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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
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card went through a major refresh in 2026 adding new bonus categories, travel protections, statement credits, and remains one of the best travel starter cards in the market. It earns Premium Ultimate Rewards that can be transferred into over a dozen partners many of which are US based including Hyatt, Southwest, United, IHG, and Marriott. Note that Hyatt is now a 4:3 transfer partner
Welcome Offer
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
Earn
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travelâ„
- NEW ACCELERATED EARN CATEGORY: 3x points on gas and EV charging
- NEW ACCELERATED EARN CATEGORY: 3x points on vacation homes at top brands
- Cardmembers will earn 3x points on vacation homes at these top brands: Airbnb, Vrbo, Plu Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com and Vacasa.
- 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)
- 2x on all other travel
- 1x on everyday purchases
- 5x points on Lyft rides Earn 5x total points on eligible Lyft rides including ride share, bike and scooter rides and subscription and membership products through September 30, 2027.
- 5x total points on Peloton equipment Earn 5x total points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $150 through December 31, 2027.
Benefits and Credits
- $100 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travelâ„
- NEW: $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit Cardmembers will receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to the card.
- NEW: Complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders
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® Card is great 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: Chase Ink Business Cash® , Chase Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into the Sapphire Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee remains quite low at $95 a year and if you use the $100 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travelâ„ you’ll wipe out that annual fee every year. It has great bonus categories and other useful statement credits to enhance your travel.
One thing that is a bummer is Chase lowered the transfer ratio to World of Hyatt from 1:1 to 4:3.
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