If you frequently visit American Airlines’ Admirals Club lounges, you’ll notice a subtle change to the branding…
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Admirals Club entrances will get Citi branding
American has announced that starting in April 2026, the airline will expand its partnership with Citi across the Admirals Club network throughout the United States. With this, we’ll begin seeing Citi branding at the entrance of Admirals Club lounges. Essentially, we’ll see the Citi logo next to the Admirals Club logo, and above the oneworld branding.
This will initially be introduced at clubs in Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), and Miami (MIA), with more locations getting the branding throughout 2026.
Here’s how Scott Long, American’s SVP of AAdvantage, describes this:
“Our customers choose Citi / AAdvantage cards because they deliver meaningful benefits — from earning Loyalty Points to help them reach status faster to enjoying a more premium journey. Welcoming the Citi brand to our Admirals Club lounges is a testament to the depth of our partnership as both American and Citi look for ways to enhance every aspect of the travel journey for our customers.”
Meanwhile here’s how John LaCosta, Citi’s Head of Partnership Cards and Development, describes this:
“We’re proud to highlight the power of our partnership with American Airlines through Citi’s expanded presence across the Admirals Club network. Together, we’re shaping the next generation of premium travel experiences for our cardmembers.”
This is a minor but first-of-its-kind move
I don’t want to suggest that this change actually impacts the experience in any way for Admirals Club guests, and if anything, I’m surprised American is even putting out a press release about this. However, as someone who flies American all the time, I know I would’ve otherwise noticed this change in the coming weeks, and would wonder what the backstory is (and I’m sure I’m not alone, as I’m not the only geek here!).
Keep in mind that American and Citi recently entered into an exclusive credit card agreement, as American has dropped Barclays as a credit card partner, and this is expected to earn the airline more money. As part of this, we’ve also seen Citi ThankYou add American AAdvantage as a credit card partner, and we’ve also seen Citi launch two new credit cards with Admirals Club guest passes (in addition to the Citi card that offers a full Admirals Club membership).
Still, what’s interesting here is that Delta and Amex have a close partnership, while United and Chase have a close partnership, and neither airline has prominent branding from their co-brand credit card partners at lounge entrances.
Obviously Citi is willing to pay for this in some form. I suspect part of the motivation is that Citi doesn’t have its own proprietary network of lounges in the United States, unlike Amex Centurion Lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges, so this at least gets the card issuer’s branding onto airport lounge entrances in some ways.
Then again, the optics won’t be great of having the Citi branding on the door, only for cardmembers to find that the lounges sometimes aren’t accepting day passes due to capacity constraints, when they’re issued through Citi.
Bottom line
Starting in April 2026, American will start putting Citi branding on the entrances of Admirals Clubs. This coincides with American and Citi strengthening their partnership, as the two companies enter an exclusive agreement.
This has limited implications, but I suspect many American frequent flyers may notice this, and wonder what the backstory is.
What do you make of this new Citi branding for Admirals Clubs?
If I were Citi, LAX would be the last airport I'd do this to. Whether it's the cubicle over at the Eagle's Nest or the temporary used-to-be-a-seating-area-so-it-has-no-restrooms in TBIT, I don't think I'd want my brand featured on those subpar places.
Extremely minor nitpick: Can't shake how out of place the Oneworld logo looks below everything. Think they should move the Citi Logo up a hair, and put the Oneworld below it, in line with "Admirals Club". Then you'd have all the "partner logos" on the right of the vertical bar. Guess Citi didn't want to share their newfound real estate?
Oh, Citi… how cute… the big wigs over at 388 Greenwich are at it again… so, does this mean Amex is gonna slap some stickers on SkyClubs, or Chase on United Clubs? Chop chop! Get on it fellas!
"Now we are big league!" XD
A quick way for Citi to get in the game, now that they are exclusive. Not a lot of open airport space to start a new series of lounges.
I think we could see Citi offer AA club access to people with some of their other premiun CC's. They would likely need to still be flying AA, but would not need to get the AA Citi Exec card.
I think you nailed it. The constraint is airport space and credit cards are extremely profitable. As we've been seeing put those two together and there is a strong incentive for banks to want in on the lounge game.
The question is whether airlines see as much value in keeping people who aren't flying with them out as banks do at letting them in.
My sense is airlines care a lot about making sure their...
I think you nailed it. The constraint is airport space and credit cards are extremely profitable. As we've been seeing put those two together and there is a strong incentive for banks to want in on the lounge game.
The question is whether airlines see as much value in keeping people who aren't flying with them out as banks do at letting them in.
My sense is airlines care a lot about making sure their high value customers stay happy. Everyone else, not really. So perhaps we'll see something along the lines of tiered lounges like AA has. The high value passengers have their lounge and masses get access to something lower tier via their credit card.
ALL the lounges are Downhill . Name One that is worth the expense and trouble .
Much better choice is a high-end restaurant in terminal ; save money overall . And a more pleasant experience with more good food .
Prove me wrong .
I have no idea where you are flying, but at least in the domestic US, I find it to be pretty rare to find "a high-end restaurant in the terminal." HMS Host and the other concessionaires dominate most US airport terminals with high prices and low quality.
I generally like American, but don't want to over-apologize for any of their missteps. Some of the more recent food I have had in AA domestic lounges...
I have no idea where you are flying, but at least in the domestic US, I find it to be pretty rare to find "a high-end restaurant in the terminal." HMS Host and the other concessionaires dominate most US airport terminals with high prices and low quality.
I generally like American, but don't want to over-apologize for any of their missteps. Some of the more recent food I have had in AA domestic lounges at TPA / DFW / ATL definitely provides something to tide oneself over with depending on their schedule that is better than the snack towers of sadness and cubed cheese of years past.
@Alert, the only reason I haven't been to many decent lounges over the past year is that I had been unable to travel as much as usual. Still I have the following list of worthwhile lounges that I've visited from late '24 onwards:
- AF at CDG (2K I think) and BKK
- A3 at ATH (non-Schengen) and SKG
- UA and SQ at LHR
- Banco Safra at GRU
-...
@Alert, the only reason I haven't been to many decent lounges over the past year is that I had been unable to travel as much as usual. Still I have the following list of worthwhile lounges that I've visited from late '24 onwards:
- AF at CDG (2K I think) and BKK
- A3 at ATH (non-Schengen) and SKG
- UA and SQ at LHR
- Banco Safra at GRU
- *A and even AR at EZE
- TP at LIS (very small but really tastefully decorated and surprisingly peaceful)
- MU at PVG
- AF at BOS
- IGA at IST
- CM at PTY
- Plaza Premium at TSA
- MF at XMN
- AENA (T2) and IB (T4S) at MAD
Not every single one of those has been an amazing, award-winning space, and some of them were a bit underwhelming in the F&B department. However, they were all a lot better than sitting in a gate area and worrying whether your stuff's about to go missing, and absolutely worth the trouble of going up the stairs and showing my boarding pass to the receptionist.
The 'just go to a restaurant' approach just doesn't work when you're stuck with a 7-hour connection.
Such a premium touch!
With credit cards now a core source of profits it seems reasonable that banks would be interested in partnering with or even taking over lounges from airlines as a way to expand the number of people carrying their cards.
If Admirals Clubs became Citi lounges so you could use them regardless of which airline someone was flying that would be wonderful. Even better if Citi upped the food to match Chase Sapphire Lounges.
As many know, the Citi AAdvantage Executive card comes with an Admirals Club membership AND costs less than AA charges for a stand-alone membership or AS charges for a Lounge+ membership. I primary fly Alaska, and it's the sole reason I have this Citi card -- it gives me access to both.
Obviously Citi is paying $$$$ for the additional branding, and since AA is already dependent on credit cards for its annual profits...
Admiral clubs are dated and have almost no substantial food options. To take it a step farther I haven’t been in United Poloris lounges but I’ve been in the AA Flagship lounges at DFW and ORD a lot recently and they are no nicer then the basic United Clubs except for the pour yourself open bars. The food in the Flagship lounges isn’t any better than United Clubs and United Clubs are more modern. AA...
Admiral clubs are dated and have almost no substantial food options. To take it a step farther I haven’t been in United Poloris lounges but I’ve been in the AA Flagship lounges at DFW and ORD a lot recently and they are no nicer then the basic United Clubs except for the pour yourself open bars. The food in the Flagship lounges isn’t any better than United Clubs and United Clubs are more modern. AA really does seem content letting UA and DL be the “Big two” airlines in the US. AA isn’t even a close #3 at this point.
ALL the lounges are Downhill .
It doesn't matter how good the DL lounges are, there is always a line outside and a wait. Polaris is generally nicer than AA FL but if flying domestic it is a useless comparison. At least as a BA Gold I can access the FL on domestic itineraries in any cabin. I have found AA AC has better food in the lounge than AS and agree it is generally subpar compared to UA UC or...
It doesn't matter how good the DL lounges are, there is always a line outside and a wait. Polaris is generally nicer than AA FL but if flying domestic it is a useless comparison. At least as a BA Gold I can access the FL on domestic itineraries in any cabin. I have found AA AC has better food in the lounge than AS and agree it is generally subpar compared to UA UC or DL SC. FL is certainly better than UC, and I am glad to have showers in the FL and unlimited Bollinger. I think the ORD spread is decent with DFW and LAX smaller and lacking a little. AA is inconsistent, I will give you that, but I'd rather be in an outdated club with ok to decent food than outside waiting in the concourse, which just happened a couple days ago to DL lounge customers at RDU as I sailed by. YMMV.
Might as well be Caddy Day at the Bushwood pool. :-D
A first step toward Citi branded lounges, like other financial institutions, such as Chase Sapphire, Centurion, Capital One as the Strata product evolves.
Maybe they could look at upgrading the clubs. I have recently been in the a couple of the Alaska Airlines clubs as an Admirals club member. Alaska Airline Clubs make Admiral's clubs to shame. AA needs to take a look at Alaska clubs and elevate to be like Alaska what a difference in selection of food, drinks and just the entire experience.
From my experience, there have been times when Admirals Club says they don't accept day passes. However, if you ask the front desk, they say that Citi Strata Elite passes are excluded and are allowed in even if day passes aren't. Just as a tidbit.
If I had to guess, somebody's lawyers told AA that if they didn't generally honor them, there was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
That said, I wonder how many of those passholders have walked up, seen those signs, and walked away. I don't get a sense that "I know what the sign says, but..." is something I'd want to defend.
It's coming to the point it's having the Elite World Citibank CC (I think that's the name) is what gets people into the AC not an actual AC membership. Presumably that arrangement is more profitable for AA hence the push of the card and co-brand.
The concern of course is with more cardholders lounges become even more crowded. Some aren't so bad but others are getting to the point of DL Skyclubs.
This partnership is definitely not the 'first of its kind'- Czech Airlines had a MasterCard co-branded lounge at PRG from ca. 2008 (the Schengen terminal opened in 2006 and I believe the MasterCard tie-up came a bit later), and I suspect there are other similar deals elsewhere, particularly in the Far East.
I'm not sure if you can call that similar.
First the lounge is still there. The airline isn't.
And also Citibank is not comparable to Mastercard. As one is a bank the other is a payment provider.
AFAIK, some far east banks have their own private lounges but none are co branded with airlines.
I've eaten Citi branded avocado toast for years.
Not guac? Or is that only a west coast thing?
@amritpal. Totally agree. I'm moving all of my premium bookings to AA
One can only hope @amritpal was cynical in his commentary ! ....
If the lounges are co-branded, the rumored Citi-specific lounges have a ready-made network. This might prove interesting.
That makes sense, especially as AA clubs tend to be the least crowded of the Big 3 - there is space there (at least to the bean counters) for some co-branded access. The fact that they say "more locations will get the branding in 2026" rather than "all locations" makes me think that this will have some access-based reasons around it, although my guess is this will be for non-US Citi card holders who can't get AC access through a Citi card today.
If I'm Citi, I want to know what it costs to keep my name OFF the lounges in CLT. Who would want their brand associated with those?
Revolutionary genius move from Isom — greatest ever US Airline CEO