Jan 17, 2017, 2:18 pm
Centurion Lounge PHL (opened 31 Oct 2017)
Sep 20, 2018, 9:13 pm
#361
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Interesting. It is a long way from the E Concourse. Sorry!
Using the lounge upon arrival can be useful. I took a very early morning coach flight to PHL the other week (no food, of course) and did pop in for some breakfast. It was a nice visit (especially since the lounge usually isn't very crowded in the mornings and the breakfast offerings are fairly reliable). On the other hand, the lounge is very crowded in the late afternoon, so denying arriving pax access then isn't the worst idea in the world.
I do hate "lounge access uncertainty," though. I was in ANC last month and had a 3 hour + layover between flights. My Priority Pass SHOULD have gotten me into the Alaska lounge -- and I was counting on that. But Alaska had just implemented a policy there where they shut the lounge to PP members whenever the lounge staff feels it's getting too crowded (the lounge was half full or less when I showed up). As this is the only lounge in the airport, I was then stuck in the gate area for several hours.
At least at PHL, there's always the Minute Suites.
It would probably be better if AMEX just said no inbound visits between, say, 4 and 7 p.m. And then we'd all know what to expect.
Last edited by iahphx; Sep 20, 2018 at 9:23 pm
Oct 1, 2018, 6:22 am
#368
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Instead of limiting access to the Lounge at busy times, I really wish they'd limit their drink menu! Some of these drinks are very time-intensive to make. I've waited as long as ten minutes to get a beer or glass of wine in the early-evening rush. The best solution is to just make some beer/wine self-serve, but for some reason AMEX doesn't like this.
Oct 1, 2018, 4:14 pm
#369
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
Instead of limiting access to the Lounge at busy times, I really wish they'd limit their drink menu! Some of these drinks are very time-intensive to make. I've waited as long as ten minutes to get a beer or glass of wine in the early-evening rush. The best solution is to just make some beer/wine self-serve, but for some reason AMEX doesn't like this.
Oct 3, 2018, 9:56 am
#370
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL, LHR
Posts: 219
Has anyone noticed a routine in terms of when this lounge is the busiest/quietest? Is it routinely swarmed during the TATL afternoon/early evening rush? Quieter mid-afternoons or late mornings? I still have Admiral's Club access for another year, but would prefer the Centurion club for a decent meal/cocktail if crowding isn't an issue.
Oct 3, 2018, 10:37 am
#371
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Has anyone noticed a routine in terms of when this lounge is the busiest/quietest? Is it routinely swarmed during the TATL afternoon/early evening rush? Quieter mid-afternoons or late mornings? I still have Admiral's Club access for another year, but would prefer the Centurion club for a decent meal/cocktail if crowding isn't an issue.
That said, if you want food/drink, the AMEX lounge is better than the AA lounges. If your primary objective is peace and quiet, it's never better.
Oct 4, 2018, 12:15 am
#372
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Programs: United, Bonvoy, NEXUS/GE, Amex Plat
Posts: 125
Has anyone noticed a routine in terms of when this lounge is the busiest/quietest? Is it routinely swarmed during the TATL afternoon/early evening rush? Quieter mid-afternoons or late mornings? I still have Admiral's Club access for another year, but would prefer the Centurion club for a decent meal/cocktail if crowding isn't an issue.
Oct 7, 2018, 3:51 pm
#373
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA ExP, Marriott Amb, National EAE, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat (RIP), US CP (RIP)
Posts: 2,379
Signs posted this afternoon limiting access to pax within 3 hours of departure. Busy between 5 - 6 pm but good turn over so no problem finding seats even for groups of two or three people.
Oct 7, 2018, 7:51 pm
#374
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,790
Oct 8, 2018, 12:03 pm
#375
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Any idea of what hours they're enforcing the "no arriving passengers" rule? I've got an AA domestic flight into PHL arriving at about 7:30 pm coming up in a few weeks. I figure I might be hungry when I arrive, and might want to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink before leaving the airport. Is The Sign only up at the ultra-peak late-afternoon/early-evening time period?
Last edited by mia; Oct 9, 2018 at 3:01 pm Reason: Second paragraph Moved to another thread.