Review: the Amex Centurion lounge at New York JFK

This is our review of the American Express Centurion lounge in Terminal 4 at JFK airport.

I recently found myself at the airport with several hours to kill and decided to pop into the Centurion lounge. It is one of the newer lounges (although not as new as the Centurion lounge at Heathrow) and opened in 2020.

Who can get access to The Centurion Lounge at JFK?

Whilst the name of the lounge suggests it is only open to Amex Centurion cardholders, this is not the case. It is also open to anyone with a Platinum card (including the business card) issued by any country. It is also open to anyone who holds the US-issued Delta SkyMiles Reserve card.

Anyone entering on a Platinum card can bring up two two guests for free; Centurion cardholders can also bring two guests or their entire immediate family, if it is larger.

SkyMiles Reserve cardholders can bring up to two guests at a cost of $50 (or equivalent) per person.

The Centurion lounge at JFK T4 is open from 6am until 9pm.

Where is the American Express Centurion Lounge at JFK Terminal 4?

There is only one Centurion Lounge at JFK airport – in Terminal 4. This is terminal used by Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air India, Asiana, Avianca, Caribbean Airlines, China Airlines, China Southern, COPA Airlines, EgyptAir, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, Kenya Airways, KLM, Kuwait Airways, LATAM, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, Westjet and XiamenAir.

The lounge itself is one of the easiest to spot. It is almost immediately on the left as you come out of security and before you head down towards the gates.

A big white mosaic frames the entrance with two TARDIS-like doors:

Inside are the reception staff who will ask for your card and boarding pass. Note that Amex is particularly strict on enforcing the rule that you can only enter up to three hours before your flight. On my first attempt I tried to get in earlier and was duly denied.

Inside the Centurion Lounge at JFK

The lounge itself is one of the largest Centurion lounges in the world, at 15,000 square feet. It was actually built from the ground up, as an extension of the terminal over the tarmac. You enter the lounge proper via a little glass bridge:

Unfortunately the layout doesn’t always make it feel that big. Situated over two stories, most of the lounge feels like a network of corridors rather than zones. Here is the central corridor that connects it to the terminal and staircase to the lower floor:

Both floors are broadly H-shaped (if you turn the H sideways), with the central corridor connecting the front and back of the building. The result is seating in long but not particularly wide corridors:

and

Whilst this does maximise the natural light for guests – both sides appear to have windows (in some cases frosted, although it is hard to tell at night) it also means that you feel like you are sitting in a corridor. It is not hugely relaxing.

Both floors also feel exactly the same – there is nothing much to differentiate them and both have horridly bright fluorescent lighting in the evenings which make them feel more like a offices than a living room.

By far the standout feature of the lounge is the 1850 speakeasy, on the lower floor. I wouldn’t have known it was there had the lounge staff not told me:

Inside is a dark and atmospheric bar – a marked contrast to the rest of the lounge, and clearly very popular. You can order beer, wine or a number of cocktails from the bar.

Food and drink

The food offering is equally unimpressive. There are two identical buffets on both floors, but neither is particularly enticing:

The offering is pretty small given the size of the lounge. When I was there the main dish on offer was a coq au vin which looked like it has never been touched by red wine and would probably make Napoleon turn in his grave:

Coffee machines are also self-serve and there are bars on each floor in addition to the speakeasy.

Having seen the food I decided I would return to the Virgin Clubhouse at JFK, which has much better food. I did sample one of the cocktails, however, which was delicious:

Conclusion

If I’m honest, I expected a lot more from the “flagship” Centurion lounge at one of the United States’ key airports.

The biggest issue is that it just doesn’t feel particularly calming or cosy. The weird corridor-like seating areas and bright fluorescent light mean it feels claustrophobic, at least at night when the windows are all pitch black. There is also no sense of privacy.

No thought seems to have been given to creating different zones across the lounge with different moods, seating and lighting effects – one corner looks very much like any other, rather than trying to create separate areas for working or relaxing.

The 1850 speakeasy is by far the highlight, and judging by the number of guests inside I wasn’t the only one impressed. It has one thing the rest of the lounge doesn’t: an atmosphere.

In a way, the JFK Centurion lounge feels like a wasted opportunity. The lounge was built from scratch, so the designers and architects could have created something really custom. Instead it feels a little bit soulless. Whilst it’s better than nothing but if you can get into the Virgin Clubhouse then you’ll be much better off there.