Charlotte gets a new, massive American Airlines Admirals Club

Charlotte gets a new, massive American Airlines Admirals Club

To Gary Leff March 17, 2023

American Airlines is opening a massive new Admirals Club Lounge in Charlotte. In fact, it will be the airline’s largest lounge, but it will take a couple of years to implement.

Charlotte Airport currently has two Admirals Clubs. The main club is located at the intersection of concourses C and D, while the second club is located in concourse B. Since the gate areas in the terminal are overcrowded, with less room to maneuver than passengers even in American Airlines economy class, the premium space has even more value in Charlotte than most other airports.

Here is the existing club space:

Frankly, it’s pretty awful and needs to be torn down. For example, this is the door from the men’s room to the main hall:

I wrote a long time ago that Charlotte Airport needs another American Airlines Admirals Club, although I would really like it to be in Concourse E. By comparison, Charlotte has only 2 Admirals Clubs with a capacity of 700 American Airlines flights, and Dallas has Fort -Huerte 5 clubs for 900 American Airlines flights.

As first reported by the aviation agency JohnNew York, it appears that American Airlines is working with Charlotte Airport to move the main C/D Admirals Club to the upper level in the DE connector area. This will allow the airport to repurpose the current Admirals Club space for “a new passenger destination and departure level experience that will provide the airport with increased financial returns,” according to airport planning documents I reviewed.

a couple more years maybe I should have mentioned 🙂 pic.twitter.com/YG7QTFtnli

— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) March 17, 2023

The 40,000 square foot hall will be 50% larger than the Virgin Clubhouse at London Heathrow Airport. (I believe the world’s largest airport lounge is the link between the Emirates First and Business Lounges in Concourse A in Dubai, which is an entire floor in the terminal of 136,000 square feet each.) It would also be more accessible to passengers. Electronic gates, although farther than most passengers.

In the first half of last year, the main Charlotte Admirals club was closed mainly due to fire work. It seemed odd at the time that they didn’t do anything else to the living room while it was closed. Anyway as it is in poor condition and still retains its old US Airways design. The plan for the new living room would explain why they didn’t invest.

American has a new design template for their clubs which is great. If they invest in Charlotte at the level of their new design, it will be worth any extra walk to get there.

Update: American Airlines is offering a statement explaining that the new club is in the early stages of being explored.

American Airlines is committed to its hub at Charlotte International Airport (CLT) and we continue to work with the airport on the ongoing redevelopment project. We currently have no announcements to share.

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