AMEX TO BUILD UPSCALE LOUNGE AT MIAMI AIRPORT

AMEX TO BUILD UPSCALE LOUNGE AT MIAMI AIRPORT

This is pretty interesting. Ft. Lauderdale is known for its discount airlines that dominate the traffic there and they are just starting to ramp up the international travel now. Miami International Airport on the other hand, gets plenty of international traffic and some very high rollers. SO much in fact that American Express has decided open a Centurion Lounge there for their highest spending clients. For those of you that don’t know (like me), Centurion is the official name for what we layman have always called the Black Card. However, people with Platinum cards are also welcome for no fee. Other American Express card holders can come but they are going to have to pay $50 to get in. This is going to be one pimp lounge! It will be 8,500 SF, and offer all kinds of stuff from free massages, manicures and “bites” to family rooms stuffed with electronics and a restaurant with a James Beard award winning chef. It will be a Latin inspired menu, of course, and will feature locally “sourced” ingredients. You will even be able to get a “spa like shower with upscale toiletries,” whatever that means, but it sounds pretty nice. Having one of these lounges is putting Miami in pretty exclusive company. It has already been on a ridiculously hot streak so it is not a surprise. There are only 2 of these lounges now, in Las Vegas and Dallas/Fort Worth. They have announced plans for them at LaGuardia (NY) and San Francisco (CA) later this year. American Express is going to employ 40 to 50 people there and there will be 30 to 40 construction jobs during the construction of the lounge. It will cost between $5,000,000 and $6,000,000 to build. They expect to cater to 300,000 cardholders annually. The location of the lounge will be the North Terminal in the former British Airways lounge. It has been vacant since 2007. Details of the lease were even revealed, American Express will agree to pay $1,000,000 per year on a 10 year lease and have a couple of 5 year options. Not bad money and an amazing amenity for the Airport to boot. If I am ever in Miami Airport, which I avoid like the plague, I might just check it out. I could see stopping in there a few hours before a flight and having a great meal, massage, some cocktails, etc. then head to Europe or something like that. Now if only I was planning any trips there… As always thanks for reading and have a great day.