Amex will significantly overhaul the Las Vegas Centurion Lounge
As demand for air travel recovers, flyers will likely experience airport lounges as they've never seen before. And not necessarily in a better way.
The buffet will likely be consolidated or removed, shower and spa facilities might be closed and bar service could be curtailed. The goods news is that once airport lounges reopen, overcrowding shouldn't be much of an issue.
However, when travelers once again take to the skies in pre-coronavirus numbers, we'll likely return to a time when lounge overcrowding becomes a reality again (and amenities are restored).
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Though many lounges suffer from overcrowding, perhaps the most consistently overcrowded are the American Express Centurion Lounges. That's because the issuer has built spaces that people actually want to visit. Plus, the food and beverage selection is well above-average for domestic airport lounges.
Fortunately, Amex has taken that feedback to heart with its recent openings in Charlotte and Los Angeles, which maximize all available space.
But what about its existing outposts? Well, TPG's the first to share that Amex has started construction on an expansion to its first-ever Centurion Lounge that opened roughly seven years ago — the outpost in the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.
The expansion will increase the footprint by about 50% — from nearly 9,000 square feet to more than 13,400 square feet — making it one of the largest lounges in the network. The newly designed lounge will offer additional multipurpose rooms, new private telephone booths, reimagined workspace areas and a redesigned reception area. According to the company, the expansion and redesign should be completed in 2021.
This week an eagle-eyed traveler shared pictures of the work that's just getting started in Vegas. Per recent building permits issued in Clark County, Nevada, the first step of the work involves relocating a set of stairs that are adjacent to the existing lounge. Based on the photos of the work, it appears that this is indeed progressing.
At the moment, all Centurion Lounges are currently closed, and there's no word yet on when they'll be reopened. The good news is that once the network reopens, the Las Vegas location will be able to do so too, even while construction progresses. In the meantime, if you're really missing your favorite lounge cocktail or appetizer, you can check out Amex's dedicated site for bringing the Centurion Lounge to your home.
The expanded and redesigned LAS location joins three other outposts that are currently under construction — Denver (DEN), London Heathrow (LHR) and New York (JFK). The latter two were scheduled to open in the first half of 2020, but the coronavirus will likely throw a wrench in those plans.
Related: The ultimate guide to the Amex Centurion Lounge
Nonetheless, this is great news for travelers who frequent LAS airport. Hopefully, this isn't just a one-off, and Amex is also considering expanding some of its other popular locations too. In recent years, the issuer has expanded the Dallas, Miami and Seattle locations.
Along with the expansion coming to the Centurion Lounge network, Amex has sweetened the deal for would-be travelers currently stuck at home. The updates to The Platinum Card® from American Express include added credits for streaming and wireless telephone carriers for the rest of the year. And then, once travel resumes, Platinum cardholders can once again enjoy the Centurion Lounge, especially since the network will be bigger and better than before.
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How we chose these cards
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Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023