American Express Opens Flagship Centurion® Lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport
Two-Floor Lounge in Terminal 4 Will Capture the Energy of the City With a Curated Menu by Chef Ignacio Mattos, the First-Ever Speakeasy-Style Bar in a Centurion Lounge and Wellness Offerings From Equinox Body Lab
New York (October 5, 2020) – Today, American Express (NYSE: AXP) announced its 13th Centurion lounge will open at John F. Kennedy airport (JFK)’s Terminal 4 in the coming days. With more than 15,000 square feet, the new space – operated by Sodexo – is the largest Centurion lounge yet and the first with two guest floors.
“Our flagship Centurion lounge at JFK is our fourth location to open in 2020 and reiterates our commitment to backing our card members whenever they may be ready to travel, while striving for a safe environment for all,” said Alexander Lee, Vice President of Travel Experiences and Benefits. “Like many of our customers we are proud to call New York city our home, and we are thrilled to have another lounge in our backyard. This new lounge will span two incredible floors and host a variety of amenities that bring New York city culture to life, plus floor-to-ceiling windows that offer sweeping views.”
Card members visiting the Centurion lounge at JFK will see new health-and-safety practices in place, as part of the “Centurion Lounge Commitment.” These new practices will be implemented across the lounge network and include socially distanced seating, reduced capacity, increased cleaning frequency, requirements to wear a face covering when entering the lounge, served food instead of buffets, and more.
The Centurion lounge at JFK will feature American Express’ first-ever “1850” speakeasy bar1, a reference to the year the company was founded, complete with cocktails developed by Centurion lounge mixologist Jim Meehan, as well as an Equinox Body Lab wellness experience, a bespoke menu created by executive chef Ignacio Mattos, new design elements inspired by New York’s cultural landmarks and much more.
“We are proud that the new flagship American Express Centurion lounge has made its home at terminal 4,” said Roel Huinink, President & CEO of JFKIAT. “Its unique features, New York-inspired design and cuisine fit in well with our vision to create memorable travel experiences for our customers. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and safety of our passengers remains our highest priority, and we have ensured implementation of a wide range of safety initiatives throughout the terminal. We are excited for our customers to have another one-of-a-kind experience to enjoy when we see more people return to their travels.”
The opening of the lounge comes at a time when consumers are showing increased interest in domestic travel, according to American Express booking data – in the past three months there has been an upward trend in card member bookings to and from JFK airport. Plus, according to the Amex Trendex*, a trend report from American Express, among consumers who travel by plane, nearly three in five (58%) say they would be comfortable traveling by plane domestically within six months.
“1850” Speakeasy Bar by Jim
Meehan and Menu byIgnacio Mattos
The Centurion lounge at JFK will introduce a new bar concept - the “1850” Speakeasy. Concealed behind a copper-paneled wall, this striking bar space evokes the Prohibition era through its design and sophisticated versions of classic cocktails, such as the espresso martini and boulevardier.
“So many legendary cocktails have come out of New York city over the years, based around a variety of different spirits,” says veteran New York cocktail pioneer Jim Meehan, creator of the “1850” speakeasy cocktail menu. “With New York classics meets travel as the main theme, I’ve come up with a rotating cocktail menu that is experiential in nature and gives a nod to some of the city’s greatest bars.”
