American Airlines is building a 37,000 square foot Admirals Club lounge and a ‘Provisions’ grab ‘n go at the Dallas – Fort Worth airport.
- The Dallas – Fort Worth lounge will be in terminal C
- And the new Provisions there will be in terminal F, which is currently under construction.
American Airlines currently operates lounges in terminals A, B, C, D (both Admirals Club and business class Flagship lounge with Flagship First Dining) and E. This would expand the offering in terminal C, and would be the single largest Admirals Club.
Most importantly, rather than looking like the concourse A ‘modern hospital’ this would be in the airline’s gorgeous new lounge aesthetic that debuted at Washington National E concourse and has been expanding out – to Denver, Newark, a renovation of National airport D, and to new lounges in Nashville and Austin that are in the pipeline.
Washington National Admirals Club E Concourse
Currently, American Airlines offers grab ‘n go items to Admirals Club members in Charlotte and they’ve announced a second location for New York JFK. However, while it’s clear that they would be growing the concept, they had not previously released plans for any at Dallas – Fort Worth.
Charlotte Airport Provisions
Charlotte Airport Provisions
DFW airport wanted to build terminal F and then use this new space to allow them to tear down the 1970s terminal C and build a new replacement, with the airport’s former CEO arguing it made no sense to simply refurbish the now-50 year old structure.
Unfortunately, pre-pandemic under former CEO Doug Parker, American would not going along with this and planned to support a half-baked terminal F with no check-in facilities, no baggage claim, no security and no parking – and a modest cleanup of aging terminal C.
A year ago, though, as their premiumization plans took shape they worked to rebuild these DFW airport plans from the ground up: 31 gates, international arrivals, connection to Terminal D, parking, bag drop and check-in. The plan included an Admirals Club and business class Flagship lounge. They’ve also rebuilt operations at the hub for greater reliability.
There’s been a real turnaround in investment at American Airlines – a realization that cutting back on premium, and focusing on the low end of the market, was the exact wrong business strategy. It led to financial underperformance. They’ve been at break-even, while Delta and United profited handsomely. American, with its high costs, needs to attract premium revenue.
And that means investing in aircraft (a widebody order is coming), airports and airport facilities, and in seats and soft goods. They are doing all of these things, even if they still need to get the message out to employees about how this all ties into the customer service they deliver and how this benefits the bottom-line nad ultimately profit sharing, and even if they need to more clearly message this to customers.
Food for thought
Seats, lounges, food. None of it matters when your flight is cancelled or you miss a connection at one of their awful hubs.
Grab and go is great. If you’re flying DFW/PHX or DFW/ABQ at meal time there’s no meal up front so having something to go is great. I’d like to see more, particularly PHX/MIA/DCA.
Too bad the “premiumization” doesn’t yet include not kicking their premium business and first class international customers out of the Flagship Lounge at DFW at 10:15 pm promptly despite delaying a Flagship flight until after midnight due to a crew issue.
Three rude and seemingly angry employees working in unison pushed several very unhappy customers unceremoniously out of the lounge.
Manager stated he would have stayed open later if they knew there was a delayed flight. But alas it was too late to change it so everyone had to leave. Seems that should be their job to know about delayed Flagship flights.
Twenty years ago Admiral’s Clubs would stay open later for delayed flights especially international ones.
Love their lounges. Grab and go will be great addition, often on business trips, with delays (especially in the summer time going in and out of DFW) I have fifteen to thirty minutes between flights. If I could grab a sandwich or snack tray quickly, that my keep me going.. Also come on Hotels, if you are catering to business travelers have something besides Snickers Bars and Popcorn when I check in at 11:45 pm.
@ Gary — When is AA going refurbish its dreadful PHX lounges? I avoid this AA connecting point because they lounges are so bad.
Gary,
With DFW Terminal C getting significantly larger, what do you expect to happen to the old AC in C? Maybe the space wouldn’t come online for a few years but I would expect there to be space for 2 lounges in C after renovations are complete? Would there be another credit card lounge?
Could there be another lounge in E as well? I sorta expect American to exit E after F is open when you also factor in the de-peaking of the hub. The AC space there would also become “available”? Not sure if Citi would consider opening their own network and starting at DFW or if other players would jump on it?
@George Romey — How bout that grab n’ go at CLT…amirite, @Ken A?
So, another lounge and another grab and go.
The only thing that matters takes place between the two wings. And how the passengers are treated by the crew. Until Isom solves that, the rest is just fluff.
@Gary
What will happen to the existing AC in C? Could be repurposed? Or will there be a new space for a second lounge after the expansion? Who might take that?
What about DFW E? Will American vacate with A + C expansion and Terminal F? Could that become a credit card space?
@AlanZ — Not to mention, can’t find a single roast goose in the whole place… tisk tisk..
AA still need to improve the food quality and options but maybe they’re making small improvements to that.
Do this lounge have premium scrambled eggs?
Not to be harsh on American as they all suck however
They have to do something most of their lounges are ghetto packed and atrocious
Their offerings far from anything remotely premium
I go for free with some fair frequency but i won’t ever pay for a membership anymore.
The hard reality for American without spacious premium lounges with stellar food options you’d have to be foolish to pay when banks run vastly superior lounges in every way
They are simply eating their lunch and soon they will be flying chase sapphire reserve planes lol
Phoenix Admirals club lounge is worse than a hospital waiting room and I doubt beyond cheese and crackers AA wouldn’t recognize something premium if they tripped over it
Want some shattered nut fragments on board in first worst fly American
Some clubs open too late or close too early. As has-been already said on here, in the old days, clubs stayed open until the last flight was out, even if delayed. Was on a Qantas flight o ut of LAX a few months ago. We were delayed 6 long hours and the ONLY flight left but the Qantas club stayed open, Years ago we flew TWA often and their policy was to keep the clubs open until the last light departed. The old days meant better customer service. Now it is about them saving money and not caring about us.
CK agent on tarmac transfer today told me they just got an email that there would be a Flagship Lounge and Flagship check in coming to Concourse C
Also, low C gates no longer in use (it’s deserted if you walk to the connector to D) and will be torn down shortly.
@T Mason – D yes, F sure, C makes no sense.
Did i miss WHEN is this dream expected to become reality and accessible? There are some/many lounge renovations that are “announced”; only to learn its planned opening is 2 years from now? Also are we sure they are NOT renovating the existing C lounge which is quite large and a trip back in time. whenever i visit i think about Home Alone and the Flagship Business seats shown back then…lol.
@ 1990 — You asked, “How bout that grab n’ go at CLT…amirite, @Ken A?” Yes, grab n’ go in Terminal A at CLT is excellent and useful. Hopefully, American’s Senior Vice President of DFW Operations, Jim Moses, and American’s Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, will provision a temporary Provisions by Admirals Club℠ lounge at DFW in Terminal D until the construction at DFW Terminal F is finished.
@Ken A — Now THAT’s what I call a name-drop! (I hope so, too.)