You Lost an Amex Centurion Lounge Perk You Might Not Have Known About

Updated: January 3, 2025, 5:58pm CST

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Coffee Is In, Yoga Is Out
Final Thoughts

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The American Express Centurion Lounge at New York’s JFK airport has lost one of its distinctive perks. In exchange, though, it has gained a feature that may please many travelers.

Let’s look at what’s changed.

Coffee Is In, Yoga Is Out

American Express has done away with one of the perks it offered at the Centurion Lounge in Terminal 4 of New York’s JFK airport.

The Equinox Body Lab is now officially closed. In its place, there is now a coffee bar. The development was first reported by The Points Guy and later confirmed to Upgraded Points by an American Express spokesperson.

The Equinox Body Lab was a spa offering activities like yoga and meditation rooms. Most of the options were self-serve, though there was staff on hand to help. Depending on the time of day, there were also relaxation classes.

Clearly, coffee is more popular among the lounge’s visitors than meditation, because the space is now a Blue Roast by American Express full-service coffee bar. It is, in fact, the second of its kind in the country after Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Centurion Lounge JFK View — The Centurion Lounge at JFK has a great view of the tarmac. Image Credit: James Larounis

“Given the popularity of the ‘Blue Roast by American Express’ full-service coffee bar in the Centurion Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, we recently opened a second location in the Centurion Lounge at John F. Kennedy airport,” American Express said in a statement email to Upgraded Points. “Guests can order a variety of espresso beverages, cold brew, and seasonal specialty coffee drinks as well as smoothies and healthy bites such as avocado toast and chia pudding.”

Theere’s good news for people who want better coffee than what’s available from the machines in the lounge: The new bar’s offerings are, like the rest of the food and drink in the lounge, free. (You should, however, tip your barista.)

Hot Tip:

If you need something stronger than coffee before your flight — and the lounge’s normal bar isn’t cool enough for you — the Centurion Lounge at JFK has a speakeasy hidden away on the bottom level. Just go past the bar, and then you’ll notice a nondescript door that swings in to lead you into a dimly lit bar known as “1850.”

Final Thoughts

There was no shortage of options to keep oneself caffeinated at the American Express Centurion Lounge at New York’s JFK airport, but now the lounge has gained a dedicated coffee bar.

The Blue Roast by American Express has taken the place of the Equinox Body Lab, which American Express has decided to close.