American Express announced Wednesday that it will temporarily close all of its Centurion Lounges due to the coronavirus outbreak. All 12 locations worldwide will close this Saturday, March 21. 

“As the health and safety of our Card Members and colleagues is our top priority, in light of the spread of COVID-19 we are temporarily closing all The Centurion® Lounge locations, starting on Saturday, March 21, 2020,” the company said in a statement posted on its website.

It's unclear when the lounges may re-open. 

“American Express will provide notice here and on the Amex Mobile App when locations reopen. We look forward to reopening our lounges and welcoming our Card Members back as soon as we can,” Amex said.

amex centurion lounge coronavirus
Las Vegas Centurion Lounge

 

While this is no time to travel, it's still a tough blow for some of the best airport lounges in the U.S. This outbreak has derailed Centurion Lounges when they've been on a roll, opening three brand new locations so far in 2019: Los Angeles (LAX), Phoenix (PHX), and Charlotte (CLT). More new lounges are supposed to be on the way in Denver (DEN), New York City (JFK), and even London-Heathrow (LHR).

Read our master guide to Amex Centurion Lounges.

Here's the full list of Centurion Lounge locations, all of which are closing down this Saturday:

 

Getting into any of these lounges is one of the best parts of holding the Platinum Card from American Express. You can treat yourself to top-notch cocktails or wine, great meals, and a snazzy (if somewhat overcrowded) setting.

 

Bottom Line

This is the right move from American Express given the dire situation with coronavirus. It's a sign of the times, and ultimately the smallest price to pay. Still, it's hard to see.