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American Express unveils Sidecar lounge concept focused on dining

American Express unveils Sidecar lounge concept focused on dining
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Audrey Hendley, president at American Express Travel | LinkedIn

Twelve years after American Express launched its first Centurion Lounge, the company is introducing a new lounge concept. The "Sidecar by the Centurion Lounge" will complement existing lounges and focus on enhancing the dining experience for travelers.

These boutique-style outposts aim to provide a quicker and more intimate dining experience. According to American Express, these Sidecar locations will resemble speakeasies and will be added to airports where Centurion Lounges already exist. This could help reduce overcrowding at current lounges.

Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel, emphasized the importance of restroom facilities in these new locations. "When we survey customers, we ask them what they want in the lounge experience. They want good food, they want good Wi-Fi ... they also want to use the loo, and they want to refresh in all kinds of ways. And I think that's very important," she said.

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The first Sidecar is set to open next year in Las Vegas, which was also home to Amex's first-ever Centurion Lounge. While these locations won't offer many amenities, access will be limited to within 90 minutes of a departing flight.

Amex is also updating its dining offerings with the introduction of the Culinary Collective on July 29. This new concept will feature chefs Kwame Onwuachi, Mashama Bailey, Mike Solomonov, and Sarah Grueneberg leading Amex's in-lounge dining options across all U.S. Centurion Lounges.

Harrison Ginsberg has been appointed as bar director for the lounges. Despite these changes, Amex confirmed that buffet service would remain the primary dining method at Centurion Lounges.

As competition among credit card-branded airport lounges intensifies with Chase and Capital One entering the market, Amex continues investing in its lounge network. While competitors offer a la carte options alongside buffets, Amex maintains its buffet-centric approach but leverages expertise from its Resy acquisition for culinary enhancements.

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