We’ve seen Centurion Lounge popups at Los Angeles and Chicago airports, and LAX even confirmed it over a year ago noting that the lounge would be coming “to the south side terminals (between terminals 6 & 7).”
Since that time the new Houston Centurion lounge opened. I’m writing this post from the Houston lounge, and it’s quieter than any other Centurion lounge I’ve been in — largely owing to its location in the D terminal (though all terminals in Houston are connected airside) and to it being a Tuesday afternoon.
However there’s been no firm news of a new Centurion lounge since Houston opened in June — until now.
Via One Mile at a Time, and confirmed to me by American Express, a new Centurion lounge will be coming to Philadelphia later this year.
- It will be in Terminal A West (international departures) above the current British Airways lounge. Construction is expected to start at the end of next month and they’re targeting an early August open.
- Reportedly it will offer only 5500 square feet (just over half the size of Dallas, and only two-thirds the size of Houston) and feature a shower room, bar, and buffet.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the opening schedule push out farther, because airports are about the most difficult environment to do business in in the country. But ‘second half of 2016’ seems more than reasonable to expect at this point.
And I think we can expect that news of an LAX lounge should be entering the pipeline shortly. In fact we’ll eventually see all LAX terminals connected airside in the near term. Currently terminals 1 and 2 are not connected but LAX is building a “terminal 1.5”
Los Angeles Airport Commissioners approved environmental and aesthetic plans related to the proposed Terminal 1.5 Project, which would enhance the guest experience at LAX by providing additional space for ticketing, security screening, and baggage claim, along with connecting Terminals 1 and 2.
The proposed project, which requires final approval from the Los Angeles City Council, includes a 417,515-square-foot, six-level building that will span the 400-foot-long space between Terminals 1 and 2. It would also require demolishing a boarding gate in Terminal 1.
If approved by the City Council, the Terminal 1.5 is expected to be completed in 26 months, opening Summer 2019.
A new Centurion lounge is sorely needed in Philadelphia, which lacks any Priority Pass lounges and where I find American to have its worst clubs in the U.S..
American Airlines Admirals Club Bar, Philadelphia
Philadelphia will join Dallas Fort-Worth, Las Vegas, Miami, New York LaGuardia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Houston in the growing US airport lounge network.
PHL is a redundant USAir legacy hub sandwiched between NYC and WDC. It will eventually be de-hubbed by American just like PHX. No idea why AmEx is doing this. Maybe the Frontier or Spirit Plat card is on the way. SMH …
Rats! I am jealous. I wish it could have been in “lousy or no lounge” Newark.
I wonder if that means you have to have an international ticket to gain access, considering it is in the international departure area, or if not you may have to go through security twice if you are not leaving from that area.
Excited about Phila being AMEX Centurion worthy. You’ll be able to get to the lounge from any terminal, as they are now (finally, Terminal F can connect air-side) connected post security. That being said, it’s probably about 20 minutes to walk from Terminal A to F, however, there’s a bus shuttle from B to F to help out a little. Hmmm. Time to rethink my next renewal of the Citi AA Executive Card being that I no longer will need access to the Admiral Lounge, – at least not in Philadelphia beginning this fall.
Washington Dulles/IAD and Reagan/DCA airports could certainly use some Centurion lounges. I would have to think there are just as many (if not more) travelers and business/power types with Amex Platinum cards in the D.C. area as there are in Philly. We live close to Dulles, and the Priority Pass lounges there have very limited hours (they were closed when we could have used them, while waiting to board a BA flight to London a few months ago).
Doesn’t really give me much incentive to keep my Amex Platinum going into year #2.
Great news for Philly flyers. The existing airline lounges there aren’t particularly impressive. I think the BA one is probably the best. I heard that UA improved their food and beverage offerings, but I was there last month and it wasn’t impressive. The AA lounges are pretty mediocre.
Yes!! No PP lounge in Philly, Admirals Club disappearing from Citi Prestige in July, so this is a very good development for us in the City of Brotherly Love.
I was getting excited and then I read Terminal A WEST. That’s about a 10 minute walk from even Terminal A EAST and a true pain in the ass from any other terminal.