LINDEGR

LGA is awful, I will give you that. That stated, we don't need yet another thread on how much better PHL is than CLT so I will stop there.

SOBE ER DOC

Saying CLT is one of the better AA hubs is not really saying a lot. AA's hubs are worst of the legacy carriers, sans maybe DFW and MIA which are quite efficient and have decent amenities. CLT has become and absolute hot mess with the amount of traffic AA is cramming into that tiny airport. It's rare I am not waiting for a gate when pulling in and, as others have mentioned, taxi times out can be highly variable. As for the terminals themselves, it's to the point that I never even bother to try to use any of the concessions at CLT - too crowded. Even if they weren't crowded the options are kinda gross. Most eateries seem to serve variations of slop that is fried, slathered in BBQ sauce, carb heavy, or some combination of the three. Maybe one or two places are decent but in general the food is really low-brow. The AC is so outdated it's not even funny and I agree with everyone on here that they need one in the Port Authority terminal that is E and a larger option over near A/B.

At this point, much of what they are doing at CLT is lipstick on a pig.

Pasqualle7

Really there are two tiers of AA Hub Top: JFK, ORD, LAX, DFW, MIA, Bottom: CLT, PHL, PHX, LGA. The inherited LUS hubs are of a much lesser product. Its sad that AA is focusing on the LUS Hubs because they were more "cost effective" and that is reflected in the product the have.

CHOPCHOP767

I'll take the lipstick

Sure, things could be better, but with what... 90% of flights in CLT, CLT isn't going to displaced any time soon within AA's system. Most of my EXP was through the Shuttle, so I don't have much of a dog in this fight. I guess we'll just have to stay tuned to the Terminal B AC renovation to see how that pans out.

bridge29

A thread about CLT and there are still shots at PHL.

PHL's B and C terminal renovations are miles ahead of what CLT looks like these days. That being said, I've never had an issue connecting in CLT, other than fighting the crowds. Food options are pretty bad and could be improved, though.

perseus11

Categorizing the LUS Hubs as 2nd Tier is quite disingenuous.The LUS Hubs were all developed by the exceptionally conservative USAir(ways) team.The AA Hubs were developed during the pre-bankrupt, long gone, super cash rich heydays of AA, when competition from LCCs was minuscule. IMO, from a passenger perspective, most areas of MIA are no better than PHL, neither are most areas of super huge DFW, same with ORD. JFK was the crown jewel of the pre-merger AA and continues to be so today. Maybe if pre-merger AA had the same "cost effective" focus on their Hubs, rather than building Taj Mahals, they'd still be in a standalone business, rather than bankrupt.

Mods should consider creating a new Thread, titled: "What do you hate about the new (merged) AA ? " and move any related comments to it. This continuous injection of AA/US hate into unrelated threads is creating a very negative aura, which is inconsistent with the historical values of FlyerTalk, at least IMO.

sdsearch

Actually, AA never said they had hubs before the merger. They said they had "5 cornerstones", and even that count of 5 (including LAX) was fairly late in the game, I think much less than a decade before the merger. LAX was never considered a true "hub" for AA until recent expansion (especially to Asia) there, which came post-merger. Though that AA expansion at LAX had as much to do with expansion and reconfiguration of LAX itself as any decision by AA; AA needed more gates to be able to expand, especially to Asia, from LAX, and they didn't get those until the last couple years or so (when they gained access to some gates in the TBIT international terminal, along with airside connector between AA's T4 and TBIT), which coincidentally was post-merger.

With the exception of DFW, which gives the impression of having been been built solely by and for AA, AA often needs airport improvements at its hubs, which it is not totally in control of, to be able to make its own improvements at those hubs.

CHOPCHOP767

Microwave

Let’s keep this thread focused on the CLT expansion, rather than rehashing yet more LUS/LAA debate. Thank you!

~Moderator

sdsearch

Did you see post 27? It sounds like it may be a couple years off.

firemandan9

The Club on B is currently closed for the forseforese future due to renovations. Supposedly the new club will "be more open".

SOBE ER DOC

Email I got from AA this week for my upcoming connection through CLT said "we look forward to welcoming you to a new Terminal B Admiral's Club in 2019."

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

AATrout

cfw

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I feel the need to point out that the same exceptionally conservative USAir team has no problem overseeing (or being highly involved in) the billions in renovations at DFW alone, such as the ones at Terminal A, Terminal B, Terminal C (F?) and Terminal E, as well as the new video game suite and emergency room, happening in the post-WA high LCC competition era. And we are supposed to be excited that Charlotte is finally mulling the idea of doing something about the last remaining Quizno's in existence?

The issue is more likely the city of Charlotte itself. They are happy to have a hub when its questionable that they should, and their value prop to AA is being as cheap as possible. But nothing is stopping Charlotte from making itself better other than the fear of rocking the boat.