A guide to American Airlines Admirals Club membership

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Flying may be the only way to get where you want to go, but the airport experience itself isn’t always that great. You have to go through security for starters, after which you’ll have to spend time waiting in a loud and uncomfortable airport terminal.

Fortunately, you can enjoy a much more comfortable – and quiet – travel experience if you have some sort of airport lounge membership. If you have elite status with American Airlines or you frequently fly with the carrier, then you’ll probably want to consider finding a way to get Admirals Club membership.

What is the Admirals Club?

What is the Admirals Club, exactly? Like other major airlines, American Airlines has its own network of luxury lounges, known as Admirals Clubs, which you can escape to if you gain permission. By and large, Admirals Clubs are the airport lounge network for the airline’s premium passengers.

If you belong to the Admirals Club or have a way to enter the lounge on a day pass, you’ll get the chance to enjoy food and drink in a cozy lounge that’s a world away from the hustle and bustle next to your gate. Not only that, but Admirals Club lounges have reservation agents that can help you with flight changes and other customer service inquiries.

Admirals Club benefits

The most important benefit of Admirals Club membership is having a place to hide away and enjoy some peace and quiet when you get to the airport early, have a long layover or your flight is delayed.

The main Admirals Club benefits you can enjoy include:

• Complimentary morning and afternoon snacks
• Full meals and premium drinks for sale (at select locations)
• Freshly-brewed La Colombe coffee
• Barista-style espresso and lattes (at select locations)
• House drinks (where permitted)
• Made-to-order specialties (at select locations)
• Personal travel assistance
• Shower suites (at select locations)
• Business centers (at select locations)
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Satellite television, newspapers and magazines
• Bathrooms
• Outlets to charge your devices
• Flight information monitors
• Comfortable furniture

Admirals lounge access

Generally speaking, you can access Admirals Club benefits based on the membership you have or the class of service you book for your flight. Also, be aware that you must join the American AAdvantage frequent flyer program in order to gain access to lounges through paid membership or any other means.

If you want to purchase Admirals Club membership, you can buy an individual new membership or a household membership. The cost of membership also goes down depending on the level of elite status you have with American Airlines.

The chart below shows how much you would pay to join the Admirals Club if you purchased your membership outright:

You can also purchase a day pass (based on availability) into Admirals Club lounges for $59. Further, you have the option to pay for your membership using American AAdvantage miles. The cost in miles is explained in the chart below:

Also, keep in mind that you can get Admirals Club membership for free if you sign up for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. This airline credit card charges a $450 annual fee, but you get lounge membership as a cardholder perk. You can also earn 50,000 bonus miles when you spend $5,000 on your card within three months of account opening, and you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees.

Finally, you can also get access to an Admirals Club if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You have paid for an eligible First or Business ticket on a departing international or transcontinental flight marketed and operated by American or oneworld airline
• You are an AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro or Platinum member and are flying an eligible departing international flight
• You’re a oneworld Emerald or Sapphire member on a departing flight that’s marketed and operated by American or oneworld airline
• You are U.S. military personnel and you are traveling in uniform on a same-day flight operated by American Airlines

Admirals Club amenities

Like other airport lounge networks, the amenities and quality at AA Admirals Clubs can vary widely depending on the location. For example, all Admirals Clubs have some selection of food and drink, but some offer better quality cuisine and dining experiences, as well as made-to-order specialties instead of the traditional buffet of snacks.

If you want to enjoy a regular meal instead of the light fare (yogurt, crudites with dip, crackers, soup, fruit and bagels, etc.) you normally find in Admirals Clubs, you should know that some select locations have full meals and premium cocktails you can purchase.

Some Admirals Clubs also have more amenities for frequent flyers, such as shower suites and business centers. Generally speaking, Admirals Club locations in large international airports, as well as their Flagship lounges in locations like Chicago (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA) and New York (JFK) have more space and better perks.

Admirals Club rules

If you take the time to read through Admirals Club terms and conditions, you’ll find that a handful of rules and regulations apply to your membership. The main points to keep in mind include the following:

• You have to be eighteen (18) years of age or older to become a member
• Membership is non-refundable, and you cannot transfer your membership to another person
• Membership includes access for immediate family members or up to two guests, but only when the paid member is present
• As of Nov. 1, 2019, an eligible boarding pass is required for entry
• Admirals Club membership does not include access to the Arrivals Lounge, International First Class Lounges or Flagship Lounge facilities, including Flagship First Dining or “facilities of other airlines with which American may have reciprocal lounge or club access privileges”
• American can terminate your membership or remove you from the Admirals Club if you are disruptive, inappropriate, abusive or violent or if you fail to comply with membership terms and conditions
• Your conduct and attire must be consistent with a professional environment
• You must wear headphones when listening to music or watching entertainment on your device
• No smoking of any kind (including electronic cigarettes)
• Carry-on pets are welcome provided they remain in their kennels

Admirals Club locations

Admirals Club membership includes access to an array of Admirals Club lounges worldwide, as well as more than 60 partner lounges worldwide in some cases.

Admirals Club locations can be found in the following airports:

• Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
• Austin, Texas (AUS)
• Boston, Massachusetts (BOS)
• Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)
• Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT)
• Chicago, Illinois (ORD)
• Dallas – Fort Worth, Texas (DFW)
• Denver, Colorado (DEN)
• Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL)
• London, England (LHR)
• Los Angeles, California (LAX)
• Mexico City, Mexico (MEX)
• Miami, Florida (MIA)
• Nashville, Tennessee (BNA)
• New York, New York (JFK)
• New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA)
• Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
• Orange County, California
• Orlando, Florida (MCO)
• Paris, France (CDG)
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL)
• Phoenix, Arizona (PHX)
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PIT)
• Raleigh Durham, North Carolina (RDU)
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG)
• San Francisco, California (SFO)
• Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU)
• Louis, Missouri (STL)
• Tampa, Florida (TPA)
• Toronto, Canada (YYZ)
• Washington D.C. (DCA)

Membership with the AA Admirals Club also lets you access partner lounges in select destinations in Asia, Europe, South America and the South Pacific. Just keep in mind that holders of a one-day pass and authorized users of the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard don’t get access to partner lounges.

Also, note that some Admirals Club locations are currently out of commission due to COVID-19, but it’s possible they’ll reopen soon. To check if an Admirals Club location is open, you should check this page on the American Airlines website.

Is an Admiral Club Membership worth it?

If you fly often and want a more comfortable place to relax in the airport, an Admirals Club membership can definitely be worth it. Just remember that you don’t have to pay for a membership outright and that you may get a better deal if you achieve lounge membership via elite status, booking premium flights or signing up for the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.

With this in mind, you do need to remember that you do have to be flying with American Airlines or with American Airlines partners to enter their lounges. This means you won’t be able to head into the Admirals Club if you’re flying Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines or any other airline on a specific date – even if you have a paid membership.

If you’re someone who flies with a lot of different airlines and not just American, you may want to consider another airport lounge network that offers more flexibility. For example, the Priority Pass network lets you enter more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide regardless of which airline you’re flying that day. You can even get Priority Pass membership with some premium travel credit cards.

Bottom line

Weigh the pros and cons of paying for Admirals Club membership before you invest, and consider the Admirals Club alternatives that are out there. If you’re an American Airlines loyalist who is constantly killing time in the airport, then it’s possible this membership could pay off in a big way. If not, you may be better off paying for a day pass when you need one.