Amex Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas is Expanding!

UPDATE: The lounge expansion is complete! Read our review here.

Good news and bad news for travelers wishing to visit the American Express Centurion Lounge at Las Vegas McCarran Airport.(Read Rene’s review here.)

Bad news first: the lounge is closed and not expected to reopen until next year. (Although all Centurion Lounges are currently closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic). However, this reopening process may take a while. Why?

Well, my friend, here’s the good news!

OMAAT wrote the lounge is expanding from its current 9,000 square foot size to about 13,400 square feet.

Ben notes, “While the lounge won’t be getting a spa, it will feature additional multi-purposes areas, new private telephone rooms, newly designed reception, and workspace areas.”

Because Amex has strict limits on how much time and when someone can access the lounge, the spa exclusion doesn’t affect me. And here’s hoping people use the darn telephone rooms!

I’m curious to see how “contact items” such as the buffet and coffee machines will be resigned (if at all).

When the new The Club LAS Terminal D reopens (read Rene’s review), that may be a good place to cool your heels until the Centurion returns. (The Club LAS is a Priority Pass network lounge. Entrance may also be purchased and credit back to an American Express® Green Card, thanks to its Lounge Buddy perk. (All information about the American Express® Green Card was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)

Overcrowding Issues

Except for very early mornings, late nights, and maybe a Saturday afternoon, the LAS Centurion Lounge was always packed when I visited. Even after Amex instituted the departure-only, three-hour max rule, it was still crowded. (One lounge employee told me the changes helped but didn’t significantly cut down on traffic.)

Hopefully, the additional space will make a marked difference and the place won’t seem so cramped.

Which American Express Cards Get You Into Centurion Lounges?

Five American Express cards give members complimentary access to Centurion Lounges:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card 
  • When flying on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
  • The eligible flight must be booked on a U.S.-issued American Express card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
  • When flying on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
  • The eligible flight must be booked on a U.S.-issued American Express card
• Select Centurion Cards from American Express (invitation only)
  • All information related to Centurion Cards was collected independently by Eye of the Flyer and neither provided nor reviewed by the card issuer.

And, of course, the invitation-only American Express Centurion Card.

More Fun Things to Look Forward To!

A remodeled, expanded Centurion Lounge is just another adventure to add to next year’s list of fun trips. I’m also excited to visit some of the new Centurion Lounges, including the one at LAX’s TBIT.

— Chris