American Express to Open Centurion Lounge in Charlotte Airport

Travelers at North Carolina’s busiest airport will soon have a new lounge option available. American Express has announced that The Centurion Lounge at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) will open on Monday, February 24th, 2020.

The Centurion Lounge in Charlotte will be the 11th Centurion Lounge to be opened by American Express, which entered the airport lounge business in 2013.

The Centurion Lounge at CLT will be one of the company’s largest airport lounge projects to date, occupying a 13,000 square foot space in the airport’s newly expanded and refinished “Plaza” area between Concourse D and E.
As with other locations of The Centurion Lounge, access is granted to same-day ticketed passengers holding the American Express Platinum Card, Centurion, or Delta Reserve Card. “As lounge access is one of the most important benefits to our Card Members, we are excited to continue enhancing their airport experiences with premium travel benefits such as our Centurion Lounges,” said Alexander Lee, Vice President of Loyalty and Benefits at American Express.

In Charlotte, The Centurion Lounge will have local touches, like a custom mural by Charlotte artist Amanda Moody, and bites from Charlotte restauranteur Joe Kindred, who modeled the food program at The Centurion Lounge after his popular area restaurants. There will also be plenty of seating options ranging from the solitary to convivial to meet the needs of varying traveler profiles.

“I’m thrilled to partner with American Express to bring some of our southern hospitality to Charlotte Douglas International Airport,” said Joe Kindred. “The Centurion Lounge menu is inspired by our restaurants Kindred and Hello, Sailor, as well as our local North Carolina cuisine, to give travelers visiting the Centurion Lounge a look into what they can experience in the evolving Charlotte restaurant scene.”

Kindred, who bases his recipes on his memories of growing up in North Carolina, plans to include a range of dishes in the lounge’s food program, such as buttermilk fried chicken with tangy Carolina slaw, grilled cauliflower steak topped with pistou (a Provencal-style pesto), milk bread French toast, and country ham biscuits spread with a red eye sorghum butter.

As with most Centurion Lounges, there will also be a complimentary full bar with a network-wide cocktail and wine program designed by mixologist Jim Meehan and sommelier Anthony Giglio. When not dining or imbibing, lounge guests can refresh in shower suites, take in sweeping views of the airfield and downtown skyline, or get work done at dedicated workspaces with power outlets and high-speed WiFi. Families seeking respite from airport cacophony will also have dedicated family rooms.

In addition to Centurion Lounges and international American Express lounges, eligible cardholders have access to another 1,200 lounges across 500 cities in 130 countries with the American Express Global Lounge Collection. This program also includes access to Delta Sky Clubs for Card Members same-day ticketed on Delta and Priority Pass Select Lounges (upon enrollment in Priority Pass), Airspace Lounges, MAG U.S. Escape Lounges, and Plaza Premium Lounges.

Other airports with The Centurion Lounge include New York (La Guardia), Las Vegas, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Francisco, Miami, Seattle-Tacoma, Houston (Intercontinental), Hong Kong, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Cities slated to receive The Centurion Lounge at a future date include New York (Kennedy), Denver, Los Angeles, and London’s Heathrow Airport.