<p class="ingestion featured-caption">I visited an AmEx Centurion Lounge for the first time this month and was impressed.Taylor Rains/Business Insider</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>American Express pioneered credit-card-branded airport lounges and has dozens of global locations.</li><li>I visited an AmEx Centurion Lounge for the first time, and it was easy to see why people love them.</li></ul><p><a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-platinum-card-perks-annual-fee-worth-it-2024-5">American Express pioneered credit-card-branded</a> airport lounges over a decade ago with its first-ever Centurion Lounge in Las Vegas. </p><p>Only passengers with the right AmEx credit card can enter, meaning luxury at the airport no longer requires airline loyalty or a first-class ticket. </p><p>AmEx's portfolio has since expanded to more than 40 locations worldwide — and the collection hosts some of the <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/amex-centurion-lounges-how-to-access">best lounges in the US</a>.</p><p>Despite AmEx's reputation, I have always been a loyal <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve-credit-card-review">Chase Sapphire Reserve</a> credit cardholder, happily paying the $550 annual fee for travel benefits like Priority Pass lounge access and trip and rental car insurance. Chase (and Capital One) have opened their <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chase-lounge-jfk-laguardia-nyc-credit-card-review-2024-8">own branded airport lounges </a>to compete.</p><p>However, <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-class-airlines-compared-best-worst-2023-10">my job means I'm flying a lot</a>, and through my travels, I've taken notice of AmEx's comparatively bigger Centurion collection.</p><p>This was particuarly evident in places like Las Vegas and and Atlanta, where the <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/how-to-get-priority-pass-for-free">Priority Pass lounges</a> 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.</p><p>I wasn't totally convinced the $695 AmEx Platinum was worth looking more into until I <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-denver-airport-amex-centurion-lounge-photos-2021-3">visited a Centurion Lounge</a> for the first time on Tuesday, but I now realize what I've been missing out on.</p>