The expanded American Express Centurion Lounge at Sea-Tac International Airport opened in February, 2023 in the Central Terminal. Despite its 14,000 square feet, during my Friday evening visit it was incredibly crowded. Still it is a much needed update from the previous Centurion Studio in SEA.
The Central Terminal at SEA is a beautiful open atrium withe a huge glass window wall just past security at the junction of the A, B, C, and D concourses. Note that the N and S gates require a train, but all gates are accessible airside. So no matter which airline you are flying, you will be able to access to the Centurion Lounge.
The Centurion Lounge is located above the restaurants on the A/B side of the atrium.
To access it, you will need to head over to the Evergreen restaurant and take the elevator (or stairs) to the mezzanine level.
The following cards offer complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge for the cardholder:
- Platinum Card®
- Business Platinum Card®
- Corporate Platinum Card®
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Card (when flying Delta)
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business Card (when flying Delta)
- Centurion®
If you want to bring a guest, the cardholder must pay the following amount:
- Guests aged 18+ are $50 USD per guest
- Guests aged 2-17 are $30 USD per guest
- Guests below age 2 are free (with proof of age)
Corporate Platinum and Centurion cardholders may bring in two guests for no fee.
Platinum cardholders that spend $75,000 in a year on their card can also bring in two guests for no fee.
The first area once in the lounge is the bar. This area feels a bit like a rooftop bar with high ceiling and views of the runway.
The bar is complimentary and offers a good number of cocktails with a variety of liquor options, beers and wines.
Just beyond the bar is the Blue Roast coffee shop (again, complimentary). They offer smoothies, made to order coffee beverages, and house made ice cream and sorbet.
The next section is the self service buffet.
I visited at dinner time. There was a meat option (chicken), some sides (mashed potatoes, rice, roasted Brussels sprouts, pasta), a salad bar and soup in addition to various desserts.
There are also coffee and water stations (including sparking water) at various spots throughout the lounge.
After the buffet are the restrooms, including one shower suite.
The final section is general seating with some views of the runway. The last area is a quiet area though there were people loudly talking on their phones and staff didn’t intervene. There are two telephone/work room available.
The art throughout includes black and white photos of local musicians (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles) in addition to some unique pieces including a mural made of coffee beans.
The lounge has a great design; however I feel that all of these premium credit card lounges like the Chase Sapphire Lounge and Capital One Lounge all feel very similar. Modern with dark colors and wood features with some brass or gold accents thrown in. I’m sure that research shows that this is what people want.
Based on how crowded The Centurion Lounge was during my visit, the lounge is a formula that works. I saw a lot of families during my visit and I would be curious how they gained access (whether paid guests or through spend/extra premium card). While it was crowded, I didn’t have to wait to get in or to find a table, so their capacity challenges seem to be okay.
Seattle has a variety of lounges — three Alaska Lounges, a large Delta Sky Club, United Club, British Airways Terraces Lounge, and two The Club SEA lounges accessible with Priority Pass (though not in the most accessible locations). The Centurion Lounge is the most centrally located with a premium location; though smaller than the Delta Sky Club and Alaska Lounge in the N Satellite.
I recently got an Amex Platinum card (after not having one for over six years). SeaTac is my primary airport; and while it is nice to have access to The Centurion Lounge, it isn’t enough to persuade me to keep paying my annual fee year over year. I am excited to visit (and re-visit) other Centurion Lounges this year to see how things have improved and changed in the past six years.
Have you visited The Centurion Lounge in Seattle? What was your impression? Share in the comments below.
