American Express Centurion Lounge — Local services in SeaTac

This review is about the Centurion Lounge at SeaTac, but more generally about Delta airlines and its shortcomings.

The centurion lounge is nice, but there is absolutely nothing about it that warrants coveting it over the regular delta lounges. The food is the same, the drinks are the same, the view is worse. The only thing they boast is fewer humans, but that’s why there is often a 45 minute-1 hour wait to get in.

United lounges, on the other hand, never have a designed wait (there might be a 1-2 minute wait in line, but never designed). Everything is on par with delta - the food, the drinks, the ambiance. And quite honestly, the regular united lounges are newer, just as nice, and in my experience, less busy than the famed Centurion Lounge.

My background: I was United 1k for the last 6 years, frequenting their lounges all over the world. This year I switched to Delta because everyone clamored about how great delta was and how I missing out. Also, to be fair, they do have a few more flights out of my home airport than United does. But, long story short, I switched to Delta because of the general consensus that it’s a better airline and offers better perks. I was wrong. The pro for me is simple: they have a more flights out of my home airport. The cons list is below:

1. Even with their $600 annual fee credit card I get a limited number of lounge visits per year. United was unlimited (for $100 less per year).
2. Some of Delta’s lounges have designed wait times for an hour or more in order to keep the occupation down (I get the concept, but who’s really paying for this?).
3. Delta’s highest achievable status which is Diamond (aside from the invite only Delta 360, similar to United Global Services) takes $5,000 more per year than United’s 1k, but the perks and upgrade availability are exactly the same.
4. The Delta app is far more frustrating and far less useful than the United app. The United app gives the passenger the ability to change seats even after check in, change flights last minute, view real time location of incoming planes so you know exactly how much time you have to get to the gate and not have to trust the reader boards. The Delta app does none of those things. It is corporate America - controlling and restricting. United is old school, Delta...

Delta you broke my heart, but you an I have had a good run. We’ve been close partners for 24 years now. Unfortunately, with your changes in policy I see a continuation of our relationship is of no value to you. I’ve had an American Express Platinum credit card and Medallion status that has allowed me to check bags at no additional fees,until my travels this year. I’ve enjoyed being greeted by your flight attendants and enjoyed having our relationship recognized as I was addressed by name and thanked for my loyalty. I am not sure why you choose to undervalue this now. Is it my age? I’ve always recommended travel with you to family and friends; I’ve always shared our positive experiences and downplayed the negatives (like when your flight attendant spilled hot coffee down the arm of my silk blouse; and then laughed and said “at least you don’t have a hot date”! Shame, no hot date and blouse ruined.) I’ve always paid my debts in a timely manner. Unfortunately, until this last month I missed paying my $250 annual fee on my Delta card while traveling. I simply didn’t think about it, I suppose I was trying to escape after having lost a loved one (or 5) this year. Returning home I saw your mail and wasn’t worried because I valued our relationship and knew you would do the right thing. I called and was informed not only did I have an annual fee, I had a late charge and interest to boot. Oh, the interest was due to the fee and the charge for the free checked bag I was promised when I booked my ticket that took me to my place of escape, my $250 annual fee has ballooned to over $300, plus my almost $100 checked bag fee. I know pennies in the overall scheme of things but more than most spend with no reward. Plus, when I called to cancel my card I was informed (so nicely) I was two days beyond the cancellation deadline. Not only could I not recover my annual fee, but I would have to pay the checked bag fee as well as the late fee and interest accrued (because I hadn’t expected an annual fee for another month). Moving forward I shall miss you, Delta and the relationship I thought we had. But I shall look forward to new adventures on your former codeshare airline. Wishing you all the best today and...

SEA-TAC- Seattle Airport_Centurion Lounge. The worst service I have ever received from any American Express Centurion Lounge I have ever been to!

From being greeted by Timothy to being pushed away from the manager Mallory. I know I may have come slightly earlier, however my wife and I had a rough 24hr. We politely asked just to sit and relax. We were turned away from the manager and asked that the Sea Lounge would accommodate us and we could come back at a later time. As loyal Amex member for over a decade this is the first time we are treated this way. I can also understand that you have a job and uphold your protocol, there are times where rules are meant to be broken or provide some sort of empathy, even human courtesy. I don’t think that the core values of Amex would appreciate disregarding their members to head over to better lounge and because we were there 1hr earlier than our departure time.

We called Amex and they advised us it was under their sole discretion to let us in or not (the lounge was empty). One hour wouldn’t make a difference in my opinion. Once again something that human morality would take over something that is ethical.

At the point we were able to come in, the food was the same. Same bland Indian style food from the prior day. Same cookie and brownie deserts. Nothing in the cuisine changed. Seemed that the food was leftovers from the night before.

Other than the Blue Roast coffee bar and the liquor bar, that’s all that is pleasant about this place. Because their management is lacking the warmth of human empathy and compassion.

In my book, if I can rate the total experience it would be 0 stars or less. All this is due to the management of the lounge. It all starts from the top management; Mallory and Timothy presenting themselves as admirable people. I recommend Amex to retrain those two individuals some customer service values and learn to treat people slightly better and to uphold Amex long standing tradition of being loyalist to...