CMTinPHL

I would agree that ORD and DFW ACs are at least halfway decent. But you clearly have not been to an AC in PHL or CLT. Travesties.

DataPlumber

My last few CL experiences have ranged from a group of drunken college kids pounding beers on spring break, multiple groups of parents letting their toddlers run around the club screaming while ensconced with their phones, and then there were these two corporate pilots stuffing themselves while loudly discussing pocketing their per diems. This is not to mention the effort to even find a seat or in the line in DEN.

While the mystery chicken thigh meat buffet might meet your definition of better, I'll pass.

The ACs I visit are less crowded and quieter, and can afford to pay for a drink.

CMTinPHL

Our experiences differ for the most part. I will agree with toddlers being a pain. Never seen drunken college students pounding beer… over intoxicated adults, yes. I rarely eat in the CLs, but would take a CL buffet over the AC buffet any day of the week.

CMTinPHL

And as a follow up, the new DEN AC is very nice compared to older ACs. Try an AC in PHL or CLT, and you’d gladly crowd into the CL in either.

DataPlumber

As a rule, I don’t eat buffet food.

They could fix the CLs easily, make them member only or member and spouse, and kick out all the authorized users

DataPlumber

Agree about CLT x1000. Thankfully, I rarely have to go there these days.

steveholt

What is mysterious about a chicken thigh?

Antarius

Don't know if it is left or right?

Herb687

The DFW D club certainly is tiny relative to its former size. DFW D lost most of its square footage to create the Flagship Lounge. So in my book, DFW D AC is tiny and wholly inadequate for its purpose.

Antarius

Given there was nothing else previously for premium passengers, one could easily look at it as being right sized for the value it adds.

the Majority of customers AA wants to cater to in Terminal D should have access to the FL.

enviroian

Charlotte is by far the worst airport for AC's. They are total zoos.

Adelphos

I have access to a variety of domestic airline clubs - AA, Delta, Priority Pass, Chase Sapphire/Amex Centurion, etc. People want different things out of lounges. But on an objective basis, Admirals Clubs simply offer less than SkyClubs, Centurion Lounges, Sapphire Clubs, etc. I can't compare to United Clubs as I don't recall ever entering one. Apparently the Capital One Clubs are good, however. At the end of the day, at American, the food offerings are weaker, decor is outdated, etc. Some of the clubs are more spacious and quiet, which can be good for some travelers, but as someone who has paid for access via the Citi Executive Card, and as someone who is more of an occasional AA flyer, I don't think I am getting the bang for the buck paying for Admirals Club access.

I have visited two of American's better clubs - DCA and LGA. Both are fine. However, the Admirals Club at LGA is apparently inferior to the Chase Sapphire Lounge in the same terminal. I don't know exactly where the DCA Centurion Lounge is opening, but it may provide competition for AA as well.

AA also simply suffers from a lack of clubs compared to Delta. Here are some non-hub airports where I have flown recently where AA does not have a club, but Delta (for example) does. When flying from these airports back home, particularly on business, I am not considering AA because I may want to have access to a club at these locations:
New Orleans
Kansas City
Jacksonville
West Palm Beach
Fort Lauderdale
Seattle

The bottom line is that AA's club offering is weak - and with the introduction of additional credit card clubs like the Sapphire clubs, it is difficult to justify for fee of the Citi AA Executive card if you are primarily attributing the fee to lounge access. When the new fee posts, I will likely downgrade my Citi AA Exeuctive card and re-upgrade my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to a Reserve, so I get unlimited access to the Chase lounges.

steveholt

You've listed almost entirely a series of locations in the Southeast, where DL is strongest. The MCI club is brand new and a wonderful addition to the network, and SEA is a DL hub (or quasi-hub). AA also has a club in Nashville.

If your list was:

Charlotte
Houston
Orange County
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Toronto

You would have listed a bunch of places where AA has a club and DL does not.

I agree that DL's club network is more robust, but that is *because* they see it as a way to drive credit card revenue (which I think we agree on). There are certainly places where DL's club is better than AA (AUS comes to mind), but the DCA club is worlds better than the DL club. Some of the clubs you listed (FLL for one) are essentially small rooms, which is fine, but I'm not sure I would base my decision on whether to fly DL or AA on access to the FLL club.

AASavage

Because Toronto is now my home airport, I'm okay with maintaining the Citi Exec card. The AC here is decent. From here I connect via LGA/JFK, MIA, DFW or...when there's absolutely no other choice, CLT. Then, I use the CL via my AMEX. Sooo...YMMV.

TheDudeAbides

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.