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American Express is continuing its build out of global credit card lounge dominance 🙂 If you’re a Platinum or Centurion cardmember then you’re already familiar with the luxurious comfort of its Centurion lounges, and have probably frequented a few of them yourself. I’ve tried out almost all of them and you can find my reviews linked below ( I’ve been to the Dallas one, but its been recently renovated, hence no link).
Charlotte will be 13k sq ft at the intersection of D and E on the top floor while London Heathrow will be in Terminal 3, where American currently has gates, and measure at 7000 sq ft. Both lounges will feature shower suites, and locally inspired, chef created cuisine and mixologist designed cocktails, both of which are Centurion Lounge trademark offerings.
In a luxury card landscape that is becoming increasingly crowded, Centurion lounges are a unique benefit for Amex premium cardholders. The biggest complaint is crowding, which Amex has taken steps to resolve with limiting guests to 2, and even contemplating restricting access to a couple hours prior to departure. I wonder how much of this will take care of itself as annual fees rise ( Platinums are now $550 and Business Platinums will go to $595 in February).
I’m in a situation I’d guess many can relate to as I’ve long held a Platinum card without a home Centurion Lounge at LAX. This will change this next year when the Centurion LAX opens which potentially makes my Amex Platinum more valuable as I rack up visits.
The only real question I’ll face is how much I’m willing to go to TBIT to access it when flying domestically. It’s a quick and easy walk from Terminal 4, so I’d guess I’ll use it quite often when I’m flying American metal.
This brings me to another interesting observation about Centurion: they align with AA hubs. Look at their list of airports: DFW, HKG, MIA, JFK, LAX, PHL,LGA, LHR, and CLT. All match up very well to American loyalists. Seeing as though Amex Platinum and Centurion members have access to Delta Clubs when flying on Delta metal it makes sense that they would seek to provide a broader footprint for members flying on other airlines.
A Pop Up Centurion lounge in Central London near Covent Garden
In celebration of the new Centurion Lounge coming to London, Platinum Card® and Centurion® Members can get a taste of the Centurion Lounge’s premium service and amenities this holiday season at a pop-up Centurion Lounge at Unit 6, Langley Street, in London’s Covent Garden, which will be open from December 13 to December 16 from 11:00am to 6:00pm each day. A sophisticated sanctuary from the holiday hustle and bustle, the pop-up Centurion Lounge will offer complimentary bites and beverages, gift wrapping services, charging stations and family programming. Platinum Card and Centurion Members are welcome to attend with up to two complimentary guests. More information about The Centurion Lounge pop up at Covent Garden can be found here.
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.