Greetings from Las Vegas.

We didn’t book a trip to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas just to visit the Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge that so many frequent travelers have been raving about.

But we get why folks with certain American Express credit cards might be doing just that.

Amex opened the vey first Centurion Lounge at LAS back in March, 2013. Located in Terminal 1 on the D Concourse, that lounge has capacity for about 175 people, is open from 5 am until 11 pm and can get quite crowded.

The new speakeasy-style Sidecar lounge is nearby that first Centurion lounge, is open from 8 am to 10 pm and is a world away in terms size, style, attitude and approach.

Opened in March 2026, the Sidecar lounge has just 33 seats between the bar and the initmate tables that, for the most part, accommodate just one or two people.

And while guests may access other lounges up to 3 hours before their flight, at the Sidecar lounge access is permitted just 90 minutes before a flight.

At the Sidecar lounge, there’s no wandering around looking for an empty seat.

If you qualify for entry with the right Amex card and a seat is available when you walk up (or if your name reaches the top of the digital waitlist), a staff member will escort you from the check-in desk to an assigned seat. Just like at a fine restaurant.

No serve yourself buffets here either

Guests order food and drinks via a QR code or from a printed menu that features a curated list of small plates and a rotating list of chef specials that are prepared to order.

There’s a full bar, of course, and a delightful list of craft cocktails and wines.

Our invitation was for a mid-week on-arrival visit (to leave coveted spots open for weekend travelers) and without a flight to catch we took our time to nibble our way through the lunch menu.

We sipped on a couple of Sidecar cocktails and a Day Spa mocktail made with cucumber, ginger and lime.

And we ate a mini lobster roll, a Chicky Chicky Parm Parm Slider and a Mini Charcuterie Plate made meat-free by request.

For dessert, we had a petite panna cotta-like Meyer Lemon Posset accompanied by strong coffee in a large cup. The Seattle coffee-snob in our group give both the coffee and cup size two thumbs up.

If were invited back to the Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge at LAS, we’d test out the Avacado Toast, the Acai Breakfast Bowl and/or the Mushroom and Mustard Green Egg Bites offered during breakfast hours.

But, really, we’d just love to come back to chill with a glass of wine or a bartender-suggested cocktail (like the Sidecar with rye instead of cognac) in this “I can’t believe this is in an airport” space.

Another Sidecar in the pipeline

The day after our visit, American Express announced expansion plans for its 32-location lounge network.

On the list: a second Sidecar lounge that will open in 2027 at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). This new Sidecar will have everything the LAS Sidecar lounge has, plus a Blue Roast Coffee Bar.

Amex also plans a greatly expanded Centurion Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – with an walk-up ice cream window – set to open in 2027 and a two-story Centurion Lounge with an outdoor terrace at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) set to open in 2029.

Thanks for visiting Stuck at the Airport. Subscribe to get daily travel tidbits. And follow me on Twitter at @hbaskas and Instagram.