fastflyer

My money is on an Admirals Club to be announced alongside BA transatlantic service. The City Manager of KC is pushing hard for BA. Of course the answer from London could be no. But the activity on Concourse A, North (the home to AA's gates) implies something OneWorld.

Also, a new video was posted in the KC Star
https://www.kansascity.com/news/loca...266067281.html

MatthewT

I tweeted back at Justin and asked about the second lounge and he replied almost instantly: "Nothing finalized on that yet, unfortunately."

Beckles

Someone else posted on Facebook they were building it speculatively, I suppose if you build it, maybe they'll come.

MatthewT

MCI ranks around 43rd for annual passengers in the US. Delta only has around 17 percent of traffic and American is about 18 percent YTD, While American is slightly bigger, my main takeaway is that after the SkyClub opens 83 percent of the 43rd busiest airport still doesn't have access to a lounge. It seems to me that's a prime market for a third-party independent operator. We all know you can't just decide to open a lounge in an airport and build so I have to think that if the new airport has a shell ready to go, someone will come in and take that other 83 percent of the market. Plaza Premium is ready to grow: https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/1...plaza-premium/.

According to the Points Guy in 2019, there were just 10 US airports that carried more than five million passengers and lacked a lounge. Six of those only had airlines lounges and four lacked any lounge at all, not counting USO's. Obviously, Kansas City is in that latter category. I have to think that if they build it, somebody will come. It's a ripe market.

swid

Based on a Twitter conversation, the hints are getting stronger about it being an Escape Lounge.

Edit: Apparently links to Twitter conversations display fine in preview, but vanish in posts. Anyway, Justin Meyer replied with "Stay tuned" when someone told him how nice the one in Reno is.

FriendlySkies

That’s not Priority Pass accessible, is it?

MatthewT

It is not Priority Pass accessible. Either pay to get in or get an Amex Platinum card.

If this works, here is the original tweet to which Justin replied, "Stay tuned."

FriendlySkies

Interested in being a test traveler at the new terminal before it opens? Click below to register:

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.o...%3D&reserved=0

FriendlySkies

Strange. I just tried it on my iPad and it opened right away.

Beckles

I pulled a couple shots from a video they just posted, north end of Concourse A in January 2022:



North end of Concourse A in December 2022 with lounge shell added:



Based on some rough measurements on Google Maps I'd say there's about 8,000-9,000 square feet in the new shell.

FriendlySkies

Having seen the inside of the shelled space, it could make for a rather roomy lounge. From folks I've spoken to at the various airlines, an AC at this point is almost certainly not going to happen. I put my $$ on an independent lounge concept and continue to hope it's one accepting PriorityPass.

FriendlySkies

From today's KC Star: https://www.kansascity.com/news/loca...270866487.html

I don't remember seeing where the USO might go when I was on my last tour. Curious to see if it ends up being the original AC shell or somewhere else. I've not found anything on the KCMO building permit site (like somebody previously found for the DL SC) for the second lounge space.

Beckles

I suspect the USO will be a relatively modest sized space compared to the Delta SkyClub (11,000 square feet) and the new shell built at the end of A Concourse (8,000 square feet).

MatthewT

I can't get the post to link but in 2019 BuildKCI said on Facebook that there would be a USO lounge. If that was the case three years ago that makes me think that the mysterious "second lounge" is not the USO lounge. At least I'm still holding out hope for it being something else.

Beckles

According to permit data from the KCMO City website the USO is 788 square feet, it is not the new shell that was added at the end of A Concourse that is ten times that size.