Special Hours for Airport Lounges Over Christmas and New Year’s Eve
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You may find yourself stuck in an airport over Christmas or New Year’s Eve this year, whether it’s because your flight got canceled, you wanted to avoid the holiday rush or simply because it was the cheapest day to fly. While you shouldn’t let that ruin your festive spirit, there are some things to be wary of like limited availability to airport amenities. In addition to the many airport restaurants and stores that will close its doors for the holidays, many lounges will either be closed, have reduced hours or even added hours.
To avoid any surprises, we have compiled a list of special hours for the major airport lounges in the US for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
In This Post
Alaska Lounge
Alaska Lounges will have the most down time of any domestic lounges.
Christmas Eve (Dec. 24): All lounges close at 9pm, except for Concourse D Lounge in Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which closes at 6pm.
Christmas Day (Dec. 25): All lounges closed all day.
New Year’s Eve (Jan. 1): All lounges close at 9pm, except for Concourse D Lounge in Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which closes at 6pm.
American Admirals Club
All domestic and international Admirals Clubs will be open during regular operating hours throughout both holidays, with the following exceptions:
| Location | Christmas | New Year’s | |
| Atlanta (ATL) | North Terminal, Concourse T (across gate T11) | Dec. 24: 4:30am – 5:30pm
Dec. 25: 5am – 7:45pm |
Dec. 31: 4:30am – 7:45pm |
| Austin (AUS) | Across Gate 22 | N/A | Jan. 1: 4:15am – 8pm |
| Nashville (BNA) | Concourse C (across gate C10) | Dec. 24: 4:15am – 4:45pm
Dec. 25: 4:45am – 6:45pm |
Dec. 31: 4:15am – 6:45pm
Jan. 1: 4:45am – 8:15pm |
| Boston (BOS) | Terminal B (by gate B30) | Dec. 24: 3:15am – 8pm
Dec. 25: 3:15am – 8pm |
Dec. 31: 3:15am – 8pm |
| Boston (BOS)* | Terminal B (by gate B6) | Dec. 24: 3:15am – 4:30pm
Dec. 25: CLOSED |
Dec. 31: 3:15am – 4pm |
| Charlotte (CLT) | Concourse C (intersection of C and D concourses) | Dec. 24: 4:45am – 8:30pm | Jan. 1: 4:45am – 12:15am |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | Terminal A (across gate 24) | N/A | Dec. 31: 5am – 9:15pm |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | Terminal B (between gates 3 and 4) | N/A | Dec. 31: 5am – 9:15pm |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | Terminal C (between gates 19 and 20) | N/A | Dec. 31: 4am – 9:15pm |
| Washington Reagan (DCA) | Terminal B | Dec. 24: 4:45am – 8pm
Dec. 25: 4:45am – 8pm |
N/A |
| Washington Reagan (DCA) | Terminal C | Dec. 24: 4:45am – 9:30pm
Dec. 25: 4:45am – 9:30pm |
N/A |
| Newark (EWR) | Terminal A (toward gates 30 through 39) | Dec. 25: 4am – 5:30pm | Dec. 31: 4am – 5pm |
| Houston (IAH) | Terminal A (near gates A25 and A26) | Dec. 25: 4am – 8:45pm | Jan. 1: 4am – 9:15pm |
| New York-LaGuardia (LGA) | Terminal B (near gates 1 and 2) | Dec. 24: 4:30am – 7pm
Dec. 25: 4:30am – 7pm |
Dec. 31: 4:30am – 7pm |
| Mexico City (MEX) | Terminal 1, Concourse H | Dec. 24: 4:15am – 6pm
Dec. 25: 4:15am – 6pm |
Dec. 31: 4:15am – 6pm |
| Orlando (MCO) | Terminal B (near gate 55) | Dec. 24: 4:15am – 7pm
Dec. 25: 4:15am – 7pm |
N/A |
| Chicago (ORD) | Terminal 3, Concourse G (across gate G8) | Dec. 24: 5:45am – 9:15pm
Dec. 25: 8:45am – 7:15pm |
Dec. 31: 5:45am – 8:45pm
Jan. 1: 8:45am – 10pm |
| Chicago (ORD) | Terminal 3, Concourse H/K (between gates H6 and K6) | Dec. 24: 3:30am – 9:15pm
Dec. 25: 3:30am – 7:45pm |
Dec. 31: 3:30am – 9:45pm
Jan. 1: 3:30am – 9:45pm |
| Chicago (ORD) | Terminal 3, Concourse L (before gate L1) | Dec. 24: 5:45am – 9:15pm
Dec. 25: 8:45am – 7:15pm |
Dec. 31: 5:15am – 8:45pm
Jan. 1: 5:45am – 9:30pm |
| Pittsburgh (PIT)* | Terminal B (near gate B34) | Dec. 24: 4:15am – 6:15pm
Dec. 25: 5:15am – 6:30pm |
Dec. 31: 4am – 6pm |
| Phoenix (PHX) | Concourse A (between gates A19 and A21) | Dec. 24: 4:30am – 2:30pm
Dec. 25: 4:30am – 2:30pm |
Dec. 24: 4:30am – 8:45pm
Dec. 25: 4:30am – 8:45pm |
| Phoenix (PHX) | Concourse B (above gates B5 and B7) | Dec. 24: 4:30am – 6:30pm
Dec. 25: 4:30am – 6:30pm |
Dec. 24: 4:30am – 8:45pm
Dec. 25: 4:30am – 8:45pm |
| Raleigh-Durham (RDU) | Terminal 2 (across gates C1 and C3) | Dec. 24: 4:15am – 7pm
Dec. 25: 4:15am – 7pm |
N/A |
| San Francisco (SFO) | Terminal 2 | N/A | Dec. 31: 4am – 6pm |
| Santa Ana (SNA) | Adjacent to Gate 8 | Dec. 24: 5:15am – 4pm
Dec. 25: 5:15am – 4pm |
N/A |
| St. Louis (STL) | Concourse C | Dec. 24: 4am – 6pm
Dec. 25: 4am – 6:30pm |
Dec. 31: 4am – 5:45pm
Jan. 1: 4:30am – 8:45pm |
| Tampa (TPA) | Airside F (adjacent to gate 85) | Dec. 24: 4am – 7pm | Jan. 1: 4am – 9pm |
| Toronto (YYZ) | Terminal 3 | Dec. 25: 5am – 5:45pm | Jan. 1: 5am – 7:15pm |
*Admirals Club Guest Services location
American Flagship Lounge
All domestic and international Flagship Lounges will be open during regular operating hours throughout both holidays, with the following exceptions:
| Location | Christmas | New Year’s | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)** | Terminal D (between gates D23 and D24) | N/A | Dec. 31: 5am – 9:15pm |
| Chicago (ORD) | Terminal 3 (between gates H6 and K6) | Dec. 24: 3:30am – 9:15pm
Dec. 25: 3:30am – 7:45pm |
Dec. 31: 3:30am – 9:45pm
Jan. 1: 3:30am – 9:45pm |
**Limited-service Premium Lounge location
American Express Centurion Lounge
All Centurion Lounges will be open during regular operating hours throughout both holidays. Unfortunately, American Express stopped surprising guests with holiday gifts on Dec. 17.
Delta Sky Club
All domestic and international Sky Clubs will be open during regular operating hours throughout both holidays, with the following exceptions:
| Location | Christmas | New Year’s | |
| Atlanta (ATL) | Concourse A (in center) | Dec. 24: 6am – 7pm
Dec. 25: 6am – 8pm |
Dec. 31: 6am – 8pm
Jan. 1: 6am – 8pm |
| Atlanta (ATL) | Concourse D (near gate D12) | Dec. 24: 6am – 2pm
Dec. 25: 6am – 2pm |
Dec. 31: 6am – 2pm
Jan. 1: 6am – 2pm |
| Atlanta (ATL) | Concourse T (near gate T6) | Dec. 24: 5am – 7pm
Dec. 25: 5am – 7pm |
Dec. 31: 5am – 7pm
Jan. 1: 5am – 7pm |
| Boston (BOS) | Terminal A (main terminal, near gate A7) | Dec. 24: 4:30am – 6:15pm | Dec. 31: 4:30am – 6:30pm |
| Boston (BOS) | Terminal A (satellite terminal, near gate A18) | Dec. 25: 11am – 7:30pm | N/A |
| Detroit (DTW) | Concourse A, North (across gate A68) | Dec. 24: CLOSED
Dec. 25: CLOSED |
Dec. 31: CLOSED
Jan. 1: CLOSED |
| Detroit (DTW) | Concourse A, South (across gate A18) | Dec. 24: CLOSED
Dec. 25: CLOSED |
Dec. 31: CLOSED
Jan. 1: CLOSED |
| New York-LaGuardia (LGA) | Terminal C (across food court) | Dec. 24: 5am – 8pm | Dec. 31: 5am – 8pm |
| New York-LaGuardia (LGA) | Terminal C (near gate 28) | Dec. 24: 8am – 5pm
Dec. 25: CLOSED |
Dec. 31: 8am – 5pm
Jan. 1: CLOSED |
| New York-LaGuardia (LGA) | Terminal D (before gate 2) | Dec. 24: 5am – 8pm | Dec. 31: 5am – 8pm |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | Concourse C (next to gate C12) | Dec. 25: 6am – 4pm | N/A |
| Seattle (SEA) | South Satellite (near gates S9 and S10) | Dec. 25: CLOSED | Jan. 1: CLOSED |
Airport Lounge Development’s The Club
All domestic and international “The Club” lounges (which are all a part of the Priority Pass network) will be open during regular operating hours throughout both holidays.
United Club
United’s website states, “on select holidays, the hours of operation at some United Club locations may be different.” TPG reached out to United to gather more information specifically regarding special hours for Christmas and New Year’s Eve and received the following response: “Any deviation from standard hours are always posted locally. However, if a United flight is operating out of the airport then the lounge will remain open. Regarding specific holidays for example, because demand is high during the Thanksgiving travel period, especially Saturday and Sunday, we adjust United Club operating hours to accommodate the added flights (not typically flown) at some hubs.”
United Polaris Lounge
All Polaris Lounges will be open during regular operating hours throughout both holidays. In case you missed it, United will open its Polaris Lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) on Jan. 12, 2019.
Credit Cards That Offer Airport Lounge Access
Having certain credit cards can provide discounted or complimentary access to some airport lounges. the Platinum Card® from American Express gets you access into the most lounges, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when you’re flying Delta) and the more than 1,200 lounges a part of the Priority Pass network. But if you’re looking for Admirals Club or United Club access, you’ll need the United MileagePlus Club Card or Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, respectively.
Bottom Line
Although this list of lounges with special hours is extensive, unless you were planning on visiting an Alaska Lounge, you shouldn’t expect too significant of disruptions. All of American and Delta’s full-day lounge closures are at hub airports that have other lounges that will be open. And even if you aren’t planning on getting your fix of cheese cubes and crudités before your flight, I still recommend keeping this guide on hand since security lines will probably be shorter than other holiday travel days and you may very well end up with more free time before your flight than initially accounted for.
Featured photo of LAX Admirals Club by Zach Honig / The Points Guy.
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