Reading Time: 3 minutes
American Airlines made a few announcements today related to it’s co-branded credit card and its Admiral Clubs. The Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard gets more benefits. You can read all about it in the official press release. One of the main benefits of the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is complimentary Admirals Club membership.
I want to focus on the changes AA is making to enhance the lounge experience. These new benefits will take affect on July 23, 2023.
Expanded complimentary drink menu
Starting July 23, you can enjoy even more complimentary drinks including sparkling wine, local craft beer and spirits like scotch and tequila. More complimentary cocktails like mimosas, unique Bloody Marys and signature cocktails inspired by each location.
These new drink selections will be available at all Admiral Clubs starting July 23, 2023.
Enhanced food
This is my personal favorite and was waiting for this change for a long time. Over the last few years, American already expanded their food menu. They offer now warm food like soups and mac & cheese. Starting July 23, you can enjoy an even greater variety of premium foods. This includes new breakfast and all-day menus featuring locally sourced selections.
Regional dishes like mini crab cakes in Washington D.C. and roasted vegetable empanadas in Miami will make their way on the food menu in Admiral Clubs.
The new and enhanced food menu will also be available on July 23, 2023 starting with these locations:
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- Washington Reagan (DCA)
The new food enhancements will be rolled out over the year and will be available at all U.S. locations by early 2024.
Renovated lounges with new look and feel
American Airlines is also investing and renovating its Admiral Clubs. The first club which features the new design is the Admirals Club in Washington Reagan (DCA) Concourse E, which I was recently able to visit. American has multiple club lounges at DCA, but currently only the lounge in Concourse E features the new design. If you have enough time, it’s worth taking the extra walk to just hang out at this lounge rather than any of the other Admiral Clubs until they got renovated.
More locations with the new design will follow later this year, including Newark (EWR) and Denver (DEN).
Cost of the new experience
These new benefits are not for free. Rates for the annual membership and One-Day Passes will also increase on July 23, 2023. If you currently hold an annual membership, it will still be valid through February 22, 2024.
Day Passes
Currently a day pass costs $59 or 5,900 AA miles. Coming July 23, 2023, a day pass will set you back $79 or 7900 AA miles.
Annual Memberships
The price increase is pretty steep. Individual memberships will increase by $200 or 20,000 miles. Household memberships have to pay an even higher increase. Household memberships will increase by $400 or 40.000 miles through the board.
That means an individual membership will go from $650 to $850 or 65,000 miles to 85,000 miles. American offers discounts for members who renew their membership or if you hold elite status. The higher the status the higher the discount. Currently American Airlines Executive Platinum members pay $550 or 55,000 miles for a new individual membership. After July this will increase to $750 and 75,000 miles.
Membership through the Credit Card
Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard holders will still get complimentary access to Admiral Clubs. However, the annual fee of the card will increase from $450 to $595 per year. Overall, lounge access will just get more expensive.
Credit Card Bonus
If you sign up and are approved for the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard between July 23, 2023 and September 6, 2023, you can earn 100.000 AAdvantage Miles if you spend $10,000 in the first three months. This promotion doubles the bonus which is normally only 50,000 points.
Conclusion
Yes, the price increase is steep. You really need to fly a lot to make use of an annual membership. For the price of the annual membership you could buy 10 day passes. So if you don’t visit the lounges more than 10-times a year, you are actually losing by buying a membership. I am sure this price-increase will also help with overcrowding in the lounges but if you get access you can expect a new food and drink experience. It’s great that American is improving their lounge offerings. Just cheese cubes and celery doesn’t cut it anymore nowadays. 😉
Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com
Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.
