I think AC food and beverage quality has improved slowly but steadily over the last ~20 years, but the clubs are, in general, way more crowded than they used to be. Personally, I wish they'd charge much more, say $2,000, for an annual membership with admittance to members (plus guests and/or families) only regardless of airline being flown. My hope would be that the higher fee would result in many fewer members and might return the clubs to a quiet place for business travelers rather than romper room with the persistent sound of guacamole being "made fresh". It seems that the trend is not in favor of my preference so I'm just rolling with it – the AC, even in CLT, is still way better than the terminal.