American Express Centurion lounges can have long waits to get it, although the amount of time you’ll expect varies by lounge, day of the week, and weather. Philadephia at peak times has interminable waits because the lounge is so small (and there’s not much great inside, anyway).
(Credit: TravelZork)
(Credit: TravelZork)
We usually don’t see these long lines anymore because digital waitlists have replaced physical queues. However, American Express Centurion (Black Card) cardmembers don’t wait at all. They skip the queue completely, and there’s generally even a separate dedicated check-in line once inside. (Even when it’s your turn to enter the lounge as a Platinum member, there’s still often a line to check in.)
Once inside, Centurion cardmembers have reserved seating. There’s even better champagne behind the bar for them most of the time, although in some lounges better booze is in their separate section of the lounge.
Here’s the reserved section for Centurion cardmembers of the New York JFK lounge. It’s not one of the better space in the lounge. It’s a similar setup in Las Vegas, too.
There’s a discussion on Reddit on ‘just sitting in the Centurion section’. Often nobody will say anything. You’ll see in the JFK lounge photo there’s a stand for an employee who might check credentials, but it’s unmanned. There’s no such setup in many of the other lounges. Some just have reserved signs on tables, but nobody checking.
This doesn’t mean nobody will check on a given visit. Someone reports being kicked out of the Black Card seats in Seattle. And another reports monitoring in Tokyo but Japan is a completely different issue.
You should not sit in the Black Card section if you are not a Black Card customer. That’s simply the deal. If you’re in the lounge because of your Platinum card, you wait in line and you scavenge for tables like the commoner you are.
But it’s a really interesting phenomenon that:
- this is mostly based on norms and rule-following, and not enforcement
- and that works because most people comply
- which is why a few people can get away with it.
What’s always struck me as odd is that Chase and Capital One lounges don’t offer priority for the best customers. J.P. Morgan Reserve cards are supposed to be limited to private bank customers. Private Bank ostensibly requires a minimum of $10 million on deposit with the bank (in practice you can get in for much less, but the average customer’s balance is much higher). Yet they’ll turn those cardmembers away from lounges.
Capital One doesn’t have an ultra-premium card above Venture X, but they certainly have customers pushing seven figures of spend on cards. It seems like you’d want to make sure they were accommodated the one or two times a year they show up at a Capital One lounge. They’re happy with their Capital One relationship, excited to finally try the lounge, and they learn it’ll be an hour to get in. What does that do to the spend relationship?
The Chase part of this makes no sense. It’s like they are too big to connect the dots. Maybe they thought their private banking clients would spring for the private area of the LGA lounge. Would love to know what the actual usage of that space is. Can’t imagine it is high.
Meanwhile Chase Travel continues to be terrible. Got waylaid for two days because of the blizzard. My preferred hotel via Chase travel was “sold out”. Amex – no problem! Enjoyed my room upgrade and $100 credit.
So yeah, Amex lounges are packed, but overall they have the best and most consistent product.
Actually a server ushered me into the reserved seating area.(no black card) I gave her a tip when leaving.
I have seen people kicked out, so you may get away with it but not always.
Cancelled my AMEX card last month. Not worth the cost. Everyone has one and AMEX has outsourced so much to call center that are ineffective.
When you have to wait in line and desperately search for a seat, the lounge has failed and lost its appeal. AMEX needs to fix this.
AMEX lounges have always terribly overrated. Access to them is worth about 50 cents.
At SFO, the Centurion section in the temporary lounge is a roped off seating area near the entrance. Weird that it wasn’t closer to a window, but at least in this location you can flex where EVERYONE can see. Kind of like boarding most narrowbody planes, you have to go through the F section so you can see the poors as they enter if that amuses you too. /s The chance of a Platinum squatter would be very low since it’s also in full view of the check-in agents.
What I don’t understand is why Ritz Card is higher priority to enter a Chase Sapphire Lounge vs. CSR cards. Did Marriott carve out some exception?
AMEX could fix the lounge overcrowding problem very easily by raising the minimum annual spend for free visits to something like $200k. Everyone else with a platinum card spending less must hand over something like $50 or $75 per person per visit without exception. Overcrowding would vanish overnight under such a scheme. AMEX won’t do this, however, because it’s more profitable for them to continue with this whole ruse that anyone willing to fork over $800 a year (or whatever the current number is) will have lounge access at the airport. Astonishingly, this remains very effective for them. But it is a total scam, and everyone with a brain knows it — especially the AMEX leadership.
“You should not sit in the Black Card section if you are not a Black Card customer.”
Quelle horreur! You’ll not have many fellow travelers standing up for the ease and convenience of those who already have it so well. The black card set might due well to remember that both right wingers and left wingers are sharpening their guillotines these days
Gary Leff is correct regarding overcrowded AMEX lounges. Here is my pro tip: If you’ve just spent an hour in line to enter the American Express Centurion Lounge at PHL, LAS, or DFW only to discover there’s not a single table left, and Platinum card squatters have filled the Centurion card member reserved space, take a page from college students on spring break. Claim your own patch of plush AMEX lounge carpet and eat while sitting on the floor. Extra credit for stringing up low-voltage tiki lights (available at Party City) plugged into the nearest cell phone charger, so everyone knows exactly where the party’s at. Bonus points if you bring a tiny inflatable flamingo as your AMEX lounge mascot.
OH MY GOD! WHERE’S ICE WHEN YOU NEED THEM!?!
askmrlee – I was thinking about closing my RITZ card and applying for AMEX BRILLIANT, in order to get Bonvoy Plaitnum status.
But I did not realize that RITZ card has priority over CSR at Sapphire Lounges, which I feel are the best airport lounges, except for the tiny size and long waits.
After the January 2026 changes, does RITZ still have entry priority over CSR?
Do Centurion card holders even use the lounges? It seems like they would be a reason not to pay that fee.
Ritz cards don’t get line priority at CSR lounges. They just used to have unlimited guests, but not anymore.
I’ve never experienced a wait at Capital One lounges, whether at JFK or Las Vegas. Last month the Centurion lounge in Vegas had a 20 minute wait while I sailed into an uncrowded Capital One lounge. I’ve been to the JFK lounge about 5 times and it’s always a pleasure without a wait. With Capital One’s new restrictive lounge policy and competition from Bilt’s Palladium card I suspect that uncrowded lounges will continue.
This is what happens when you give people no ither option than to spend the extra dollar. Its great for corporations financial pockets bur terrible for consumer. As soon as you bring the ticket pricing down and raise the requirements you will see these lounges comeback to pre 2019 level
My wife and I won’t add to the crowding in ATL AMX lounge. After finally finding two seats together I went to the bar to get two drinks. No can do! You can only get one at a time. You must return to the bar and order the second one. Oh, and you wait in line again. No thanks
Pathetic. Whinging about peasant Platinum cardmembers sitting in your precious little Centurion seats.
When there’s a waitlist, Ritz cards get priority over CSR at Chase lounges because Ritz cards are a JP Morgan card; similar to JP Morgan Reserve. If you have a Ritz card, look on the back – you’ll see the JP Morgan logo right underneath the signature area.
The order of priority for entry at Chase lounges is:
JP Morgan cardholders > CSR cardholders > everyone else using Priority Pass
Why is a Ritz card which is roughly half the annual fee of CSR a JP Morgan card when the CSR isn’t? My guess is it’s a legacy of when Ritz was Chase’s most expensive card aside from JP Morgan Reserve; a distinction it still held at the time it became unavailable to new applicants in 2018. And since it’s a deprecated card, they’ve never bothered to update it. (Also possibly/probably in the contract with Marriott.)
Most rules should not require enforcement. It’s sad commentary that so many adults are willing to skirt any rule unless there’s someone monitoring them.
The true definition of commoditized, mass market luxury. When everybody is an elite, nobody is an elite.
What lounge give Ritz priority? I didn’t get priority access to LAS Sapphire Lounge with the Ritz card.
The people who can afford a centurion black card wouldn’t waste their time in the Amex lounge as they’ll have a ton of better options.
Or they wouldn’t care if they had to spend a few dollars of actual money in a nice and more exclusive bar at the airport.
This just speaks to low morals and people trying to get away with whatever they can. Totally different but I see people parking in the “Diamond only” spots at Hiltons that I know aren’t Diamond and even parking in “veteran only” spots at my local grocery store that are not veterans (like teenagers). It speaks to the decline of class in this country. Not to be political but things really were better years ago when people knew the rules, their place in society and didn’t try to game the system.
Oh no… won’t anyone think of the Black Card members… *yawn*
As a black card holder for 25 years plus, I’m fed up with this. Why bother calling it the centurion lounge when it’s not. The centurion reserved areas are normally really pokey and you’re just get a seat. The whole line makes comments when you bypass.
If I fly commercial, then I actually have a better time sitting at a bar chatting and having a beer and random junk food. Lounges are just such wannabe places. For 40-50 bucks, I have a way better experience.
Exception to this is Concorde lounge and I really like Flagship dining in DFW. Service is excellent.
Just my opinion..
@Retard – Jealousy is an ugly thing.
I love that people are waiting in line! That means less people at the bars and restaurants, lol. And as a black card holder, you will never see me at a lounge.. it takes too long.
Centurion Card holders are not flying commercial
Lounge access is no longer a viable option”benefit”. I cancelled my Aadvantage world executive Mastercard. Still have Cap1 VentureX and AMEX Plat. Will cxl one of those as well. Maybe both. I’ve learned it easier and much more relaxing to find a table at one of the terminal restaurants. At DFW I’ve all but abandoned the lounges and prefer to order my own F&B at a concourse eatery or bar. Yep, restaurants get crowded too. But had a much easier time finding a restaurant seat than a lounge seat. In essence, Lounge access is a false benefit.
Centurion lounge was created for black card holders. Amex forgot that black card holders do not fly commercial they fly private jets. Over crowded because they give platinum cards to anyone. We were just in Salt Lake City, the lounge was the biggest I have been in. No wait ,no lines but is was 9pm on Saturday. Miami lounge is way over crowded. Vegas has never been a wait. DFW never waited.
If you travel every week it is good to have. So, last I read it is 75k spend a yr on platinum or it is $50 entrance fee for spouse.
Imagine the gall, sitting in the empty seats of the 1%. It’s hard work spending trust fund money, sitting on a board, getting paid 200 times the average salary at your company, and dodging millions in income tax. They need to rest well knowing their seats are empty if their private jets break down. What has happened to the ethics of the proletariat?!
Here’s what I do: If the lounge is jammed, drink and dine at one of the many fine restaurants nearby. That’s a much more enjoyable experience. Something for nothing (or for very little) does not exist. You learn this as you advance in life.
The lounge experience in US airports is awful. Supply not able to keep up with demand. Unfortunately not so easy to increase supply, as creating new real estate in airports is difficult. There’s still plenty of wasted space though that could be converted to lounge space. Move airport staff office space off site where possible. Raise the rent on useless stores like hudson news until they leave. If all else fails, build up, not out.
Unfortunately they’re mostly just trying to reduce demand by increasing fees, restrictions, and making the experience shittier.
It reminds me of one of my favorite songs… “Sign, sign, everywhere are signs… do this, don’t do that – can’t you read the sign!?”
Signs without enforcement or consequences are merely suggestions.
Don’t think I’ve ever waited in line for an Amex lounge usually flying out of SFO or LAX (though tbf I usually just go to Delta at LAX). Haven’t ever had to wait anywhere else either. When are yall flying lol clearly I’m doing something right.
There’s a key element that people rarely talk about and it’s how this is a self-created problem. Amex/Chase are more than happy to collect millions in fees from customers for “premium” credit cards, then are somehow acting surprised at people making use of those benefits. Can’t have it both ways.
If lounge access is something that you’re offering as a premium experience to your most loyal customers, then have it be something truly earned through an annual min spend, not something you can buy your way into for $6-900.
Lounges in general (Amex, Admirals Club, you name it) were better back when they were mostly frequent flyers. Why do casual travelers overwhelm the lounges more now? Is it a matter of word getting out via blogs/influencers? Do more casual travelers exist now? Are casual travelers the same in number, but fly more often? Is a $500-800 annual fee not the same gut-punch that is was before covid?
Having spent literally decades with Access to airline clubs by status and/or buying a membership or via Platinum Card the whole appeal tanked after the pandemic. Not only did the Clubs get way over crowded but they got dirty and filled with too many people who think they are sitting in their family room. AMEX should try dropping the price of their card a few hundred dollars and then charging extra for Lounge Access. The fact that you have to actually pay an extra fee to access will reduce the overcrowding.
The idea that Black Card holders “don’t fly commercial” is fantasy. Most of us fly commercial because it makes sense. Private is occasional, usually shared charters with friends or family. Otherwise, the math doesn’t justify it.
Pre Covid, the Centurion Lounge was practical and efficient. No theatrics, no need for special lines. And contrary to what people assume, no one I know sees lounge access as a flex.
At a certain level, discretion is the flex. If it’s crowded, I skip it. If it’s calm, I sit wherever and move on. The bar may be elevated. The food is average.
I’m finding the Airline lounges a better option. Just used the Iberia lounge in Madrid on Tuesday. It was large and busy, but plenty of seating. I’ve not even considered the Centurion lounges on our past couple of trips. We always fly business, so we get into the lounges when traveling international. I’ve been an Amex customer for almost 25 years, but I’ve cut my spending from around $500K annual to almost nothing since 11/25. Have to decide if I’m going to cancel this year or not, but that’s the way I’m leaning. The offerings in airport restaurants are also looking more attractive as well. I received a survey from Amex while in Spain the past couple of weeks, we’ll see how they respond to that.
I’ve only been to 2 Centurion lounges (SEA and MIA) and neither were crowded. Actually they were pretty empty. The only times I’ve had to wait for lounge entry has always been Priority Pass lounges. I’ve even been able to get into Delta Sky Lounges without any waits, ever. I see I should count my self fortunate.
Be blunt: the last 11 years have seen one person lead the pack at breaking conventions and norms, Drumpf er Trump. Trump cheats, lies, bullies and does whatever he wants. His maga minions wish they could act like this as well. But his influence, and that of the pandemic, has been far larger. Discourtesy, line jumping, aggressive driving and travel behaviors have become the norm.
This is a societal issue. It’s entitled that get a rush getting away with something. Or post it on TikTok. It’s everywhere- at the stoplight (I’ve seen people stop and go when they dont’ want to wait for a green light), it’s in the ’10 items or less’ line at the grocery store, buying all the toilet paper.
Give me nature any day. People- not so much-
I’m sitting in a black card seat now. I have no black card. I’ve been here for an hour and a half. It’s fantastic enjoying the caterwauling on this
If you can afford such a card, why are you camping in an airport for an hour to bum free snacks and drinks?
I just go to a nice airport restaurant, enjoy a good meal, served to me, in a seat, relax, and go to my flight full and buzzed.
You can really tell who are the poors in the comments – those that think every black card holder flies on PJ and those who think they are entitled to seats just because they’re jealous. Black card isn’t that hard to get if you have a medium size (or even small) business. Even with 9 figure net worth, first class on a wide body often beats flying private for intercontinental routes. Also it’s all about perspective. Some people are probably thinking boohoo all these rich guys standing in line being able to afford to fly around. You wouldn’t let those without a card into the lounge, so GTFO of reserved areas.
I can assure you that PHL strictly polices the Black card tables. Both times I’ve been there, I’ve seen the host move people. PHX also the same. I tried to take a call in the completely empty Black area and got told to move.
Unless the airport is not busy I avoid the lounges. The messiest, rudest, entitled, greedy people seem to gravitate toward them. Not everyone in them is like that, but a significant number are. It is actually a lot nicer in the regular terminal.
Amex keeps raising fees and providing worse service. This is the reason my company dropped all Amex cards.
Keep hearing the economy sucks but you go the airport and the lounges are packed, guess we really on on a K shaped economy.
“…like the commoner you are” is a crazy thing to say. You sound classist. I’m not against your point about how Platinum members shouldn’t be taking seats reserved for Black card members, but there are a thousand better ways to word it and the fact that you chose to word it that way is a testament to your (lack of) character. And if, like some of the other comments are saying, some Platinum members are being ushered in by staff to those sections, maybe you should check your attitude since you didn’t check your facts well enough.
So, not all black card holder travel in private jets?
I have the Amex Reserve through Delta and fly frequently through Atlanta. Even though I have access to the Centurion Lounge, I’ve only been able to use it once. The rest of the time I’ve attempted, it has always been full. So now I don’t even try. I just find a Delta Sky lounge where I find everything to be better than the Centurion Lounge, anyway. Definitely less crowded. Also, I was surprised at how people conduct themselves in the Centurion Lounge: shoes off, bodies strewn akimbo across furniture, people taking up entire sofas to sleep when there are others with nowhere to sit, screaming into phones, using bare hands at the buffet, screaming children running around unescorted…just general poor manners. As someone who viewed lounge access as special and who took years to earn it, I was very surprised by the number of people who showed complete disregard for the lounge and those who have to work in that environment. I felt so badly for the staff, who were run ragged by ungrateful and entitled people with never ending appetites for food and booze. It was eye opening, for sure. Again, I feel that the Delta SkyClubs are more serene…and, thanks to the Delta app, you can know in advance which lounges are busy and which aren’t so you don’t waste your time going to a busy one. That helps to keep the volume of customers in any one delta lounge to a more manageable number.
Build more lounges!!!!!
Build more lounges!!!!! Provide the. Service you say you do!!!
AMEX knows better
When I looked at cancelling my high annual fee credit cards what held me back is taking a shower at the airport lounge. Otherwise, most airports have plenty of places to eat, to sit and work on a laptop with power provided, even without going in a lounge. But that shower after eating before flight is priceless.
When the lines are longer than getting on in group 9 of an A380 Airbus I gave it up. Amex pitches this a great benefit but it basically a downgraded airport experience, if that is possible. And if I did get in you had to fight for a meal at the buffett which is typically getting emptied out as fast, or if, they refill it. The good news is that it opens up more spaces in resturants or unused gates making them more comfortable than the lounge. You have to pay for food but at least you can get it.