Washington, D.C
Inside the new Amex Centurion Lounge in DC's Reagan National Airport – The Points Guy
The credit card airport lounge wars has a new battleground: the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday, American Express took the wraps off of its hotly anticipated Centurion Lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) near Washington, D.C.
The outpost, which was first announced in 2021 and opens on Wednesday, becomes the first credit card-branded lounge at DCA, which will be welcome news for Amex’s most premium cardmembers passing through the airport. (Until now, DCA has only been home to airline-branded lounges.)
Amex’s move is a strong one. The DCA Centurion Lounge measures nearly 12,000 square feet and has a slew of amenities and relaxation spaces, along with a first-ever culinary concept for the Amex club network.
Of course, Amex has also long been the leader in the credit card-branded airport lounge wars. It opened the first Centurion Lounge in 2013 and has since expanded the network across the country and to major cities worldwide.
That said, Capital One and Chase are very much playing fierce catch-up; the former is even planning to open a new dining-focused “Outpost” concept at DCA in the coming months.
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So, what’s it like inside Amex’s new Centurion Lounge? Read on for all the details.
Amex Centurion Lounge DCA location
Amex’s new Centurion Lounge at DCA is located in a newly built extension to the airport’s Terminal 2.
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You’ll find the lounge in the airside National Hall near the entrance to the pier for the B Gates. The space is located just past the south security checkpoint, so I’d recommend clearing security here if you’re planning to use the lounge after completing check-in and security screening.
It’s hard to miss the entrance once you’re in National Hall. It’s located right opposite Lucky Buns, and the glass-lined entrance couldn’t be more prominent.
Amex Centurion Lounge DCA access
The new lounge opens daily at 5 a.m. It closes on every day at 9 p.m., except for Saturdays when it closes at 7 p.m.
American Express cardmembers with a Centurion or Platinum-branded card such as The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express have access to Amex Centurion Lounges.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members also get complimentary access to Centurion Lounges when flying on a Delta-marketed or -operated flight.
You can’t purchase Centurion Lounge access even if you carry another American Express card.
Note that Centurion Lounge guest policies changed last year to clamp down on overcrowding.
Platinum cardmembers cannot bring complimentary guests into the lounge unless they meet a new $75,000 annual spending requirement on their cards. Otherwise, you’ll pay $50 per adult guest and $30 per child (ages 2-17). Children under two can enter for free. Centurion and Corporate Platinum cardmembers can continue to bring up to two complimentary guests into the lounge.
For more about accessing the Centurion Lounge network, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide.
Amex Centurion Lounge DCA layout
The new Amex lounge is located on a newly constructed upper level to the departures hall.
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After entering the space, you’ll need to either take an elevator or climb about 50 stairs to reach the reception desk.
From the moment you enter the space, it’s unmistakably a Centurion Lounge. Between the wood tones, the green living wall and the signature Amex scent, the issuer brought all of its flagship Centurion Lounge elements to the space.
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After you’re admitted to the lounge, you’ll turn left and enter the various relaxation areas. The first, located just next to the welcome desk, is a pseudo art gallery featuring pieces crafted by local Washington, D.C.., artists. I particularly loved Maggie O’Neill’s colorful canvas depicting the Capital Building.
The gallery is bookended by a beautiful rendition of the Amex signature watchdog that’s found in every Centurion Lounge. This piece, however, is an updated take on the historical Amex logo and beautifully blends in with the space.
Lining the halls of the gallery are some couches and individual chairs.
As you walk past the gallery, you can continue straight into more of the traditional lounge seating. Here, you’ll find a mix of couches and reclining chairs — all in the same dark blue and deep grey tones that you’ll find across Amex’s newest Centurion Lounges.
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There are also some chairs lining the perimeter of this rectangular relaxation area.
As you reach the end of the lounge, you’ll find two open-style living rooms. The first is more of an entertainment area with a TV built into Amex’s signature library wall.
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Behind this library wall is the second living room area; this one likely will be popular with business travelers.
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There’s a long coworking table here, along with bar-style high-top seating lining the perimeter of the space, perfect for those looking to catch up on work. This is also where you’ll find the lounge’s shared printer.
One thing that I particularly appreciate throughout the lounge is all of the natural light — the lounge has windows on all sides, providing copious amounts of light throughout the day.
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Finally, there’s a small dedicated lounge area reserved for those with the Centurion card, Amex’s invite-only charge card that’s popular with the rich and famous. This area has no more than 15 seats, but it’s cordoned off and looks like it’ll be the most relaxing in the entire lounge.
All in all, this new Centurion Lounge looks just like most of Amex’s other Centurion Lounges. This isn’t a one-of-a-kind space like the newly opened outpost in Atlanta, but it covers all the basics (and more) in a relaxing and inviting environment.
Amex Centurion Lounge DCA dining
Though the lounge itself may resemble other Centurion Lounges, Amex is debuting a unique dining concept in this lounge.
The menu is designed in partnership with three award-winning chefs who have partnered with other Centurion Lounges nationwide. These include Chef Michelle Bernstein, Chef Ravi Kapur, and Chef Michael Solomonov, all of whom have incredibly successful restaurants in Miami, San Francisco and Philadelphia, respectively.
With this trio, travelers will be able to enjoy a wide range of cuisines on the lounge’s all-day buffet. As with all Centurion Lounges (and unlike the Capital One Lounge and Chase Sapphire Lounge), there is no a la carte dining here.
That said, the dishes that I tried at the media preview were all delicious, especially the Shabazi-spiced salmon.
I’m personally a big fan of Chef Solomonov’s Zahav restaurant in Philly, so getting to sample some of his creations in another Amex lounge is a big win in my book (especially given how hard it is to snag a reservation at his flagship restaurant).
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At the bar, you can order from the cocktail menu curated by Centurion Lounge mixologist Jim Meehan or from the wine list designed by Anthony Giglio, the issuer’s wine director. Amex always invests in offering a pretty extensive and elevated drink list, and this lounge is no exception.
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In addition to the buffet and signature bar, there are two drink stations located throughout the lounge. Here, you’ll find Eversys coffee machines, Vivreau water taps and even some delectable chocolate chip cookies.
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While the culinary experience is highlighted by delicious food and drinks, you definitely don’t want to miss taking a glance at the dining room, which has a beautiful light fixture hanging from the ceiling. This fixture is a collection of 260 lanterns that are designed to resemble the topography of the Potomac River.
There aren’t many tables in the dining room, though, so during peak periods, I imagine guests will need to take their plates to other areas of the lounge.
Amex Centurion Lounge DCA amenities
Although this space doesn’t offer a spa or an outdoor terrace, it does have all the basics covered (and then some).
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There is one phone booth and one meeting room in the lounge. They are soundproof, and they feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows. I love the design of the walls in these rooms.
Instead of a family room, the lounge features a multipurpose room, which can be used by families and those traveling together as a group. This space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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There is one set of restrooms in the center of the lounge. The men’s room features three stalls and a few urinals.
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There’s even a shower in the lounge, located just next to the reception desk. Be sure to reserve a time with the front desk when you enter.
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The shower suite is beautiful and look like it might just be the single nicest shower in the airport. After all, it wins by default because it’s the first shower available to travelers at DCA.
Most seats are within an arm’s reach of power outlets and USB-A ports. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any USB-C charging ports here, despite this rapidly becoming the new charging standard.
Wi-Fi is available throughout the space, and download and upload speeds topped a whopping 300 Mbps.
Amex Centurion Lounge DCA bottom line
The long-awaited Centurion Lounge in Washington, D.C., is finally here.
This is DCA’s first credit card-branded lounge, and it sets a very high bar. With plenty of space to relax, delicious food and drinks and thoughtful amenities, expect the location to be a hit with travelers. (So much so that I’d imagine overcrowding will unfortunately be a reality during peak departure windows.)
While this space might not feature special amenities like a spa or outdoor terrace, it fits the bill for what Amex’s top cardmembers passing through DCA likely need most.
As long as you can find a place to relax, this lounge is certainly worth a visit. I, for one, will certainly be back for Chef Solomonov’s salmon.
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The expanded funding aims to make college more affordable for thousands of D.C. students, continuing a program that has already helped nearly 40,000 graduates pursue degrees nationwide.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser went back to school on Thursday. She headed to the gym at Coolidge High School in Northwest to make an announcement that could make college more affordable for eligible D.C. high school students.
Standing at the podium in front of a vibrant mural in the gymnasium, Bowser told the students, “A few weeks ago we got some good news from the United States Congress!”
“Even they can get it right sometimes!” she added.
The news from Capitol Hill was that funding for the 25-year-old D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant program, or DCTAG, has been increased, something Bowser said she’s been working toward for 10 years.
Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, the maximum annual award for students who apply and qualify for the grants will go from $10,000 a year to as much as $15,000, and the overall cap increases from $50,000 to $75,000.
“These are real dollars guys, a real $15,000!” Bowser told the students. “This year alone, 4,500 students were approved for DCTAG, and that’s the highest number that we’ve had in the last five years.”
Since DCTAG was established, Bowser said nearly 40,000 D.C. high school students were serviced through the program, attaining degrees at more than 400 colleges across the country.
Among those who benefited from the DCTAG program was Arturo Evans, a local business owner who grew up in Ward 7 and graduated from D.C.’s Cesar Chavez Public Charter School.
Speaking to the Coolidge students, Evans explained that as a high school student, he didn’t know if his dreams would ever come true.
“Do your homework, go to class, be on time, listen to your teachers,” he said. “Do not let your current situation determine who you can be tomorrow.”
Evans said without the grant money available in the DCTAG program his college prospects would have been “very limited.”
“I probably would have stayed local, probably would have had to go to a community college,” he said.
But he told WTOP, since he applied for and received grant money through the program, “TAG was able to pave the way for me to go ahead and achieve my dreams and go to my dream school,” at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
While he was at UNLV, Evans said his mother’s illness meant he had to return to the District to help care for her. But thanks to help from his DCTAG adviser, he was able to complete his degree before becoming the CEO of his own D.C.-based business.
Among the Coolidge students attending the event was senior Victoria Evans (no relation to the speaker Arturo Evans), who also was in the DCTAG program and serves as the Command Sergeant Major of the Coolidge Junior Army ROTC.
Victoria Evans said she hopes to study medicine, and explained, “I found out about DCTAG through my school counselors and my college and career coordinators.”
Asked about the application process, she said, “It’s not hard at all. I would definitely say go and get the money they’re providing.”
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton pushed to establish the funding when she introduced the D.C. College Access Act, which passed Congress in 1999. It was designed to address the fact that, since D.C. doesn’t have a state university system, D.C. students had limited access to in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
WASHINGTON (7News) — More than six months into the federal law enforcement surge in the District, questions remain about how the Metropolitan Police Department’s level of involvement in joint operations and what information the department tracks to ensure accountability.
Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D – Ward 2), chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, held an oversight hearing of three public safety agencies on Wednesday, including MPD.
The bulk of the 10.5-hour meeting focused on testimony from concerned residents and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll about the police department.
“Interim Chief Carroll’s testimony provided a clearer sense of how the federal surge of officers is managed overall; however, many questions still remain regarding the ongoing investigations into the three federal agency involved shootings and how and where deployment decisions are being made and which agencies are handling arrests,” Pinto said in a statement to 7News.
At the same time, more residents are raising alarms about federal agencies responding to 911 calls. Carroll said it is not new for agencies such as the U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Secret Service to respond to those calls, but residents are concerned that other agencies are reportedly starting to show up as well.
SEE ALSO | DC Council committee holds oversight hearing on MPD
“When we say law enforcement in DC in 2026, who are we talking about, who’s there, what are they doing, what limits and regulations and oversight are they beholden to, and what recourse do residents have?” Bethany Young, director of policy at DC Justice Lab, told 7News.
“If you call 911, MPD is showing up,” Carroll testified Wednesday. “Can other agencies hear those calls that have those radio channels? Absolutely, they can. But MPD is being dispatched a call and MPD is responding.”
“You see now the uneasiness of some people calling for help,” Councilmember Christina Henderson (I – At-Large), responded to Carroll. “No, I definitely understand,” Carroll replied. “I’m not saying it’s a situation that we want to be in or where we want to be, but I want to make sure that we’re transparent and clear on what the state is right now. That’s what the state is.”
Requests for comment were sent to the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office and the mayor’s office about Carroll’s testimony. The mayor did not make herself available for questions at a public event on Thursday.
Washington, D.C
DC Courts create new pathway for people without lawyers to get legal help – WTOP News
Nonlawyers who receive training will now be able to help with civil matters in D.C., as part of a new order issued by D.C. Courts that expands access to legal assistance.
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DC Courts create new pathway for people without lawyers to get legal help
Nonlawyers who receive training will now be able to help with civil matters in D.C., as part of a new order issued by D.C. Courts earlier this month that expands access to legal assistance for people without an attorney.
The rule, scheduled to take effect in April, creates a framework for Community Justice Workers, or nonlawyers who are supervised and trained to offer limited legal assistance through a partnership with legal services organizations.
The step comes after a yearslong assessment into the possible role for nonlawyers in offering certain types of legal help to D.C. residents.
As of 2017, 97% of plaintiffs in paternity and child support cases, and in small estate matters, represent themselves in D.C. Superior Court, according to a 2025 report from the District of Columbia Courts Civil Legal Regulatory Reform Task Force.
“We are facing an extraordinary need,” said Nancy Drane, executive director of D.C.’s Access to Justice Commission. “There are thousands of District residents who are not getting the legal help they need.”
The Community Justice Worker model could be compared to seeing a nurse practitioner in a doctor’s office. Ariel Levinson-Waldman, director of nonprofit Tzedek D.C., said someone who goes through a supervised program would be able to provide help, “just like your nurse practitioner does.”
Tzedek D.C. offers pro bono legal help and financial counseling. But, Levinson-Waldman said, there are thousands of people who are eligible for their services and the work of similar providers, and only a select few are available to help.
“Many of the court’s high-volume dockets are cases where the individual D.C. resident is not getting any help,” he said. “This effort, we saw that as a way to change that, to bring more people into opportunities for access to justice, to bring more resources to the problem.”
Whether it be divorce, custody cases, small claims or child support cases, the stakes are high.
Without an attorney or someone who can help in some way, cases often go “less well than it would have. It impacts their family, their future, their finances, sometimes access to the custody of their children,” Levinson-Waldman said.
In some instances, Drane said people experiencing issues such as eviction or family conflict navigate cases without help from a lawyer because legal help is expensive. Free legal service groups have limited capacities and budgets.
Under the Community Justice Worker model, organizations could either train their own staffs to help or partner with community nonprofits.
“What this would mean, practically, is that we will have more helpers in the community who are trained and authorized to provide certain types of legal help,” Drane said. “The real beauty of Community Justice Workers is that they receive what I would call ‘bite-sized training for bite-sized tasks.’”
Karen Dale, market president and CEO of AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia, said people “need assistance, they need support. Having someone by your side to help you navigate with a level of specificity, get you to the right resources in a timely way, should be able to help less lives and families and communities get derailed.”
The approach, Levinson-Waldman said, will provide a formal way for “public spirited” volunteers to help their neighbors.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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