Lounge Review: The Centurion® Lounge by American Express (CLT)

I’ve been to many of The Centurion® Lounge by American Express locations around the country, but had yet to visit the one in Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Last week while connecting on an American Airlines flight I finally had the chance to check it out.

You need to take an elevator or the stairs up to the lounge.

Access

Access to the Centurion® Lounge is given to customers carrying The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, The Centurion® Card, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. Cardholders are entitled to bring two guests (or immediate family with a Centurion® Card) as long as they spend over $75,000 a year on their card. If that threshold is not hit then only the cardholder can enter for free with a fee of $50 per guest ($30 for children ages 2-17) per visit.

Anthony’s Take: The Centurion® Lounges were my favorites since they opened. The quality slipped a bit through the yeas, but American Express continues to offer a great experience with restaurant-quality food and cocktails as well as comfortable spaces to work and relax, overall. This lounge was a great addition to the airport and I enjoyed the breakfast that I had there before connecting onward.

Bar

The bar was located towards the back of the lounge. Unlike most airline lounges, all alcohol here is complimentary. This includes premium spirits and wines. American Express even has cocktail menus that vary by location.

There were also several drink stations spread out around the lounge. One of the coffee machines is pictured above.

Drip coffee

Another coffee machine and iced coffee

Orange juice

A case held Olipop soda

Food

Breakfast was being served while I was in the lounge. It offered a good selection of hot dishes, oatmeal, breads, pastries, yogurt, fruit, and more.

Texas French Toast

Turkey Sausage

Creole Potatoes

Mushroom Feta Quiche

Oatmeal

Mixed Berry Yogurt Smoothie

Muffins

Fresh fruit

Greek Yogurt and toppings

Croissants

Condiments

Fruit and Wasabi Mix on the bar

Seating & Decor

The lounge was not huge, but it offered tons of seating in all different styles. I loved that there were multiple phone booth rooms for guest use. The decor was what I’ve come to expect in all American Express lounges. It’s modern and fun.

There were multiple private areas for calls.

While the lounge was busy, I had no problem finding space.

A separate area was roped off for Centurion® Cardholders.

Amenities

The Centurion® Lounge at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) features a shower suite, restrooms, free Wi-Fi, a printer, departure boards (pictured above), and all of the food and beverages listed above.

A printer was available for guest use.

Overall Impression:

I enjoyed this lounge and will be back now that I’m flying more on American Airlines. The food was tasty, there was plenty of room, and the staff was friendly. The only complaint that I had was around the elevators as they were really slow.