Effective today, September 6th, the American Express Centurion Lounge at San Francisco International Airport has temporarily closed. The closure is for a good reason, though – it’s reportedly going to expand.
Located beyond the security checkpoint in United’s Terminal 3, across from Gates F1 and F2, the lounge has been popular ever since its opening in 2014. Unfortunately, the space, one of 16 lounges at SFO, has always been too small for the amount of AMEX members who wanted to gain entry. Overcrowding became such a problem that American Express had to enforce time limits at the lounge (most cardholders were only allowed in within 3 hours of a departing flight), as well as limit how many guests a member could bring in with them. Amex also eliminated $50 day passes for non-Platinum cardholders. But when paying several hundred dollars per year for a Platinum card, one expects a certain expectation of perks. So in November 2020 SFO’s Airport Commission unanimously approved an expansion project for the lounge.
The expansion will add over 15,000 square feet to the lounge, which will almost double its footprint. The plan is to expand into an adjacent area located in the terminal’s mezzanine level that’s currently being used as airport offices and storage space.
The space will also undergo a visual “refresh” during its closure, as well as a revamped menu from Executive Chef Ravi Kapur, along with a second bar and cafe area.
“Barring any construction delays, we expect to welcome our Card Members back in the Centurion Lounge before the end of the year,” said Amex. Until then, card members who normally have access to the SFO American Express Centurion Lounge will be able to get takeout food and beverage items at the entrance to the facility, effective September 12th.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
1 comment
This lounge is guaranteed to encounter construction delays. I would be shocked if it reopened before summer 2024.