Guide to American Airlines Admirals Club

© Courtesy of American Airlines
Courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines is one of the world’s biggest passenger lines, and it’s a popular choice among travelers in the U.S.

If you are a frequent flyer with American Airlines, the Admirals Club is a great way to enhance your flying experience. The American Airlines Admirals Club is a special membership that gives you exclusive access to relaxing lounges, business facilities and premium food or drinks.

© Courtesy of American Airlines
American Airlines Admirals Club

Benefits of American Airlines Admirals Club

Being part of the American Airlines Admirals Club brings a range of benefits that make flying much more than just a simple travel experience. These benefits include:

• Complimentary morning and afternoon snacks
• Made-to-order specialties
• Meals and premium drinks plus fresh coffee
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Satellite television, newspapers and magazines
• Access to business centers
• Shower suites
• Personal travel assistance
• Outlets for charging your devices

Admirals Club vs. Flagship Lounges

While Admirals Clubs offer plenty of great facilities to make flying more relaxing and refreshing, Flagship Lounges are also a great way to experience flying. Flagship Lounges offer many of the benefits of Admiral Clubs plus a few extras, including:

• Premium wine
• Specialty cocktails
• Chef-inspired meals
• Flagship First Dining for international first-class passengers

Unlike Admirals Clubs, Flagship Lounges don’t require you to purchase a membership. To access a Flagship Lounge, you will need to be traveling in either First or Business class on a qualifying flight.

American Airlines Admirals Club rules

There are some rules you will need to abide by when you get an American Airlines Admirals Club membership.

• Professional dress code: Clothing and conduct must be appropriate for a professional environment.
• Quiet environment: Members must respect the quiet environment of Admirals Club lounges and take any disruptive children out of the club. Talking on speakerphones is also prohibited and you must wear headphones while listening to or watching media.
• Smoking is prohibited: Smoking of cigarettes, pipes, cigars or e-cigarettes is prohibited from lounges.
• Leave luggage carts outside: Airport luggage carts are not permitted inside the lounges.
• Responsible behavior: American Airlines can refuse alcoholic drinks to any guest who appears overly intoxicated. If staff see inappropriate, disruptive or abusive behavior, they can remove members from the lounge.

How to gain access to American Airlines Admirals Club

Purchase a membership

The simplest way to get American Airlines airport lounge access is to purchase it. Pricing will depend on your status in the AAdvantage frequent flyer program and can range from $550 to $650 for individual memberships. For household memberships, the cost ranges from $1,150 to $1,250.

Purchase a day pass

If you would rather not pay for an annual membership or don’t fly much, you can purchase a day pass. Day passes are available at select locations for $59.

Get a Citi(R)/ AAdvantage Executive World EliteTM Mastercard(R)

You may benefit from enhanced flying experiences with a travel credit card. With a Citi/ AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard*, you can earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases in the first three months. You will also get an Admirals Club membership included, plus priority boarding, free checked baggage and savings on in-flight food or drinks.

Admirals Club lounge locations

Admirals Club lounge locations can be found around the world, with almost 50 clubs currently available.

North America

• Atlanta (ATL)
• Austin, Texas (AUS)
• Boston (BOS)
• Charlotte, North Carolina (NLT)
• Chicago (ORD)
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
• Denver (DEN)
• Honolulu (HNL)
• Houston (IAH)
• Los Angeles (LAX)
• Miami (MIA)
• Nashville, Tennessee (BNA)
• New York John F. Kennedy (JFK)
• New York LaGuardia (LGA)
• Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
• Orange County, California (SNA)
• Orlando, Florida (MCO)
• Philadelphia (PHL)
• Phoenix (PHX)
• Pittsburgh (PIT)
• Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU)
• San Francisco (SFO)
• St. Louis (STL)
• Tampa, Florida (TPA)
• Washington (DCA)
• Mexico City (MEX)
• Toronto (YYZ)

South America

• Buenos Aires (EZE)
• Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
• Sao Paulo (GRU)

Europe

While the number of Admirals Clubs is limited, Admirals Club members can also access over 60 partner lounges across the world including in Asia, Europe, South America, the South Pacific and in various locations across the U.S. However, these partner lounges are not open to day-pass holders or Citi / AAdvantage cardholders.

Best Admirals Clubs

While Admirals Clubs consistently offer relaxing flying experiences, these are some of the highest-rated clubs available.

• Austin (AUS): The Admirals Club at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is one of the best-rated on TripAdvisor.
• London (LHR): This Admirals Club at London’s Heathrow Airport has a 4 out of 5 rating on LoungeReview.com.
• San Francisco (SFO): The Admirals Club at San Francisco International Airport offers great facilities and has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on LoungeReview.com.

Is an Admirals Club Membership worth it?

This will all depend on your flight-taking behavior. If you are only flying a couple of times per year, the benefits are unlikely to outweigh the cost of membership.

However, if you are a regular flyer and travel a lot for business, an Admirals Club membership could very well be worth it. Having a place to relax or catch up on some work with the business facilities could be a great way to travel.

If you are looking for a way to get an Admirals Club membership for a discount, you can pick up an American Airlines credit card such as the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, which includes an Admirals Club membership. Keep in mind that the card has an annual fee of $450. However, this is cheaper than the $550 starting price for Admirals Club membership.

If you fly frequently but don’t expect to use airport lounges, there are many airline credit cards that can help you score free or discounted flights by earning miles.

Bottom line

American Airlines’ Admirals Club offers a wide range of facilities to make your flying experience as comfortable as possible. It aims to take the stress and hassle out of traveling. The complimentary food and drinks and exclusive lounge access make it a great way to relax before a vacation. The business facilities also make it ideal for those traveling for business purposes.

The good thing is, if you aren’t sure about buying a membership, you can purchase a day pass to try the facilities out. This is a great flexible alternative for those who are infrequent flyers.

*The information about the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.