I visited airport lounges by AmEx and Chase. Both are great, but Centurion is better for 2 key reasons.

Chase's "Sapphire Lounge by The Club" is next door to AmEx's Centurion Lounge in LaGuardia's Terminal B.

Chase also has lounges in Austin, Boston, Hong Kong, and Washington Dulles and plans to open new ones in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and San Diego.

AmEx, by comparison, has 15 lounges in the US and 11 abroad, with two more planned in Salt Lake City and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.

The 21,850-square-foot Chase lounge has two levels connected by a central staircase.

The giant space has a dining room, a circular bar, an arcade, a playroom, a fireplace, and several separate sitting rooms, both upstairs and downstairs.

By comparison, AmEx's 10,000-square-foot lounge takes up one floor and has two main living rooms, a business center, a playroom, a dining room, and a bar area.

I accessed the Centurion lounge thanks to an invite from AmEx since I don't have an AmEx Platinum credit card.

The lounges felt spacious, with high ceilings and plenty of seats, loungers, and couches, though Chase's obviously had more sitting rooms.

Although the smaller Centurion Lounge was busy during my early afternoon visit, I didn't feel cramped or crowded.

During my visit to Chase, I found the upstairs area a good place to escape the crowds, as the downstairs was filling up by late morning.

Chase's lounge arcade, complete with a pinball machine and a shuffleboard game, was a surprise. I loved the retro theming, and I imagine it'd be an easy way to pass the time before a flight.

Chase lounge-goers can also take advantage of free spa treatments from an on-site aesthetician before their flight. These include free 30-minute facials, which are largely aimed at relieving travel-related stress.

AmEx had a designated playroom like Chase but no spa at its LaGuardia location. However, travelers can find the beauty service at the Centurion Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport.

Across from the Chase spa is a wellness room with large loungers for meditation, rest, or sleep. Guests can book one of the two pods for free.

AmEx's LaGuardia location doesn't have a wellness center, but guests can find wellness-inspired offerings in many of its other global locations, such as Seattle, Houston, and London Heathrow.

I personally wouldn't use a spa or other beauty service, as it's not my thing, so this practice at lounges goes largely unnoticed by me. However, BI's Joey Hadden enjoyed her pampering at Chase's LaGuardia lounge in February.

Chase's LaGuardia location has a special offering called the "Retreat Suite," which can be pre-booked for up to eight people for a fee starting at a steep $2,200. It is a private space away from the main lounge to work or relax, and its the lounge's only available shower.

LaGuardia's Centurion Lounge doesn't offer the same luxury (though it has one bookable shower suite), but high-paying Centurion "Black Card" members can reserve a private room tucked away in the back of the business center.

The LaGuardia version was small, roped off, and without a door. It was nothing particularly special except for the better alcohol offerings, though other lounges have larger and better Black Card-only spaces.

The buffet food at both locations was good, but the Centurion food lived up to its reputation as being among the best lounge culinary experiences in the US.

I liked the selection of lunch options available during my visit, like chicken, pasta, and mashed potatoes. I was also offered a few delicious experimental dishes the chef is crafting.

Chase's buffet had simpler meals by comparison, but likely because it was serving breakfast at the time of my visit. Still, I can see room for heartier options in a true buffet style rather than small portions served in a little bowl.

Chase's a-la-carte menu is small, and I ordered an egg omelet in LaGuardia. At Chase's New York-JFK location, which I visited in July, I had salmon benedict and breakfast bao. All were simple but good.

Other menu options included egg polenta and a tofu spinach wrap, among other options.

Some of AmEx's other lounges, like in Mexico City and Mumbai, have a-la-carte dining, too.

The bar area at Centurion is less grandiose than Chase's circular-style one, but I thought the specialty cocktails were a nice touch.

Still, guests will find a good selection of spirits, wines, and beers at both lounges. Besides alcohol, I didn't see much distinction as both had coffee, juice, tea, and soda, too.

I loved the service at the Centurion Lounge. The employees were extremely attentive and friendly, and many people were on duty to help guests and keep the lounge clean.

Chase has good service, too, but Centurion's simply stood out.

The business-specific room in the Centurion Lounge has several quiet and private places to work, including quiet rooms. There is also a large meeting table in the center of the room.

Chase has similarly spacious meeting areas and little nooks to work or rest away from others.

The Chase lounge is big, with a lot of greenery, a fireplace, and cleverly placed trees to create a cabin-in-the-woods atmosphere. The color scheme is a little dull, but the colorful paintings and decor brighten it up.

AmEx has a similarly cozy cabin vibe, with travel-inspired decor on the televisions and wood-like walls, though it is less in-your-face.

Centurion also has intentional AmEx-branded decor, like pillows and artwork. I loved how the staple blue and white color palettes popped. Chase doesn't have the same branding, and I don't think it'd be obvious that it's a Chase-owned lounge just sitting inside.

While LaGuardia's Centurion Lounge doesn't have the same high-end amenities as Chase, likely due to space constraints, AmEx's other lounges do — and then some.

For example, the Denver Centurion Lounge has a pool table, a game room with jumbo Connect Four and Checkers, a craft beer bar, and a live cooking station. The new giant Centurion Lounge in Atlanta has three outdoor terraces, while the Los Angeles location has "sunrise and moonrise" rooms to help ease jetlag.

At New York-JFK, guests can find a two-story Centurion Lounge, complete with a speakeasy. Chase again sits next door to Centurion at that airport, but the roles are essentially reversed as AmEx offers spa services but not at Chase.

Chase's Austin location has a terrace, but the food and drinks offered there aren't nearly as good as those at AmEx. Its Boston location, however, has the same luxe amenities as LaGuardia.

The main thing I like about the Centurion Lounge network is that it covers most of the airports I regularly travel through.

This was particuarly evident in places like Las Vegas and and Atlanta, where the Priority Pass lounges, which I get through my Chase credit card, are commonly crowded and underwhelming.

Some busy airports like Los Angeles and New Jersey's Newark Liberty don't even have Priority Pass — but LAX has Centurion, and Newark is getting one in 2026.

Chase is playing catch-up with its six existing and four planned branded airport lounges, though its overseas footprint is lacking. Chase has a Sapphire Lounge in Hong Kong, but no other international locations.

That compares to the nearly dozen global Centurion lounges across Brazil, Mexico, China, Argentina, Sweden, India, Australia, and the UK.

The $550-a-year Chase Sapphire Reserve and the $695-a-year AmEx Platinum are arguably the best travel credit cards available, but their hefty annual fees add up to $1,245. That's lowered to $745 and less once you factor in the travel credits, discounts on ride-shares and delivery apps, and freebies like TSA PreCheck.

I personally see the benefits of having both Chase and AmEx for my frequent travel lifestyle, especially since I'd also gain Delta SkyClub access.

AmEx would be beneficial for the Centurion network, which, when combined with Chase, would almost always guarantee me lounge access regardless of the airport. Plus, busy airports like Los Angeles, Denver, and Philadelphia don't have Priority Pass — but they have a Centurion.

Meanwhile, Chase is vital because of its Hyatt redemptions. I've earned status with Hyatt by only booking free rooms with points — plus, I've found some stupid good deals. The Hyatt Place on Hawaii's Waikiki Beach I booked for my honeymoon in November, for example, cost $2,000 at face value, but I only spent 72,000 points.