American announced today that they’re closing their Tokyo Narita Admirals Club “around late March 2020,” with premium services agents moving over to work at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. This club was large, and had huge windows and plenty of light, but wasn’t as nice as the nearby Japan Airlines club.
It makes perfect sense that American would close this club.
- They’re shifting much of their flying to Tokyo Haneda, and will be down to just one flight at a day at Narita.
- Customers have access to Japan Airlines lounges in both airports.
Indeed, even Admirals CLub members flying American Airlines same day out of Tokyo Haneda can access the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge there (regardless of elite status or class of service). This policy will be extended to Tokyo Narita as well.
A year ago American closed Hartford, Greensboro, and Caracas clubs. They shut down one of their two New York JFK clubs to expand their business class Flagship lounge.
Those aren’t all the club losses of course, they closed the second Boston club and years ago gave up Kansas City, San Juan, and Seattle years ago and in fairness they’ve added Houston and an additional club at LAX.
I’m not a fan of the new design palette myself, I find it institutional, but American has invested in redesigning clubs and they’ve improved the food offerings in several as well from breakfast tacos to the new mac and cheese bars (which Delta offered for some time).
The Narita club closure is fully expected. What I’d love to see is more openings and expansions because kicking out passengers not flying the airline same day isn’t really about reducing crowding, it’s about making it less enjoyable for club members to fly other airlines when they don’t have access to an airport club (in hopes they’ll stick with flying American).
The reason I’d like to see more clubs is because the agents inside are often the absolute best at keeping customers moving during irregular operations. Certainly the agents in the Austin club (and only the agents!) make membership worthwhile, and the same is true with the legacy American staff at Washington National. And after all, memberships aren’t getting cheaper.
The Sakura Lounges are allready jam packed. So now all those same flyers who were in admirals club will have access to Sakura? It will be more obnoxious than the old Centurian Lounge at DFW. Lounges are no longer an exclusive perk thats for sure. They seem to let in anyone these days..
I’ve always been rather disappointing by the lounges in Japan. I would have thought a society so focused on service, and with airlines that provide such great on-board experiences, would have better lounges, but they really don’t.
This is across airlines and private lounge operators, too.
@Steve – American is shifting flights over to Haneda, there will be just one AA flight a day left at Narita.
They recently opened a club in MCO too.
The problem with Sakura lounge crowding is that they let Premium Economy passengers in.
Considering AA is moving flights to Haneda, I expect the net effect of both actions to reduce NRT Sakura crowding.
We were at the Narita AA lounge and it was ok. We were Business Class so we were “allowed” in. If we were flying Economy as Executive Citi Card holders we would NOT be “allowed” into any of the Sakura lounges. Narita is an hour drive from central Tokyo where as Haneda can actually be reached by the Metro.
It is the same thing with Boston Terminal E. Citi Card Executive can NOT access British Airways One World Lounge. Same thing at LHR BA T5 Lounges.
I signed up for the AA Executive Credit Card for $450/yr with the understanding that I’d have access to “partner” lounges Internationally. After several phone calls with Citibank and American Airlines to confirm this, I booked a Main Cabin seat(I do not have ANY status with AA). I was DENIED entry at the Sakura Lounge at the HND airport connecting from AA to One World Japan Airlines.
Any assistance moving forward? Is this true? If so, I don’t need the $450 credit card.
@bridge haven: Just had the same experience today as a Citi AA Executive card member, which I’ll be canceling after this year. Denied entry at the Sekura here at Narita. What a shame.