Lounge access rules change often — confirm in the lounge's app or the card's benefits page before you fly.
Centurion Lounge vs Sapphire Lounge comes down to two things: which airports you fly from and whether you travel with anyone. Amex has the bigger network (16 US Centurion Lounges plus a Las Vegas Sidecar, versus eight Chase Sapphire Lounges), but Chase has the far better guest policy: two guests free, versus $50 per adult at a Centurion Lounge. At the six airports that have both, the Sapphire Lounge is usually the newer, bigger room.
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Quick answer
- Bigger network: Centurion. 16 US lounges, against 8 Sapphire Lounges.
- Better for guests: Sapphire. Two free guests, then $27; Centurion charges $50 per adult and $30 per child, and guests must be on your flight.
- Better food experience: Sapphire, by a little. Buffet plus a made-to-order menu you order by QR code; most Centurion Lounges are buffet-only.
- Card cost: Amex Platinum $895 vs Chase Sapphire Reserve $795.
- Verdict: solo flyers at Centurion airports should pick the Platinum; couples and families, or anyone based at BOS or SAN, should pick the Reserve.
Side by side
| Centurion Lounge | Chase Sapphire Lounge | |
|---|---|---|
| US locations | 16 + LAS Sidecar | 8 + IAD partner lounge |
| Card | Amex Platinum / Business Platinum | Sapphire Reserve family |
| Guests | $50 adult, $30 child; same flight | 2 free, then $27 |
| Free guests unlocked | After $75,000 spend a year | Not needed |
| Entry window | 3 hrs; 5 on a connection | 3 hrs (5 connecting, per Chase's Aug. 2026 update) |
| Priority Pass entry | Never | Only Chase-issued, since Aug. 15, 2026 |
Where they overlap
Six airports have both, and at most of them the two lounges are in the same terminal.
| Airport | Centurion | Sapphire | Same side of security? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW | Terminal D, opposite D12 | Terminal D, near D25 | Yes |
| JFK | Terminal 4, level 4 | Terminal 4, near gate A2 (temporarily limited operations) | Yes |
| LGA | Terminal B, level 4 | Terminal B, next door | Yes |
| LAS | Concourse D, opposite D1 | Concourse C, near C23 | Yes, by tram |
| PHX | Terminal 4, opposite B22 | Terminal 4, near D11 | Yes, a long walk |
| PHL | Terminal A West (closing Oct. 2026) | D/E connector | Yes |
Centurion only: Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Salt Lake City, San Francisco (temporary Terminal 2 lounge), Seattle and Washington National. Sapphire only: Boston, San Diego, and the Etihad partner lounge at Washington Dulles. Philadelphia is about to become Sapphire-only too: the Centurion Lounge there closes for a rebuild in October 2026 and is expected back by the end of 2027.
What's coming: Amex expects Newark in 2027 and Boston around 2029. Chase lists Los Angeles as coming soon (reports point to late 2026 or early 2027), with Miami announced for late 2028 at the earliest and Seattle still only proposed. See Centurion Lounge locations and Chase Sapphire Lounge locations.
Food and drink
Centurion Lounges are built around a chef-designed buffet and a full bar with signature cocktails and curated wines. At most locations there's no ordering from a menu; you serve yourself. The Las Vegas Sidecar is the exception, with made-to-order plates ordered by QR code and a menu that rotates monthly. Quality is consistent, and the bigger lounges such as Washington National launched with menus from well-known chefs.
Sapphire Lounges pair a buffet with an à la carte menu you order from your table by QR code, and each leans on local partners: at LaGuardia, cocktails from Apotheke and Joe Coffee; in Boston, a taproom with local beer; at DFW, Texas dishes and Chase's first whiskey lounge. Several add wellness extras such as Face Haus facials (LaGuardia, DFW) and rest pods (DFW). Phoenix is the outlier: at about 3,500 square feet View from the Wing called it the smallest bank lounge in the US, and it has no showers, though Chase began expanding it in mid-2026.
Showers vary lounge by lounge on both sides. LaGuardia's Centurion has a shower suite, while the Sapphire Lounge next door has showers only in its paid Reserve Suites.
Guests and families
This is the biggest difference. Since July 8, 2026, Platinum guests at Centurion Lounges cost $50 per adult and $30 per child aged 2–17, and every guest must be on the cardholder's flight. Two guests become free only after you spend $75,000 on the card in a calendar year. A family of four pays $110 a visit.
At a Sapphire Lounge, the Reserve gets you two guests free, then $27 each, with children under 2 free. Authorized users on the Reserve get the same access and allowance. The same family of four pays $27.
If you usually travel with someone, that difference alone can be worth more than the $100 gap in annual fees after a handful of trips.
Crowds and entry windows
Both networks have been crowded at peak times. Amex runs a digital waitlist in its app: you can see how busy the lounge is, join the line from the security queue, and you get 10 minutes to check in once called. Sapphire Lounges also waitlist; LaGuardia readers reported waits on Thursday and Friday afternoons, and DFW was busy in its opening weeks.
The Sapphire side has one structural advantage now. Since Aug. 15, 2026, the lounges have been out of Priority Pass, so holders of Amex, Capital One and Citi cards no longer get the free annual visit. That should thin the crowds, though reviews haven't confirmed it yet. Centurion Lounges, meanwhile, tightened access themselves with the same-flight rule for guests.
Entry rules are similar: three hours before departure at both. Amex allows five hours on a connection; Chase announced five hours for connecting passengers in August 2026, but its own lounge FAQ still says three, so don't count on it. Neither works on arrival.
The cards
Centurion access: the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum ($895 each), the Schwab and Morgan Stanley versions of the Platinum, and the invitation-only Centurion card. Delta Reserve cardholders get in only when flying Delta on a ticket bought with the card. Full list: best cards for the Centurion Lounge.
Sapphire access: the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795), Sapphire Reserve for Business (primary cardmember only), J.P. Morgan Reserve and the Ritz-Carlton card (closed to new applicants). The Sapphire Preferred doesn't get in.
Beyond these lounges, the Platinum adds Priority Pass, 10 Delta Sky Club visits a year on Delta flights, Escape and Plaza Premium lounges. The Reserve adds Priority Pass with two free guests. Compare the full cards: Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum.
Verdict
- Pick the Centurion (Amex Platinum) if you fly alone, your airports are Centurion-only (Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Miami, Seattle and the rest), or you fly Delta and will use the Sky Club visits.
- Pick the Sapphire (Chase Sapphire Reserve) if you travel with a partner or kids, fly from Boston, San Diego or Philadelphia, or want the lounge less likely to be packed with outside Priority Pass members.
- At DFW, LGA, LAS and PHX both are good, and JFK will be too once Chase lifts its "temporarily limited operations" notice. There, the guest policy decides it.
FAQ
Is the Centurion Lounge better than the Sapphire Lounge? Not across the board. Centurion has twice the locations; Sapphire Lounges tend to be newer, add made-to-order food, and let you bring two guests free. Pick based on your home airport and who you travel with.
Can I use a Sapphire Lounge with an Amex Platinum? No. Since Aug. 15, 2026, Sapphire Lounges admit only eligible Chase cardholders and their guests, so Priority Pass from the Platinum no longer works.
Can I use a Centurion Lounge with a Chase Sapphire Reserve? No. Centurion Lounges are for Amex Platinum, Business Platinum and Centurion cardholders, plus Delta Reserve holders on Delta flights.
Which airports have both lounges? DFW, JFK, LaGuardia, Las Vegas and Phoenix, plus Philadelphia until its Centurion Lounge closes for renovation in October 2026.
Which is cheaper with a guest? The Sapphire Lounge. One guest is free with a Sapphire Reserve; at a Centurion Lounge it's $50 per adult unless you've spent $75,000 on the card that year.
Related guides
- Centurion Lounge locations
- Chase Sapphire Lounge locations
- Best cards for the Centurion Lounge
- Priority Pass vs Centurion
- 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.
