Amex Rolls Out Digital Waitlist for Most Centurion Lounges

With long lines out the door and virtually no space to sit once you’re inside, American Express’ exclusive Centurion Lounges have felt like anything but lately. Finally, that might change. 

As first flagged by View from the Wing, Amex has begun rolling out a digital waitlist system via the Amex app at a number of Centurion Lounges. We’ve confirmed that this feature is available at practically every U.S. location and all of the international locations. Only the Denver (DEN) lounge didn’t have this option as of publication. 

Rather than standing in line outside the lounge with other Amex cardholders, you can now digitally join the waitlist to get into the lounge before heading over. Amex will send you a text or an email with a pass to enter when its your turn. 

It’s a similar system to the one Capital One implemented earlier this year to manage capacity at its own Capital One Lounges. But unlike with Capital One, you won’t be able to see how busy the lounge is. You’ll simply join the digital queue, and if the lounge isn’t full, you’ll instantly get a QR code to scan to get in and can head straight to the lounge. Otherwise, you’ll get a text (or email) notifying you that you’re on the waitlist. 

Some of the most popular Centurion Lounges had already enacted their own queuing procedures. The LAX Centurion Lounge, for instance, was using text notifications to prevent lines piling up outside its doors. Other locations simply forced travelers to wait.

This new feature makes it so cardholders visiting most Centurion Lounges won’t have to waste time walking to the lounge only to find they can’t get in right away. But you still can’t reserve a spot in the lounge ahead of time, unfortunately. 

Amex did not immediately respond to Thrifty Traveler’s request for comment. 

Read next: Get into an Airport Lounge Faster with These Tips!

How it Works 

To join the Centurion Lounge wait list, simply open the Amex app on your phone, go to your card benefits, and select airport lounge access. Then, search for an airport with a Centurion Lounge and select it.

Depending on the airport, you’ll either be generating a QR code for entry or simply joining the digital queue by pressing “Join Waitlist”.

Regardless, it brings you to the same form. 

After confirming you have a boarding pass, a valid form of ID and plan to visit the lounge within the three-hour window before your departure time, you’ll be taken to the next page where you’ll choose how you want to be notified, whether by email or by text, and enter your contact information. 

From there, you’ll be directed to enter how many guests you want to bring in with you. Amex now charges cardholders for guests – unless you charge a whopping $75,000 a year to your eligible Amex card. If multiple people in your traveling party have their own Amex lounge access, they’ll likely have to join the digital waitlist separately. 

You will then get a confirmation text message saying that you’re on the waitlist. Unfortunately, the text message notifications don’t provide an estimated wait time before you’re admitted into the lounge.

Amex gives you 10 minutes to show up at the lounge after receiving the second text alert telling you to head to the lounge. If you’re late , you’ll have to start the entire process all over again. Just remember, there might still be a line to get in once you make it to the lounge.

Similar to how you were previously able to generate a QR code directly via the Amex app for entry into the lounge, you’ll get an eligiblity code for the lounge staff to scan you in for entry.

Bottom Line

With more and more travelers adding premium credit cards like the Amex Platinum to their wallets, you’re still likely going to continue encountering a wait at many Amex Centurion Lounges – at least for now. But adding the ability for cardholders to digitally join a waitlist in the Amex app should make the lounges feel less crowded once you’re actually inside … one can hope.