American Express Centurion Lounge

Closed through 2027, the American Express Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3 is off the board for now.

The main Centurion space sits in Terminal 3 but is shut for a full rebuild, with guides like Upgraded Points calling out a reopening “after 2027.” For practical purposes, treat it as gone for several years and plan around the temporary American Express setup in Terminal 2 near gate D12 instead.

This Terminal 3 lounge is a credit card lounge, normally accessible to Amex Platinum and Centurion cardholders plus limited guests, but card access means nothing while the doors stay locked. Every current SFO lounge map still lists it under Terminal 3, often with a “closed through 2027” tag, which causes confusion if you just follow signage from the United concourses.

With this space offline, passenger flow shifts: Amex cardholders now gravitate to the temporary Centurion in Terminal 2 and to The Club SFO in Terminal 1, increasing crowding in both. FlyerTalk threads from 2023–2024 repeatedly mention the Terminal 3 closure when people compare Priority Pass, airline clubs, and Amex options on United-heavy itineraries.

Expect zero food, showers, or bar access from Amex in Terminal 3 itself until construction finishes sometime after 2027. If you land at a United gate in the E or F pier and walk over on autopilot, you’ll just find a closed listing in the lounge directory and no staffed check-in desk behind security.

Regular Amex users now reroute themselves through Terminal 2 whenever possible, timing connections so they can pop into the temporary Centurion near D12 instead of wandering Terminal 3. Others shift spend and time to United Clubs in Terminal 3 or The Club SFO in Terminal 1, especially on longer layovers of 2–3 hours.

Watch out for old blog posts or 2019-era reviews that still talk about the Terminal 3 Centurion food spread, bar program, or seating; all of that is outdated as of the 2027 construction window. If your boarding pass and airline keep you in Terminal 3, build in 15–20 extra minutes to walk over to T2 airside via the connector for the temporary Amex space.

Practical tip: on United itineraries, pad your layover to at least 90 minutes if you want to leave Terminal 3 and reach the Terminal 2 Centurion near D12, then walk back in time for boarding.