Lounge access rules change often — confirm in the lounge's app or the card's benefits page before you fly.
Priority Pass and the Centurion Lounge aren't really competitors: Priority Pass is a membership network of more than 1,900 independent lounges and experiences worldwide, while Centurion Lounges are Amex's own lounges, 16 in the US plus a Las Vegas Sidecar. Priority Pass gets you somewhere at far more airports; a Centurion Lounge is usually the better room where one exists. The Amex Platinum gives you both, and Priority Pass doesn't get you into Centurion Lounges.
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Quick answer
- Wider reach: Priority Pass, with lounges worldwide, though US coverage is patchy.
- Better lounges: Centurion, with chef-designed buffets, full bars and, at many locations, showers.
- Cheaper guests: Priority Pass on most premium cards (two free); Centurion charges $50 per adult since July 8, 2026.
- One card for both: Amex Platinum or Business Platinum ($895).
- Priority Pass without Amex: Venture X ($395), Citi Strata Elite ($595) or Chase Sapphire Reserve ($795).
Side by side
| Priority Pass Select | Centurion Lounge | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Membership in independent lounges | Amex-run lounges |
| Locations | 1,900+ lounges and experiences worldwide | 16 US + Sidecar, plus some abroad |
| How you get it | Several premium cards | Amex Platinum family; Delta Reserve on Delta |
| Guests (Platinum) | 2 free | $50 adult, $30 child; same flight |
| Restaurants | Not on the big premium cards | n/a |
| When full | Can turn members away | Digital waitlist in Amex app |
Coverage: where each one works
Priority Pass is global. At many international airports it's the main way a US cardholder gets into a lounge, and some, like London Heathrow, have a Priority Pass lounge in every terminal. In the US it's thinner than the headline number suggests. Several big airports, including Denver, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and Austin, have no Priority Pass lounge at all, only spas, sleep suites or restaurants. Others have one or two lounges, often run by The Club, that get busy. See Priority Pass lounges in the USA.
Centurion Lounges are at 16 US airports: Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas (plus the Sidecar), Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK and LaGuardia, Philadelphia (closing for renovation in October 2026), Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco (temporary lounge), Seattle and Washington National. Amex also runs Centurion Lounges at some international airports, including London Heathrow Terminal 3 and Hong Kong. Newark is expected in 2027. See Centurion Lounge locations.
Notice the overlap: Denver, LaGuardia, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City have a Centurion Lounge but no Priority Pass lounge (Philadelphia's Centurion is closed from Oct. 16, 2026 until an expected end-2027 reopening). That's where the Platinum card earns its fee for many travelers.
Quality
Centurion Lounges are consistently good. You get a hot buffet designed with known chefs, a full bar with cocktails and curated wine, workspaces and, at most larger locations, shower suites. Quality is similar from airport to airport.
Priority Pass quality depends entirely on the lounge. A foreign airline's lounge at JFK Terminal 1 or a Plaza Premium lounge abroad can be excellent; a small contract lounge at a US airport may offer snacks and a crowded room. Since July 1, 2026, showers are no longer included at The Club lounges in Charlotte, DFW, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh and San Jose, and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses at JFK, Dulles and SFO charge $15 for a shower. Check each lounge's page in the Priority Pass app.
Guests
On the Amex Platinum, guests are cheaper at Priority Pass lounges than at Amex's own lounges:
- Priority Pass (Platinum, Business Platinum, Sapphire Reserve, Strata Elite, Venture X Business): two guests free per visit.
- Priority Pass (personal Venture X): $35 per guest since Feb. 1, 2026.
- Centurion Lounge: $50 per adult and $30 per child aged 2–17, children under 2 free, and guests must be on your flight. Two guests become free after you spend $75,000 on the card in a calendar year.
So a Platinum holder traveling with a partner may prefer the Priority Pass lounge at an airport that has a good one, and the Centurion when flying alone.
Crowds and access rules
Both get busy. Centurion Lounges use a digital waitlist in the Amex app: you can see how full the lounge is and join the line from security, then you have 10 minutes to check in once called. Priority Pass lounges can simply refuse Priority Pass members when they're at capacity, and some restrict Priority Pass entry to certain hours.
Timing differs too. Centurion admits you up to three hours before departure, or five hours before your next flight on a connection, and never on arrival. The Las Vegas Sidecar only lets you in within 90 minutes of departure. Priority Pass rules vary by lounge; a few international lounges even serve arriving passengers.
Which cards include each
| Card | Annual fee | Priority Pass | Centurion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | $895 | Yes, 2 free guests | Yes |
| Amex Business Platinum | $895 | Yes, 2 free guests | Yes |
| Delta Reserve | $650 | No | On Delta flights only |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | $795 | Yes, 2 free guests | No |
| Capital One Venture X | $395 | Yes, $35 per guest | No |
| Citi Strata Elite | $595 | Yes, 2 free guests | No |
The full Priority Pass list, including business and co-branded cards, is in which credit cards include Priority Pass. All of the cards above give you lounges-only Priority Pass, with no restaurant credits.
Which should you choose?
- You fly through Centurion airports and often alone: the Amex Platinum. The Centurion Lounge is the best room at most of those airports, and you still get Priority Pass everywhere else.
- Your home airport has no Centurion Lounge: a Priority Pass card is enough. The Venture X is the cheapest, and the Sapphire Reserve or Strata Elite are better if you bring guests.
- You fly internationally a lot: Priority Pass matters more than Centurion, since it covers far more foreign airports. The Platinum adds Plaza Premium lounges worldwide on top.
- You fly Delta: the Delta Reserve gets you Sky Clubs and the Centurion on Delta flights, but no Priority Pass.
For the Amex side, see best cards for the Centurion Lounge; for the Chase alternative, Centurion vs Sapphire Lounge.
FAQ
Does Priority Pass get you into Centurion Lounges? No. Centurion Lounges are only for eligible Amex cardholders, and Delta Reserve holders on Delta flights.
Is Priority Pass or Centurion better? Centurion Lounges are better lounges, but there are only 16 in the US. Priority Pass covers far more airports, especially abroad. The Amex Platinum includes both.
Can I bring guests with Priority Pass on the Amex Platinum? Yes, two free guests per visit at Priority Pass lounges. At Centurion Lounges guests cost $50 per adult and must be on your flight.
Which US airports have a Centurion Lounge but no Priority Pass lounge? Denver, LaGuardia, Philadelphia (until its Centurion closes for renovation in October 2026) and Salt Lake City.
Do I need to enroll in Priority Pass separately? Yes. Enroll through your card issuer's benefits page, then add the membership to the Priority Pass app. Centurion access only needs your card and a same-day boarding pass.
Related guides
- Priority Pass lounges in the USA
- Which credit cards include Priority Pass
- Centurion Lounge locations
- Best cards for the Centurion Lounge
- Airport lounges: the complete guide
Lounge access rules, guest policies and locations change. Always confirm current details with the airline, lounge operator or card issuer before you travel.
