What I Liked
-
Variety of hot dishes
-
Manned bar with complimentary alcohol
-
Natural Light
-
Runway views
Some of the links on this website will earn an affiliate commission – at no extra cost to you. Without these affiliate commissions, I could not have kept this website running - I want to thank everyone that has supported me! Full details can be found at the Terms & Conditions Page
This review is for the JFK American Express Centurion Lounge in Terminal 4. JFK airport is the largest airport in New York.
The Lounge is in a tight space, just after security. They have complimentary alcohol, loads of hot food and natural light from the outside. AMEX have done a good job in a small space.
You can access the lounge with certain American Express Cards. The Platinum Cards (business and personal), the Centurion Card and the Delta Reserve Cards (business and personal).
There are different rules for US issued cards compared to international cards. And there are limits to how many people you can bring in. I provide full details in the article.
The lounge gets quite busy, so overcrowding can be an issue. You may get turned away if the lounge is at capacity.
JFK Terminal 4 is probably the best Terminal in the USA for lounges. You also have the Delta Sky Club, Air India Lounge, Virgin Clubhouse and others. There’s a lot of competition! That being said, the Centurion Lounge holds its own.
This review contains loads of photos. Each photo can be clicked, to open out the full slideshow.
If you’re new to my blog, then hello! It’s great to have you here. You can sign up to my email list here. Get notified of my latest content and the best travel deals.
You can gain access to the Centurion Lounge with one of the following American Express cards:
You will only get access for yourself. You need to pay $50 per person, for each guest that you bring in.
If you have a platinum card that is issued outside the United States, then the guest policy is more generous. You can bring in two guests, for no extra charge.
If you have one of the above cards, then you also have access to other lounges in JFK, Terminal 4. There are two Delta Sky Clubs, the Air India Lounge, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and Minute Suites. All of these facilities can be accessed with the above AMEX cards.
I accessed the lounge via my AMEX Platinum card, which was issued in the United Kingdom. If you want to sign up to this card, go to this website. If you use my link, you get an increased signup bonus of 45,000 points. The signup bonus is lower, if you go direct to the website.
Once you click the link, go to “View all Cards with a Referral Offer” (Screenshot below). Then scroll down to the platinum card (2nd screenshot further below).
JFK Airport is in New York City. New York is one the most visited destinations in the world. There’s loads to see and visit. I provide some of my favourite things to do below.
The Statue of Liberty is the most iconic landmark in New York. It’s a symbol of freedom and liberty. Located on Ellis Island. You can book a tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty for $44. Book here and get free cancellation.
You get a guided tour of the statue and of Ellis Island. The fee includes a round trip ferry ride. Your ticket also includes access to The Statue of liberty and Ellis Island. The tour is rated at 5* from 8,586 reviews.
Short of time? Then smash everything in one day. One of the most popular tours in New York is a one day sightseeing tour. Rated at 5* from 9,017 reviews. This ticket costs $99 and comes with free cancellation. Book here.
You’ll hear commentary on the history of NYC. You’ll visit the 9/11 memorial, Central Park, the Rockerfeller Centre and more. You’ll then take a 1 hour ferry ride. To see the Statue of Liberty, the world famous skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Are you a baller? Like to do things in style? Then I’ve got the perfect thing for you. A Manhatten helicopter tour costs $239 and is amazing! Book here and get free cancellation. The tour is rated at 5* from 1,098 reviews. You’ll fly high above New York. See the Empire State Building, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty.
New York is world famous for its food. You mustn’t visit here without sampling the culinary delights. Secret Food Tours operate the most popular food tour in the city. Rated at 5* from 833 reviews. If costs $89 and comes with free cancellation. Book here. You’ll eat like a king a have a day you’ll never forget. You’ll visit Chinatown and Greenwich Village, and sample the following dishes:
The JFK American Express Centurion Lounge is located in Terminal 4. On concourse A. It’s right after security, just a 1 minute walk away.
The lounge is on the same floor as security. You don’t need to go up or down a level. You just turn left.
The Centurion Lounge will be the 1st lounge that you can get to. All other lounges are further away. This a good thing in my view. JFK is a mad house. You’ll probably be quite stressed, by the time you get through security!
The JFK American Express Centurion Lounge is a small space. The lounge is packed into one side of the terminal. The lounge feels compact when you’re there.
However, AMEX have done well to pack so much in! The Lounge is located over two floors. Each floor has a self-service buffet and a manned bar.
In terms of seating, there’s mainly canteen style tables and chairs.
There’s a window on one side of the lounge. This brings natural light in. However, the windows are obstructed. There are horizontal lines on the windows. There’s no reason for this. It’s just annoying!
The windows look out to the runway. The view would have been amazing, without the annoying lines.
The lounge was very busy when I was there. This isn’t surprising. The lounge is small and many people have access. I struggled to get a seat. I eventually managed to find somewhere. Lucky I was travelling alone. If I was with my family, I don’t know what we would have done.
The lounge will prevent entry at busy times. I was lucky to get in. JFK Terminal 4 is always busy, so you may not get in, when you visit.
The lounge also has an Equinox Body Lab. Equinox is a luxury fitness club chain that offers various services. Including specialized workout programs, personal training, and wellness services.
There’s also showers available to use.
There’s a wide variety of hot dishes available. This is one thing that I’ve found in all AMEX Centurion Lounges. The range of food is excellent.
The food was offered on a self service buffet counter. There were two identical buffets on each floor. The following was offered:
All of the food looked edible and well made. It was restaurant quality food. This is different to many lounges, where they re-heat food in the oven.
I didn’t partake in the food as I wasn’t hungry. I only had a cup of tea.
I made sure to take loads of photos of the food. These can be seen by clicking the photo above, and opening out the slideshow.
There are two manned bars. One on each floor. The bars were quite small. If you wanted alcohol, you had to be served at the bar.
As is common in AMEX Centurion Lounges, there was a wide range of complimentary drinks. They had beer, wine and premium spirits. There’s also a cocktail menu. Espresso Martini is their signature drink and comes highly recommended!
There were self-service coffee machines. They also had a variety of teas from Twinings. I had a Twinings English breakfast tea. Which was pretty good.
The JFK American Express Centurion Lounge is a decent place to stay before your flight. You’ll be fed well and the bar is complimentary.
There’s a lot of lounges at JFK Terminal 4. Many of these can be accessed with an AMEX Platinum card.
One of those lounges is the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Review here. You can access it with a Priority Pass card. The lounge is excellent. It has a fun design, champagne on tap, a pool table, restaurant quality food and lots of natural light. Take me back!
I’ve flown Delta’s International First Class. Review here. I enjoyed my trip. Delta have a fully enclosed suite, with a privacy door. The seat flattens to a bed. The TV was massive, and they had high quality earphones.
One of my favourite recent trips was to Marco Island in Florida. I stayed at Marriott’s Crystal Shores. Review here. It’s an epic resort! I had an apartment on the 15th floor, with stunning sea view. The resort has 3 swimming pools, a water slide and a packed activity schedule. The staff were wonderful too. In the article, I explain how to book the resort for $900 for 4 nights.
I wrote a complete guide to AMEX Centurion Lounges worldwide. Link here. I list all of the Centurion Lounges globally. I also explain how to get access.
If you enjoyed my article, then don’t be a stranger! Sign up to my email list and keep updated with my best content. Find out about the best travel deals.