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If you’ve visited an American Airlines Admirals Club recently, you’ll know what we mean when we say the lounges are on the sterile side and don’t stack up all that well against the spaces that the other airlines provide their passengers.
All that’s about to change, however. American Airlines has announced that it will be redesigning its Admirals Club lounges — and the new designs look stunning.
Let’s get into all the details!
American is starting its Admirals Club overhaul with one of the airports in the nation’s capital — Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport (DCA).
If you’re familiar with the airport, there are currently 2 Admirals Clubs — a legacy (pre-merger) AA lounge and a former US Airways lounge.
Opening in the airport’s new regional terminal will be the third, all-new Admirals Club, primarily positioned to serve customers departing on one of the airline’s regional flights operated by smaller jets.
Following the opening of the Reagan Airport club, there will be renovated lounges opening in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Denver International Airport (DEN), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
The current design concept for the Admirals Club network was introduced just after the merger between US Airways and American Airlines, around 2013. The template has been widely panned by customers as being sterile, bland, and not unique to the airline or the cities in which the clubs are found.
More recently, both Delta and United have introduced design concepts for their lounge networks. And both far surpass the concept that American introduced almost a decade ago.
It’s certainly time for Admirals Clubs to get a refresh, and thankfully the new design concept looks far more high-end, less sterile, and much more competitive with its peers.
The new Admirals Club design is meant to provide a “coming home” feeling for flyers. It was designed by Chicago-based architectural firm DMAC Architecture & Interiors.
The new clubs will feature nods to local landscapes and landmarks that better reflect the cities in which they’re found; calming, cozy, and high-end design touches; and sustainability thanks to the use of renewable materials.
Hot Tip: Find out all you need to know about American Airlines Admirals Clubs, including locations, opening hours, and more in our complete guide!
While we’re thrilled to see American re-work the physical aspects of its airport lounges, the so-called “soft product,” which includes things like food and service, is also essential to operating a great airport lounge. Unfortunately, American tends to be at the bottom of the pack compared to Alaska, Delta, and United here in the U.S.
The food offering has been very limited, especially when you compare that to the full buffets Delta has introduced in its newest lounges. Along with the beautiful new spaces, American will need to introduce new food and beverage offerings to keep the product competitive.
The upcoming redesign for the Admirals Club network is modern, functional, and much more appealing design-wise compared to what American currently offers.
We can’t wait to see the new Admirals Club at DCA as soon as it opens, and are equally excited that the airline has plans to renovate existing lounges!
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