American Airlines has announced today that they’ll be closing three Admirals Clubs as of October 15, 2018.
The Admirals Clubs that are closing
Specifically, they’ll be closing the Admirals Clubs in Hartford, CT (BDL), Greensboro, NC (GSO), and Caracas, Venezuela (CCS).
American says that they’ve made this decision while trying to “strike the right balance of providing the level of service our customers have come to expect while keeping our costs in-check.”
Currently American has nearly 50 Admirals Club locations around the world, so this isn’t a huge closure, or anything. Of course this greatly impacts those who frequently travel through these markets. I’ll admit I don’t study Admirals Clubs that closely, but I actually had no clue that any of those airports had Admirals Clubs, so…
The best way to access Admirals Clubs
For those of you who want an Admirals Club membership, your best bet is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. The card has a $595 annual fee.
The card offers an Admirals Club membership for the primary cardmember, which is an excellent benefit. This means that you can visit Admirals Clubs regardless of which airline you’re flying, and you can bring in two guests or immediate family members at no extra cost.
American Admirals Club Toronto
Bottom line
It’s unfortunate to see three Admirals Club locations closing, though in the scheme of things that represents only a small portion of their lounge footprint. I actually hadn’t realized American still had an Admirals Club in Caracas, though I guess it makes sense.
While Admirals Clubs are nothing exciting, I do generally find that they’re not that crowded nowadays, so I often find myself visiting them when I’m just looking for a quiet place from which to work.
Hi Lucky - any word as to why AA is closing the SCL (Santiago Chile) Lounge? I travel internationally & have gotten used to that lounge. Using the LATAM lounge leaves a long walk from it's location to AA gates.
Thanks in advance for any insights.
it's a shame CCS is closing . It's the only Lounge in all airport , not only it serves AA 2 daily flight ( a third one starts in December ) but also all European airlines still flying to CCS (Air France , Iberia , Air Europa and Turkish Airlines ) use AA Admirals Club for their Business/Elite customers .
As a frequent use of AA MIA CCS service , it's a real shame
I'm from Greensboro but haven't flown out of GSO in the last few years while I've had an Ad Club pass - am flying out tomorrow to ATL to UVF and was shocked to find out from this article GSO had a club lounge. I hadn't even checked as that airport is so small/slow I couldn't have imagined it having one. At least I'll get to stop in there tomorrow and checking it out before...
I'm from Greensboro but haven't flown out of GSO in the last few years while I've had an Ad Club pass - am flying out tomorrow to ATL to UVF and was shocked to find out from this article GSO had a club lounge. I hadn't even checked as that airport is so small/slow I couldn't have imagined it having one. At least I'll get to stop in there tomorrow and checking it out before it shuts down for good. Now if CLT Terminal B's club would reopen to stop making Term Cs so crowded...
@Brodie - why not just add your wife as an authorized user on your Plat Amex?
"I’ll admit I don’t study Admirals Clubs that closely, but I actually had no clue that any of those airports had Admirals Clubs, so…"
LOL. I was just in Denver's Admiral's Club on Monday night, first time for me. I was flying Delta, which has a lounge literally next door. However, i passed on the Sky Club as my Plat Amex only covers me and not my wife, while her Citi Advantage covers us both....
"I’ll admit I don’t study Admirals Clubs that closely, but I actually had no clue that any of those airports had Admirals Clubs, so…"
LOL. I was just in Denver's Admiral's Club on Monday night, first time for me. I was flying Delta, which has a lounge literally next door. However, i passed on the Sky Club as my Plat Amex only covers me and not my wife, while her Citi Advantage covers us both. The bartender in there was on his third day on the job, and honestly was the best bartender I have ever come across in an Admirals Club. This is on top of the guy at the LAX AC who knows my drink without asking. The lady working the desk was awesome too.....
As much as I use to bag on Admirals Clubs, I have seen a noticeable uptick in the experience this year, and it is mostly staff related and their commitment to providing solid service.
Over 50+ Admirals Clubs out there? I felt nearly a virgin after reading that.
I flew out if GSO last year and I sort of felt like I was cheating by even being able to access a lounge. I figured it was their way of staying competitive with RDU.
CCS is no surprise, unfortunately
GSO goes all the way back to the Piedmont Presidential Suite days. I’m a little surprised it lasted as long as it did.
The BDL and GSO clubs were both formerly US clubs, so its not a real surprise these are closing. Another not a surprise is when a few years ago AA closed four clubs in a short period of time (MCI, PTO and SDQ were three; I forgot the fourth); and then they closed BUF and SJU at the same time. So AA closing three clubs like this should have been expected.
@ Santastico - sarcasm my friend!
Figures...another reason to leave CT - as if I really needed another! lol!
@tda..... I completely agree
Read this with interest. What card is the equivalent to Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® with Delta?
@ Redness -- They don't have one, really. Delta has the Reserve Card, but authorized users don't get SkyClub access. I still think the overall best value for SkyClub access is the Amex Plat:
https://onemileatatime.com/amex-platinum-lounge-access/
@David: Really? Whomever had money to fly in Venezuela has already left the country. It would be a matte of time for the Government to take over the lounge anyway.
Surprised PIT didn't make the cut list!
It's a shame that the Caracas lounge is closing.
I get why this was done, but it's a continual bummer to see the network of clubs reduced and reduced, especially domestically. Apart from a few relocations/expansions, the only new city to get an Admirals Club in the past decade is Orlando (Houston was a reopening) while at the same time, they've closed clubs in Buffalo, Seattle, Kansas City, and now Hartford and Greensboro. Going back even further, in the years after 9/11 they shut...
I get why this was done, but it's a continual bummer to see the network of clubs reduced and reduced, especially domestically. Apart from a few relocations/expansions, the only new city to get an Admirals Club in the past decade is Orlando (Houston was a reopening) while at the same time, they've closed clubs in Buffalo, Seattle, Kansas City, and now Hartford and Greensboro. Going back even further, in the years after 9/11 they shut Detroit, San Jose and Cleveland. If I worked at the clubs in places like Tampa, Denver or Toronto, I'd be nervous right now. The focus seems to be on clubs at the hubs and very large markets only.
On the international side the club network has been decimated as AA gets agreements with other lounges in place. Instead of a nice quiet Admirals Club you now generally get to use whatever crowded lounge the dominant carrier at that airport has.
I get the business rationale - the real estate footprint is expensive to maintain - but I don't have to like it.
GSO looks like a ghost airport. Not sure why a lounge is needed there.
So which lounge will AA business class passengers in CCS have access to?
Do you get Admirals Club access with a domestic first class ticket?
@ William -- Only when flying JFK-LAX/SFO.
The two priority pass lounges in Caracas are closing September 1
As a BDL based flyer, I am not pleased, but 75% of the time I fly out of JFK, so it is only a small handful of flights where I am affected.
As someone that used to frequent GSO, I'm surprised the club has stayed open for as long as it did. An old vestige of Piedmont airlines, since GSO was intended to be the hub for them, and still had an outsize size operation when it was US Airways. Never experienced the lounge really crowded, but then GSO was almost exclusively RJs to CLT and PHL.
Shame they're closing down the club in Caracas, but makes sense as they went from having 8 daily flights down to 2
Up until a couple of years ago (before AA shut down Admirals Club membership sales in Caracas) you could still buy an Admirals Club membership in local currency, which at the time was ~$10
Hartford has a MUCH better lounge now compared to the AC on the other pier. Great food options, and accessible with AX Platinum. Usually pretty busy, while every time I have been in the AC there is hardly anyone in there so not surprised with the closure.
In before the "get out of my swamp" comments.
Too bad about GSO. I travel through there once in a while and it is a nice place to spend an hour or two.
I’m surprised AA is still flying to Venezuela at all...
3 minor locations within their network and Caracas isn’t a surprise ..
Does American have 50 INTERNATIONAL clubs or OVERALL
Thank god AA's not closing STL admirals club; I rely on that more than I wanted to