Tl;dr—Los Angeles International Airport is not short on airport lounges. As a result, I’d suggest you skip the Centurion Lounge and spend your pre-flight time at a more premium lounge if you can access better options.
Before flying out to Tokyo, I visited two lounges at LAX’s International Terminal, the Star Alliance Lounge and the Amex Centurion Lounge. Amex’s Airport lounges are always underwhelming to me, mainly because they are overrun. Overall, this Centurion location is ‘OK’ – at the time of my visit, it wasn’t packed as solid as other Centurion locations. Still, the layout makes it feel cramped, and the food and amenities are decent. Let’s jump into it!
Amex Centurion LAX Location and Check-in
The most direct way to access the Amex Centurion lounge is from Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). Credit to Amex, as the directions to the lounge on the company’s website are pretty straightforward:
After clearing security in TBIT, you will see American Express The Centurion Lounge blue branding on the immediate first left, prior to the bridge to the Great Hall. Take the American Express-branded elevator from Level 4 to Level 2 for direct entry to the Lounge.
In addition to TBIT, The Centurion Lounge is accessible post-security from:
- Terminals 4-8 by terminal connector walkway
- Terminals 2 & 3 by airside bus (drop off at Gate 146 in TBIT)
Once you get there, you’ll need to check in at the front desk by showing your qualifying American Express Credit Card: the Centurion Card from American Express, the American Express Business Platinum Card, the Platinum Card from American Express, or, if you’re flying Delta, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card, and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card.
Lounge Layout, Decor, and Vibe
Once you’re approved for entry, you’ll find that the lounge is split into two sections—if you go right, you’ll go to the buffet and main bar. If you go left, you’ll go to the seating, lounging, and workstation areas. Along the way, you’ll pass the amenities rooms (discussed below), and the two sections connect.
The lounge’s theme is a tribute to Los Angeles and South California’s cultural contributions, focusing on pop culture, music, history, and entertainment. You’ll find several photographs and art pieces, like this one of a young Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.
Amenities
If you’re hoping to refresh, the lounge has showers, and you can make arrangements to use them with the member services desk.
Next, you’ll find a dedicated area reserved for Centurion cardholders. At the time of my visit, I was but a lowly Platinum cardholder, so I did not have access to this part of the lounge. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There’s also a nap/sleep/dream lounge. Or, as Amex refers to them, ‘Sunrise and Moonrise rooms, which are designed to offer the perfect amount of light exposure.’
Most notably, the lounge offers massage therapy, which you must also book with the front desk.
Dining and Service
The main food display is on the other side of the lounge. Here, you’ll find a number of hot dishes. At the time of my visit, breakfast was still out, and you could help yourself to applewood bacon, pork sausage links, scrambled eggs, fingerling potatoes, and French toast.
You’ll also find a few coffee and beverage stations scattered throughout the lounge.
If you’re fixin’ for a drink, you have two bars to choose from. The main bar features a full selection of spirits, beers, and wine and is dominated by a giant Amex mercury logo. No one was working the second bar when I visited.
Once you’ve scooped up something to eat and drink, you can enjoy it in the main dining area. As the lounge gets busy, the dining room operates almost comically like a game of musical chairs. Just seconds before I snapped this photo, every seat was taken.
I can’t speak to the service in detail as I didn’t interact too much with the lounge’s staff outside of check-in, but I did notice a number of team members working hard to clean up dishes and turn tables after travelers departed for their flights.
Conclusion
In a large, busy airport like LAX, I didn’t find the Amex Centurion lounge a comfortable refuge from the cavernous terminal. It has some amenities, but if you’re looking to relax before your departing flight and you have other lounge options available, I’d explore those.
