American Express Centurion Lounge to Open at Tokyo Haneda Airport
The credit card provider will open a new space exclusively for cardmembers in Tokyo in 2025. But prepare for lines
by Lauren Smith
July 10, 2024
American Express will open its third international Centurion Lounge next year, with the debut of a pocket-sized space at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).
Details are scant, but we know that the lounge will be on the fourth floor of HND’s Terminal 3, the airport’s main international terminal.
With a footprint of just 7,352 square feet, the space will be one of the smallest in the Centurion Lounge network and seat only 122 people. In contrast, the lounge Amex is currently constructing in Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) will sprawl over 18,000 square feet.
As Amex Centurion Lounges are often very popular, travelers in Tokyo can expect crowds and waitlists at peak times. A handy feature embedded in the Amex app will notify you of how crowded the lounge is before you head to the terminal.
American Express hasn’t revealed the site’s amenities, but Centurion Lounges typically allow travelers to indulge in fresh spins on local dishes, sip bespoke cocktails and wine, and catch up on their emails with high-speed Wi-Fi.
The credit card issuer said the space’s design will “incorporate Japanese traditions, artisan culture, and art.” In one digital rendering, floor-to-ceiling windows offer generous views of the airfield.
“We’re continuing to expand our Centurion Lounge presence in international airports in popular travel destinations for our Card Members,” said Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel. “As we continue to see growth in travel to Japan, especially with Millennials and Gen Z, the Centurion Lounge at Haneda Airport will be an important addition to our global lounge network.”
Whether the Tokyo space will be the third or twelfth international Centurion Lounge is contentious. Amex took its premium Centurion Lounge network global in 2017 with the opening of its space at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), followed by London Heathrow (LHR) in 2021.
It then renovated eleven older international lounges to bring them up to the Centurion standard and operates them under the same name. However, purists say the purpose-built Centurion Lounges, including the new one in Tokyo, are a cut above the refurbished spaces.
Centurion Lounges are open to members with the following Amex credit cards:
- American Express Platinum Card ($695 annual fee): Access regardless of airline, with two complimentary guest passes if you spend $75,000+ on the card each year.
- American Express Platinum Business Card ($695 annual fee): Access regardless of airline, with two complimentary guest passes if you spend $75,000+ on the card each year.
- Amex Centurion Card (The Black Card): access regardless of airline, with two complimentary guest passes. Members must be invited to apply for the Black Card.
- Delta SkyMiles American Express Reserve Card ($650 fee): must fly with Delta that day; no guest passes.
- Delta SkyMiles American Express Reserve Business Card ($650 fee): must fly with Delta that day; no guest passes.