For five years now, we’ve known that a new location to the Amex Centurion Lounge network would be opening at Newark Airport (EWR). The lounge still isn’t open, and there’s now both good and bad news. The bad news is that the lounge won’t open in 2026, as planned. The good news is that the lounge will be bigger than initially promised, and will become the largest in the network.
This is one of several Centurion Lounge updates today, as we’re also seeing changes to Centurion Lounges at three other airports.
30,000 square foot Centurion Lounge coming to Newark
In 2027, a 30,000 square foot Amex Centurion Lounge is expected to open in Terminal A at Newark Airport. Initially the lounge was supposed to be 18,000 square feet, so it has nearly doubled in size before even opening.
The lounge will span two floors, and will “take inspiration from New Jersey’s rich cultural heritage and culinary traditions.” Card members can look forward to a range of new offerings at the lounge, including the following:
- A Blue Roast by American Express Coffee and Wellness Bar, featuring espresso beverages, cold brew, seasonal coffee specialties, smoothies, avocado toast, chia pudding, and more
- Three distinct New Jersey-inspired bar experiences — The Main Bar will feature craft cocktails and curated wines, the Specialty Bar will put a modern spin on the state’s iconic diner culture, and the Pine Barrens-inspired Terrace Bar will offer gelato, Italian pastries, and Italian-inspired cocktails
- Signature offerings from the Culinary Collective by The Centurion Lounge, featuring dishes created by James Beard Award-winning Resy chefs, including Kwame Onwuachi, Mike Solomonov, Mashama Bailey, and Sarah Grueneberg
This new Centurion Lounge is a great development!
The new Amex Centurion Lounge Newark is exciting on a few levels. For one, it’s the largest Centurion Lounge to date, so that’s always good to see, given consistent crowding issues with the lounge network.
This new lounge will also mean that Amex is the first bank to have its proprietary lounges at all three New York City-area airports, as there are also Centurion Lounges at New York LaGuardia (LGA) and New York Kennedy (JFK).
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.
Bottom line
American Express will be opening a huge Centurion Lounge at Newark Airport, which will be the biggest lounge in the system, at 30,000 square feet. It’ll feature an impressive number of amenities, including a coffee bar, as well as three other New Jersey-inspired bars.
The lounge sounds like it’ll be great, and it’s nice to see Amex continuing to up its game with Centurion Lounges, especially given the quality we’re seeing from Capital One Lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges (admittedly their networks are much smaller). Unfortunately we’ll need to be patient some time longer, as this lounge’s opening has now been delayed until 2027.
What do you make of the Amex Centurion Lounge Newark?
Can't wait to experience their 2 hour long waitlist!
Reads to me like the terminal was set up for two credit cards lounges and Amex bribed a few ppl to make sure no competition would get in
I am familiar with some of the details of this contract. Perhaps some back room deals were made. I would whistleblow but I’m 7 years away from retirement and this isn’t the political climate anyways for integrity. I suppose the US is “cooked” as the kids say. People keep allowing scum like Musk and Koch brothers and rest of Epstein class have their way. Not much left for them now.
Either name and shame or don't say anything in the first place
Eh. All 3 majors have a lounge and B6 retreated from EWR. I'm sure Chase's position with its frenemy UA is that if they want a lounge, they're happy to build one in Terminal C, otherwise have a nice day. C1 already has JFK and LGA and a small lounge network - they have other priorities surely. That leaves Amex. I bet they got a better deal on it than they were expecting.
"the Specialty Bar will put a modern spin on the state’s iconic diner culture" lol
Have been following the construction over the years. I'm looking forward to this, whenever it does actually open (now 2027). Will provide a nice non-airline alternative to the three airline-lounges already at the new EWR Terminal A (AA, DL, UA).
Chase is so dumb. Always behind. Chase is the coyote to Amex’s roadrunner. Chase grossly overpaying for Miami and worried about building some crappy lounge in crappy Seattle. Not even trying to build in SFO, EWR, ORD, etc.
Centurion going up in Boston (next year?) too. Chase is Embarrassing. Charges $800 for lounge card but does not understand how/why lounges work.
I donno about that, Jimmy. Chase is doing just fine, depending on the airport, product, etc. Yes, I, too, would like to see a Sapphire lounge at EWR (and elsewhere). However, the existing ones, especially LGA (other than C1), BOS, SAN, etc., are still really good. (Citi on the other hand... that's a big bank that completely dropped the ball on lounges... same with Wells and BofA, in terms of the other big-guys with premium...
I donno about that, Jimmy. Chase is doing just fine, depending on the airport, product, etc. Yes, I, too, would like to see a Sapphire lounge at EWR (and elsewhere). However, the existing ones, especially LGA (other than C1), BOS, SAN, etc., are still really good. (Citi on the other hand... that's a big bank that completely dropped the ball on lounges... same with Wells and BofA, in terms of the other big-guys with premium cards, etc. Then again, perhaps they don't all need to, and some will inevitably rely on their co-branded partners instead, like AA, AS, etc.)
It's almost as if Chase won't build a lounge in a United hub (IAD doesn't count - it's an Etihad lounge).
It's almost as if Chase and United are in a marriage that they would rather not be in, but they each cannot leave it because it's too profitable and dance partners at this level are slim pickings.