American Express The Centurion Lounge New York (LGA)

A Weekend in New York City – Introduction

---

After spending a wonderful weekend in New York, it was sadly time to go back. I flew into LaGuardia for three reasons: 1. It’s the closest airport to the Park Hyatt, 2. It has a Centurion Lounge, 3. It was the cheapest… by far. I mean flying into Newark or JFK cost $250-700 USD more… I mean that’s crazy!

I arrived at the airport about three hours before departure and this is due to the fact that I had to check-out from the Park Hyatt at around ~12:00 and also because the Centurion Lounge is located landside which means you have to go through security to get to your flight after visiting the lounge. LaGuardia airport is horrible in that most of the lounges are landside because there is a security checkpoint for each “group” of ten or so gates… and they are not connected airside… which truly does make the airport not one of the best…

I’ve reviewed most Centurion Lounges before, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Mexico City. I still need to visit Dallas, and Miami when it eventually opens. There are a few Centurion Clubs/Lounges outside of the United States, but they aren’t the best and you have to pay for most of the food.

The Centurion Lounge is located right next to the United Airlines check-in counter, on the third floor. So from the United counter you’ll want to turn right, then take an elevator up.

The lounge wasn’t that full, it was a Monday at around ~13:00, however there were massive queues for security which is why I was a little skeptical as to how much time I should spend in the lounge. This Centurion Lounge doesn’t really differ from the others in terms of design. The staff as usual is super friendly and helpful, and the food you will find is the standard Centurion Lounge food which is mostly the same in all of the lounges.

The lounge is separated into two areas – a ‘lounging’ area which is located right next to the entrance, and a bar/kitchen area in the back of the lounge.

I really like AMEX’s ‘suitcase/luggage’ design.

The view isn’t the most spectacular.. I mean just look at the types of planes that fly to LGA…

There is a hallway right next to the entrance that leads to the bar/kitchen area, and you have your standard ‘personal couches’ where you can relax, work, or watch TV.

The lounge isn’t the biggest in terms of size, however they still managed to fit in most of the Centurion Lounge ‘features’ that all AMEX lounges have. A full bar is available with plenty of alcoholic beverages and spirits.

For lunch you have your usual salads, fried chicken, spicy vegetables, etc.

For lunch, I decided to try a bit of everything and overall the food in the Centurion Lounges is always freshly prepared and tastes much better than in some other lounges. For dessert, I tried some sort of pudding with crumbs and it was delicious, if someone could find out how to make it.. I will love you forever. Too bad I didn’t see this pudding at the San Francisco Centurion Lounge, which is my ‘primary’ Centurion Lounge.

I ended up leaving the lounge about thirty minutes before my scheduled flight time and surprisingly all the queues for security were gone and therefore I was cleared and airside about five minutes after leaving the lounge. I figured it would be best to just wait by the gate for my United flight to Houston. In total, I spent about two hours in the lounge and as with all Centurion Lounges, I loved my stay and ate a very tasty lunch.

Can’t wait until AMEX opens the Centurion Studio in Seattle!