chanba

MEX has at least three Centurion lounges in T1 (1 landside and 2 are airside, one is at the very very end of the terminal which is super useful for those United and AA flights departing from the >28 gates. This one is a bit "grotty" (in the sense that access is down some stairs and it's very small, but typically not very busy). It's still much better than the endless trek from the UC. There's also a Centurion lounge Airside at T2 which is very nice and compares very well with the landside T1 lounge, even has little semi private suites and meetings rooms. Food is decent as well and service is great.

With Platinum card: Your spouse and children under the age of 21, or up to two traveling companions, may join you as complimentary guests in the club room.

edcho

It will be interesting to see how AMEX expands their lounges + compete/compare with UC. Lounge access with UC will obviously shrink with US leaving (not that that is a huge loss IMO -- but it is still a loss in lounge availability).

docbert

Unfortunately there's a bit of an upcoming spanner in the works - as of March 2014, Amex Platinum cardholders lose access to both AA and US lounges.

That means the lounge list in the US is Delta Sky Clubs, a tiny number of Amex lounges, and a scattering of Priority Pass lounges.

(I haven't seen anything specifically saying if/when US Airways lounges will leave Priority Pass, but the good money has got to be on that happening, and probably no later than April)

fiver

Not that I don't believe you, but is this info published anywhere?

docbert

New York Times, and of course there's a FlyerTalk thread - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ar-2014-a.html

Mike Jacoubowsky

Shower suite? Does that mean just one shower, or multiple? Is it part of the package or something you pay extra for?

In my perfect world, I'd be willing to pay $10-$15 for a shower, and hope that the prospect of recovering some of the cost might encourage them to have more. Honest truth, I'd pay $20 for a shower. And it always surprises me that, at the few places I've been that had showers, they were readily available (and free).

I understand that the last thing most want to see is yet another a la carte "benefit" to be charged for, but I think there's room for marketing and charging for superior products at airports.

docbert

SFO already has paid-showers landside - $15 at "Freshen Up", including towels and toiletries.

Probably not the same ambiance as the Amex lounge, but still...

LarkSFO

Compete with UC?

How do two lounges, one in DFW and one in LAS (and one potential one in the future at SFO that I have seen no construction on) compete with UA's UC?

Don't get me wrong, I have the amex Plat and would love to see more of these lounges available for my travels. The loss of AA and US to Plats is a big one for many, amex needs to do something to make it up.

Mike -

If I have to sit next to you on the plane during one of your marathon MR's, I will gladly pay the $20 for your shower!

Lark



Mods: I would also like to see this merged in to the SFO T3 thread, so we can keep all T3 related conversation in a single thread...

love_to_travel

The American Express Platinum is the best piece of plastic in my wallet. I never leave the house without it. The Centurion Lounge benefit is just sweet icing on the cake. Can't wait till it opens at SFO.

mgcsinc

K but you're about to lose a whole lot of lounge access.

footastic

Any other rumored centurion lounges?

LarkSFO

Have you scanned the DFW and LAS threads?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ge-las-30.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...erminal-d.html

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Unless the lounge is the same concourse/terminal and has as easy access to UA flyers, UA will not feel challenged. Even if they are, I'm not sure
UA would have any incentive to improve the Clubs.

Kacee

The clubs are packed, especially at SFO. They'll probably be happy to share the load.

The reports are that the Centurion Lounge at SFO will be on the mezzanine level above premier security. That has traditionally been outside security. So unless there is a major change in the terminal layout (not an impossibility with all the current construction) it will not be airside.

Mike Jacoubowsky

I don't think it would be much of an issue for anyone else, just me. FWIW when I do a mileage run, I'm bringing body-sized diaper wipes, er, bath wipes they call 'em, two extra sets of clothes, deodorant, etc. I "look" fine but I just don't exactly feel all that great, basically "airplane air" just leaves me feeling a bit sticky. Sadly, I didn't really get a chance to tell if the 787 was a whole lot better as I was coming down with a pretty gnarly case of salmonella on my return from Thailand (not a MR, by the way, but a real live vacation!). Even when not flying I'm generally a two-shower-a-day kind of person.

So how I can manage to ride 120 miles on my bike, with 12,000 feet of climbing, and feel better than I do after 4 hours on a plane... can't tell you. Nor does it add up that I'd actually enjoy flying (which I do).

A very long way of saying I really appreciate a shower in the middle of a long trip, and that I try to be, er, presentable.
Right, but that's my home airport, and I've yet to experience a shower-worthy delay there. ORD, IAD, FRA, BRU, NRT... those would be on longer internatinal itins where I wouldn't mind a shower. NRT has them at the NH lounge; the others I'm not aware of offerings for those not traveling in F.