On a recent trip to Portugal, my wife and I had the privilege of visiting the Polaris Lounge in Chicago. The lounge was unlike any other airline premium airport lounge we had ever visited in the United States. Before United launched Polaris Lounges in the U.S., American carriers did not have a product that could compete with the business-class lounges of Qatar Airlines, Etihad, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, etc. United has expanded this product to San Francisco, Newark, Houston, Los Angeles, and Washington Dulles. Many travel experts and bloggers consider Polaris Lounges among the best airport lounges in the U.S.
Over the last few months, I’ve been fortunate to transit through airports with an AMEX Centurion Lounge. Ezeiza Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, happened to be another one of those airports. Centurion Lounge access is complimentary for those holding an American Express Platinum card during our visit. At the time of our visit, cardholders were also allowed to bring in one guest (and children under 16), so my wife was able to benefit. As of 2023, AMEX Platinum cardholders must spend $75k annually on the card for complimentary guest access.
This lounge is in Terminal C, past immigration/customs and security. Take the elevator or stairs to the second floor right past gate 15, and you will find the lounge entrance.
Upon entering the lounge, the front desk staff will ask for your AMEX Platinum card and boarding pass. Once they have scanned both, you’re good to go.
The food options were sweet croissants, wheat and white bread, cheese, pastrami sandwiches, and banana nut muffins with powdered sugar. It was not quite the selection I’ve seen at other Centurion Lounges, but certainly better than many non-Centurion Lounges I’ve visited. Fresh orange juice and apple juice were also available.
The beverage cooler was fully stocked with soft drinks and adult beverages.
Common area
This lounge had plenty of seating and did not suffer from being overcrowded when I was there. Perhaps traveling on a Sunday, which also happened to be New Year’s Eve, had a lot to do with that.
The dining area of the lounge
One thing I noticed and appreciated about this lounge was the attentiveness of the staff. They would check on tables every 2-3 minutes to make sure any dishes, soda bottles, and cans were removed.
Plenty of empty seats in the common area. Big time plus
The lounge was equipped with Apple iMacs. It might be the first lounge I’ve seen featuring Apple, and as a long-time Apple guy, I appreciated this.
They also had a room for the kids. Centurion Lounge is doing a great job making its lounges kid-friendly. I didn’t want to take pics while the kids were there (that would be creepy), so I waited until it emptied out. During my two hours there, it was undoubtedly being utilized for most of that time.
Great job by AMEX for remembering the population that may become future AMEX Platinum cardholders.
Wi-Fi connectivity could have been better.
Overall, I’d give this lounge a 4.5/5. It could use a slightly enhanced food selection and faster connectivity, but it scored well on everything else: Plenty of seats, spacious Apple iMacs, and a playroom for children. The staff was very friendly and worked hard to keep the lounge clutter-free. If you’re an AMEX Platinum card holder flying out of Buenos Aires (EZE), visit this lounge.
The Centurion Lounge at DFW moved to a larger 12,000 square feet space in September of 2018, expanding its footprint by an additional 3,000 feet. Their old lounge was excellent, but it certainly felt crowded at times, so the additional space should help alleviate that. Rather than going up the escalator to enter the lounge as it was previously, you will find the entrance to the lounge on the ground floor. This will lead to an elevator, which you take to the second floor to enter the lounge. To enter the lounge, you must hold the AMEX Platinum Card, AMEX Business Platinum Card, or the AMEX Centurion Card. Other AMEX cards won’t get you in.
Food (Breakfast)
My wife, son, and I were here during breakfast hours, and I remember how great the spread was the last time I was here in 2017. The items may have changed, but the breakfast was still awesome.
The sweet corn muffins were excellent. My wife loved the oatmeal with granola.Centurion Lounge always delivers with their fresh fruit offerings.Salsa and tortilla chips for breakfast? Why not?Goat cheese egg frittata. This was the best part of having breakfast here. Delicious and you’re probably going to get up for a second serving.
In addition to the items pictured above, there was also pancakes and fresh juice. Since there were multiple people behind me, I refrained from taking a picture at that particular time.
The espresso machine can make a variety of beverages. I got their latte, and it was delicious.
Seating Area
As you would expect, with the lounge having expanded by more than 3,000 square feet, seating was plentiful, and I did not feel like the lounge was overcrowded. Certain sections of the lounge were more trafficked than others, but in general, there were plenty of seats for everyone.
They had different types of lighting to suit everyone’s needs.Bar areaConference table
Business
For those who need a conference room, Centurion DFW has one.
Kids Room
This is one of my favorite aspects of this lounge. They had a dedicated children’s playroom and it was perfect for my 5-month-old son as he was able to enjoy his first ever visit to an airport lounge.
Miscellaneous
The restrooms were clean, and there was also a dedicated shower area that you could utilize upon request at the front desk.
This lounge also has a spa where they give you a complimentary massage. I forgot to measure the Wi-Fi speed, but I can assure you it was fast. I have not visited a Centurion Lounge where connectivity was slow. The old Centurion Lounge was among my favorites, and AMEX has delivered and improved the experience at their newly renovated Centurion Lounge at DFW. Just remember that AMEX no longer allows passengers who have landed at their final destination city to use a Centurion Lounge in that particular city. Before the rule change, if Dallas was your final destination, you could still visit by showing your boarding pass. I think this is a fair rule change to alleviate crowding concerns. If your departure time is more than 3 hours away, AMEX also won’t allow you in. I believe this is also a change for the better. As far as this lounge, it scores a perfect 5/5 and continues to be my favorite Centurion Lounge I have visited thus far. There are a few others under construction, and I’m looking forward to visiting the one in JFK once it opens later this year. That lounge will be the largest Centurion Lounge at 15,000 square feet.
On a very recent flight from Chicago to Albany, I had the opportunity to visit the United Club in Terminal 1 near gate B5. Special thanks to my mom for giving me her United Club pass and allowing me access. And speaking of United Club Lounges at ORD, I’ve crossed three of them off the list and have one more to go after completing my stay at this one. This lounge is located at Concourse B, so you don’t have to go through the underground tunnel at Terminal 1. The same rules apply to this lounge if you saw my last review of the United Club Lounge near B18.
Entrance
This lounge is located near gates B5 and B6. Once you have cleared security, take a left. The agents at the front desk will scan your one-day pass and boarding pass or just your boarding pass if you’re flying international business class or first class on a United Airlines or Star Alliance partner flight. If you have a United Club credit card, you have complimentary access as part of your card benefits.
The escalator will take you to the main seating area
Food
Three-bean salad and Mediterranean salad
I wasn’t expecting much in the food department because that’s not what United does well at their Club Lounges. They don’t really offer the hot meals you would find at Centurion Lounge and certainly not the variety you would find at their upscale Polaris Lounge. This lounge had a variety of cheeses, veggies, three-bean salads, and a Mediterranean-style salad. The cheese was okay at best, and the three-bean salad was average. They also had delicious hot broccoli-cheddar soup. But honestly, it’s really hard to mess up broccoli-cheddar soup. Food should be canceled at their Club Lounges if they have done that.
Variety of cheeses but no crackers. Come on, United.
The brownies were fresh and tasted pretty good.
If you wanted snacks, they had a decent variety of salty and sweet.
Broccoli-cheddar soup. This was good.
This touch-screen Coca-Cola machine was one of my favorite things about this lounge.
Their espresso machine served a variety of caffeinated or decaf beverages, from lattes to cappuccinos.
Seating
When you go up the escalators, this is the main seating area you will come across.
As far as United Club Lounges at ORD go, this may be the largest. There is no shortage of seats and they have a variety of seating options.
Almost every seat at the lounge has access to a plug outlet
This was my favorite seating area. Not too bright and facing towards the TV (not pictured) in the bar area.
Seating area near the barOpen seating area in the middle of the loungeBar
It is important to note that I visited the lounge at about 7:30 p.m. on a Sunday, and it was about 40% full. The lounge may be near capacity on a weekday during peak business hours.
Miscellaneous
The bathrooms were super clean and United does put to keep it that way.
The Wi-Fi speed was awesome. This might be the most appealing aspect of the lounge, particularly for business travelers. Video conferencing would be seamless, and if you wanted to stream Netflix or music, you’d have a really easy time doing it. This lounge is certainly better than the United Club near B18 and very much on par with the United Club in Terminal 2. Just like that lounge, this one has the potential to be very good. It’s spacious and has excellent internet connectivity, clean bathrooms, coffee, and decent snacks. The only thing holding it back is the lack of hot meals and sandwiches. It’s not worth the $59 you’d have to pay for the one-day pass, but if you have the pass that comes complimentary with the Chase United Explorer credit card, you’d rather be here than in the waiting area near the gate. I’d rate this lounge a 4/5.
While I was checking in for a recent flight from Lisbon to NYC via Amsterdam, KLM offered me a very good offer to upgrade to business class during the Lisbon to Amsterdam leg of the trip: 99 euros per person on the four-hour flight with business class lounge privileges in both Lisbon and Amsterdam. I jumped on this offer since this meant several hours of comfort in the air and on the ground. The KLM business class experience during our four-hour flight was fantastic, and I’ll share that in a separate post. We had access to KLM’s Crown Lounge, its flagship lounge, when we landed in Amsterdam. KLM has two of these lounges, and the one we visited is called Lounge 52, near the F gates and after passport control. If you just follow the sign for Airline Lounge 52, it will lead you there.
Just follow this sign, leading you to the KLM Crown Lounge.
If you have a flight to the U.S. or Canada, this is the one you want to go to, as you won’t have to worry about dealing with long lines to get through passport control. Even though my wife and I only had a business class ticket for the first leg of my flight and I was going to fly economy on the Amsterdam to NYC, it was sufficient to get into the lounge as KLM only requires one of the legs in business class to grant access. This lounge is not a Priority Pass lounge. It’s open to all passengers flying business class on KLM, its SkyTeam partners, or anyone flying KLM or its SkyTeam partners with status (FlyingBlue Platinum or Gold, Delta elites, etc). Once we entered, the receptionist at the desk scanned our boarding passes, and we were ready to go.
Entrance
This lounge was the largest airport lounge I had ever visited in Europe. It was easily 3-4 times larger than some of the larger ones I had been to in the U.S. Despite its size, this lounge was probably at 85% capacity when we entered. It’s a split-level lounge with a ramp to the second level.
Seating Areas
This lounge had something for everyone in terms of seating. They had areas with a variety of different lighting and seating configurations.
I was a big fan of these red lounge chairs. Nice touch by KLM
The seating area above near the windows was undergoing renovation but this area felt more like a cafe area with a ton of natural light.
If you want to get a plate full of food and don’t want to traverse through the crowd, this is the best option for seating. It’s right near the buffet.
If you have work to get done and need to spread out, they have a perfect area for that as well.
Breakfast
Since we got to the lounge toward the latter half of breakfast and into lunch, we got to see a wide variety of items they had at the buffet.
There was a variety of breads, rolls, muffins, and pastries. I had the croissant and the raisin bread, and both were excellent. The pancakes were good, and the eggs were okay. Overall, the breakfast was very good, and they did a great job replenishing items that were running low.
Lunch
Their lunch buffet had a wide variety of options and something for everyone.
Pasta with tomato cream sauceAged cheese sandwichesVeggies with feta and hummusCole slaw with baked potatoes. Pardon the terrible picture quality for this one. Had to rush it because of the growing line behind me.
The lunch was excellent, and since we got to it while it was hot and fresh, I’m sure that made a big difference. The pasta with the tomato cream sauce was delicious. The hummus was top-notch, and even their aged cheese sandwich, as simple as it may sound, was very good. There were many other options, but these are the items I was able to get to discretely without embarrassing myself (lol). KLM Crown Lounge did a great job with its food offerings.
This is one of the two self-serve bar areas in the lounge
The bar area was expansive, and they had fountain drinks available in addition to adult beverages. They also had an espresso machine with plenty of options to suit your taste. I had the cappuccino twice.
Other Amenities
This lounge is equipped with showers, but you have to go to the help desk and reserve a shower room in advance. This lounge also has a designated smoking room and was definitely the quietest room in the lounge. There were plenty of European plug outlets but no USB ports, so be sure to have an adapter if you’re traveling from the U.S. or Canada. Unlike the two premium lounges I visited, this one did not have private bedrooms. If you need to sleep, you can lie on the cushioned booth-style seating near the bar. I’m not sure if it’s frowned upon, but I did see several travelers catching a snooze this way.
KLM help desk
I tested the Wi-Fi speed at this lounge, and it was far better than I expected. This is great for business travelers and anyone who wants to stream video.
Overall, this was a fantastic lounge with a lot of square footage and plenty of options for food. It can get crowded during the morning hours between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., but due to its enormous size, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a seat. If you’re traveling through Amsterdam on a business class ticket or have access via elite status and have some time to spare, check out the KLM Crown Lounge.
As part of our award redemption using United miles for a business class ticket to Lisbon, my wife and I had access to the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge during our 6-hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. At Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa has seven business-class lounges and four Senator Lounges (first-class lounges). I chose The business class lounge after passport control near A26 since this was closest to our departure gate.
Upon entering the lounge, the receptionist scanned our boarding pass at the entrance and directed us to the lounge. Since Lufthansa has seven business-class lounges, I didn’t expect there to be much of a crowd at this one. About three-quarters filled when we arrived and became less crowded as the hours went by.
Most of the crowd was fixated on the TV’s and the World Cup match that was being played. The lounge itself isn’t huge by any stretch but has enough seating and excellent amenities.
The seating area right in front of the bar
There were a few different seating areas, and much like Polaris Lounge in Chicago, this one had seating areas with different ambiances. As much as I wanted to take pictures of every single area of the lounge, I tried not to take pictures of an area if there were people who might be looking right at the camera. I wish it was a bit easier to be discrete and thorough at the same time.
The business center was being utilized by only a few people and had relatively new PC’s.
The other half of the business center was completely empty, but having chairs without back support probably convinced everyone to stay away. The wifi connectivity at this lounge was excellent, among the fastest I had experienced at any lounge. Kudos to Lufthansa for really looking out for business travelers.
Like the Polaris Lounge, this lounge also had bedrooms available upon request. My wife wanted to take a nap, so they gladly unlocked a room for her and provided her with a blanket.
I wasn’t tired enough to reserve a room for myself, but she said the beds were very comfortable, and she slept for two solid hours. This lounge also had access to showers upon request. Next up was to check out the food offerings. Usually, this is among the first things I do at a lounge. Since I had breakfast on the plane only an hour prior, I wasn’t all that hungry, and I did not want to eat for the sake of eating. So I waited a few hours until hunger struck.
Bread basket
The bread was bread. Not terrible, but not great.
The potato salad was decent. Their regular salad was subpar and very dry.
SaladNoodles with cheese
The noodles with cheese were surprisingly good. It might not look good from the picture above, but trust me, it was good. Taking pictures of the food near the buffet area is also where I ran into a little bit of trouble. There was a far greater selection than what I could take a picture of. However, one of the employees responsible for replenishing the buffet told me in half English and half German that I was not allowed to take pictures of the food or buffet area. I had no idea why this was the case, but rather than challenge that assertion, I just took her word for it and stopped taking pictures of that area.
The caramel pudding was heavenly. This was so good I had to have it twice.
There’s nothing like having ginger ale where you can actually taste the ginger. The lounge had plenty of drinks, a solid espresso machine, and a well-stocked bar. Again, I did not want to challenge the lady and take a picture, but take my word for it. As for the bathrooms, Lufthansa did a great job maintaining the men’s room.
Mens Room
The L’Occitane soap and lotion that they provided was a very nice touch. Small details like that do not go unnoticed.
Final Thoughts
. This was a fantastic lounge that checked just about every box. Solid food options, high speed Wi-Fi connectivity, enough seating, and added amenities such as bedrooms and showers. Rather than construct two or three large lounges and risk capacity issues, I appreciate how Lufthansa built 7 smaller business-class lounges to spread out the crowd. This issue will come into play for my next review, the KLM Business Class Lounge at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. As for the Lufthansa Business Class Lounge, I would rate it a 4.6/5.
Traveling using frequent flier miles and points certainly has many advantages, such as making business class travel attainable for the casual traveler, and regardless of the ticket class you purchased, you’re saving money compared to booking with cash. However, there are instances where you might book using points from one airline in getting to your destination and use points for a different airline during your return. As far as I can remember, I haven’t ever used miles for the same airline going and coming back. For example, I’ve flown on United miles going to Europe while flying on American miles coming back multiple times. I minimized the miles expenditure by planning my itinerary this way. The only issue? Booking international tickets one way will increase the likelihood of getting the dreaded SSSS on your boarding pass. SSSS stands for secondary selective screening selection. For me, thebiggest giveaway that I’ll end up with SSSS on my boarding pass on the return trip is when I’m unable to check in for my flight 24 hours before takeoff. The mobile app will have some variation of the same message, “check-in unavailable,” or I’ll get an error message. For a traveler who is designated SSSS, the only way to check in is at the ticketing counter at the airport. When you receive your boarding pass at the airport, the capitalized SSSS will be highlighted by the ticketing agent. Once you are in line and the customs officer scans your boarding pass, a red light will flash, or there will be a beeping sound, alerting the agent of your SSSS designation. It’s also important to note that other factors may also be in play. Your name (someone with the same name or similar may be on the watch list), the region you are traveling to and from, and your citizenship status could all play a role.
My SSSS designation from Dubai to NYC last summer
Every country differs in its protocol for conducting secondary screening. In Reykjavik, Iceland, I was taken to a separate room, and all the contents of my carry-on bag were removed. All electronics were swabbed and scanned, and the procedure was completed in 10 minutes. The personnel were friendly and explained what they would do in advance. In San Jose, Costa Rica, the security personnel gave me a pat down and searched my bag right at the gate. I hated this experience since almost everyone on my Southwest flight headed to Baltimore was already in the waiting area. 170 pairs of eyeballs glaring at me as one agent thoroughly searched and swabbed my backpack and all its contents while the other gave me a thorough pat down.
There are also instances where you might get SSSS on your boarding pass when traveling domestically. This occurred in 2015 when my wife and I returned from Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul was deemed a high-risk travel area then, and anyone returning home from that area was getting SSSS on their boarding pass for the ensuing months. Upon returning, my wife and I had a domestic flight from Chicago (ORD) to NYC (LGA), a flight we had taken countless times. This time, we both received the SSSS on our boarding pass, much to our surprise. The TSA officer asked if we had been anywhere recently. I told him we were in Istanbul the prior week, and he explained that everyone returning from that region was being selected for secondary screening. He wasn’t wrong; even people with TSA Pre-check and Global Entry were flagged from secondary screening. In this instance, we were both given thorough pat downs (more like a massage) and had every electronic device swabbed and scanned. Our laptops had to be taken out and powered on. Even The Points Guy (Brian Kelly) had a similar experience upon returning from Turkey around that same time.If you get an SSSS on your ticket, be cooperative and understand that the security personnel are just following protocol and doing their jobs. It will make the process easier and quicker, and you’ll be on your way a lot sooner.
Prior to my flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina, I had some free time at Miami International Airport. I had heard many great things about the Centurion Lounge at MIA, so as an AMEX Platinum cardholder, I figured I might as well give it a visit.
This lounge can be found on the fourth floor of the north terminal near gate D12. If you have been to the Centurion Lounge in Dallas, this one offers some of the same services and amenities. It’s roomy, and there is plenty of space available. First thing I did (like I do at every lounge), I surveyed the food offerings. Since many people were in front and behind me, I didn’t want to act like a first timer and take pics (I’m really sorry). But the offerings were lamb, Indian-style chickpeas or chole, salad, brown rice, and apple crumble for the dessert. I sampled everything but the lamb and found everything to be delicious. Again, I wish I took pictures and perhaps next time I won’t care whether people are around me. The espresso machine had various offerings such as latte, cappuccino, espresso, etc.
If you are more of a tea person, they also have you covered.
As I mentioned above, there is plenty of seating available. Many of them give you access to USB and plug outlets. The cushioned seats are very comfortable if you must stay there for a few hours.
If you want to sit near a window and airplane watch, there is there is plenty of room for that.
Shower availability is convenient for those who have arrived from a far away destination and want to freshen up before a connection.
You can even get a manicure and pedicure done in the lounge.
I love the family room aspect of the lounge. Keeps the kids busy while the adults can adult. I wish more lounges would do this.
This was my one major issue with this lounge. The internet speed is unacceptable for a brand that touts itself as business-friendly. Those are some dial-up caliber speeds that I encountered, and in my two hours at the lounge, the speed only got worse.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’d rate this lounge a 4/5. It has just about all the comfort, food offerings, and amenities needed in a lounge. It’s also one of the few designed with kids in mind. If the slow Wi-Fi connectivity is addressed, this lounge would be a perfect 5.
For those of you who have experienced a non-weather related flight cancellation or a delay of 3+ hours on a flight to or from Europe over the last 3 years, you might want to visit http://www.airhelp.com and see if you are eligible for compensation. On a flight from New York City to London back in May of 2015, my flight on Norwegian Airlines was delayed for 5+ hours. When I inquired about the reason for the delay, they said it was due to a scheduling error and not having a pilot available to fly the aircraft. I thought it was a pretty ridiculous excuse for a reputable airline such as Norwegian not to have a pilot available. A few months prior, I had heard about AirHelp and I thought I would give them a shot and have them process my claim. AirHelp has lawyers that process your claim for you in European courts. If the judge awards you monetary compensation (this can be as high as 680 euros), they take half of that (25% service fee and 25% legal fee) and directly deposit the rest into your bank account via Payoneer. If you are not awarded anything, they don’t collect. Classic case of zero risk, high reward. I emailed them my flight info and the reason Norwegian gave me for the delay. They told me right away that cases similar to mine were awarded compensation greater than 90% of the time. They were transparent throughout the entire process and kept me updated on where the case stood. About 14 months after I initially contacted them, AirHelp informed me via email that the judge ruled in my favor and I had been awarded 600 euros. In a funny twist, I received an email from Norwegian Airlines just 2 days later. They were offering me 150 euros as compensation along with an apology (lol, apologizing 14 months later). I immediately contacted AirHelp and they informed me not to accept anything. Norwegian was trying to give me a low-ball offer hoping that I would accept it and reduce their liability. I declined Norwegian’s offer and AirHelp transferred $328 into my bank account via Payoneer 4 business days later. Although the process took a while, there was very little effort in my part to collect the compensation. I paid $397 for the one way flight to Europe so the compensation covered more than 80% of that cost. If not for AirHelp, I certainly was not going to go through the hassle of filing a claim in Europe. If you have experienced a delay of 3+ hours transiting to or from Europe, the image below will guide you on whether you should pursue a claim. You will also find all the info you need on http://www.airhelp.com. You certainly have nothing to lose and they’ll inform you on whether your claim is worth pursuing in court.
It’s unfortunate that the U.S. doesn’t have similar laws that would offer consumers the same level of protection for delayed and cancelled flights. We have our own air carriers that are chronically late and will continue to be late until punitive measures are put in place. As of right now, the worst that can happen to them are a few negative yelp reviews.
As far as United Club Lounges at ORD go, this may be the largest. There is no shortage of seats and they have a variety of seating options. 
Almost every seat at the lounge has access to a plug outlet
This was my favorite seating area. Not too bright and facing towards the TV (not pictured) in the bar area.
Like the Polaris Lounge, this lounge also had bedrooms available upon request. My wife wanted to take a nap, so they gladly unlocked a room for her and provided her with a blanket.
Miles for places 