Lounging Around
Luxurious American Express lounge coming to Bush Intercontinental Airport
A luxe American Express lounge is headed to George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The travel and global services giant announced plans to open a Centurion Lounge — one of a network of uniquely-designed airport facilities featuring a host of traveler-friendly amenities — at Terminal D (the Mickey Leland International Terminal), which is home to most international flights and where a new structure is planned to replace the existing facility.
The 8,500 square foot lounge, set to open in the first half of 2016, will be exclusively available to American Express Card Members. It will feature noise-buffering workspaces, private showers, a computer bar and high-speed Wi-Fi access, along with a complimentary full bar and food buffet.
The company has long coveted the Houston airport for a lounge as it is in a heated competition for well-heeled travelers with Chase, which has an alliance with United, the dominant airline in nearby Terminal C.
With the Centurion Lounge, AmEx promises "an amazing experience that is head and shoulders above what you typically find in a domestic lounge," senior vice president Lisa Durocher said in a statement.
"With Houston's growing reputation as a global destination for business and leisure travel, and with international passenger numbers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport increasing at record levels, these types of amenities serve to enhance the experience of the discerning travelers embodied by American Express Card Members. The Centurion Lounge will align perfectly with our efforts to create a memorable travel experience for passengers at IAH, as they access the almost 200 destinations available via nonstop air service from Houston."
There are currently six Centurion Lounge locations, including lounges at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, New York's LaGuardia Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Miami International Airport and The Centurion Studio in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.