Along with raising the annual fee of the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, which comes with American Airlines Admirals Club membership, American is raising the membership cost of the lounges as well.
- They’re adding lounges and the lounges are getting better, so they can raise prices along the lines of what Delta and United charge
- By widening the gap between the card’s cost and a paid membership, the card becomes a much better deal
- And they really want customers to take the card, because it’s highly profitable for both American and Citibank
New, Higher Membership Fees For Admirals Clubs
American Airlines is raising lounge membership prices – by quite a lot. Think of them as pushing hard on card acquisition. They don’t want you to buy a membership, they want you to be a Citi Executive cardmember. The current lounge wifi password is citiexeccard for a reason.
There will be two levels of membership, a full membership that includes guests and access to other airline lounges and a ‘single’ membership that is Admirals Clubs only with no guests included. They are dropping ‘household’ memberships, which is really double the price of a solo membership and creates complications (such as when a member gets divorced).
Current pricing runs $700 – $800 for a standard membership. New pricing will be:
- Single membership: $750 or 75,000 miles
- Full membership:
- General member: $1,400 or 140,000 miles
- AAdvantage Gold: $1,350 or 135,000 miles
- AAdvantage Platinum: $1,300 or 130,000 miles
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro: $1,250 or 125,000 miles
- Executive Platinum: $1,200 or 120,000 miles
- ConciergeKey: continues to receive complimentary membership
- General member: $1,400 or 140,000 miles
Denver Admirals Club
Current members can renew before October 3, 2026 to keep the current lower prices for another year – the new pricing going into effect August 23 applies to new members. Anyone can purchase a new membership at current pricing before the increase up until that date.
When considering just the single membership I’d flag that if you want to bring in guests, you can buy them a day pass for $79 (each) which could work out to be a better deal than prepaying for guests with the higher membership (that also comes with access to Alaska and other lounges), but day passes aren’t always accepted at all lounges. In fact, I frequently see signs up turning those away – though you should still ask because often they just forget or do not bother to take down the sign.
American’s Admirals Club Access Policy Remains Better Than Delta’s
While I don’t like to see price increases, and while I prefer American’s new design aesthetic over competitors, I do think that overall Delta’s lounges are better than the average American club. So I don’t like to see prices going up this much. However,
- American does not impose a limit on access 3 hours prior to flight, like Delta does
- They do not ban club members from entering the lounge when flying on a basic economy ticket, like Delta does
- They don’t limit the number of visits their premium lounge card offers, like the Delta Reserve Amex does
That said, these rates are really a strong incentive to get the Citi Executive Card. Anyone eligible who wants Admirals Club membership should consider that.
DFW A Terminal Admirals Club
American Is Investing In Its Clubs Again
The new lounge aesthetic debuted at Washington National airport on the E concourse four years ago, and was followed by Denver, Newark and Philadelphia A-West. Washington National D is being renovated and new lounges are coming at Chicago O’Hare L; Charlotte; Dallas Fort Worth C (and a Provisions in F); New York JFK (Provisions); Miami (D30); Austin and Nashville and they promise “more to come.”
The food in Admirals Clubs has gotten better, too. It’s not just a guacamole station anymore. It still lags what Delta offers, but it’s a real improvement over where things were.
Of course, a major reason for lounge access is live agent help during irregular operations. The agents in my home club in Austin are just phenomenal. They recognize regulars by name walking in the door, and they work magic with itineraries with an unmatched conscientiousness – I’ve landed off of delayed flight at a hub only to find that itinerary was improved while I was in the air.
Staff at the Austin Club are Great – But The New Lounge Can’t Come Soon Enough
Other Ways To Get Lounge Access
Not everyone is eligible for the premium Citibank card, of course. American is a global airline and it’s not available to non-U.S. customers! Expat professionals in the United States may have strong incomes but not get approved for the card. Not everyone is willing to take a new credit card, for a variety of even non-Dave Ramsey reasons.
In that case, consider an Alaska Airlines ‘Plus’ lounge membership at $795 per year which includes access to American Airlines Admirals Clubs when flying on American and other oneworld airline itineraries. That’s a better deal than paying for a full Admirals Club membership and still gets you access to Admirals Clubs.
An Admirals Club membership can be claimed as a Loyalty Choice Reward. Personally, I’ve been using status matched Royal Jordanian status for access to American’s business class Flagship lounges even when flying domestically. But for most heavy U.S. American Airlines flyers, the card is the logical path.
As @Peter has taught me, Citi AA Exec combined with AA Hotels is also the fast-track to OWE without jumping through crazy hoops.
Haven’t heard of too many issues redeeming Citi’s Strata Elite 4 Admirals Club passes (like, they rarely are doing what UnitedClub’s do and pretend there’s no capacity and deny entry using day passes.)
Meanwhile, Delta SkyClubs will just make everyone wait, status, membership, or otherwise, mostly because Amex oversold and Delta cannot possibly deliver.
You compare to Delta and while Delta access is much tighter and the clubs (generally) better, I feel like United Clubs are generally the worst of the big 3 overall once inside the club. Yes, they have a couple new ones in hubs that look nice, but a lot of them are crap, e.g. any of the ones in IAD. The food at the UCs I’ve been to in the past few months are also somehow worse than the ACs, especially with the increased hot food variety and decent charcuterie now. Drinks are about on par IMO, but still I’d vote the average AC is better than the average UC.
Cleary that’s the intent is to push people to the credit card a way of entry since it’s far more profitable to airlines. And secondly to reduce overcrowding. ALL AIRLINES are going the route of making clubs a profit center.
As far as the $1.4K. How many general members would spend money on a lounge membership unless they’re getting it some other way?
@Ben —SkyClubs usually are better than UnitedClubs, but UCs still have better food than most AdmiralsClubs, mostly because some ACs don’t even really have food, or they make you purchase real food. It is very airport-dependent. Like, JFK T8, awful AC; LGA, great AC. I highly recommend their chicken cacciatore!
Gary.
For me it is a very timely article. I currently have the Premium Select and the Global. I have access to the AC through January via 250k LP redemption which I will also reach this year before AC renewal time. I was thinking of consolidating the existing 2 cards into the Executive card. If I did it before 08/23 then it would be 595 plus 175 for the second user or 770 total vs the 445 that I am paying now for the 2 existing cards. If I did so it would free up another 250 flight credit or 30k miles to choose from at the 250k LP level.
Two questions if you know the answers:
Is there 2X point feature for restaurants with the executive card?
More importantly do you know if all of the automatic payments that I have on both cards would automatically transfer to the Executive Card?
Lastly what would you do in my situation?
Thanks
I just hit 250K reward. I’ll wait until Jan 1st to redeem the AC membership.
Really one of the rewards I use the most.
That’s quite a drastic increase. I know AA has been updating their lounges but their progress is slow.
@Pilot93434 — You’d think with your 27,000 flight hours, they’d just let you in for free, out of respect, no?
I had purchased a lifetime Admirals Club pass in 2005. It was a big push at the clubs when you checked in then but haven’t seen that option since. It seemed like a lot at the time (~$5,300 vs. probably $300 or so annually). The person who sold it me also gave her # to call as a last resort for any problems with flights, etc. I also received a handwritten thank you note in the mail later from the agent. Others received phone #’s from the agents they bought their passes from too so seemed like part of the deal. I’ve heard this referred to as AAngels a few times. I used that # once around 15 years afterwards when I couldn’t get through on the EXP line after several hours. Turns out the agent had retired and it was her personal cell number. She called another Admirals Club agent for me who helped me out. But it doesn’t seem that AA is proactively assigning new agents to lifetime members for that. Does anyone know anything more about that? I had sent some queries to AA over the years but never received a reply.
Hopefully, the new pricing keeps the Admirals Clubs from having the same lines you usually see at many of the credit card lounges. I do very much like the new club designs at DCA E, EWR, and PHL A and the focus on improving the experience. Now, they just need to do something with PHX .
American Airlines emailed today to say:
“We’re committed to providing the best experience at our 50+ Admirals Club® lounges worldwide. As we build on this goal, you can look forward to enhancements designed to make your visits even better:
Curated menus with hearty options: Enjoy seasonally refreshed menus, including twice as many hot items to build a more satisfying, well-rounded meal. Plus, enjoy freshly prepared bagel and waffle bars and an upgraded charcuterie selection for more variety before your flight.
Thoughtfully selected beverages: Choose from more complimentary options like freshly brewed Lavazza coffee, regionally inspired cocktails, local craft beer, spirits and a wide selection of wines. Curated premium wines like Veuve Clicquot rosé, Caymus cabernet sauvignon, and Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée are also available for purchase.
New grab-and-go experiences: We opened our first Provisions by Admirals ClubSM lounge in Charlotte (CLT), with New York (JFK) coming soon. These spaces are included in your membership and offer quick, premium food and drinks when you’re on the move.
More elevated lounges: Relax in redesigned lounges across the U.S., like our expanded Admirals Club® lounge in Philadelphia (PHL) A West Concourse. New locations are coming soon, including Austin (AUS), Chicago (ORD), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA), Nashville (BNA) and Washington, D.C. (DCA).
To provide these enhancements and future additions, Admirals Club® annual rates will increase. You’ll continue to enjoy the flexibility that sets your experience apart, like unlimited time in the lounge when connecting and the ability to visit on arrival — so you can make the most of every trip.
Updated rates for new memberships begin on Aug. 23, 2026.
Your current membership is valid through Jul. 21, 2027. You can renew up to 90 days before or up to 30 days after your membership expires. When it’s time to renew, your membership rate will be $1,300 or 130,000 AAdvantage® miles.”
I renewed last month for $750 or 75,000 AAdvantage® miles. For $1,300, you would think American Airlines would include one or two visits to Flagship dining.
Phoenix and Filthadelphia are def worth 1400 to 3000 dollars a visit let alone a year
Plus it keeps the riff raff peons out
In the 1980s I bought a lifetime membership for myself & my wife for $250 when there was an Admiral’s Club at DTW!
@Mark R. — So, did you actually get to use it until 2008 when it closed? If so, that’s like the poor man’s version (for a lounge) of the AAirpass saga (see: Steve Rothstein; though, instead of $250, he paid $250,000 and got about $20 million dollars worth of flights from it; some consider him a hero.)
Oh, American Airlines, you trendsetters! Who wouldn’t leap at the chance to pay a humble $1,400 (up from that peasantly $750) for the privilege of sitting in the Admirals Club® and pretending the “dining improvements” aren’t code for “Maybe this time the chicken isn’t rubber?” Yes, you heard right: twice as many hot items! Because if there’s one thing travelers crave, it’s twice the mystery meat and double the existential dread. Why settle for a well-rounded meal when you could have a roulette wheel of reheated day-old Flagship® First leftovers? Nothing screams exclusivity like paying double to gamble on what’s edible. Bon appétit, high rollers!