Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is joining the credit card lounge club. American Express is opening its first Centurion Lounge at the Dutch hub on September 17, and a media preview has given eligible cardholders a good idea of what awaits behind the doors. It's the 33rd location in Amex's global lounge network — and the first at Schiphol tied to a card-issuer lounge programme.
The space sits on the second level between the E and F concourses and covers 6,000 square feet, making it one of the smaller lounges in the network — roughly comparable to the London outpost. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of light, though the tarmac views are reportedly nothing special. Seating comes in the form of armchairs, tables, booths and group arrangements, plus a semi-private phone nook for calls. The design leans on Dutch art and culture, with a blue, green and earth-tone palette nodding to the city's canals. Local artworks hang throughout, each with a QR code so you can read up on the artist.
Food and drink are the real draw. A dedicated Blue Roast Coffee Bar — the fourth Centurion Lounge to get one — serves Dutch-sourced espresso drinks from a dedicated barista; reviewers highlight the latte paired with a stroopwafel. The buffet rotates roughly every three weeks and leans local: bitterballen (the standout bite), an Amsterdam slider with Dutch slaw and pickles, truffle mac and cheese, and meatballs. The bar mixes a genever-based signature cocktail called the Canal House alongside a well-reviewed berry and basil mocktail.
Access follows the standard Centurion rules. You'll need an eligible card — the Amex Platinum, Business Platinum, or a Delta SkyMiles Reserve card (the Delta cards require a same-day Delta flight ticketed on the card) — plus a same-day boarding pass for a flight departing within three hours, or five hours if you're connecting from another airport. Bring government ID. Guests aren't free unless you've hit the $75,000 annual spend threshold on your card; otherwise a guest fee applies. When it's busy, you can join a digital waitlist in the Amex app.
Why it matters: Schiphol is one of Europe's busiest connecting hubs, and lounge options there have traditionally skewed towards airline and pay-in lounges. Anyone transiting Amsterdam with a Platinum card in their wallet now has a genuinely good free option with local flavour — open daily from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. More Centurion Lounges are also in the pipeline at Newark, Boston Logan and Charlotte, so the network keeps growing for frequent flyers.
Story via The Points Guy.