After checking in with Delta and obtaining my boarding pass, I decided to lounge hop since I had access to at least three different lounges in the international terminal:
- The American Express lounge, with my American Express Platinum card
- The Skyteam Lounge, with my same-day Skyteam business class ticket
- The (Temporary) Air New Zealand Lounge, which Delta provides access to for business class passengers
My first stop would be the American Express lounge Sydney.
Previous installments:
- Introduction: Virgin Australia and Delta Business Class, the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney
- Concourse Hotel LAX, a Hyatt affiliate
- Virgin Australia Check-in and Star Alliance Business Class Lounge
- Virgin Australia Business Class, Los Angeles – Brisbane
- Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge and Business Class, Brisbane – Cairns
- Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas
- Virgin Australia Lounge, Cairns and Business Class, Cairns – Sydney
- Park Hyatt Sydney
- Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel
I’ve been to all five of the Centurion lounges in the U.S. that have opened thus far:
There’s an additional known lounge with a more modest concept coming to Seattle in just a few weeks. And more airport leases are being negotiated.
Internationally American Express lounges are run by another group, although I’m told there’s conversations and coordination with an aim towards bringing the same look and feel to the international lounges although of course they’re different. There’s no ‘celebrity chef’ concept at the Sydney lounge, for instance. And it’s a small space, it doesn’t have the ‘plus’ features that you find in some of the US lounges like a spa or even showers.
Nonetheless, this was the nicest of the three lounges that I’d visit. It’s by gate 24 in the international terminal.
While small, there were ample seats for the number of people there when I visited.
The lounge is small but has outstanding tarmac views.
There was a hot and cold food buffet, not quite up to the standard of US Centurion lounges, but still at least as well-provisioned I thought than the other lounges I stopped into on this visit.
Probably the coolest thing was the bathrooms, individual toilet rooms with automatic doors.
The American Express lounge Sydney is a great option in Sydney’s international terminal, and it’s fantastic that US-based American Express Platinum cards provide access not just to the US Centurion lounges but to the lounges being built by other divisions of the company around the world.
Wow !…. “hot and cold food buffet, not quite up to the standard of US lounges,…”
Blimey, it MUST have been RANK !
To be clear not up to the level of US **Centurion** lounges.
@James Alexander, I think he meant up to the standards of Centurion lounges in the US. I can’t imagine it is worse than a United, Admirals or Sky Club food selection.
@James Alexander – LOL – that’s exactly what I thought when I read that comment. But not being up to standard of U.S. Centurion lounges makes much more sense.
I was there a few months ago in Feb.
Do they make signature cocktails?
When we visited, the lounge was crowded with holiday traffic. Although there were only a few dozen guests, the lounge felt very full and was noisy.
http://www.milesdownunder.com/2014/12/american-express-lounge-syd-international-terminal/
In general, I’m really pleased with the SFO Centurion Lounge, which is the only one I’ve visited. In fact, I upgraded to the Platinum Card (from Blue) just so I could access it, so hopefully that works into somebody’s revenue calculations!
The bar program at SFO is top notch; it’s better than many restaurants. I’ve been a bit disappointed in the food, though. Not “United Club” disappointed, mind you, but especially off hours there’s a tendency of leave things under the hot lights too long, and not season things sufficiently.
I like the celebrity chef concept for the lounge food, but I think they need to be doing a bit more QC on the delivery. I’ve found United’s new domestic first menu to be significantly better, and there’s just no excuse for not being able to meet that standard on the ground.
So far I’ve enjoyed the Centurion lounges in Dallas and SFO and both have been great. Not quite Istanbul’s Turkish Airlines lounge great, but great. I have plans to enjoy both the Sydney and the SFO lounges in early January. Got to find an excuse to pass through LAS one of these days… 🙂
i was there on a Friday night 10 days ago. It was overrun by children making lots of noise and being disruptive. The lounge is far too small, and I would not go back given the noise and chaos that is not typical.
@garyleff
Phew! Thanks for clarifying!
🙂
Hi Gary,
Can I pay $50 for access if I have AMEX credit card? Thanks
My travelling friend & I recently visited the Amex Lounge in Sydney & whilst she & I absolutely loved the food & beverages, the same cannot be said of the staff! It appeared that it was ‘a chore’ for them to serve us, let alone even smile! It put a dampener on the Lounge, however, as I was about to travel to Honolulu , I just thought about that, rather than the rude, rather unfriendly staff!