American Airlines is planning to open two new lounges — including its more upscale Flagship Lounge — at one of its major East Coast hubs.
Sometime next year, American will unveil both an Admirals Club and a Flagship Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), the Fort Worth-based carrier revealed Friday.
The announcement figures to be a win for travelers navigating the hub, which a busy connecting hub for American that includes a number of transatlantic flights.
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New lounge details
So far, details about the two new Philly lounges are pretty sparse. They’ll both be located in the A-West terminal, a spokesperson said Friday.
And, the lounges will boast the warmer ambience — complete with fireplaces — that we’ve seen in some of the newer clubs American has unveiled.
The rendering American shared, above, is the only image released so far.
However, here’s a look at one of the newer Admirals Club in its portfolio, which opened last fall at Denver International Airport (DEN) and has the newer aesthetic has been using in its new and renovated lounges.
“The opening of the new Flagship Lounge and Admirals Club lounge will continue to create a harmonized design experience across all newly opened lounges that customers will instantly recognize,” American said in a statement Friday.
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Bolstering Philly lounge options
American already operates lounges at its Philly hub, but its lack of a Flagship Lounge has been, until now, something of a hole in its network — particularly considering the transatlantic schedule the carrier boasts out of Philadelphia, as shown in the below map from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
American currently has Flagship Lounges at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Miami International Airport (MIA).
There’s technically no Flagship Lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), but the Chelsea Lounge that American shares with joint-venture partner British Airways essentially functions like one.
More upscale than standard Admirals Clubs, the Flagship Lounge network has more robust food options and other premium touches like specialty cocktail bars and a special wine table.
You can gain access to a Flagship Lounge by flying with a Flagship First ticket, or a Flagship Business ticket on certain flights — generally international or a few key transcontinental routes (often flights operated by the Boeing 777-300ER or Airbus A321T).
High-level elite status members can also access the lounge on eligible flights.
American currently operates four Philly Admirals Clubs, including one in A West — the terminal where these two new lounges will be constructed.
Looking ahead
Asked by TPG, spokesperson could not offer a more specific timeline on when these two new lounges might open — just that they are expected in 2025.
An annual Admirals Club membership starts at $850 for a first-time, non-elite member, but there are discounts for AAdvantage elites and members renewing.
Lounge access also can be attained with American’s high-end co-branded credit card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), which carries a $595 annual fee.
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