About 10 days after we returned from Southeast Asia, I was on the road again. This time, I was solo and attending the Award Travel 101 Meetup in San Antonio. I would not have scheduled another trip so soon after being away for 19 days, but remember that we originally booked our vacation for February/March.

Before my noon flight to San Antonio on Delta, I decided to head to the airport a bit early so I could visit the new Amex Centurion lounge in Concourse E. I got dropped off by Uber at the International Terminal as it tends to be much quieter in the morning hours. I was pleased to see there is a Digital ID line there now so I was through security in a matter of minutes.

I walked over to Concourse E to get some steps in and found the lounge near Gate E11. It’s a bit of hike from the train escalators so be ready to walk a bit if you’re going to visit the lounge.

There was a short line to enter. I showed my boarding pass, Amex Platinum and ID for entry. There were a few disappointed people who seemed to be just learning about the strict new guest policy (no free guests and $50 for any guest over 2 years old).

The lounge is very large compared to most of the Centurion Lounges I have visited. There are two separate outdoor spaces. One is between the bar and the entrance area. The other is overlooking the apron.

I tried to find a seat outside on the larger outdoor deck, but there was nothing available. I grabbed a seat inside near to the buffet instead. There is one main buffet and then another area with fruit and healthier snacks.

I was there at breakfast and there was a decent variety with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast, breads and spreads. There were also some salads and fruit. There are automated coffee/espresso machines instead of barista coffee which is an area where Amex could have differentiated themselves from Delta, but sadly, it’s the same bitter coffee.

I sat at a small table inside while I had breakfast then found a spot outdoors where I sat enjoying the cool and sunny day.

There’s a staffed main bar where you can get all kinds of alcoholic drinks and soft drinks. Before 10:30am, they serve a limited menu with beer, wine, prosecco, mimosas and bloody marys. After 10:30am, they serve the full menu of cocktails.

One feature unique to the Atlanta Centurion is a whiskey bar. It’s through a doorway and supposed to resemble a speakeasy, but it’s pretty easy to find (unlike the one at the JFK lounge). Just before 10:30am, I grabbed a seat at the bar and waited for it to open (for review purposes of course).

Here are the menus for cocktails and for the whiskey/bourbon options:

I tried two of the cocktails: the Drink a Peach and the Regional Flight

Both were excellent and very strong. I tipped the excellent bartender and headed out to my gate. Thankfully I wasn’t flying the plane.

The Amex Centurion Lounge is a great option if you don’t otherwise have access to a SkyClub in Atlanta – if you’re not flying Delta for example. It will also be a valuable option next year when Delta and Amex limit the number of Sky Club visits for Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve cardholders. If you are flying out of E or F, I definitely recommend visiting. While I don’t think the food is any great upgrade over the SkyClubs (especially E and F), the drinks available at the two bars are definitely better than anything you can get without paying extra at the SkyClub.

If you have questions about this post, let me know in the comments or send me an email at emptynestermiles@gmail.com. If you are thinking about opening a new credit card, please use one of my links.