Review: Amex Centurion Lounge New York LaGuardia (LGA)

New York's LaGuardia airport (LGA) finally has a brand new Centurion Lounge thanks to the LGA Terminal B renovation project. The 10,000 square feet lounge opened in June 2021 and is now located post-security (yay!). Here's my experience from my January 2022 visit.

Overview

Location & Access

The LGA Centurion Lounge is located in Terminal B post-security, one level above the central TSA security screening area and right before the Eastern Concourse pedestrian bridge (see map below).

The Centurion Lounge is open for Platinum (Personal, Business, Charles Schwab, Morgan Stanley, etc.), Delta Reserve (when flying Delta), and Centurion (Black Card) cardholders with same-day boarding pass on any airline. Additionally, you will only be admitted within 3 hours of your departure time, unless you have a connecting flight.

Currently, cardholders are allowed 2 complimentary guests, but that will soon be changing in 2023. See official Amex page for more details. Platinum authorized users also get lounge access via their own cards.

Hours

The LGA Centurion Lounge is currently open daily between 6AM - 7PM. Note that food & beverage service will stop around 30 minutes prior to lounge closing, so be sure to arrive a little earlier if you plan to eat and drink!

Key Amenities

• Complimentary food & drinks
• Bar
• Business Center & Meeting Rooms
• Bathroom & Showers

My Lounge Experience

Check-In

I checked in exactly 3 hours before my boarding time, since I wanted to maximize my time at the lounge.

The process was smooth and there was no wait to get in.

Walking in...

General Environment

Below are some pictures of the general environment. Mostly pretty standard Amex Centurion design, check it out:

Overall, the location has a smaller footprint than the JFK location, but still provided plenty of spaces to eat, relax, and get work done. There was noticeably less crowding than at JFK, even during peak holiday travel season.

Food & Drinks

The buffet area is located at the back of the lounge (walk to the end after entering the main entrance and turn right).

The food is by Executive Chef Cedric Vongerichten. In my opinion, the food (lunch) tasted average - healthy and decent, in-line with other Centurion locations, but definitely nothing to write home about.

The soup was really good!

The dining area looks down at the main Terminal B check-in area.

Here's a picture of my lunch, pretty good!

The Bar

I didn't get anything from the bar this time around, but the overall atmosphere was very modern, stylish, and pleasant. It is also much more spacious than older locations such as the SFO Centurion Lounge.

More pics...

The View

This might be one of the most disappointing aspects of the brand new lounge. While other restaurants and general seating in the new Terminal B face the tarmac, unfortunately Amex's new lounge faces land-side at the check-in area.

Here's the view from a Terminal B restaurant...

Business Lounge

There were many business amenities and spaces for business travelers, including a dedicated business lounge section, conference rooms, individual "pods" and semi-private nooks, as well as a print/fax station.

I found the Business Lounge area to be a little more secluded and quiet.

Located at the very back of the area was a reserved space for Centurion (Black) Cardholders.

Bathroom

The bathroom was in-line with other Centurion locations - clean, modern, and equipped with Dyson hand-dryers and L'Occitane hand lotions.

Showers

There is also a shower room where you can request access from the front-desk. I didn't use this amenity during my visit.

Conclusion

Overall, the Centurion Lounge at LGA is a nice addition to the brand new terminal. The fact that the new lounge is located post-security (as opposed to the previous pre-security location) is a major game-changer. The lounge is spacious, modern, and a good place to relax, eat, and shower before your flight. However, if you are coming here early to plane-spot, it is much better to do this in the general terminal area (see picture below).