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Twelve years since American Express opened its first-ever Centurion Lounge, the issuer has perhaps its biggest news yet for travelers.
Amex is debuting an all-new lounge concept that will operate in tandem with its existing Centurion Lounges.
Dubbed “Sidecar by the Centurion Lounge,” these new boutique-style outposts will be dedicated to the dining experience and offer travelers a faster, more intimate experience than existing Centurion Lounges.
Furthermore, Amex is overhauling the dining experience at all of its domestic lounges — both its existing Centurion Lounges and upcoming Sidecar outposts — but more on that below.
Though details are scant, Amex said that the Sidecar outposts will be designed to resemble a speakeasy. The issuer will add Sidecar locations to airports where it operates existing Centurion Lounges, meaning that this outpost could help alleviate overcrowding from existing Centurion Lounges.
The focus in this space will be on grabbing a quick bite or drink in a premium space on the way to your flight. In keeping with this theme, access will be limited to within 90 minutes of your departing flight.
The first Sidecar will open next year in Las Vegas, which is appropriate for Amex given that Vegas is also home to the issuer’s first-ever Centurion Lounge.
While Sidecar locations won’t boast many amenities, they will offer restroom facilities, according to Audrey Hendley, the president of American Express Travel, who told TPG in an interview that customers value having access to restrooms in the lounge.
“When we survey customers, we ask them what they want in the lounge experience. They want good food, they want good Wi-Fi… they also want to use the loo, and they want to refresh in all kinds of ways. And I think that’s very important,” Hendley said.
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There’s no telling yet where else Amex might be planning to open a Sidecar, but Hendley said that the offering is purposely designed for space-constrained airports.
“Right now, we’re working through the concept, but as airports get busier, they don’t necessarily have more space [for full-size lounges],” she shared.
Aside from the timing restriction, access to Sidecar outposts will remain the same as the rest of the Centurion Lounge network.
In terms of dining, Amex will introduce what it calls the Culinary Collective later this month, on July 29.
This new dining concept will roll out nationwide across all 15 U.S. Centurion Lounges.
In the past, Amex has teamed up with a local chef to curate the menus at each of its Centurion Lounges. With the Culinary Collective, the issuer will introduce a fixed lineup of four chefs who will be at the helm of Amex’s in-lounge dining offerings.
The list of chefs includes Kwame Onwuachi, Mashama Bailey, Mike Solomonov and Sarah Grueneberg.
Furthermore, Amex is teaming up with Harrison Ginsberg as the lounge’s bar director, who is perhaps most famous for leading one of New York City’s most popular cocktail bars, Overstory.
Despite the introduction of the Culinary Collective, Amex will still offer many locally inspired lounge staples, such as soups, salads and entrees. What’s changing, however, will be some of the signature dishes in each lounge.
Furthermore, there will be more consistency across the Amex network in terms of what you’ll find to eat on the buffet. This is likely good news for travelers who value consistency. However, for other, more adventurous travelers, it may not be as appealing as the existing setup.
Note that Amex confirmed it won’t be changing the dining concept at its Centurion Lounges; buffet service will still remain the primary way that travelers will enjoy their food.
All of these investments come as the competition for credit card-branded airport lounges continues to heat up. While Amex had a nearly decade-long head start, Chase and Capital One are closing the gap in terms of building airport lounges that cardmembers actually want to visit.
Interestingly, the two big competitors do dining differently — both offer some assortment of a la carte options in addition to a buffet. Amex generally doesn’t offer any a la carte dining, and I’m a bit surprised that’s not changing to keep up with the competition.
That said, just like Chase taps into its in-house dining experts at The Infatuation to help curate the lounge’s dining options, Amex is doing the same now through its 2019 Resy acquisition.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
