American Airlines teases 'steady stream' of 'exciting' lounge news
It appears American Airlines has big plans on the horizon for its network of lounges.
So far, 2025 has seen the carrier open a duo of new lounges in Philadelphia and a grab-and-go concept in Charlotte. The carrier has also unveiled plans for a major lounge investment at its North Carolina hub.
Flyers can expect more where that came from.
Speaking Wednesday at an industry conference in Fort Worth, a top American executive seemed to tease an expansion — and, perhaps, an upgrade of some sort — of its lounge portfolio. "We are expanding our lounge capacity in a lot of hubs. We are updating and expanding our Flagship Lounges," American's chief customer officer Heather Garboden said. "That's only going to continue."
American's lounge plans
American currently has about 50 Admirals Clubs across its global network.
It also operates more than a half-dozen premium outposts, including an all-new Flagship Lounge that opened in June at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
As for the future, the carrier has confirmed plans for a new Flagship facility at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) — now its only international gateway without a higher-end facility. It has also announced plans for a much-needed expansion of its Admirals Club footprint at the airport.
Up next?
"I think you'll continue to see us have a really steady stream of exciting lounge announcements — over the next year, I would say," Garboden said Wednesday at the Skift Aviation Forum in Fort Worth.
Could it mean more all-new Admirals Clubs? Upgrades to its lounge amenities, or a refresh of its Flagship Lounge concept?
American didn't offer any clues on Wednesday, so only time will tell.
A highly competitive lounge landscape
These changes all come at an increasingly competitive time for airport lounges — including ones operated by airlines and by credit card issuers.
Just this week, Chase cut the ribbon on its newest Sapphire Lounge outpost in Las Vegas.
American Express unveiled its newest Centurion Lounge in at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) in late October — a week after Delta Air Lines opened a massive new Sky Club at the same hub.
JetBlue is expected to debut its first club by the end of 2025, and even Southwest Airlines appears to be getting in on lounges.
Meanwhile, Delta has significantly upped the game when it comes to its business-class outpost.
While American was once the first U.S. airline to debut a business-class lounge portfolio with its Flagship Lounge portfolio, Delta has made a huge splash over the past 18 months with its lineup of Delta One Lounge facilities at four hubs.
American's future lounge plans
As for American's future plans, Garboden did note the carrier hopes to increasingly focus on partnerships with regional chefs and restaurants in an effort to improve the food and beverage game at its facilities — including an expansion of restaurant-style menus it rolled out at its new Philly Flagship Lounge earlier this year.
"If you look at a decade ago, a lounge is where you went to have a cup of coffee and a snack. So it definitely has changed," Garboden said. "I think now you go into a lounge, the expectation is that you can order an a la carte menu."
It's worth watching to see if American will refresh any of its spaces with the new Admirals Club design it has introduced — which can be seen in new (or newish) clubs at Denver International Airport (DEN) and at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
It also wouldn't be surprising to see an expansion of the Provisions by Admirals Club grab-and-go concept it debuted at its Charlotte hub late this summer.
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