After spending four days in Las Vegas it was time to head home. We had spent way too much time on the strip during our time in Vegas and we were just ready to be home. We dropped off our bags at the Delta counter and headed off to the D gates in search of the lounge.
Location
The American Express Centurion Lounge Las Vegas is located in Terminal 1 in Concourse D. From Terminal 1 security we hopped on the above ground train over to the D gates. After getting off the train, head up the escalators and turn left. The lounge is located directly across from gate D1 and the familiar “The Centurion” branding is prominently displayed along the exterior wall.
Hours of Operation
The American Express Centurion Lounge Las Vegas is currently open from 5:00a-11:00p daily which covers the majority of the departures from the airport.
Entry Requirements
Unlike many other airport lounges, Centurion Lounges can only be accessed 3 hours before departure by showing a boarding pass, valid ID and matching American Express Platinum or Centurion card. Delta Reserve cardholders can also access the lounge when traveling on a same-day Delta ticket (Note: The 3 hour rule still applies). Centurion Card holders can access the lounge as long as they have a same day boarding pass.
If you have a same day connecting flight, the three hour rule is waived. Also, as of February 2023, you must spend $75,000 on your American Express Platinum Card in order to get 2 free guests into the lounge. Otherwise guests cost $50 each with children 18 and under costing $30 each. Centurion Card holders can still bring in two guests and their immediate family. Delta Reserve cardholders can not bring in any guests.
There was significant crowding when we arrived at the lounge as evidenced by the long line out front. It took about 15 minutes for us to reach the front of the lounge before we were admitted.
Layout
The lounge was somewhat pie shaped. It was narrow at the front entry area and expanded out from there. To the right was some seating along the windows with views out over the ramp. Roughly 1/3rd of this space was reserved for Centurion Card holders and was well enforced by lounge staff.
On the left side of the lounge is a variety of seating areas including a quiet space, a variety of two top tables and a large community table.
In the rear of the lounge you can find the bar, which has some café style seating as well as the buffet.
Food and Beverage
After locating a table at the rear of the lounge, we headed over to the bar to grab a drink. The cocktail menu read as follows.
To the right of the bar was the buffet, which was mainly a salad bar with a few vegetables and some cheesy polenta and chicken curry. Overall, the food was uninspiring and we decided to skip it as we were still full from lunch.
On the other side of the bar was a coffee station that also included self serve tea and water.
Summary
The Centurion Lounge used to be one of the nicer lounge options you could have available in an airport, and the Las Vegas location was among the best. However, the crowding has seriously hampered the experience. I will acknowledge the fact that AmEx is trying to fix the crowding issues and hopefully they work but until then, don’t race to the airport early to spend time in the lounge.
