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American Airlines to Shutter LAX Lounge, Shuffle Flights Between Terminals

Aug. 08, 2017
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3 min read
Los Angeles Exteriors And Landmarks - 2017
American Airlines to Shutter LAX Lounge, Shuffle Flights Between Terminals
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Back in early 2016, American Airlines announced an ambitious $200 million lounge overhaul program. Now, the first Flagship Lounge has opened in New York (JFK), with more scheduled to open in Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX) and Miami (MIA) by the end of 2017.

However, these renovations haven't been easy. As passengers continue to fly in and out of these airports, American Airlines has attempted to do construction in a piecemeal manner —some parts remained open to guests while others were closed entirely. This has led to some rather poor passenger experiences. TPG himself visited the LAX lounge recently and found rooms barricaded with chairs and the buffet relocated to a conference room:

AA knows that it's not doing a great job of juggling the needs of passengers and construction at the same time. An airline spokesperson confirmed that the "construction in [its] LAX T4 Admirals Club and International First Class Lounge has compromised the comfort and enjoyment of [its] customers and has put stress on [its] team members." So, it's abandoning its efforts to try to do both at once.

Terminal 4 Lounge Closure

On September 5, American Airlines will close its LAX T4 lounge, and it'll remain closed until the Flagship Lounge construction is complete. At this time, there's no announced completion date. We only know that AA is "excited to introduce [its] new Flagship Lounge and Flagship First Dining to LAX later this year." The silver lining? Shutting down the lounge will likely speed up the construction process.

However, this means that AA won't have any lounge open in T4 for at least a couple of months. In the meantime, it will set-up a "temporary Guest Services Center in T4 to assist customers and provide limited light snacks and beverages." It will be located next to gate 42A, and the snacks/beverages will only be accessible to passengers who would otherwise be able to access the lounge.

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Terminal 5 Lounge Opening

When the T4 lounge closure was just a rumor, people were concerned that AA wouldn't have a functioning lounge in either of its main LAX terminals. However, this won't be the case —the carrier will open its new lounge in Terminal 5 later this month, and certainly before the T4 lounge is closed. This lounge is a former Delta SkyClub that was abandoned in May as part of the Great LAX Airline Reshuffle of 2017.

Flight Shuffling

American has placed a lot of emphasis on improving the experience for its top customers over the past year, including introducing positive changes to Executive Platinum benefits, Concierge Key improvements and opening the exclusive Flagship First Class Dining. Obviously, AA doesn't want to force its top customers to have to go to an entirely different terminal to visit the lounge before their flights. So, for the duration of the lounge closure in Terminal 4, AA will relocate its critical transcontinental A321T flights from LAX to JFK to Terminal 5 to provide easy access to the lounge. However, the transcontinental route from LAX to Miami (MIA) won't be able to move over to T5 as the terminal can currently only handle narrowbody aircraft.

Featured image by GC Images

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.