American Airlines Details Admirals Club Renovations
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Back in February 2016, American Airlines announced it would be completing major renovations to its network of Admirals Club lounges. Without a doubt, many were in dire need of a face lift, so AA's latest updates will surely come as a welcome change for American Airlines frequent flyers.
To date, the renovations to Admirals Club lounges in Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Phoenix (PHX), and São Paulo (GRU) have been completed, while many more are still in the works.
Admirals Club Flagship lounges are currently available in New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago (ORD), but all are currently undergoing renovations projected to be completed in 2017. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA) and Philadelphia (PHL) will all see brand new flagship lounges built from the ground up.
Beginning in 2017, Flagship dining experiences will be available in select cities offering three-class service (DFW, JFK, MIA, and LAX). In 2017, Flagship lounge services will be extended to those traveling not only in first class, but also to passengers flying in business class on American's transcontinental service. New lounges will be opening in Houston (IAH) and Orlando (MCO) later this year as well, possibly to compete with American Express Centurion lounges.
So who can get in? As of July 23, 2017, the Citi Prestige Card will no longer offer complimentary Admirals Club access. Since Admirals Club fees have increased recently, another way to gain free access is to sign up for the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard. With an increased sign-up bonus of 60,000 miles after you spend $5,000 within the first three months, this is another great option for AA fans. Authorized users can also be added free of charge so they'd be able to enjoy lounge access and other benefits as well.
What do you think about the long-awaited renovations happening at some Admirals Clubs?