American Express Centurion Lounge at New York JFK: Is this the Best Amex Lounge yet?
by Krish Patel
American Express has a large collection of Centurion Lounges, most of which are located in the United States. One of Amex’s nicest lounges is located in New York JFK. Before visiting this Centurion Lounge, I’ve only been to their locations at LaGuardia and Buenos Aires Ezeiza. The JFK Centurion Lounge features plenty of comfortable seating, delicious food options, and tons of other amenities. While this isn’t the newest lounge in Amex’s portfolio, it is one of the nicest, being Amex’s first lounge with two floors and a prohibition themed secret speakeasy. After visiting this lounge, I can confirm that it’s my favorite Centurion Lounge.
American Express Centurion Lounge Access, Hours, and Location
American Express Lounges do not offer single visit day passes. Instead, cardholders with the Platinum Card from American Express ($695 annual fee), the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card (only gets you in on a same-day Delta ticket), or the Centurion Card can access the lounge.
The Platinum Card can get up to two guests into the lounge. Even the Hong Kong version of the Platinum Card can get you into a Centurion Lounge. If you have the Morgan Stanley, the Charles Schwab, or the Business Platinum Card, then you can enter the lounge as well.
It’s worth mentioning that you can only access the lounge within three hours of your scheduled departure time, and this rule applies for all the credit cards that get you in. This particular Centurion Lounge is open daily from five in the morning to ten at night and is located in JFK’s Terminal 4 post security.
American Express Centurion Lounge Seating, Layout, Amenities, and Ambiance
The JFK Centurion Lounge spans a total of two levels, both of which are packed with comfortable seating, chef-inspired dishes, and luxurious amenities. Upon entry, you’re greeted by the friendly Amex Lounge staff at a striking front desk area, with Amex’s signature color palette. To the right of the front desk is going to be a kids area. There’s a TV running some shows, as well as seating for a whole family and toys for younger children.
Past the front desk and to the left is going to be some seating for guests, as well as an Equinox Body Lab, where you can engage in workout, meditation, and fitness sessions. The seating in the lounge is well-laid out, with plenty of table space for food and drinks and charging outlets to charge your devices.
There’s only one workstation with a printer in the lounge, and this is also the case at Amex’s Centurion Lounge in LaGuardia as well. While there’s plenty of paper and a proper amount of table space to get some work done, I wish that the setup was more private and that there would be more than one in the lounge.
Near the printer is a pretty cool meeting room which gives American Express vibes. The wall is well-decorated, with blue suitcases stacked atop one another and elegant wooden finishes. The meeting room has enough space for several guests, making it an ideal spot to conduct business. Throughout the lounge, you’ll notice phone booths with stunning designs and hanging light fixtures. Each booth represents a different era in New York history.
The JFK Centurion Lounge offers clean and spacious bathrooms, as well as shower suites. You can reserve one of the shower suites at the front desk, though keep in mind that the wait times vary. The bathrooms are stocked with luxurious amenities and show a detailed flooring pattern.
To get downstairs, you can take either a set of stairs or an elevator. Immediately, on your right after taking the set of stairs is going to be a reserved seating area for Centurion guests, in other words, it's for those who have the Amex Black Card. There’s plenty of comfortable seating down here and it’s a pretty cool area, with blue and purple furniture that compliments the gray floor well.
Outside of the reserved seating area is some more seating, with wooden tones and a signature white and blue color palette. A lot of the seats come with small one-person dining tables where you can enjoy a bite and get some work done at the same time. The decor in Amex Lounges really has me impressed, with a stylish shelf packed with suitcases and other inspiring pieces of art.
Found along the windows of the bottom level of the lounge is some high-top barlike seating, which comes with charging outlets to charge your personal device. The views offered from the Amex Lounge at JFK are quite impressive, considering that many other lounges in the American Express Lounge portfolio don’t offer quality views of the tarmac. I’m looking at you, LaGuardia!
Downstairs are some more unique phone booths that almost transport you back to a specific era.
American Express Centurion Lounge Locally-Inspired Food and Drink
As I’ve mentioned before in my reviews of Centurion Lounges, the food and beverage offerings are an area where they tend to shine. At the JFK Centurion Lounge, there’s a variety of buffet options to choose from.
The main buffet area, as well as one of the space’s three bars, is found on the upstairs level. A variety of hot and cold foods are available, such as meats, pastas, soups, roasted vegetables, and salads. There’s even a dessert section of the buffet, offering items such as cookies, brownies, cakes, and pudding. Including the alcohol, note that all of the food and beverages in the lounge are going to be free.
There’s a beverage station near the buffet offering non-alcoholic drinks. You’ll find a selection of teas, flavored water, and an espresso machine. If you want an alcoholic drink, then you’ll need to visit the bar. The bar is quite nice, with elegant wooden finishes and hanging light fixtures.
Downstairs is a slightly more limited buffet selection, but it still offers locally inspired dishes curated by NYC-based chefs.
Two of the bars are found on this level of the lounge, one of which is similar to the one found upstairs. However, I’d recommend paying a visit to 1850, a secret speakeasy found behind a bronze door. 1850 is also the year that American Express was founded.
Inside the speakeasy, you’ll feel like you’re not in an airport lounge. With dark finishes, detailed patterns on the wall, and elegant flooring, the bar is one that’s inspired by the U.S. prohibition era. You can even order prohibition-themed cocktails inspired by Jim Meehan, a local New York-based mixologist. The signature cocktail at the speakeasy is the espresso martini.
Even if you’re not planning to get a drink, this is still a cool space to check out before your flight. There are cozy, private booths that are good for getting some work done while enjoying a beverage. I opted to order a virgin mojito, which was very good. During the lounge’s open day hours, the space also doubles as a café, where you can enjoy a coffee.
Bottom Line
Out of all of the Amex Centurion Lounges I’ve so far been to, this is my favorite Centurion Lounge. The staff are friendly, and the amenities are some of the best I’ve seen in an Amex Lounge. I love the beautiful tones of blue, gray, and green, as well as the wooden accents seen throughout the lounge. An excellent aspect of the Centurion Lounge experience is the inspiring food and drink selection, with plenty of dishes to choose from, as well as an inspiring beverage selection. I cannot wait to pass through this lounge soon and certainly enjoyed my time here.