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An Amex Centurion Lounge is opening in Charlotte! Also: what's an Amex Centurion Lounge?

American Express is opening a new Centurion Lounge at Charlotte’s airport on Monday.

If you’re a longtime Amex Platinum cardholder and frequent flyer, this news is probably very exciting. If not ... read on and we’ll tell you how relevant this news is to you.

The Ledger dispatched our airport correspondent to a preview of the lounge this week, so we’ve got the inside scoop (as usual). Here’s the news release with many of the important details.

Here’s what you need to know:

Q. What’s a Centurion Lounge?

Credit cards are a competitive industry. Amex has traditionally been the leader in high-end, prestige credit cards. But lately, it has been under fire from the likes of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and a host of imitators. To enhance the attractiveness of its product to its higher-end clients, Amex is opening airport lounges all over the country (see the map here).

The Charlotte opening is the 11th Centurion Lounge, with more coming soon. In order to gain admission to the lounges, you have to have an Amex Platinum card (annual fee: $550), a Delta Skymiles Reserve card (annual fee: $550), or an invitation-only Centurion card (annual fee $2,500, increasing to $5,000 in April).

Q. How does it compare to, say, the American Airlines Admirals Club?

The new lounge (as well as the other Centurion Lounges) is way better. Whereas you can get soda and pretzels at the somnolent Admirals Club in Charlotte, the Centurion Lounge is thoughtfully decorated and laid out. It’s got a couple of showers, a kids’ room, noise-dampening light fixtures, and a skyline view of uptown.

Plus, instead of pretzels, it features food from Joe Kindred, the owner / chef behind Kindred and Hello, Sailor.

Q. Did you try the food?

Yes. It’s very good, and it lives up to the billing. I tried the buttermilk fried chicken and the milk bread French toast. They were great.

Q. Where is it located?

Just past security in Terminal E. Which is not the greatest location if you’re flying out of A, though walking through CLT is still better than the sprawl / train combos you can encounter at other big airports.

Q. So is it worth paying $550 per year?

That depends on you.

Ledger’s take: if you don’t know whether or not it’s worth it for you, it’s probably not worth it for you. If you travel a lot, you probably already know about the Centurion Lounges and have made your decision. But if you have a friend or coworker with the right credit card, you should definitely take a look and get a bite to eat.

Can’t get enough? The Points Guy — which is owned by locally headquartered marketing firm Red Ventures — has a full-blown, hardcore look at the new lounge here.

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The Charlotte Ledger is an e-newsletter and web site publishing timely, informative, and interesting local business news and analysis Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, except holidays and as noted. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.

The Charlotte Ledger is published by Tony Mecia, an award-winning former Charlotte Observer business reporter and editor. He lives in Charlotte with his wife and three children.