dave_261

Saw this yesterday and didn't see anyone post here, so... https://onemileatatime.com/american-...arita-closing/

NRT Club will close next spring as AA moves flights to Haneda.

wjj

Wow. I spent some serious time in that NRT club over the years. I'm retired now, but I used to do the 153/154 ORD/NRT round trip every 6 to 8 weeks for years. I must have missed it, but it looks like AA no longer flies non stop to Japan from Chicago apart from the JL codeshare. Adding that flight 20 years ago is what got me to move from UA (where I was 1K) to AA - and kept me there even when UA granted me GS status with no challenge during the AA/US merger turmoil.. ORD really has been gutted as far as AA TPAC goes. There are no non stops at all on AA metal as far as I can see. I remember the days when I could fly from ORD to NRT, KIX, and NGO on AA metal. Too bad. AA has ceded control of much of the international market to UA in ORD.

teemuflyer

I can see the logic to this, but don't totally agree to the comment at the end of the article: "Personally I don’t view this as a huge loss given that the Admirals Club Narita wasn’t exactly amazing".

It is probably the nicest AC in the whole AC system as far as I'm concerned, along with the CDG one. Is it "amazing"? No, not really amazing, but very nice for an AC. Best showers of all NRT OW lounges, and decent food offerings. Plus the beer pouring machine

Nice that AC members will have access to the Sakura lounges, as they do in FRA.

formeraa

At least there is still the Japan Airlines option at NRT for the remaining AA flights there. It probably makes sense when you think of the cost of operating an AC to consolidate with Japan Airlines like they do in HNL.

teemuflyer

I think the difference between HNL and FRA is that at HNL it is an actual AC as well, meaning the folks that are authorized users with the Citi Exec card can get in, but this is not the case in FRA where only members (and guests) can get in. I'm guessing this will be the case at NRT as well.

valuepac

No big lost, everytime I went to NRT (which I always tried to book my flights out of HND)..I'd go to the JAL lounge. Never impressed with any of lounges in Tokyo, except when the JAL 1st class lounge had hibiki 17 or now Hibiki blended.

teemuflyer

I agree that there are better options at NRT than the AC, but not everyone has status, or flying in a qualifying cabin to have access. Getting into the AC simply requires the same access qualifications as domestic ACs, so it a loss to all those folks with an authorized user card.

AlwaysAisle

Sad to hear this, my usual destination is Japan so I have spend least few times every year at NRT AC for more than few decades. I remember old club at NRT Treminal 1 North.

I agree that as far as practicality of lounge accsess at NRT is concerned it is not much of loss although NRT AC was nice one out of entire AC. I admit that lately I have been spending more time at JAL Sakura Lounge enjoying Japanese curry. When I have a lot of time to kill at then I did lounge hopping at QF Lounge, CX Lounge, and AC.

To be honest when JL joined OneWorld in 2007 and AA moved from NRT Terminal 1 North to Terminal 2, I thought that was it for NRT AC. But NRT AC lasted a lot longer than I thought.

Wonder if AA will entertain the idea of AC at HND? CX opened theIr own loungexat HND.

AA100k

Sorry to see it go but decent options still exist.

worldiswide

Right now there are still Ord to nrt 3x a week...thats it to Asia..yes AA has abandoned ORD for international. And we also spent lots of time in the admirals club over the years Staff were great and accommodating. Many years ago we had tickets nrt to San Jose to Ord and they politely came over and asked if we would like to fly on the non stop to ord and moved 4 of us and reticketed and had luggage moved. Those were the days.

alien

I have many fond memories of that lounge. As others have indicated; one of the finest AC's. I'll miss those neatly wrapped little squared-off sandwiches that I used to grab for the flight out, having had a little too much Hibiki in The Sakura Lounge and a plated meal would not go well...

Dr. HFH

OK, I'll be the wet rag. I fly out of NRT fairly regularly. Having been to the Admirals Club a couple of times, I can't imagine choosing it over the Sakura Lounge a few steps away.

Unimatrix One

As a JL flyer, I usually avoided the Sakura Lounge and instead used the AC (when departing from the main building) or the QF lounge (when departing from the satellite). I find the Sakura Lounge to be overcrowded and chaotic. The whole point of a lounge is to provide a peaceful, quiet environment, and the AC did the job much better than the Sakura Lounge. I will miss it.

AlwaysAisle

Dining area of JAL Sakura Lounge tend to get very busy, when get very busy there are attendants assisting waiting line and directing to open tables. It is free food, and not bad one after all, what can we say? Recent renovation of Sakura Lounge added extra dining are to less the crowding. Down stair non-dining area of the lounge do get busy at time but I think it is alright, down stair area of Sakura Lounge is never bad as up stair dining area of Sakura Lounge. It is the hub for JAL after all.

When AA had daily non-stop flights from NRT to JFK, ORD, DFW, and LAX (before SJC) NRT AC did often get busy after 4 p.m., remember had to walk around a lounge little to find a seat. Now the daily non-stop from NRT is down to two (DFW and LAX) and ORD is down to x3 weekly and will be gone next year, I see NRT AC at late afternoon not as busy as used to be. Also, I think there are people heading to JAL Sakura Lounge for free food.

If AA will entertain an idea of AC at HND then they should give a serious thought about the amenities. CX HND lounge.is day and night compare with CX NRT lounge. Because of offering at JAL First Class Lounge and Sakura Lounge, if CX decided to make HND lounge as same level as NRT lounge then likely many choose to go to JAL Lounge instead CX lounge. When CX decided to open their own lounge at HND, they knew that they had to up the game compare with CX NRT lounge or else passenger will tend to migrate to JAL lounges. I think same will be the case for AA.

teemuflyer

There certainly are a number of more informed folks, such as many on FT, that know about their lounge options and make their way to their preferred ones at any given location. However, there is also a very large population of flyers that just go to the lounge to which they were handed an invitation to during check in.

I recall a few years back before the new AA Flagship Lounge was opened at LAX. There was a temporary lounge in a sub section of the old Flagship lounge that was opened for only those flying F, or OWEs. It was a cramped space, required an escort for physical access via a staff elevator, and the buffet was set up in a meeting room. And it was packed to the gills! The only reason I was there is that I had a long layover and had come to check it out. I had spent my time before my visit at the Qantas F Lounge, enjoying made to order food, multiple varieties of champagne, and plenty of space to truly "lounge". True, some may have thought that the QF F lounge was too far away, but I can only assume most just were not aware that they had another, much more desirable option available to them.

Needless to say, after refueling myself with a glass of champagne, I headed back to the other lounge. .