How to access Amex Centurion Lounges (and where the lounges are)

The first American Express Centurion Lounge was opened in Las Vegas in 2013 and since then, Amex has rolled out its lounge concept to multiple locations around the US as well as to select international locations.

In this article we take a look at who can access these Centurion Lounges, what the rules are surrounding entry, who can bring in free guests, and how much standard guest access costs.

Where are the Amex Centurion Lounges

There are two types of Centurion Lounge. There’s the type that was introduced in 2013 and which is found across the United States and in a number of worldwide locations.

And there’s the type that is a Centurion Lounge in name only. There are fewer of these around nowadays, are all found outside of the United States and all are lounges that were formerly just known as ‘Amex lounges’.

All the lounges are listed below.

USA

Atlanta (ATL)

Boston (BOS) – Expected in 2029 (Terminal C)
Charlotte (CLT)

Charlotte – Sidecar by the Centurion Lounge (CLT-Sidecar) – Expected 2027
Dallas (DFW)
Denver (DEN)
Houston (IAH)
Las Vegas (LAS)
Las Vegas – Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge (LAS-Sidecar)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Miami (MIA)
Newark (EWR) – Expected in 2026 (Terminal A)
New York (JFK)
New York (LGA)
Philadelphia (PHL)
Phoenix (PHX)
Salt Lake City (SLC)
San Francisco (SFO) – Temporary location
Seattle (SEA)
Washington, D.C. (DCA)

International

Amsterdam (AMS) – Expected in 2026
Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)
Delhi, India (DEL)
Hong Kong (HKG)
London, UK (LHR)Melbourne, Australia (MEL)
Mexico City, Mexico (MEX)
Monterrey, Mexico (MTY)
Mumbai, India (BOM) – Temporarily closed
Stockholm (ARN)  – Not a stand-alone Centurion Lounge
Sydney, Australia (SYD)
Tokyo (HND)

How to access Amex Centurion Lounges

The key to accessing an Amex Centurion Lounge is to hold an American Express card that gives Centurion Lounge access as part of its benefits package or to have someone who holds such a card invite into the lounge as their guest.

Access to Amex Centurion Lounges is restricted to the holders of the following cards:

• The Centurion Card® from American Express
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

The lounge access policy varies by card.

Access, guests, and time limits

The lounges in the United States, Hong Kong, London, and Tokyo  all share the same rules. For the remaining lounges (all of which are found outside the US), the entry and guesting rules vary by location (use the links above to check the access rules for individual lounges).

To access a Centurion Lounge, an eligible cardholder must present their card, a physical government-issued ID, and their boarding pass for same day travel. Centurion Lounges cannot be used as an arrivals lounge.

Holders of the various American Express consumer and business Platinum cards (including supplementary cards) originating at an airport with a Centurion Lounge, can access the lounge a maximum of 3 hours before their scheduled departure time.

Platinum cardholders connecting at an airport with a Centurion Lounge, can access the lounge a maximum of 5 hours before their scheduled connecting flight time.

Cardholders must be at least 18 years of age to enter without a parent or legal guardian and all Centurion Lounge visitors must be of legal drinking age in the jurisdiction where the Lounge is located to consume alcoholic beverages.

For locations with a self-service bar, the cardholder must be of legal drinking age in the location’s jurisdiction to enter without a parent or legal guardian.

Guests – holders of US-issued Platinum Cards

Platinum cardholders who spend $75,000 on their card in a calendar year can invite two guests to join them in a lounge without incurring a charge.

After the $75,000 spending target is met, complimentary guest access is available for the remainder of the calendar year, the following calendar year, and until 31 January of the next calendar year.

All other Platinum cardholders will be charged a US$50 fee for each guest they wish to invite into the lounge (US$30 for children aged 2 through 17, with proof of age).

(£35.00/£24.00 per guest at the London Centurion Lounge, HK$380/HK$230 per guest at the Hong Kong Centurion Lounge, and JP¥8,300/JP¥5,000 per guest at the Tokyo Centurion Lounge)

All guests must be traveling on the same flight as the Card Member.

Guests – holders of international Platinum Cards

Holders of an international (i.e. not US-issued) Platinum Card® are entitled to one complimentary guest per visit.

All other Platinum cardholders will be charged a US$50 fee for each guest they wish to invite into the lounge (US$30 for children aged 2 through 17, with proof of age).

Any additional guests over the limit of one complimentary guest will incur a charge of $50 for guests who are 18 or over and a charge of $30 for guests who are between 2 and 17.

All guests must be traveling on the same flight as the Card Member.

Holders of Delta Reserve Cards

Holders of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve cards (including supplementary cards) can only access the Centurion Lounges when flying on a Delta operated or marketed flight.

A card holder may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 USD (or $30 USD for children aged 2 through 17) per person, per location. Guests must be traveling on the same same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight as the card holder.

The Delta Reserve cards do not offer cardholders the option to earn free Centurion Lounge guest access by hitting a spending target.

Holders of the Centurion Card

Holders of the Centurion Card® get complimentary access to all Centurion Lounges at any time and may enter with immediate family members (spouse or domestic partner, and children under 18) or up to 2 complimentary guests at no additional charge (guests do not need to be traveling on the same flight as the card holder).

Any additional guests over the limit of two complimentary guests will incur a charge of $50 for guests who are 18 or over and a charge of $30 for guests who are between 2 and 17.

Centurion Card holders are not subject to the 3-hours/5-hours before departure rule regardless of their itinerary.

Bottom line

To access an American Express Centurion Lounge you’ll have to be the holder of one of Amex’s more premium cards or be fortunate enough to be guested in by someone who holds one of those cards.

Keep in mind that the rules for accessing a Centurion Lounge vary according to the variety of premium Amex card that is being used to access the lounge, so make sure you’re clear on the rules that are applicable to your specific card to avoid disappointment at the airport.