Inside the new Amex Centurion Lounge in DC's Reagan National Airport with a unique culinary experience

16.07.2024 - 20:23 / thepointsguy.com

The credit card airport lounge war has a new battleground: the nation's capital.

On Tuesday, American Express took the wraps off of its hotly anticipated Centurion Lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) near Washington, D.C.

The outpost, which was first announced in 2021 and opens Wednesday, becomes the first credit card-branded lounge at DCA, which will be welcome news for Amex's most premium cardmembers passing through the airport. (Until now, DCA has only been home to airline-branded lounges.)

Amex's move is a strong one. The DCA Centurion Lounge measures nearly 12,000 square feet and has a slew of amenities and relaxation spaces, along with a first-ever culinary concept for the Amex club network.

Of course, Amex has also long been the leader in the credit card-branded airport lounge war. It opened the first Centurion Lounge in 2013 and has since expanded the network across the country and to major cities worldwide.

That said, Capital One and Chase are very much playing fierce catch-up; the former is even planning to open a new dining-focused "Outpost" concept at DCA in the coming months.

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So, what's it like inside Amex's new Centurion Lounge? Read on for all the details.

Amex's new Centurion Lounge at DCA is in a newly built extension of the airport's Terminal 2.

You'll find the lounge in the airside National Hall near the entrance to the pier for the B gates. The space is just past the south security checkpoint, so I'd recommend clearing security here if you're planning to use the lounge after completing check-in and security screening.

It's hard to miss the entrance once you're in National Hall. It's across from Lucky Buns, and the glass-lined entrance couldn't be more prominent.

The new lounge opens daily at 5 a.m. It closes every day at 9 p.m., except for Saturdays when it closes at 7 p.m.

American Express card members with a Centurion or Platinum-branded card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express have access to Amex Centurion Lounges.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members also get complimentary access to Centurion Lounges when flying on a same-day Delta Air Lines-marketed or -operated flight.

You can't purchase Centurion Lounge access even if you carry another American Express card.

Note that Centurion Lounge guest policies changed last year to clamp down on overcrowding.

Platinum Card members cannot bring complimentary guests into the lounge unless they meet a new $75,000 annual spending requirement on their cards. Otherwise, you'll pay $50 per adult guest