American Express will soon be reopening its Centurion Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), but until that date is announced and arrives, Amex is offering grab-and-go food and beverages for eligible cardholders. This service was previously offered in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic while the lounge was closed, but was later stopped due to lounge renovations.
History of the LAX Centurion Lounge
The Centurion Lounge at LAX has been plagued with unfortunate issues since its opening nearly 2 years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic struck just as the lounge opened, and due to local health code precautions, the lounge space itself was shuttered and only a to-go meal service was offered to eligible cardmembers.
This service continued for several months but was halted due to significant urgent repairs the lounge needed to undergo mid-pandemic. With the slow traffic being a perfect time to take on these maintenance issues, the lounge was fully closed and no replacement grab-and-go food offering was available.
Now, these repairs are complete and the lounge once again is offering grab-and-go food and beverages until it opens fully in the next couple of months.
For now, only to-go food will be offered at the LAX Centurion Lounge. Image Credit: American ExpressWhat To Expect Currently
At the moment, you won’t be able to fully utilize any lounge services, so there won’t be any seating, showers, restrooms, or other typical amenities available to you. What will be available, once you check-in at the front desk with your eligible card and credentials, is the opportunity to pick up a vegetarian or protein food box.
The lounge will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., so it will, unfortunately, miss a sizable number of departures after this time.
The morning options include a breakfast bar and fresh fruit, along with coffee, still water, or sparkling water. In the afternoon, there’s a choice of a chicken lavash wrap or a roasted carrot and radicchio sandwich. Both options come with homemade potato chips, a dip, a bag of freshly-baked cookies, and a bottle of water.
Once you grab your boxed meal from the attendant, you’ll be asked to leave the lounge space, and you’re free to eat it wherever you wish in the terminal. The lounge is located within the Tom Bradley International Terminal space and fortunately, there are plenty of seating options with tables just upstairs.
Hot Tip: Check out our full list of airport lounges at Los Angeles International Airport, as well as our guide on how to get between terminals at LAX.
Final Thoughts
While it would have been nice to have the lounge reopen fully (essentially for the first time considering the COVID-19 pandemic), having a grab-and-go option for customers is certainly better than having nothing at all. For now, you can choose between a few different food options, and over the coming months, American Express plans to reopen the lounge fully with all the traditional access and amenities.
Featured Image Credit:
American Express
