Amex: Denver airport next to get posh Centurion Lounge

Ben Mutzabaugh | USA TODAY

Denver will become the latest airport to get one of American Express's luxe Centurion Lounge airport clubs.

The 14,000-square-foot Denver location ultimately will become the second-largest Centurion Lounge, trailing only a new 15,000 square-foot New York JFK lounge that’s expected to open in early 2019. The Denver lounge will be located in the airport’s C Concourse, with completion expected by the end of next year.

The Centurion Lounge is the upscale line of airport clubs run by American Express, the first of which opened in Las Vegas in 2013. The addition of the Denver lounge will give American Express its 11th Centurion Lounge location.

The lounges have been welcomed by frequent fliers, who have praised the clubs for their high-end aesthetics. The lounges are also not tied to any single airline or frequent-flier alliance.

Centurion Lounge access is complimentary for American Express Platinum Card and Centurion members. Platinum Card members also get complimentary access for up to two travel companions. Centurion members may enter with their immediate family or up to two guests.

The location on Concourse C will allow access for fliers on any airline at Denver, Josh McKay, Amex’s vice president and general manager, Global Benefits and Services, said to USA TODAY’s Today in the Sky blog.

United operates a large connecting hub in Denver while Southwest and Frontier also operate large bases there. Southwest, along with Alaska Airlines and Spirit fly from the C Concourse that will be home to the lounge. Denver’s A, B and C concourses are connected, allowing travelers to move between them after clearing security.

American Express did not reveal specific lounge details, but McKay did say that some local touches would be added to give a Colorado flavor to the Denver location.

Amex's Denver expansion comes amid growing demand from card members, according to McKay. There has been a spike in U.S. Premium Card Members booking Denver travel during the past year, he said, noting that the fast-growing airport is one of the USA’s busiest.

Indeed, it was just this week that the airport trade group Airports Council International revealed its preliminary full-year passenger numbers for global airports. Denver International handled 61,379,396 passengers in 2016, making it the 20th-busiest airport in the world and the fifth-busiest in the United States.

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