American Express announced on Tuesday that it is introducing one of its upscale Centurion airport lounges at a new location. The credit card company is unveiling the latest addition at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
“The Centurion Lounge is one of our Card Members’ favorite travel benefits, and the new location at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport offers Card Members the premium amenities they love in an airport they frequently travel through,” stated Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ranks as the country’s 24th-largest airport based on passenger enplanements, according to the Department of Transportation. This will be the 15th Centurion lounge that American Express has launched in the United States.
The lounge is exclusively available to holders of the company’s Platinum or Centurion cards, with the Centurion being popularly known as the “black” card.
This new lounge will feature a menu designed by three award-winning chefs, in addition to the usual benefits like a meeting room and a shower suite. It will also boast an art collection that includes a ceiling sculpture with 260 lanterns shaped to represent D.C.’s original boundaries.
Providing access to high-end amenities and luxury experiences is a crucial aspect of American Express’s appeal to its cardholders. This focus on luxury is highlighted by the company’s $400 million acquisition of the restaurant reservation management company Tock last month. At an aviation conference hosted by Skift last year, AmEx executive Manisha Jain emphasized the increasing significance of Centurion lounges in the 10 years since their inception.
“We always hear from our customers that they arrive early if there’s going to be a Centurion Lounge there,” she said.