American Express has announced a substantial round of growth for its Centurion Lounge network, with three projects on the table: a brand-new lounge at London Heathrow, and major expansions in Houston and Philadelphia.
The Heathrow news is the headline grabber. Amex will open a second London lounge, this one in Terminal 5, which is British Airways' home base and one of the busiest terminals in Europe. It's slated for 2028 and will cover roughly 9,000 square feet, with premium food and drink, varied seating, dedicated work areas, a VIP zone, and interiors said to draw on London's culture, history and the Thames. It joins the existing Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3, and it will be a rarity: one of the only non-oneworld lounges in Terminal 5. The catch is size — 9,000 square feet in a terminal full of BA long-haul passengers means queues are likely, especially at peak departure banks.
Philadelphia's lounge is getting a full overhaul. Currently 6,000 square feet, it will double to more than 12,000 square feet across two floors, complete with a Blue Roast by American Express coffee and wellness bar and local artwork. The catch for travellers: the lounge closes for renovation on October 16, 2026, and isn't expected to fully reopen until the end of 2027. If you're flying through PHL with Amex Platinum or Centurion access in that window, plan for alternative lounge options.
Houston Intercontinental gets the biggest transformation of the three. Its lounge will grow from 8,000 square feet to over 23,000 — nearly tripling and putting it among the largest in the entire Centurion network. The expanded space, expected in 2028, will add a specialty dining concept themed around Houston's food scene, a Blue Roast coffee bar, a second full-service bar, extra restrooms and showers, and far more seating, all with a design nod to the region's coastal character and its space-industry heritage. Unlike Philadelphia, there's no word on the existing lounge closing during works.
Why does this matter? Centurion Lounge access is one of the most valued perks on premium Amex cards, and overcrowding has been the network's biggest weakness. Expansion announcements like these suggest Amex is trying to keep the benefit usable as more cardholders qualify. For anyone holding a Platinum card and transiting Heathrow, Houston or Philadelphia, the payoff arrives between late 2027 and 2028 — worth factoring into how you route long-haul trips, especially at Heathrow, where a Terminal 5 lounge could save BA passengers a walk between terminals.
Just don't expect room to breathe immediately: if past Centurion openings are any guide, these spaces will fill up fast once the novelty wears off.
