American Express to open new airport lounge concept Sidecar inspired by a speakeasy
The demand for pre-flight airport lounge access has continually exploded in popularity post-pandemic, and with an influx of overcrowding and limitations to control the chaos, American Express is rolling out a new concept that could solve that for cardholders on a time crunch hoping to utilize such perks.
1st look at chef José Andrés' new restaurant concept made for travelers
What to know about new airport lounge concept Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge
The new speakeasy-inspired airport lounge concept announced by American Express on Tuesday is designed for eligible Card Members who are seeking a quick bite or drink before they board their flight.
"Many of our visitors spend less than an hour in our Lounges, and we've created Sidecar specifically for them," said Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel. "The first Centurion Lounge opened in Las Vegas in 2013, so it's fitting that we're launching this new lounge concept at LAS as we continue to innovate to meet our Card Members' needs."
The new intimate space is set to open in 2026 and will make American Express the only credit card issuer with two lounges at LAS.
Access will be complimentary for members who currently have access to The Centurion Lounge Network, including Platinum Card Members.
Guests will be able to utilize Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge within 90 minutes before their departure flight.
What's on the new Culinary Collective menus by The Centurion Lounge
Amex also announced a new lineup of talent, adding James Beard Award-winning expertise to the network of airport lounge menus to create The Culinary Collective, which includes chef Mashama Bailey from The Grey in Savannah; Sarah Grueneberg, chef-partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago; Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana fame in New York and Dōgon in Washington, D.C.; and Mike Solomonov from the highly celebrated Zahav in Philadelphia.
Harrison Ginsberg, master mixologist and renowned bar director of acclaimed New York City cocktail bar Overstory, adds his expertise behind the bar with craft cocktails inspired by all four chefs' dishes coming to the in-lounge menus starting later this month.
"With help from our Resy chef partners, we've brought together a group of some of the most exciting culinary minds in America to create incredible menus, available all in one place for the first time ever," Hendley said. "You'd be lucky to make it to each of their celebrated restaurants across the country, but now visitors to our Centurion Lounges will be able sample dishes created by these chefs."
Onwuachi's dishes will include Suya Short Ribs and Tamarind Ice Box Cake.
Examples of dishes from Bailey include gluten-friendly Paprika Chicken as well as a torched Espresso Crème Brûlée.
Dishes diners can potentially expect from Solomonov include Pomegranate Glazed Salmon topped with Tabbouleh, as well as Charred Broccolini with Kashkaval Cheese and Lemon.
Grueneberg's dishes will include vegan Lemony Orzo with Artichokes and Dill, as well as a Grilled Corn and Cucumber Salad with Avocado and Cilantro Salsa Verde.
Ginsberg's elevated and imaginative cocktails will include The Centurion, a vodka-based drink with yuzu, soda and lime that has a touch of sweetness, plus a non-alcoholic option, The Green Tea Tonic, made with green tea, lemon, grapefruit and a botanical non-alcoholic spirit.
The dishes from the Culinary Collective will make up nearly half of the menu at the U.S. lounges and will rotate seasonally and vary by lounge.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Only 34% of Americans Feel On Track For Retirement. Here Are 3 Stocks to Buy Now and Hold For Decades.
Key Points Amazon's flexibility is the source of its competitive edge, and the reason it can continue growing indefinitely. Uber Technologies is plugged into a major societal shift that could fuel big growth well into the distant future. American Express' business is more -- and more resilient -- than it seems on the surface. 10 stocks we like better than Amazon › Is your retirement nest egg where it needs to be right now? That is to say, is it big enough at this stage of your life to ensure it will be big enough then? Most Americans don't think theirs is. Although most people are saving something, as data from The Motley Fool's in-house research arm highlights, only 34% of Americans feel like they're actually on track for the comfortable retirement they're envisioning for themselves. The other 66% fear their golden years are going to be underfunded. If you're one of the 66%, although you can't go back in time and change the past, you can change your current growth trajectory by owning more of the right growth stocks. Here's a closer look at three such names that could beef up the returns on your retirement savings. Amazon Yes, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is a frequently recommended trade. It's almost a cliché, in fact. The stock's also one of the market's most reliable long-term performers, with a future that's just as bright as its brilliant past. Amazon is not only one of the stock market's biggest companies in terms of market cap, it is the top name in North American e-commerce. Numbers from Digital Commerce 360 indicate that Amazon consistently controls roughly 40% of the continent's ever-growing online shopping industry. While its overseas reach isn't nearly as wide, its international arm is now at least reliably operationally profitable as well, thanks to several years of steady growth. Yet, e-commerce isn't Amazon's breadwinning business. Although it only accounts for about 16% of its total top line, its cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services, produces on the order of 60% of the company's total earnings. The growth of both types of business has produced consistent double-digit sales growth for years, which is expected to remain firm for least several more. Amazon's peer-beating growth rate could actually last indefinitely for one overarching reason. That's Amazon's ability and willingness to adapt -- or even enter new lines of business -- as merited. Think about it. This company hasn't always been in the cloud computing business. That arm wasn't launched until 2006. Amazon Prime didn't exist until 2005. Even its most basic e-commerce operation has evolved since its infancy. While the website still looks about the same as it did years ago, it's now being monetized as an advertising medium more so than an e-commerce platform. Amazon collected more than $56 billion worth of high-margin ad revenue from its sellers last year, in exchange for featuring their goods. For perspective, that's more operating profit than its domestic and international e-commerce arms produced on a combined basis. There's every reason to believe Amazon can and will remain a growth monster well into the distant future. Uber Technologies Ride-hailing outfit Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) isn't just catching on with consumers. It's tapped into a massive sociocultural shift. That's the fading interest in car ownership in favor of using alternative forms of personal mobility (like ride-hailing). Data from the Federal Highway Administration puts things in perspective, highlighting how the number of licensed U.S. drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 has fallen from 65% as of 1995 to only about one-third now. That's just part of a much bigger paradigm. More and more people are never getting their license at any age. Then again, why would they become licensed drivers if they're less and less likely to own a car to drive? While older drivers remain relatively interested in ownership of a vehicle, data from a recent survey performed by Deloitte indicates that 44% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 would be willing to not own their own car. This disinterest is growing as time marches on, pointing not just to changing preferences, but a major societal shift as to what constitutes "normal" mobility options. Uber Technologies' results have long reflected its role in this shift. Revenue growth in the mid-teens is the norm now, and likely to remain the norm for a long while as individual car ownership continues to decline. An outlook from Straits Research suggests that the worldwide ride-hailing and taxi market is poised to grow at an average annualized pace of more than 11% through 2033, although this pace of progress could last far longer than that. The kicker: People are quickly falling in love with the idea of same-day delivery of online purchases too, which Uber now also offers. On a constant-currency basis, Uber's delivery revenue grew 22% to nearly $3.8 billion in the first quarter of this year, and now accounts for a little over 30% of the company's total top line. American Express Finally, add American Express (NYSE: AXP) to your list of stocks you can -- and arguably should -- buy and hold for decades in your retirement account. Ostensibly it's a credit card outfit, in the same vein as Visa and Mastercard. There are certainly plenty of similarities between the three companies. There are also a couple of critical distinguishing factors, however. Whereas Visa and Mastercard only manage payment networks and charge a modest fee for each purchase they facilitate, American Express manages its own payment network in addition to being the credit card issuer itself. This is no trivial detail, either. This much control of the purchase and payment process means serious operational savings. Perhaps the more important factor at work here, however, is the fact that American Express isn't as much of a credit card middleman as it is an operator of a perks and rewards program that just so happens to be built around credit cards. Some people are willing to pay up to $695 per year just to be able to access private airport lounges, enjoy discounted hotel stays, and receive credit toward entertainment purchases and ride-hailing services (and more). This makes American Express cards particularly appealing to a more affluent crowd that's less likely to curtail their spending or fail to make payments when economic headwinds constrict personal budgets. That's a nuance that the company's management wasn't shy about highlighting following April's release of its first-quarter results. You'll probably never see double-digit growth from American Express. You certainly haven't in the recent or not-so-recent past! You will, however, see persistent revenue and profit growth supporting consistent dividend growth and stock buybacks, which quietly add value in their own often-overlooked way. That's how an investment in this stock has easily beaten the performance of the S&P 500 over the course of the past 30 years, when reinvesting the dividends it's paid since then. Should you invest $1,000 in Amazon right now? Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $652,133!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,056,790!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,048% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Mastercard, Uber Technologies, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Only 34% of Americans Feel On Track For Retirement. Here Are 3 Stocks to Buy Now and Hold For Decades. was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
No signs of consumer rot in US markets — for now
I have spent this earnings season doing three things. First, I am putting the new Yahoo Finance earnings call player through its paces. This is a great new feature on our platform, which you can access from the top of the company's ticker page during the earnings call. Second, I tried some new energy drinks I recently found at the Vitamin Shoppe. Always looking for that personal edge. And third, I'm hunting for signs of "consumer rot" to support a view that the stock market has gotten ahead of itself. I haven't found any, hence helping to explain why stocks are at records. As goes the US consumer, so goes the economy, and so goes the stock market! Or so I was told by my former boss 20 years ago during an office all-nighter. "I think people just want to live their lives, and that's what they're doing. I mean you're seeing a little less air travel, obviously, but people are still spending, and they are still traveling," American Express (AXP) CEO Stephen Squeri told me by phone on Friday. This came after the company posted a big second quarter and left its full-year outlook unchanged. Amex saw record card spending in the quarter. I continue to marvel at the strength of Amex every quarter, but maybe I shouldn't — it's one of Warren Buffett's oldest and most storied investments, right behind cane sugar soda-selling Coca-Cola (KO). Elsewhere, consumer rot is failing to pop up. Netflix (NFLX) called out "healthy member growth" as the key driver of its better-than-expected growth in the second quarter and guidance lift. The company has raised prices, and yet consumers haven't even blinked. Bring on "Happy Gilmore 2" on July 25! PepsiCo (PEP) CEO Ramon Laguarta told me by phone this week that consumers are responding to more affordable package sizes for beverages and snacks. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of consumer health, but shoppers seemed to be shunning those more affordable sizes last quarter. June retail sales data came in better than expected. I liked that the gains were dispersed across general merchandise stores and personal care stores. United Airlines (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby slipped in this comment on his earnings call this week: "Demand was weak for the last five months due to high levels of uncertainty for both businesses and consumers. I'm sure that's not a shocking thesis, but in the past few weeks, the level of uncertainty has declined. The tax situation is settled after the reconciliation bill passed. The geopolitical situation in the Middle East appears to have stabilized. And while tariffs are not yet certain, I think the market and most businesses have a much better read on how they'll manage in a narrower range of outcomes." "And encouragingly, that higher level of certainty has translated into a meaningful inflection point in demand," he added. For now, consumers appear to be handling tariff-related pricing hikes in stride. Surprising? Sure. But it's happening. "In the simplest language, the pig is coming through the python, but it's taking a lot longer to absorb the pig here. And maybe the negative effects of that trade war shock that we all have worried so much about, it's just going to take longer to play out," Apollo chief economist Torsten Sløk told me. (Disclosure: Yahoo Finance is owned by Apollo Global Management.) "The remarkable resilience of the economy that we've seen, especially here in the last few weeks, just continues to be very positive and very good," he said. Bottom line: As long as the consumer isn't rotting away, it will be hard to answer the phone calls of the bears. Trek on, bulls... for now. Yahoo Finance's Invest conference is coming up! Join me and the Yahoo Finance newsroom for our annual Invest conference, taking place in New York City, Nov. 12-13. The early list of speakers has been posted! And I can tell you from being in the trenches on this one, more market-moving folks will be added very soon. Come get up close and personal with them! And hey, come snap a pic with me too. Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
No signs of consumer rot in US markets — for now
I have spent this earnings season doing three things. First, I am putting the new Yahoo Finance earnings call player through its paces. This is a great new feature on our platform, which you can access from the top of the company's ticker page during the earnings call. Second, I tried some new energy drinks I recently found at the Vitamin Shoppe. Always looking for that personal edge. And third, I'm hunting for signs of "consumer rot" to support a view that the stock market has gotten ahead of itself. I haven't found any, hence helping to explain why stocks are at records. As goes the US consumer, so goes the economy, and so goes the stock market! Or so I was told by my former boss 20 years ago during an office all-nighter. "I think people just want to live their lives, and that's what they're doing. I mean you're seeing a little less air travel, obviously, but people are still spending, and they are still traveling," American Express (AXP) CEO Stephen Squeri told me by phone on Friday. This came after the company posted a big second quarter and left its full-year outlook unchanged. Amex saw record card spending in the quarter. I continue to marvel at the strength of Amex every quarter, but maybe I shouldn't — it's one of Warren Buffett's oldest and most storied investments, right behind cane sugar soda-selling Coca-Cola (KO). Elsewhere, consumer rot is failing to pop up. Netflix (NFLX) called out "healthy member growth" as the key driver of its better-than-expected growth in the second quarter and guidance lift. The company has raised prices, and yet consumers haven't even blinked. Bring on "Happy Gilmore 2" on July 25! PepsiCo (PEP) CEO Ramon Laguarta told me by phone this week that consumers are responding to more affordable package sizes for beverages and snacks. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of consumer health, but shoppers seemed to be shunning those more affordable sizes last quarter. June retail sales data came in better than expected. I liked that the gains were dispersed across general merchandise stores and personal care stores. United Airlines (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby slipped in this comment on his earnings call this week: "Demand was weak for the last five months due to high levels of uncertainty for both businesses and consumers. I'm sure that's not a shocking thesis, but in the past few weeks, the level of uncertainty has declined. The tax situation is settled after the reconciliation bill passed. The geopolitical situation in the Middle East appears to have stabilized. And while tariffs are not yet certain, I think the market and most businesses have a much better read on how they'll manage in a narrower range of outcomes." "And encouragingly, that higher level of certainty has translated into a meaningful inflection point in demand," he added. For now, consumers appear to be handling tariff-related pricing hikes in stride. Surprising? Sure. But it's happening. "In the simplest language, the pig is coming through the python, but it's taking a lot longer to absorb the pig here. And maybe the negative effects of that trade war shock that we all have worried so much about, it's just going to take longer to play out," Apollo chief economist Torsten Sløk told me. (Disclosure: Yahoo Finance is owned by Apollo Global Management.) "The remarkable resilience of the economy that we've seen, especially here in the last few weeks, just continues to be very positive and very good," he said. Bottom line: As long as the consumer isn't rotting away, it will be hard to answer the phone calls of the bears. Trek on, bulls... for now. Yahoo Finance's Invest conference is coming up! Join me and the Yahoo Finance newsroom for our annual Invest conference, taking place in New York City, Nov. 12-13. The early list of speakers has been posted! And I can tell you from being in the trenches on this one, more market-moving folks will be added very soon. Come get up close and personal with them! And hey, come snap a pic with me too. Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email
