Lounge access rules change often — confirm in the lounge's app or the card's benefits page before you fly.
The best credit card for the Centurion Lounge is the Amex Platinum ($895): it gets you into all 16 US Centurion Lounges and the Las Vegas Sidecar on any airline, with Priority Pass and Delta Sky Club visits on top. The Business Platinum gives the same lounge access for business owners, and the Schwab and Morgan Stanley versions of the Platinum do too. The Delta Reserve is the only other card that works, and only when you're flying Delta.
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Quick answer
- Best card for the Centurion Lounge: Amex Platinum ($895). Any airline, unlimited visits, plus Priority Pass and 10 Sky Club visits a year on Delta.
- Best for business owners: Amex Business Platinum ($895), with identical lounge access.
- Best for Delta flyers: Delta SkyMiles Reserve ($650). Centurion on Delta flights booked with the card, plus 15 Sky Club visits a year.
- For Schwab or Morgan Stanley clients: their Platinum versions ($895), same lounges, with fee offsets tied to your accounts.
- Doesn't work: Amex Gold, Amex Green, Delta Platinum, Priority Pass and any non-Amex card.
Every card that gets you in
| Card | Annual fee | Centurion access | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | $895 | Any airline | $50 adult, $30 child |
| Amex Business Platinum | $895 | Any airline | $50 adult, $30 child |
| Amex Platinum for Schwab / Morgan Stanley | $895 | Any airline | Same as Platinum |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve | $650 | Delta flights only | Up to 2 at $50 each |
| Centurion card (invitation only) | Not published | Any airline | 2 free, any flight |
Everyone needs a same-day boarding pass for a departing flight. You can enter up to three hours before departure, or up to five hours before your next flight if you're connecting. There's no access on arrival, and the Las Vegas Sidecar only admits you within 90 minutes of departure.
Amex Platinum
The personal Platinum is the default pick. You get unlimited Centurion visits on any airline, and the rest of the Global Lounge Collection: Priority Pass Select with two free guests, 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year when you fly Delta, Escape Lounges and Plaza Premium. Lufthansa lounges dropped out of the benefit on Oct. 1, 2026. It earns 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel and on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, and Membership Rewards points are worth 2.0 cents each in our valuations. The fee is high, so it only pays off if you'll use a good share of its credits. See the card page for the current welcome offer.
Amex Business Platinum
The Business Platinum carries the same lounge benefits at the same $895 fee, with credits and earning aimed at business spending. If you have a business, it's worth comparing the two, since the welcome offers are often very different; see Business Platinum vs Platinum. Employee cards may come with their own lounge access; check Amex's terms before adding them.
Schwab and Morgan Stanley Platinum
Amex issues versions of the Platinum for clients of Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley. Both cost $895 and include Centurion access and the rest of the Platinum lounge benefits. The differences are financial: the Schwab version lets you cash Membership Rewards points into a Schwab account and offers a yearly bonus based on your Schwab holdings, and the Morgan Stanley version has an engagement bonus that can offset the fee. If you already have significant assets at either firm, one of these can be a cheaper way to hold a Platinum. Read the welcome-offer eligibility terms if you already hold, or have held, another Platinum card.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve
The Delta Reserve ($650) gets you into Centurion Lounges only when you're flying Delta that day on a ticket bought with the Reserve card, and you can bring up to two guests at $50 each. That works best at Delta hubs and focus cities with a Centurion Lounge in Delta's terminal: Atlanta (Concourse E), JFK (Terminal 4), Salt Lake City and Seattle. It doesn't help at LaGuardia, where the Centurion is in Terminal B and Delta flies from Terminal C. The Reserve's main lounge benefit is 15 Sky Club visits a year (unlimited after $75,000 in annual spend) and four guest passes; see Delta Sky Club access. The business version of the Reserve has the same Centurion rule.
Centurion card and corporate cards
The Centurion card ("black card") is invitation only. It admits you plus two complimentary guests or immediate family, who don't need to be on your flight. Some company-issued Amex Corporate Platinum cards also include Centurion access; ask your company's travel program what your card covers.
Guest rules
Since July 8, 2026, guests of Platinum and Business Platinum cardholders cost $50 per adult and $30 per child aged 2–17, and children under 2 are free. Guests must be on the same flight as the cardholder. If you spend $75,000 on the card in a calendar year, two guests per visit become complimentary.
That makes Centurion one of the more expensive lounges to share. A couple pays $50 a visit and a family of four $110. If you usually travel with others, compare the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which gives two free guests at its Sapphire Lounges and at Priority Pass. See Centurion vs Sapphire Lounge.
If you're planning to add an authorized user to a Platinum card for lounge access, check which additional-card type Amex issues and whether it carries Centurion access before you pay for it.
Which card should you pick?
- You fly several airlines and want the most lounges: Amex Platinum.
- You own a business with real spending: Business Platinum, and compare the welcome offers.
- You keep investments at Schwab or Morgan Stanley: check that firm's Platinum version first.
- You fly Delta from Atlanta, JFK, Salt Lake City or Seattle: Delta Reserve, if Sky Club access matters more to you than Centurion on other airlines.
- You'd mostly use it with family: reconsider Centurion altogether; the guest fees add up.
Before you apply, make sure there's a Centurion Lounge on your usual routes. Our Centurion Lounge locations page has the full list, and individual guides cover lounges like DFW, LGA, ATL and SEA.
FAQ
What credit card gets you into the Centurion Lounge? The Amex Platinum, Business Platinum, the Schwab and Morgan Stanley versions of the Platinum, and the Centurion card on any airline. The Delta Reserve works only on Delta flights booked with the card.
Does the Amex Gold get you into Centurion Lounges? No. Neither does the Amex Green or the Delta Platinum card.
Can I bring a guest into a Centurion Lounge for free? Only if you spend $75,000 on your Platinum card in a calendar year. Otherwise guests are $50 per adult and $30 per child, and they must be on your flight.
Can I use a Centurion Lounge with Priority Pass? No. The Priority Pass membership that comes with the Platinum works at separate lounges. See Priority Pass vs Centurion.
Is the Platinum card worth it just for Centurion Lounges? For most people, no. It makes sense if you regularly fly through two or three Centurion airports and use enough of the card's credits to offset the $895 fee.
Related guides
- Centurion Lounge locations
- Amex Platinum guide
- Centurion Lounge vs Sapphire Lounge
- Delta Amex cards guide
- Best credit cards for airport lounge access
Lounge access rules, guest policies and locations change. Always confirm current details with the airline, lounge operator or card issuer before you travel.
