Everything You Need To Know About Amex Airport Lounge Access

• Written by Joseph Hostetler
  

  Joseph Hostetler

  Credit cards, travel rewards

  Joseph Hostetler is a credit card rewards expert who has covered travel and loyalty programs professionally since 2016. He has authored and edited for prominent travel rewards sites such as Million Mile Secrets, The Points Guy, and point.me. He has also written for dozens of national publications, including Business Insider, Newsweek, CNN, TIME and AP News, and more.

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• Last Updated Jun 16, 2025

Everybody likes going on vacation, but actually enjoying the commute is more of a rarity.

If you view air travel as a slog, optimizing your wallet with one of the best American Express cards (an advertising partner) can change your entire outlook, thanks to Amex lounges. Complimentary Amex airport lounge access means the difference between searching for an empty gate at which to eat your $20 hamburger and sipping whiskey sours in a swanky spot while overlooking the tarmac.

Here’s everything you need to know about American Express airport lounge access.

What Is an American Express Centurion Lounge?

American Express provides access to multiple partner lounge networks — over 1,400 lounges in total — but it operates the highest-quality American Express Centurion Lounges itself. Centurion Lounges typically offer:

• Hot meals (not just cheese and crackers)
• Complimentary alcohol and craft cocktails with a full bar
• Showers
• Conference rooms
• A play area for children
• Lots of electrical outlets
• Free fast Wi-Fi

You’ll also typically find unique amenities from lounge to lounge, such as wine tastings and game rooms.

How To Get Access to American Express Airport Lounges

As prestigious as airport lounges may seem, getting American Express lounge access is simple. You’ll gain entry simply by holding the right credit card (and, in some cases, enrolling).

Below are the American Express cards that come with some form of airport lounge access:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express 
• The American Express Corporate Platinum Card®
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Centurion® Card from American Express**

**All information about the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express,  American Express Corporate Platinum Card®, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, and Centurion® Card from American Express** has been collected independently by CardCritics™ .

Each card comes with varying airport lounge access in the American Express Global Lounge Collection. The Centurion Card is the only card not publicly available for application. The card is invite-only, and the exact details of the Amex ​​Centurion Card requirements are unknown.

Here’s how to get into airport lounges with American Express cards:

Lounge Type	Cards With Access	Details
Amex Centurion Lounges	Amex Platinum (personal and business) Delta Reserve (personal and business) Amex Centurion Card	Delta Reserve cards require a same-day boarding pass for a Delta flight booked with an Amex card.
Delta Sky Club Lounges	Amex Platinum (personal and business) — 10 visits per Medallion year (Feb. 1 to Jan. 31), $50 per visit after that Delta Reserve (personal and business) — 15 visits per Medallion year (Feb. 1 to Jan. 31), $50 per visit after that; spend $75,000 in a calendar year to unlock unlimited access Amex Centurion Card	Requires a same-day Delta boarding pass to enter; basic economy tickets are not eligible.
Priority Pass Lounges	Amex Platinum (personal and business) Delta Reserve (personal and business) Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Centurion Card	Enrollment is required to enter Priority Pass lounges. Within your online account, you’ll find the option to register for Priority Pass Select access. You will then receive a Priority Pass card immediately and a physical card in the mail a few weeks later.
Plaza Premium Lounges	Amex Platinum (personal and business) Amex Centurion Card	Plaza Premium lounges are typically of above-average quality, and several airlines even use the locations as their business class lounges.
Escape Lounges	Amex Platinum (personal and business) Delta Reserve (personal and business) Amex Centurion Card	Delta Reserve cards require a same-day boarding pass for a Delta flight booked with an Amex card. Escape Lounges often serve as a “lite” version of Amex Centurion Lounges at airports that aren’t quite as large. They look similar, but they’re not as big and their amenities are more sparse.
Lufthansa Lounges	Amex Platinum (personal and business) Amex Centurion Card	Amex Platinum cardholders can only enter Lufthansa Business Lounges when flying on a Lufthansa Group flight (Lufthansa, SWISS or Austrian Airlines). If you’re flying a business class Lufthansa Group ticket, you can enter the even fancier Lufthansa Senator Lounge. Amex Centurion Card holders can access Lufthansa First Class, Senator and Business lounges regardless of LH Group ticket class.

It’s worth noting that, in general, you can only access an airport lounge three hours before departure — unless you’re at the airport during a connection.

Can You Bring Guests Into The Amex Lounge? 

Whether you can bring a guest into an Amex Lounge depends on the card you have and the lounge network you’re trying to enter. Here’s what you need to know:

Lounge Type	Guest Policy
Amex Centurion Lounges	Children under 2 are complimentary Additional guests are $50 each (children aged 2 through 17 are $30 each) Bring up to two complimentary guests after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Amex Platinum Card in a calendar year
Delta Sky Club Lounges	Delta Reserve and Amex Platinum personal and business cardholders can bring two guests or immediate family for $50 per person
Priority Pass Lounges	Bring up to two complimentary guests (varies depending on the specific lounge) (enrollment required)
Plaza Premium Lounges	Bring up to two complimentary guests
Escape Lounges	Bring up to two complimentary guests
Lufthansa Lounges	Guest policy varies by lounge

Hot tip: Authorized users sometimes get the same (or similar) lounge access privileges as the primary cardholder. If you’ve got a large family and think that two free guests won’t be enough to cover your party, you can pay to add authorized users to your Amex Platinum or Delta Reserve card.

Just note that Lufthansa lounges can only be accessed by the primary cardholder with an eligible Lufthansa Group flight.

Best Credit Cards With Centurion Lounge Access

The best Amex cards with lounge access also come with other helpful travel benefits. If you’re a frequent traveler, these cards are worth a look — even if you rarely use their lounge perks.

Amex Platinum Card 

The Amex Platinum Card charges a $695 annual fee. For that price tag, you’ll earn over $1,000 in annual statement credits toward eligible travel, dining, retail and entertainment purchases (enrollment is required for some benefits). 

Welcome offer: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Amex Business Platinum Card 

The Amex Business Platinum Card is similar to the Amex Platinum Card in a few key ways, including its $695 annual fee. You can earn a handful of the same perks, but the Amex Business Platinum is geared specifically toward business owners. 

Welcome offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel® with your Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer expires 6/30/25.

All information about the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by CardCritics™ .

Delta Reserve Card 

The Delta Reserve Card charges a $650 annual fee. Frequent Delta flyers can easily recoup that investment thanks to perks like an annual Companion Certificate, the first checked bag free on Delta flights and a 15% mile discount on Delta-operated award flights.

The card also comes in handy even if you’re not specifically flying Delta. You’ll get up to $200 in annual Delta Stays credit when booking accommodation through Delta, up to $240 in annual Resy credit for participating restaurants, up to $120 in rideshare credit (enrollment required) and more.

Welcome offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 10/29/2025.

Delta Reserve Business Card

With the Delta Reserve Business Card, you’ll also pay a $650 annual fee and get similar lounge benefits to the personal Delta Reserve.

It also comes with a slew of statement credits and has bonus categories that are appealing to business owners.

Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

All information about the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card has been collected independently by CardCritics™.

Where Can You Find a Centurion Lounge?

The best American Express lounges, Amex Centurion Lounges, aren’t as ubiquitous as most other lounge networks. You can find them in the following U.S. airports:

• Atlanta (ATL)
• Charlotte (CLT)
• Dallas (DFW)
• Denver (DEN)
• Houston (IAH)
• Las Vegas (LAS)
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• Miami (MIA)
• Newark (EWR) (coming soon)
• New York (LGA)
• New York (JFK)
• Philadelphia (PHL)
• Phoenix (PHX)
• Salt Lake City (SLC) (coming soon)
• San Francisco (SFO)
• Seattle (SEA)
• Washington, D.C. (DCA)

Amex also offers several international Centurion Lounge locations:

• Buenos Aires (EZE)
• Delhi (DEL)
• Hong Kong (HKG)
• London (LHR)
• Melbourne (MEL)
• Mexico City (MEX)
• Monterrey (MTY)
• Mumbai (BOM)
• Stockholm (ARN)
• Sydney (SYD)
• Tokyo (HND) (coming soon)

Featured image: Joseph Hostetler/CardCritics™