This Is the Best Airport Lounge Program in the US and It’s Not Even Close — Here’s How to Qualify for Entry
Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.
Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.
The best airpt lounge program is the American Express Centurion Lounge system. But you can NOT just pay your way in, like with some other airpt lounges.
Entry is an exclusive perk that comes with
• The Business Platinum® Card from American Express (great business credit card to apply f
or
in December because you’ll save $145 on the annual fee that they’re increasing soon!)
or
• The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Keith on our team sums up why he’s a big fan of American Express Centurion Lounges, “You can consistently enjoy a hot meal and premium cocktails. They even have a menu of specialty cocktails, similar to what you would find at a great restaurant. Plus, except f
or
one time I had to wait, the lounges are not too crowded, which means you can find a relaxing seat.”
These two American Express cards also grant you access to Pri
or
ity Pass Lounges. In my experience, Pri
or
ity Pass Lounges are pretty hit
or
miss. They’re always way better than not having a lounge at all — so I don’t want to sound spoiled! But while some of the Pri
or
ity Pass lounges I’ve been to had delicious food and free-flowing drinks, others aren’t as great.
or
t-lounge-centurion-seating.jpg” alt=”” width=”600″ height=”400″ /> Get Cozy and Comfy on Couches With Complimentary Premium Cocktails at an AMEX Centurion Airp
or
t Lounge
Here’s Where You’ll Find Each American Express Centurion Airpt Lounge in the US
- Charlotte (CLT) — opens 2019
- Dallas-F
or
t W
or
th (DFW)
or
k – (JFK) – opens 2019
or
k-La Guardia (LGA)
or
t-lounge-food-amex-centurion.jpg” alt=”” width=”600″ height=”400″ /> Don’t Pay $37 f
or
a Mediocre Burger in the Airp
or
t When You Get Great Food at American Express Centurion Lounges
Only American Express Platinum cardholders can get in so that keeps it exclusive. You’ll enjoy:
- fast and free Wi-fi
- premium alcohol
- hot buffet style meals (expect deliciousness like Eggs Benedict, Greek Yogurt, French Toast, Roasted Squash Soup, glazed fried chicken, and of course standard cold-food options like salads and cereals)
showers
or
th repeating when there are specialty cocktails created by renown mixologists and handpicked wines selected by experts.)
or
t-lounge-houston-centurion-american-express-bar.png” alt=”” width=”1000″ height=”336″ /> Belly Up to the Bar at a Centurion Airp
or
t Lounge Like This One and Get Treated to Name-Brand Liqu
or
s, Wine, and Beer
Priity Pass Lounges Are Good but AMEX Centurion Lounges Are on Another Level — Access Both Types With the AMEX Platinum Cards
My buddy who lives in Las Vegas tells me he keeps The Platinum Card® from American Express in large part because of the awesome Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas and because he frequents airp
or
t restaurants that are covered with Pri
or
ity Pass. He gets $28 w
or
th of food and drinks f
or
free at participating Pri
or
ity Pass restaurants. And of course he has access to the Pri
or
ity Pass lounges too.
Here’s the list of restaurants where your Pri
or
ity Pass from The Platinum Card® from American Express
or
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express will reimburse you $28 when you have a same-day boarding pass:
Boston (BOS)
- Jerry Remy’s Sp
or
ts Bar & Grill
Cleveland (CLE)
- Bar Symon at Cleveland Airp
or
t
Denver (DEN)
- Timberline Steaks & Grille
Greenville / Spartanburg (GSP)
- RJ Rockers Flight Room
Houston
- Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar
- Landry’s Seafood
Indianapolis (IND)
- The Fan Zone
Lexington
- Kentucky Ale Taproom
Los Angeles
- Rock & Brews
- P.F. Chang’s
Miami (MIA)
- C
or
ona Beach House
New Yk (JFK)
- Bobby Van’s Steakhouse
Ptland (PDX)
- Capers Cafe Le Bar
- Capers Market
San Francisco
- San Francisco Giants Clubhouse
- Yankee Pier
St. Louis (STL)
- The Pasta House
- The Pasta House & Schlafly Beer
Syracuse (SYR)
- Johnny Rockets at Syracuse Airp
or
t
Tampa
- The Cafe by Mise en Place
Tucson
- Noble Hops
Washington, DC (DCA)
- American Tap Room
- Bracket Room
Washington DC (Dulles)
- Chef Geoff’s
You Also Get Access to Delta Airpt Lounges with AMEX Platinum Cards
When you’re flying with Delta, you can pop into Delta SkyClub lounges free of charge.
Bottom Line
Yes, each of these cards has a hefty annual fee. But if you actually use a bunch of the perks and points f
or
travel, AND the airp
or
t lounges… you’ll come out way ahead.
The annual fee on the
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
is about to jump from its current $450 to $595. So if you’re considering this card, I recommend you lock in the lower $450 price by applying in December.
You also get access to all these airp
or
t lounges with the
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Some of the other perks on these cards:
- $200 airline fee credit (covers baggage fees and such on your selected airline)
- Up to a $100 credit f
or
either Global Entry
or
TSA PreCheck (if you have it already, buy it f
or
someone you travel with)
- Gold elite status with Hilton (free breakfast and upgrades when available)
- Gold elite status with Starwood/Marriott
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
Join the Discussion!