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Interim Lounge Closures, Service Reductions, Club & Flagship (Coronavirus)

Old Mar 13, 2020, 9:30 pm
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Last edit by: JDiver
Due to the large reductions in passenger loads due to novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 disease it causes. and subsequent drop in lounge users, American Airlines has announced service curtailments and reductions at some AA lounges.

MOST Admirals Clubs and lounges will be shut down. All food, beverage and shower services will be closed down. Link

See post #70 for the temporary closure and which services remain.

See post #46 for list of changes 19 March 2020.



Major Admirals Club, catering, and premium cabin changes coming due to the #coronavirus:


CLOSURES for the interim (Admirals Club unless other specified)
  • MIA Miami D15 (D30 remains open)
  • PHX Phoenix A20 club is closed (the other two locations remain open)
  • JFK New York JFK (use the Flagship lounge)
  • LAX T5 (T4 remains open)
  • DFW Dallas Fort Worth E (A, B, C, and D remain open)
  • ORD Chicago OHare G and L (H/K remains open)
  • CDG Paris
  • GIG Rio de Janeiro
  • GRU Sao Paulo
  • EZE Buenos Aires
  • LHR London Heathrow Flagship lounge (Admirals Club has reduced hours
Some Clubs have altered schedules. Food services have changed. In a few, alcohol is no longer served. In some you must exit the lounge to eat what you have picked up or purchased (so the lounge wont be treated as a restaurant).

Were changing procedures in our Admirals Club and Flagship Lounges to provide even more peace of mind for customers. Effective Monday, March 16, American will replace buffet-style food with individually portioned, covered food items and will shift most self-service beverages to individual portions such as milk cartons or bartender/wait staff service. The safety of our customers and guests is our top priority.

In Flagship Lounges, well replace buffet-style food with individually portioned, covered food items

- This includes both hot and cold breakfast and all-day options

- Milk carafes will be replaced with individual cartons in beverage fridges and other beverage dispensers (water, tea, etc.) will be moved behind the bar

In Admirals Clubs, breakfast and all-day set up will be displayed on trays, either pre-packaged or individually wrapped

- This includes both hot and cold breakfast and all-day options Pre-packaged Quaker oatmeal with hot water available

-Soup will no longer be served

-Milk carafes will be replaced with individual cartons in ice bath or frost top and other beverage dispensers (water, tea, juice, etc.) will be moved behind the bar

Other changes:

- Bulk condiments will be replaced with portion-controlled packets

- Snack dispensers will be replaced with individually wrapped or pre-packaged snacks

- Cutlery and napkins will be pre-packaged

- Apples will be wrapped

- Desserts will remain in the same display but individually wrapped

- More frequent cleaning of touchscreens on beverage machines

Other important information:Onboard: We will no longer refill beverages in any cabin.

- As part of that change, beginning on March 16th, we are removing all glassware from Premium Cabins and replacing it with plastic or paper cups.

- Beginning March 10 we temporarily suspended Hot Towel Service in all cabins.

- Food for purchase will still be available

- Avocado Toast and Guacamole Action Stations will still be offered, as the portions are individually made by servers using gloves

AA is reported to be making an interim move to offering pre-packaged foods, disposable glassware in an effort to reduce risks to their flying public.









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Interim Lounge Closures, Service Reductions, Club & Flagship (Coronavirus)

Old Mar 13, 2020, 5:54 pm
  #1  
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Exclamation Interim Lounge Closures, Service Reductions, Club & Flagship (Coronavirus)

No cooking station. Reduced buffet and slow to restock. Times are a changing.

Last edited by JDiver; Mar 13, 2020 at 9:24 pm Reason: Restore original post title
AlwaysOnTheRoad is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2020, 7:45 pm
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Indeed times are changing. How is passenger load in the lounge?
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Old Mar 13, 2020, 8:08 pm
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Originally Posted by AlwaysOnTheRoad
No cooking station. Reduced buffet and slow to restock. Times are a changing.
Are you actually complaining of a reduced buffet when the major concern right now is companies trying to reduce their employees and members exposure to the coronavirus? When so many people are working from home and not flying, reducing the number of people in the lounge. When families and others have cancelled vacation plans and flights. When couples have had to cancel weddings - or worse have no one show up because of concerns over being in a plane.

You are actually in the lounge noting that employees are slow to restock. I am sitting here shaking my head.

I think perhaps a little gratitude over the fact that the lounge is even open might be a better observation.
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Old Mar 14, 2020, 12:49 pm
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This is a welcome change and overdue, Coronavirus or not. The CLT C/D AC has long had too many people using the washroom but not washing their hands and then pawing all over the exposed food. Its long reminded me of Lord of the Flies.
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Old Mar 14, 2020, 3:31 pm
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Originally Posted by WeekendTraveler
This is a welcome change and overdue, Coronavirus or not. The CLT C/D AC has long had too many people using the washroom but not washing their hands and then pawing all over the exposed food. Its long reminded me of Lord of the Flies.
Riiiiiiight. This only happens in CLT.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 5:06 am
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I dont know if this is related to the whole corona thing, but I cant get AC bartenders to break bills anymore....even for a $5. Is this because they dont want to touch money?

Im trying to tip them but dont have any $1 bills on me.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 5:35 am
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This morning (3/15) DCA lounge is running as normal, the Avocado Toast station is running as well as the other offerings. Knowing this is the last day before the swap they have not made any visible changes.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 5:51 am
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Originally Posted by MrSyslogd
This morning (3/15) DCA lounge is running as normal, the Avocado Toast station is running as well as the other offerings. Knowing this is the last day before the swap they have not made any visible changes.
Same at PHL B/C....although all the bagels and breads are individually wrapped which I think is the new protocol. Completely empty club.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 5:55 am
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Originally Posted by la2clt
Riiiiiiight. This only happens in CLT.
Of the ACs that I visit, the CLT C/D one is the most Lord of the Flies-like. Way too crowded and way too many people pawing at food.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 6:27 am
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981
Same at PHL B/C....although all the bagels and breads are individually wrapped which I think is the new protocol. Completely empty club.
Not a lot of people here right now and I would say 20 max I have seen at one time. I will be at JFK FFD later on today so it will be interesting to see what the status is there.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 6:50 am
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With the reductions in service, I wouldn't be surprised if they closed all Flagship Lounges and FFD except maybe MIA, DFW, NRT, and LHR.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 9:05 am
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JFK Flagship Lounge and FFD

Right now FL still has full buffet with self service drinks. The lounge at 11:00 is less than 10 people from what I quickly saw. FFD has full menu and I will be posting later on. I expect this is the last hurrah until things settle down.
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 9:15 am
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Last night DFW A AC, our 6 made up half of the people there. The guac lady was so grateful when i tipped her a 5. Bartender said Saturdays and Tuesdays were typically the slowest, but this was unusually slow, as one could expect. Probably because thousands of people were still lined up, less than 1 meter from each other for hours trying to get through and answer the new travel questions instituted yesterday morning. The actual slowed process with crowded conditions made it more likely to have a patient 0 event at DFW CBP/Global Entry. apparently ORD too.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/trans...irport-delays/
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 9:17 am
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I bet all FFD’s and a good number of AC’s shut down very soon. The limited travel going on can hardly sustain staffing these lounges.

Last edited by enviroian; Mar 15, 2020 at 4:45 pm
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Old Mar 15, 2020, 10:31 am
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Currently in the Miami Flagship Lounge. Id say there are about 50 people here. Buffet food offerings as usual. Soups as usual. The only difference I see is that you cant mix your own drink from the alcohols that they usually have on the counter. There is a bartender who will now make your drink although I did see someone just grab a bottle and pour his own. Flagship First Dining opens at 1:30. Dont know if that is different than usual
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