American Airlines is one of the biggest airlines in the world, and it’s a popular choice among travelers in the U.S. If you’re a frequent flyer with American Airlines, the Admirals Club is a great way to enhance your flying experience. Below, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Admirals Club.

What is American Airlines Admirals Club?

The American Airlines Admirals Club is a special airport lounge membership that gives you exclusive access to relaxing lounges, business facilities, shower suites and premium food or drinks.

Admirals Club vs. Flagship Lounges

While Admirals Clubs offer plenty of great facilities to make flying more relaxing and refreshing, Flagship Lounges are also a great way to experience flying. Flagship Lounges offer many of the benefits of Admiral Clubs plus a few extras, including:

  • Premium wine
  • Specialty cocktails
  • Chef-inspired meals
  • Elevated dining experience for Flagship First or Business Plus passengers on select flights

Unlike Admirals Clubs, Flagship Lounges don’t require you to purchase a membership. To access a Flagship Lounge, you will need to be traveling in either first or business class on a qualifying flight.

Benefits of American Airlines Admirals Club

Being part of the American Airlines Admirals Club brings a range of benefits that make flying much more than just a simple travel experience. These benefits include:

  • Complimentary morning and afternoon snacks, plus full meals
  • Made-to-order specialties
  • Premium drinks and fresh coffee
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
  • Television, newspapers and magazines
  • Access to business centers
  • Shower suites
  • Personal travel assistance
  • Outlets for charging your devices

How to gain access to American Airlines Admirals Club

Purchase a membership

One of the simplest ways to get American Airlines airport lounge access is to purchase a membership for the Admirals Club. Pricing will depend on your status in the AAdvantage frequent flyer program. New individual memberships can range from $550 to $850. For new household memberships, the cost ranges from $1,150 to $1,250.

Purchase a day pass

If you would rather not pay for an annual membership or don’t fly much, you can purchase a one-day pass. Day passes are available at select locations for $59 or 5,900 AAdvantage miles.

Get an eligible credit card

If you are looking for a way to get an Admirals Club membership for a discount, you can pick up an eligible credit card such as the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*, which is currently the only credit card that includes an Admirals Club membership. Keep in mind that the card has an annual fee of $595 which can help cover part the cost of the Admirals Club membership.

Admirals Club lounge locations

Admirals Club lounge locations can be found around the world, with almost 50 clubs currently available.

    • Atlanta, GA (ATL)
    • Austin, TX (AUS)
    • Boston, MA (BOS)
    • Charlotte, NC (NLT)
    • Chicago, IL (ORD)
    • Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (DFW)
    • Denver, CO (DEN)
    • Honolulu, HI (HNL)
    • Houston, TX (IAH)
    • Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
    • Miami, FL (MIA)
    • Nashville, TN (BNA)
    • New York, NY – John F. Kennedy (JFK)
    • New York, NY – LaGuardia (LGA)
    • Newark, NJ (EWR)
    • Orange County, CA (SNA)
    • Orlando, FL (MCO)
    • Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
    • Phoenix, AZ (PHX)
    • Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)
    • Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU)
    • San Francisco, CA (SFO)
    • St. Louis, MO (STL)
    • Tampa, FL (TPA)
    • Washington D.C. (DCA)
    • Mexico City (MEX)
    • Toronto, Canada (YYZ)
    • Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)
    • Mexico City, Mexico (MEX)
    • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (GIG)
    • Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU)
    • Paris, France (CDG)
    • London, England (LHR)

While the number of Admirals Clubs is limited, Admirals Club members can also access over 60 partner lounges across the world, including in Asia, Europe, South America, the South Pacific, the Middle East and various locations across the U.S.

Best credit cards for American Airlines Admirals Club

The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is the only credit card that offers complimentary Admirals Club membership. This card comes with a $595 in annual fee, but you’ll get far more than that in value — especially considering that purchasing a new individual Admirals Club membership alone would cost $850.

For instance, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite card comes with perks like priority boarding on American flights, your first checked bag free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation, 25 percent savings on in-flight food or drinks, priority airport check-in and screening for you and up to eight travel companions and up to a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

As a sign-up bonus, you can also earn 100,000 miles after spending $10,000 in purchases in the first three months. This card earns 4X AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases. After spending $150,000 in a calendar year, cardmembers can earn a total of 5X AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases for the remainder of the calendar year. A 10,000 Loyalty Point bonus after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. An additional 10,000 Loyalty Point bonus after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Points in the same status qualification year.

The bottom line

The American Airlines Admirals Club offers a wide range of perks to make your flying experience as comfortable as possible, aiming to take the stress and hassle out of traveling. The complimentary food and drinks, Wi-Fi and business facilities, among other perks, all offer a great way to relax before a vacation or business trip. But if you aren’t sure about buying a membership, or if you fly infrequently, you can purchase a one-day pass to test it out.

For more travel tips & tricks, check out Bankrate’s travel toolkit.

*The information about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.