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American Express Centurion Lounge Seattle Airport
Brad and I decided to fly to Las Vegas from Seattle because paid fares were much cheaper, and we had a companion pass to use from our MBNA Alaska Airlines Mastercard (one of my current top credit card picks for Canadians). We checked out of the Four Points by Sheraton Seattle Airport Hotel around 6am and took the shuttle for our flight at 8:30am. We were flying economy on this trip, which we tend to do for flights strictly within North America since I don’t consider it worth the premium for domestic business class, and would not have access to any lounges with out ticket. However, we both had access to the American Express Centurion Lounge Seattle Airport courtesy of our Platinum Card. Access to the lounge is exclusive to anyone holding an American Express Centurion Card, Personal Platinum Card, or Business Platinum Card.
We made our way to concourse B and found the entrance to the lounge opposite gate B3. The lounge is open daily between 5am and 10pm, and can be accessed by the primary cardmember and 2 guests for no charge, with any additional guests allowed entrance for $50USD.
The lounge was recently expanded by about 1,400 square feet (for a total of 4,500 square feet) including the addition of some amenities found in other lounges around North America, most notably, the bar.
We got to the lounge around 7am, so as you might expect, the bar was quiet, though there were still a handful of people enjoying some morning mimosas. I wasn’t expecting this to be an option so early, so of course we had a couple (we were going to Vegas after all).
Like any Centurion lounge, the overall aesthetic was pleasing, with warm woods, vibrant colours, and lots of character. Although the lounge recently underwent an expansion, the space still felt a bit cramped, and was quite busy at one point during our visit. Seating is ample, however, and even during the busiest parts of the morning there were plenty of empty chairs. American Express plans to expand this lounge further, so hopefully it doesn’t end up like San Francisco where overcrowding has made the lounge unenjoyable for the most part.
The bar area is set up with chairs more appropriate for working or eating, along with some hightop seating overlooking the airport operations.
One of my favourite features of any lounge is the view, and this one offered some very good (and close) plane spotting opportunities!
The main section of the lounge consisted of more comfortable lounge seating, a self-serve buffet with a selection of breakfast items, a beverage station with juice, coffee, and tea, as well as some more semi-private seating areas around the perimeter of the lounge.
The buffet section was fairly basic for breakfast and featured a variety of cold items, fresh baked goods, a couple of warm dishes and a selection of juices, coffee and tea. Brad tried some of the cold-brew coffee and thought it was really good! Although the selection was minimal, it was still better than what most domestic airline lounges have on offer, and the quality seemed top-notch.
We both grabbed a couple of small items and took a seat in front of the TV, which is displayed neatly in a bookshelf with some travel inspired decor and a selection of magazines.
Power plugs were located at every seat I saw, which is nice, and Wi-Fi was fast and reliable, which I sometimes find to be an issue in busy lounges. Additional amenities include individual shower suites and well-stocked washrooms featuring L’Occitane amenities.
Bottom Line
I’m happy to see the network of American Express Centurion lounges expanding, and can’t wait to start seeing them in more airports worldwide. Generally speaking, these lounges are much better in terms of design and amenities compared to what the major domestic airlines offer. While they may not be as nice as the Cathay Pacific business class lounge at YVR or the ANA business class lounge in Tokyo, they’re usually my top choice when departing a North American airport.
What’s best though, is that access is granted to anyone holding an American Express Platinum Card or American Express Business Platinum Card, regardless of cabin class flown or status with the airline, in addition to two guests at no charge. While the fees on both of these cards are steep, they can easily be justified for anyone who travels frequently and visits these lounges, in addition to all of the other great benefits offered.
Have you experienced any of the American Express Centurion Lounges? Share your opinion in the comment section below!
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