 — that means we’ll have to wait around three years!
Bottom line
American Express will be opening a huge Centurion Lounge at Newark Airport, featuring a jazz bar and piano lounge, a terrace, and more. This should be a great lounge, though it’s only expected to open in 2026.
What do you make of the Amex Centurion Lounge Newark?
I've been wondering about the actual location of this lounge and looked at architectural renderings of both the redeveloped Terminal A and Terminal B. Per the report that it will be in a separate building, my theory is that it could be part of a new connector between A and B, which could mean the lounge would serve both domestic and international. The renderings also show a possible connector to Terminal C.
$100M to build a lounge?! That is truly astonishing. Can that possibly be right? In China they could build a freeway for that much…
Go back to China, Wumao
Now they just need to add one at ORD. The lounge situation there is garbage.
The US has all these fancy lounges and private terminals but cannot get a single world-class airport terminal architecture that muggles can at least enjoy. Can't even get a glass jet bridge for their major airports in the 2020s.
I think that is slowly beginning to change with so much airport redevelopment happening. To the glass jet bridges, that's a matter of regulation in the US that doesn't allow for windows on jet bridges.
They managed to do it in Kansas of all cities, yet the recent terminals in LA, SF, NYC, Orlando, Boston, and others still have average architecture and no glass jet bridges despite having all the money there.
look forward to standing in line outside this one...
This club is likely to be swarmed with travelers just like LGA and EWR.
The biggest crowd perhaps is that this club will have much more leisure travelers compared to LGA and EWR because almost all (besides United’s small operation at A) are dedicated to hub services. Between all the flights to Atlanta and Dallas on American and Delta, plus all the NYer’s going up and down to Fort Laurderdale on JetBlue, there will...
This club is likely to be swarmed with travelers just like LGA and EWR.
The biggest crowd perhaps is that this club will have much more leisure travelers compared to LGA and EWR because almost all (besides United’s small operation at A) are dedicated to hub services. Between all the flights to Atlanta and Dallas on American and Delta, plus all the NYer’s going up and down to Fort Laurderdale on JetBlue, there will be surely a line out the door.
It is insane how many platinum users there are in NY. first, the thousands of Amex employees based in NYC. Second, all the 20 year all consultants, the target platinum audience, plus all the wealthy people in nyc
This is at EWR . . . .
Lucky - you seem to have overlooked the nice new AA lounge opening soon in Terminal A.
Can't wait to travel from the other side of the world to experience the new restrooms that they mention!
Everyone look carefully at the pictures. You can find a place to sit on the floor because that’s where you’ll be. These lounges are overcrowded. I canceled our platinum card instead got the Delta reserve card. I’ve been much happier with it because I don’t sit on the floor.
You already had the same access to the Delta sky clubs with the Amex Platinum card. Plus, the coupon book on the Platinum card, and 5x on flights, makes it a better value than the Delta Reserve card. I have both, but I’ll likely downgrade my Reserve card after a year, unless Delta truly gives Reserve cardholder preferential access to SkyClubs.