Background:
Before a short morning flight on JetBlue to Martha’s Vineyard, I was able to visit the AMEX Centurion Lounge New York LaGuardia. This would be my third visit, but the first time during the morning hours. The lounge is quite new having only opened in June of 2021. This newer version of the Centurion Lounge is 10,000 square feet, nearly double the size of the lounge it replaced.
The lounge is located in Terminal B, which is home to airlines including Air Canada, American, JetBlue, Southwest, and United. Unfortunately, LaGuardia’s terminals are not connected airside, so if you are departing from a different terminal you will need to re-clear security several times if you want to access this lounge. The airport does have a free shuttle you can use to transfer from one terminal to the next (before security).
Access:
Complimentary access is available for
- Platinum Card, Business Platinum Card, and Corporate Platinum Card® Members
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve and Reserve Business Card Members
- Centurion® Members
As of February 2023, U.S. Platinum Card and U.S. Business Platinum Card Members will be charged a $50 fee for each guest (or $30 for children 2-17). Or, if you spend $75,000 in a calendar year on the cards, you’ll get 2 guests for free. You can see the full rules on access here if you’re interested.
After you clear security at Terminal B, head upstairs to the concourse and follow the signs for gates 40-59. The Centurion Lounge’s entrance is right before the Eastern Concourse pedestrian bridge. Currently, the hours of operation are Sunday to Friday from 5 am to 10 pm and Saturday from 5 am to 9 pm.
My Arrival at the AMEX Centurion Lounge New York LaGuardia:
I checked in on the app when I arrived at the airport, and it was saying the lounge was almost full. I feel like it always says that. When I arrived at the lounge, there was a short queue of about five people to check in at the front desk, but then I was quickly checked-in.
The lounge was probably the emptiest I’ve seen it (Friday at 9am) and still had various seat options available. Generally during my past evening visits, the lounge was quite full.
Most of my pictures are from my past March 2023 visit, and nothing has changed much. As you enter the lounge, you will see a painting with AMEX’s original logo of a watchdog dating back to 1890.
To the right, is a seating area.
If you proceed straight, you’ll find more seating, then you’ll enter the main food and drink areas.
Food:
The center of the lounge features a buffet with dining tables, and then a bar next door. Seats along the edge of the lounge offer views of the check-in areas from above. Unfortunately, the lounge does not offer any runway or airplane views.
On my most recent morning visit, the bar area was quite empty, so I snagged a hightop table next to the bar.
The LaGuardia Centurion Lounge has partnered up with a renowned local chef to design the menu. For this location, it’s Cédric Vongerichten, who is the executive chef and co-owner of Wayan in New York City.
For breakfast, I was a bit sad to not see the delicious bacon that the Centurion Lounge at LAX offers. But, there were scrambled eggs, a frittata, roasted potatoes, pork sausage, french toast, pastries, and fresh fruit. I’m not a huge breakfast person, but I think the selection would please most people. I much prefer the dinner selection offered here.
For buffet items during my evening visit in March, they included garlic rice, lemon chicken, sweet potatoes, and orecchiette pasta. I enjoyed both the pasta and the chicken.
On top of the cooked items, there was also a small salad bar for dinner. There were also cookies offered for dessert. I did wish there would be more dessert options. Fresh whole fruit (apples, oranges, bananas) was available as well.
Across the buffet, is a drinks station that has a coffee machine, iced teas, and flavored water. During my March visit, they had a Blood Orange Agua Fresca, which I enjoyed very much.
More Seating and Other Areas:
Past the food areas, is a closed-off Multi-Purpose Room that has some children’s toys.
And then there’s the Business Lounge part of the lounge. Here, there are more private “pod” seat types along the wall, and seats with higher backs as well.
In this area, there is also a printer for use, and also another coffee + drinks station as well.
Restrooms + Showers:
The restrooms were clean and had L’Occitane hand wash. The lounge also offers one shower room available, but I didn’t utilize it on my visit. Most LaGuardia flights are quite short, so showers won’t necessarily be needed.
The Verdict:
Overall, the AMEX Centurion Lounge New York LaGuardia offers a solid place to grab a bite, drink or relax if you’re able to find a seat during busy times. In terms of food, I prefer the dinner selection to the breakfast, but both are quite solid for a domestic lounge.
Have you been to the AMEX Centurion Lounge New York LaGuardia Airport before? How was your visit? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
