Review: American Express Centurion Lounge at New York LaGuardia (LGA)

The American Express Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia Airport is a sleek but compact space to relax before a flight. It is well-equipped with all the usual services and meets the standard of American Express Centurion lounges worldwide. 

Centurion Lounges are owned and operated by American Express and are accessible as a benefit of a number of premium Amex cards issued both in Canada and the United States. Centurion lounges tend to be leaders of the pack when comparing your average airport lounge experience and they are an excellent addition to the American Express Global Lounge Collection program.

The Centurion Lounge LGA is worth a stop, but not necessarily worth arriving early for like the Chase Sapphire Lounge at LGA. Either way, if you are in the area, it’s worth checking out as it is one of the better lounges on offer. Let’s take a look at what you can expect on your next visit to this airport lounge.

Where is the Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia Airport?

The Amex Centurion Lounge is located in Terminal B at LGA, which is handy for travelers flying Air Canada, JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier, or United. Before finding the lounge, you’ll make your way through some shops and past the famous water feature.

The lounge is easy to spot with its trademark blue wall. If you’re into lounge hopping, the Chase Sapphire Lounge is right next door.

Accessing the Centurion Lounge at LGA

In order to access the American Express Centurion Lounge at New York LaGuardia, you’ll need to hold any flavor of the American Express Platinum Card (either from American Express Canada or American Express USA) or an American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve card (US). However, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card only works if you’re flying Delta and very few Delta flights operate from Terminal B, so it’s unlikely you’ll gain access that way. 

For this visit, we gained access using my wife’s Canadian American Express Business Platinum card. Remember that international Platinum cards still allow complimentary access for up to two guests, while US-issued Platinum Cards only allow guests for free if you spend $75,000 USD in a calendar year.

American Express Business Platinum Card

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American Express Business Platinum Card

The American Express Business Platinum card earns Membership Rewards points and offers cardholders benefits including complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, a $100 NEXUS membership credit, an annual $200 travel credit, and more.

BONUS
120,000 Membership Rewards

MINSPEND
$15,000

NET VALUE
$1,841+

ANNUAL FEE
$799

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
–

Unlike other Centurion lounges, they didn’t ask for the guests boarding pass but welcomed us in after scanning my wife’s American Express Business Platinum card and same day boarding pass.

Seating

On every occasion I’ve visited this lounge, it’s been extremely busy, but there always seem to be places available to sit in the dining room.

The rest of the lounge is standard Centurion design with faux bookshelves and pod-style seating. It’s comfortable and well designed, you can always count on that part of a Centurion experience.

The office area is a refuge from the lounge’s hustle and bustle and has some of the best phone rooms I’ve encountered on my travels through various airport lounges.

At the back of this office area is a wonderful “library” setting reserved for Centurion cardholders. If you’re really looking for some peace and quiet, there’s a lonely table down the hall from this library, secluded from everything.

There’s also a well-equipped family room, which I know parents always appreciate. American Express has made it a point to include this area in all of their lounges and I think parents and other travelers appreciate that degree of separation.

Food & Beverage

The bar area is probably the most unique part of this lounge, which is otherwise quite cookie-cutter. It has views of the check-in area and lots of natural light.

The bar has a beautiful cocktail list, which you would expect from a Centurion lounge.

The cocktail menu rotates, for example during the US Open many of the signature cocktails were tennis themed.

There was also a fantastic ice cream machine pumping out sorbet and gelato. But this isn’t always in operation.

The dining options here are solid, but there are clear winners and losers, unlike at the American Express Centurion Lounge in Seattle, which has fantastic food. Lunch/Dinner included an excellent spicy shrimp noodle dish, and it also had some regular staples like broccoli, rice, and a cold bar.

At the start of the buffet line, there was a presentation of hot sauces, but only one type was available. At the end, you’ll find the classic Centurion cookie jar.

Breakfast was also solid another time I visited, but I would classify the French Toast as a must-try. It’s that good.

Scattered around the lounge are refreshment stations equipped with iced tea, lemonade, water, and coffee. A local coffee roaster is nicely integrated, which I appreciated. While the refreshments aren’t as widespread as they are at the neighboring Chase Sapphire Lounge, the inclusion of cold brew is a win.

Bathroom

There is a shower available, but as LGA mainly services short-haul routes, I doubt it gets used very much. The bathrooms are identical to other Centurion facilities.

Conclusion

The Centurion Lounge at LGA is handy for passengers departing out of Terminal B. LGA doesn’t offer airside transportation, so if your airline leaves from Terminal A or C, you’re unlikely to visit this outpost. 

LGA often services short-hop flights anyway, so I don’t expect many travelers will be spending hours in this lounge. If you do visit, it’s a solid offering but you’ll find an exceptional experience at the Sapphire Lounge next door!