dw

I do wonder what impact (if any) the new AU fees on the Exec card will have on current crowding. I believe the new fees only took effect for renewals starting in the fall, so we’re about halfway through the annual renewal cycle right now.

Stripe

The clubs in the former US Air hubs are the poor stepchildren. Small and crowded and in a seemingly permanent state of construction or improvisation. AUS is a zoo in the late afternoon before the BA flight boards. I have never been to the STL club. Otherwise I think they are fine and overall worth the price of admission. I was in the ORD club about a week ago and there was plenty of space and the food was quite good. I do agree that too many families with kids can spoil things.

worldwidedreamer

I've been a lifetime Admirals Club member for about 20 years. Food, drink and wifi are much better today. Yes the PM-US, and especially HP, lounges were never as well equipped as the ACs. But things should eventually get better.

dw

I’m not particularly optimistic, especially when it comes to PHX, which needs new larger lounges, but it’s unclear whether there is even space available for that.

At this point, other than the new Flagship lounge in PHL (which isn’t even a AC), a new lounge for CLT that is years away, and a theoretical new lounge for AUS (also years away), I don’t recall AA making any announcements about new or renovated lounges in the pipeline.

ACs in the new design are DCA, EWR and DEN… and that’s it for now.

JFK, most of the former US lounges, and I’m sure a few other locations, are in desperate need for a renovation at this point.

enviroian

I'm at CLT B now . Total zoo--the club--the concourses--everywhere. Here in the club it's families all over the place little kids at the tables eating chicken out of bags, freestyle machine inop, only one working faucet in the men's room, bags and coats on seats "saving them", listening to drunk rednecks at the bar try to flirt with the bartender...the list is long and distinguished.

EXP100

The D30 club is usually far more crowded than the D15 club and tends to bring in the loud drunks going to Cancun.

EXP100

The biggest issue now are the crowds and that leads to other problems. Dirty clubs. Not enough seats with power. Lines to use a dirty bathroom stall. People screaming in a cell phone. Juvenile delinquent children running amuck.

TWA884

You failed to mention that Admirals Club members have access to the Alaska Lounges at SEA.

PWMTrav

They look a lot nicer, but don't worry, they're just as disappointing unless you're there for the pancake machine. I would not advise going out of your way for the Alaska lounges. I really do wonder how Alaska saw what Delta did with the SEA SkyClub and still decided they were doing enough. The Alaska lounge in the north satellite is really nice looking, but they just up and decided that hardboiled eggs, yogurt, cheese cubes, and soup are the kinds of food people really like and to not bother with anything substantial.

TWA884

One of Adelphos' complaints was that AA did not have a club at SEA. I simply pointed out that AC members can use the AL lounges at SEA.

jrosstx

A bit offensive to those of us who have raised stepchildren and loved them as our own, but whatever

Antarius

That was your takeaway?

It's an old phrase.

Abidjan

I gave up ACs over five years ago and haven't missed it once. Twitter/the AA app give me all the customer support I need, in a pinch. Status gets me OW lounges when international and that works fine.

dw

Was at the BOS AC yesterday, where I am every other month or so. Can't really pinpoint the cause of increased crowding at non-hub airport ACs (do that many people really have the Citi Exec card? Or have more people been choosing AC membership as a Loyalty Choice benefit due to the ease of earning LPs now?), but there's been a noticeable increase in crowding with the BOS club over the past year or so. At times, the crowding makes it feel like a SkyClub without the better decor and food.

For me, the historic value proposition of the ACs was that it was often a more peaceful place to wait, with bad food being the tradeoff compared to other airline lounges. Now they're often uncomfortably crowded, and the food still sucks.

Since I am usually on AA in J on the premium transcons (where lounge access is included), and I don't need the loyalty point boosts this year, I actually downgraded my Citi AA Exec card last month, after holding it since 2017, since my renewal is coming up. The increased AF (with coupon book credits I have no use for), new fees for AUs, and disappointing current state of ACs all contributed to this decision.

Adelphos

I think a lot of posters underestimate how much card issuers have been pushing their higher annual fee cards recently. Cards like Citi AA Executive, Delta Reserve, etc seem more popular than ever despite the drop in business travel and resultant change in traveling public over the past five years. Further, the long predicted "drop in leisure travel" that was supposed to clear out clubs, airports, etc simply never arrived. Citi AA Executive has been offering big bonuses, and the refresh may work for some customers.