If you have ever waited in line outside a Centurion Lounge, only to walk into a room with no empty seats, American Express just told you where its next round of square footage is going.
On October 8, 2026, Amex announced what it calls the largest Centurion Lounge expansion in the network’s history: a record-size lounge at Newark, a second London Heathrow lounge in Terminal 5, and major rebuilds in Houston and Philadelphia. One of those changes affects you right now. The Philadelphia Centurion Lounge closed on October 16 and won’t be fully back until the end of 2027.
Here’s what is coming, when it is realistically coming, and how to plan your Amex Platinum lounge visits around the construction.
Details verified October 17, 2026 against the American Express announcement and airport reporting. Opening dates are Amex estimates and can slip, as Newark’s already has.
The Centurion Lounge Expansion at a Glance
Four airports are involved, but only two of them are new to the network. Newark and Heathrow Terminal 5 are brand-new locations. Houston and Philadelphia are existing lounges being rebuilt much larger.
| Airport | Project | Size | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark (EWR), Terminal A | New lounge | 30,000+ sq ft, two floors | 2027 (originally 2026) |
| London Heathrow (LHR), Terminal 5 | Second Heathrow lounge | 9,000+ sq ft | 2028 |
| Houston (IAH) | Expansion | About 8,000 to 23,000+ sq ft | Completion in 2028 |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | Expansion | 6,000 to 12,000+ sq ft, two floors | Closed October 16, 2026; back by end of 2027 |
Add up Amex’s minimum figures and the four projects create roughly 60,000 square feet of new lounge space: 30,000 at Newark, 9,000 at Heathrow, about 15,000 added in Houston and about 6,000 added in Philadelphia. Houston alone grows to almost 2.9 times its current size. That is a lot of capacity, but almost none of it arrives before 2027.
Newark Gets the Largest Centurion Lounge in the Network
Newark has been the most conspicuous gap in the Centurion map for years. Amex first planned an 18,000-square-foot lounge here, then formally targeted a 2026 opening. The new plan is far bigger: more than 30,000 square feet across two floors in Terminal A, which would take the title of largest Centurion Lounge from Atlanta, currently close to 26,000 square feet.
The trade-off is time. The opening has moved to 2027, so if you were counting on a Newark lounge this year, it isn’t happening.
Amex is leaning hard into New Jersey with the design and menu. Plans include a Blue Roast coffee and wellness bar, three separate bars (one inspired by the state’s diner culture, and a Pine Barrens-themed terrace bar serving gelato and Italian pastries), plus dishes from the Culinary Collective, Amex’s roster of Resy chefs that includes Kwame Onwuachi and Mashama Bailey.
Once it opens, Amex will be the first card issuer with its own lounges at all three New York-area airports: JFK, LaGuardia and Newark. One practical note: the lounge is in Terminal A, while United runs most of its Newark flying out of Terminal C. If you’re a United flyer, confirm whether you can reach Terminal A after security before you plan a connection around it. If the United changes have you rethinking your loyalty anyway, our breakdown of the United Premier status changes for 2027 is worth a read.
Heathrow Terminal 5 Centurion Lounge: A Real Option in BA’s Home Terminal
Amex already runs a Centurion Lounge in Heathrow Terminal 3, which opened in 2021. The new one will be in Terminal 5, open in 2028, and measure more than 9,000 square feet. The design will take cues from London and the Thames, with food and drink, dedicated work areas and a VIP section. Amex says this makes it the first card issuer with two proprietary lounges at Heathrow.
Why this matters more than it sounds: Terminal 5 is the home of British Airways. If you fly BA in economy without oneworld status, your lounge choices in T5 are thin, because the terminal is dominated by BA’s own lounges. That situation comes up a lot for points travelers who book BA or partner flights with Avios. Our guide on why airline alliances matter explains how oneworld status changes your lounge access, and a Centurion Lounge in T5 will fill the gap if you don’t have it.
Guest fees at UK Centurion Lounges are charged in pounds and differ from US pricing, so check the current rate before you bring a travel companion.
Philadelphia Centurion Lounge Closed: What to Do Instead
This is the change with an immediate impact. The Philadelphia Centurion Lounge closed on October 16, 2026 and is expected to be fully updated by the end of 2027. When it returns, it will double from about 6,000 to more than 12,000 square feet over two floors.
That means roughly 14 months without a Centurion Lounge at PHL. If you fly out of Philadelphia, here is how to cover the gap:
- Priority Pass: The Platinum Card includes Priority Pass Select membership, but you have to enroll first. Check the Priority Pass app for what is open at PHL, since options there can be limited.
- Delta Sky Club: Platinum cardholders flying Delta get a limited number of Sky Club visits each year. Save them for the trips where you really need them.
- Airline status: PHL is an American Airlines hub, so oneworld status or an Admirals Club membership becomes more valuable while the Centurion Lounge is closed.
- Reroute your connections: If you connect through PHL by choice, consider a hub with a working Centurion Lounge, like Charlotte, Dallas, JFK or LaGuardia.
Houston Centurion Lounge Nearly Triples in Size
The Houston project is the biggest rebuild of the four. The Centurion Lounge at George Bush Intercontinental will grow from about 8,000 to more than 23,000 square feet, with completion expected in 2028.
The new space adds a Blue Roast coffee and wellness bar, a dining area with rotating Houston and Gulf Coast dishes, a second full-service bar, refreshed restrooms and premium shower suites. Showers are a big deal at an international gateway like IAH, where long-haul flights depart in the evening.
The open question is closures. Amex hasn’t spelled out a closure schedule in its announcement, and some reports point to intermittent closures starting in December 2026. Until Amex confirms, treat Houston as “probably open, but check first.” IAH is also a United hub, so the same planning logic applies to connections here.
How This Fits Amex’s Bigger 2026 Lounge Push
These four projects are not the whole story. Earlier in 2026, Amex announced three more:
- Boston Logan (BOS): A new two-story Centurion Lounge in Terminal C with an outdoor terrace, expected in 2029.
- Charlotte (CLT): A Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge, Amex’s smaller sit-down dining concept, expected in 2027.
- Dallas Fort Worth (DFW): An expansion of one of the network’s most crowded lounges, expected in 2027.
Amex also opened its Amsterdam Centurion Lounge and the first Sidecar in Las Vegas this year. Amex now counts 33 Centurion Lounge locations worldwide, and its broader Global Lounge Collection covers more than 1,550 lounges in over 140 countries. With Chase Sapphire Lounges and Capital One Lounges still building out, Amex is using its head start to stay ahead on lounges, which remain one of the main selling points of a premium card.
Who Can Get Into a Centurion Lounge in 2026
More lounge space only helps if you can get through the door. Here is how Centurion Lounge access works right now.
| Card | Annual fee | When you get in | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Platinum Card from American Express | $895 | Any same-day flight | Up to 2 at $50 per adult, $30 per child age 2 to 17; free after $75,000 in calendar-year spend |
| The Business Platinum Card from American Express | $895 | Any same-day flight | Same as Platinum |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve (personal and business) | $650 | Only when flying Delta that day | Up to 2 at $50 each |
Timing rules matter too. You can enter a Centurion Lounge within 3 hours of your departure. Since July 8, 2026, connecting passengers can enter within 5 hours of their connecting flight, and same-day round trips don’t count as connections. Sidecar locations are tighter, with entry within 90 minutes of departure.
New to premium cards? Start with our Beginner’s Guide before you pay an $895 annual fee for lounge access.
Is the $75,000 Guest Spend Worth Chasing?
If you travel with a partner, guest fees add up. Eight lounge visits a year with one adult guest costs you $400. Hitting the $75,000 spend threshold waives that, so it’s tempting to put everything on the Platinum.
Run the numbers first. The personal Platinum Card earns 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on non-bonus spending, so $75,000 earns 75,000 points. The same $75,000 on a flat 2% cash back card earns $1,500. Subtract the $400 in guest fees you save, and the Platinum route only wins if you value Membership Rewards points above about 1.47 cents each ($1,100 divided by 75,000 points).
If you transfer to airline partners for business class, you can beat that. If you redeem points for gift cards or statement credits, you probably won’t. For most people, paying the occasional guest fee is cheaper than forcing spend onto a 1x card.
5 Tips for Using Centurion Lounges During the Construction Years
- Check the Amex app before you leave home. It shows lounge locations, hours and closures. With Philadelphia closed and Houston under construction, this is now a pre-trip habit, not an afterthought.
- Don’t book around a lounge that isn’t open yet. Newark already slipped a year. Treat every opening date in this announcement as a best case.
- Time your layovers to the 5-hour rule. A 6-hour connection means waiting outside before you can enter. A slightly shorter connection gets you more lounge time.
- Enroll in Priority Pass now. It’s included with the Platinum Card, and it’s your main backup at airports where the Centurion Lounge is closed or full.
- Use your miles to fly where the lounges are. If you have flexibility in your routing, a connection through a hub with a good lounge makes a long travel day easier. Our guide to the best frequent flyer programs for U.S. travelers covers which programs give you the most routing options.
Takeaway
The Centurion Lounge expansion is good news on paper: a record-size lounge at Newark, a much-needed option in Heathrow Terminal 5, and Houston and Philadelphia lounges that roughly double or triple in size. But the timeline runs from 2027 to 2028, and the first concrete effect is a negative one: no Centurion Lounge in Philadelphia until late 2027.
If you hold a Platinum card, the expansion strengthens the case for keeping it over the long term, especially if you fly through New York, Houston or London. In the short term, enroll in Priority Pass, check the Amex app before every trip, and don’t plan around lounges that haven’t opened yet.
