Mexico City International Airport, also known as Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), is located eight miles east of the city center. Below I outline the very best Priority Pass lounges at Mexico City airport.
Mexico City International Airport is Latin America’s second-busiest airport (after Sao Paolo, Brazil, and we have reviewed the best airport lounges in Sao Paulo too). Mexico airport has two terminals, 1 and 2, which are connected by airtrain and buses.
Terminal 1 is the largest terminal in America and is split into areas 1, 2, and 3. Gates in this terminal run from 1 to 36 and there is both an International and a domestic area. If you are flying on the following airlines, you will be flying out of Terminal 1; Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air France, Alaska, Alitalia, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways, China Southern, Cubana, Hainan, Iberia, Interjet, JetBlue, LATAM, Lufthansa, Southwest, United, VivaAerobus, Volaris, WestJet and Wingo. Terminal 1 is close to four hotels: Camino Real, Courtyard by Marriot, and Fiesta Inn by Fiesta Americana and Hilton. The Courtyard by Marriot is a great choice and features in our best Marriott hotels in Mexico City.
Terminal 2 has 2 halls: K and H. Hall K has gates from 52 to 62 and Hall M has gates from 62 to 75 (+ gate 75). You are likely to be using terminal 2 if you are flying Aeromar, Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect, Copa, or Delta. Terminal 2 is close to NH Hotel.
Once you arrive in Mexico City, we have reviewed the best hotel executive club lounges in Mexico City and the best luxury hotels in Mexico City.
Free Airport Lounge Access
If you have not paid for Business Class or First Class, you can still access lounges in Mexico City airport for a fee or for free if you have a Priority Pass. Get an unlimited Priority Pass with the Amex Platinum card, or you can also access most Priority Pass lounges for free using the free American Express Gold with its two free Lounge Club passes. To get extra referral points and advice on these free-lounge-access cards and more, have a read of our best credit cards for luxury travel.
Mexico Terminal 1 is equipped with the following Priority Pass lounges:
1. Grand Lounge Elite
The Grand Lounge at Mexico City airport is the best lounge at Mexico City Airport if you are using a Priority Pass lounge and. It’s located on the upper level and is open 24/7. Because this lounge is a Priority Pass lounge, American Express Platinum Card holders get unlimited free access. This is a really nice lounge with decent food. In fact, this is a Priority Pass lounge to look forward to rather than dread.
This is an unusual-looking airport lounge with blue and red seating on a navy carpet. Some of the walls are covered with (fake?) greenery and there are all sorts of plants growing out of pots. There are also sleep booths and there’s a bar area with free soft and alcoholic drinks.
The buffet here is fine if a little uninspiring, with chips, dips, hot dogs, and sandwiches (what looked to be fresh tuna and mayonnaise and ham and cheese) along with cut fruit and bread. The good news is that there is also a table a la carte menu, which is also free, and all this free food is included with your Priority Pass. There are also hot dishes like fully loaded burritos, pasta arrabbiata, and tacos with pork. Overall, this excellent selection of food along with the cans of soft drinks in the fridges makes the overall food and drink offering in this lounge very good, particularly for a Priority Pass lounge.
2. Avianca Lounge
The Avianca lounge is run by Global Lounge rather than the airline Avianca. This is one of three Priority Pass lounges in Mexico City Airport Terminal 1, the others being the Grand Lounge and Lounge 19. There are views to the tarmac from this lounge, but because it’s on the ground floor, the views aren’t very special at all.
This lounge is fairly foul looking, like a 1990’s office, but it has what you need in terms of TVs, newspapers, soft and alcoholic drinks, snacks. The food is some mangy sandwiches, bread and a bowl of salad and a bowl of fruit. Not great! This can also be a very busy lounge and because it is basic, this is not one of the best lounges at the airport. If you have a Priority Pass, I would try the Grand Lounge instead.
3. Amex Centurion Club Mexico City
While this is not a Priority pass lounge, if you are flying in Economy and want to access an airport lounge, you can access this lounge for free if you have a Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or a Centurion Amex card. Cardmembers can take two other guests for free and you can have a read of our best credit cards for luxury travel to work out which lounge is best for you.
We usually love an American Express airport lounge. Check out our review of the fantastic American Express lounge at Hong Kong airport. Unfortunately, this Amex Centurion Club Mexico City is not great. This lounge is not stylish and is basically just one large area that reminds me of an airport gate area. This lounge is usually busy with brightly colored seating. The lounge has a business area and a bar area with high stools around the bar (that were full during our visit). The toilet and shower area is nice and there is a spa area where you can enjoy a 15-minute massage for free.
Strangely, there is NO buffet in this lounge and only an a la carte menu that you have to pay for, which is a major fail in my books. The whole point of an airport lounge, beyond offering you a peaceful place to sit, is to provide free food and drinks, or at least free snacks and drinks. The lack of a buffet makes this one of the worst lounges in the airport and a disappointment for Amex cardholders.
4. Lounge 19
This lounge is pretty awful and hardly worth the detour! It’s a small lounge with limited seating, average food, and plenty of alcohol. This 3rd party lounge can be accessed with your Priority Pass, but if you have a Priority Pass, you should instead head to the much better Grand Lounge Elite in terminal 1 as it’s the best Priority Pass lounge at Mexico Airport.
5. Aeromexico Lounge Terminal 2
If you are flying out of Terminal 2, Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport has two Aeromexico lounges in Terminal 2. Both are Priority Pass lounges. The larger is located on the upper level and is dark with minimal lighting making it feel like a bar rather than an airport lounge.
There’s a big round (free) bar with lots of spirits and a complimentary buffet to one side. The food is not overly appealing but there are plenty of soft drinks, water, beer, wine, and liquor. Breakfast has bread, pastries, cereals, juices, cut fruit, and yogurts, but the food quality and variety aren’t great. There is also a lack of hot food. In the lunch buffet, there are lots of veggies with dips, and bowls of nuts, pickled artichokes, and more to add to your salad items. There are a number of metal dishes with sandwiches, beans, and sandwich wraps in, and a big bowl of nuts to accompany the cans of soft drinks and beers in the fridge.
This is one of the best food spreads of any airport lounge in Mexico City Terminal 2, but the toilets can smell bad in this lounge.
6. American Express Centurion Lounge Terminal 2
The American Express Centurion Lounge Terminal 2 at Mexico City International Airport can be found near the Aeromexico Salon Premier on the third level of the terminal. Again, this is not a Priority Pass lounge but it can be accessed with certain American Express cards.
This is not a great Centurion Lounge, and like the Centurion Lounge in Terminal 1, this lounge charges for food. American Express Platinum Cardholders can choose some very basic menu items for free but no complimentary dessert options.
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