Before flying back to Texas after our week in the Bay Area, we stopped off at the American Express Centurion Lounge San Francisco to relax before our flights. We were flying home on different carriers, Mrs. ATX on American and myself on United, and had different departure times. Because of this, coupled with Thursday afternoon Bay Area traffic, we decided to get to the airport earlier than usual.
Location
The American Express Centurion Lounge San Francisco is located in Terminal 3, Concourse F. We were dropped off and cleared security in Terminal 1, Concourse G, the International Terminal, and used the connector between concourses.
The lounge is located across from Gates F1 and F2, directly adjacent to Hudson News. The entrance is easy to spot thanks to ‘The Centurion’ and American Express branding. The lounge is located one level up from the concourse. A set of elevators and a flight of stairs are located just inside the entrance.
Hours of Operation
The lounge is currently open between 5:00a and 11:00p daily. This covers most of the flights from the airport aside from the late-night/early morning departures to Asia and Oceania.
Entry Requirements
Access to the lounge is available to American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders. Platinum cardholders spending more than $75,000 annually on the card can bring two guests free of charge (Centurion cardholders can bring guests without meeting this threshold).
Delta SkyMiles Reserve cards (Personal and Business) can access the lounge when flying on a same day Delta marketed and/or operated flight. The flight must be booked on an American Express charge/credit card, though it doesn’t have to be booked with the Reserve card.
One-time guest passes can be purchased for $50. Children between 2 and 17 cost $30 while ages 2 and under are admitted free of charge.
There were only a couple of people in front of us at the desk and we were quickly invited into the lounge. I was somewhat surprised that there was no waitlist as was the case on other, recent visits to Centurion Lounges around the country.
It’s worth mentioning that access to the lounge is only available to passengers departing from the airport with a same day, confirmed boarding pass. Access is only granted 3 hours prior to scheduled departure.
Layout
The San Francisco Centurion Lounge is extremely long and skinny, following the curvature of the concourse. Compared to other Centurion Lounges, this one is by far the most broken up. Upon entering, there is a small seating area with a couple of couches and chairs surrounding a TV.
To the right was a mix of high backed chairs and cafe tables, all of which were filled.
Primary Dining Area
To the left was the main bar and dining area. The entrance to this space was small and this, along with a nearby beverage station, caused a bottleneck during our visit.
The main bar and dining area were also jammed with people and it was difficult to maneuver through the lounge with luggage.
The one quiet area was the roped off space exclusively for Centurion cardholders.
The main buffet was located along the side wall and was busy, but constantly being restocked by the lounge staff.
Since it was my first visit, it took a bit for me to realize that this was only part of the lounge. Behind the main space was a long hallway overlooking the Terminal 3 check-in area. We found this almost by accident in our search for seats.
If you haven’t been to the San Francisco Centurion Lounge recently you also may be unaware of this hallway. It opened as part of the recent lounge renovation and expansion in 2022.
Secondary Dining Area
Halfway down the hallway was the entrance to the restrooms. Past that, a secondary dining area opened up on the left. This space was much calmer and quieter than the front room. It had a smaller selection of food but the same full bar available in the front of the lounge.
While it filled in during our stay, there were plenty of seats here when we arrived. This was especially true at the bar.
Along the glass overlooking the terminal was a row of seating with a communal bar top.
There was one more room past the secondary dining area that was the quietest and emptiest space in the lounge. Upon entering, there was another area roped off for Centurion cardmembers.
Though there weren’t any windows in this space it felt light and bright. A collection of tables and chairs were clustered in the middle with individual, semi-private booths covering two walls.
Off of this room there are a couple of small meeting rooms. These were great for taking calls without disturbing other guests in the lounge.
We found a couple of the single booths next to one another and camped out here for the majority of our visit.
Food and Beverage
Beverage Offerings
While AmEx Centurion Lounges have had serious issues with crowding, the food and drink options are where they shine. The bar had a sizeable selection of local beers, wines, and a wide variety of spirits, all of which were complimentary.
The cocktail menu was curated by James Beard award winner Jim Meehan.
I just stuck with a couple of the local beers during my visit but the cocktails looked delicious.
In addition to the two bars, coffee, tea, and beverage stations were spread throughout the lounge. In addition to hot coffee, cold brew and iced tea was also available.
Food Offerings
Food was developed in partnership with Ravi Kapur, Executive Chef of Liholiho Yacht Club. The main dining area featured a large salad bar as well as multiple hot dishes. These consisted of braised chicken, rice pilaf, glazed eggplant, and more.
Two soups, sandwiches, and a large selection of desserts were located on the center island. The buffet was busy but the staff did a great job of keeping the food refreshed.
In the secondary dining ares there was a smaller selection of hot dishes including flatbreads, chicken tenders, tofu, and macaroni and cheese.
Cold salads, hummus, pita, meats and cheeses, and cookies were also available. However, this secondary dining area wasn’t refreshed as much as the main space.
Ultimately there were plenty of food and beverage options in the lounge to satisfy picky and adventurous eaters alike.
Atmosphere
Like with many lounges, your experience can be dictated based on the timing of your visit. When we first arrived the front portion of the lounge was packed but the rear still had plenty of space. As we neared the evening departure bank the lounge filled up close to capacity but there was always seating available.
The layout can be confusing to new visitors but, if you know where to go, you can find a quiet space. The rear of the lounge had conversational volume throughout our visit and was less chaotic than the front. The staff were also hardworking, friendly, and happy to assist guests whenever necessary.
American Express Centurion Lounge San Francisco (SFO) Summary
The San Francisco Centurion Lounge is one of the nicer lounges at SFO with high quality food and drinks. It is a great option for passengers flying United and their partners thanks to its location in Terminal 3 though it can be accessed by passengers flying from other terminals via a security check.
Crowding is the new normal thanks to the popularity of American Express lounges but the staff did a good job of keeping everything restocked and the check-in lines flowing. Now they just need to put some signage up notifying customers of the additional seating in the rear. Or, maybe they should leave that as our little secret.
In This Trip Report
- Introduction
- American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Economy (DFW-SJC)
- TETRA Hotel, Autograph Collection Sunnyvale
- American Express Centurion Lounge San Francisco (SFO)
- United Airlines Airbus A320 First Class (SFO-DFW)
