Amex plans a 30,000-square-foot Newark Centurion Lounge and a second Heathrow lounge, in Terminal 5

American Express has a bigger plan for Newark. The Centurion Lounge it is building in Terminal A will now cover more than 30,000 square feet over two floors. Amex says that will make it the largest Centurion Lounge in the network. The catch is timing. The lounge was due in 2026, and it is now expected in 2027.

The same Oct. 8 announcement adds a second London lounge, in Heathrow Terminal 5, for 2028. It also lays out major rebuilds in Philadelphia and Houston. The Philadelphia lounge closes for work on Oct. 16, 2026.

Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel, said Amex continues "to find ways to meet the growing demand for our premium airport lounge experiences."

Newark: bigger, but later

When Amex first showed this lounge in 2023, it was about 18,000 square feet. The new figure is more than two-thirds larger. Once it opens, Amex says it will be the first card issuer with its own lounges at all three main New York airports. It already has lounges at JFK and LaGuardia, rated 4.7 and 4.5 on Lounge Frog.

The plan includes three bars:

• Main Bar: craft cocktails and wine.
• Specialty Bar: a "modern spin" on New Jersey's diner culture.
• Terrace Bar: gelato, Italian pastries and Italian-inspired cocktails.

There will also be a Blue Roast coffee and wellness bar. Dishes come from Resy chefs in Amex's Culinary Collective, including Kwame Onwuachi, Mike Solomonov, Mashama Bailey and Sarah Grueneberg.

Some things from the 2023 plan are missing. The release does not mention the piano lounge with live music. It also does not mention an outdoor terrace with skyline views. View from the Wing reads the Terrace Bar as an enclosed space, not an outdoor deck. Amex has not said either way.

Frank Radics, general manager of Newark Liberty International Airport, said the lounge "will bring incredible amenities and services for guests."

Until it opens, Terminal A has three working lounges in our listings. They are the United Club (A), rated 4.2, plus the Admirals Club and the Delta Sky Club, both rated 3.8. None of them takes an Amex card on its own.

Heathrow: a Centurion in Terminal 5

The new London lounge will be more than 9,000 square feet. That makes it about 30% bigger than the current Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3, Head for Points reports. The Terminal 3 lounge stays open. It is rated 4.8 on Lounge Frog and holds about 110 people.

Amex says the Terminal 5 design draws on London's cultures and history, with forms inspired by the River Thames. It plans work areas, a VIP area and its usual food and drink. Amex has not said exactly where in the terminal it will be. Head for Points understands it will sit near gates A2 to A4, in the same wing as the Plaza Premium lounge.

Terminal 5 is the home of British Airways. That matters for cardholders flying BA in economy without status. Today their T5 options are the Plaza Premium Lounge, rated 4.9, and the Club Aspire Lounge, rated 4.0. Both take Priority Pass. BA has its own T5 lounge plans, as we covered in our story on its new C gates lounge.

Daniel Edwards, Heathrow's director of airport journeys, said the airport was "delighted that American Express has chosen to expand its presence at Heathrow with a second Centurion Lounge." Hannah Lewis, Amex's UK country manager, told Head for Points the Terminal 3 lounge "has been incredibly well received since opening."

Philadelphia closes Oct. 16

The Philadelphia Centurion Lounge, near gate A14 in Terminal A-West, will close from Oct. 16. Amex expects the work to be done by the end of 2027. The lounge will grow from about 6,000 square feet to more than 12,000, over two levels. It will add a Blue Roast coffee bar and works by local artists.

It is one of the best-rated lounges at the airport, at 4.8 on Lounge Frog. View from the Wing reports the expansion takes over space British Airways is leaving.

Amex has not said where cardholders should go while it is closed. Based on our listings, here is what a Platinum cardholder with Priority Pass can use:

• Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club, rated 4.5, on the D/E connector. Priority Pass members get one free visit a year, then pay $75.
• Minute Suites, in the A/B link. Priority Pass covers one hour in a private suite.

Kate Sullivan, chief commercial officer at Philadelphia International Airport, said "the reimagined lounge celebrates the best of Philadelphia." See all options on our Philadelphia airport page.

Houston nearly triples

The Houston Centurion Lounge, near gate D12 in Terminal D, will grow from about 8,000 square feet to more than 23,000 by 2028. Plans include a Blue Roast bar, a second full bar, plated dishes with a Gulf Coast influence, and refreshed restrooms and showers. The design will nod to Houston's link to space exploration.

View from the Wing cites a Texas project filing that puts the cost at $35 million, with work done in July 2028. Amex has not confirmed those figures. It also has not said whether the lounge will stay open during the work. It rates 4.6 on Lounge Frog, well ahead of the other Terminal D lounges in our data.

Jim Szczesniak, Houston's director of aviation, called the city "a global gateway."

What we don't know yet

Amex has not given opening months for Newark, Heathrow or Houston. It has not said whether Houston will close or confirmed the exact Terminal 5 site. The news comes three weeks after Amex opened its Amsterdam Schiphol lounge, its first in continental Europe. Access rules are on our Centurion program page. We will update this story as dates firm up.