Austin airport is currently tendering a request for proposal for a financial institution lounge project. Their goal is to open an American Express Centurion lounge, Chase Sapphire lounge, or Capital One lounge as part of the “West Infill” project that’s currently under construction.
Requests for proposals for the new lounge are being solicited and a company hasn’t been selected yet, said Sam Haynes, ABIA’s deputy chief of communications and marketing.
“We hope to complete the RFP process sometime later this year with an eye on 2027 as the opening date for the new lounge,” Haynes said in an email.
The $250 million West Infill project which started a year ago is adding 75,000 square feet across four levels of the airport terminal, including 6 to 8 new lanes for TSA checkpoint 3; a new outbound baggage handling system with more than double the current capacity; expansion of ticketing counters; and new office space for airport and TSA staff, upgraded HVAC system, and space for retail and lounge.
At one point there were conversations around placing the new American Airlines Admirals Club there, however according to the airport that’s planned for the ‘West Gate Expansion’ which is expected to be completed in 2026. That space is only about half as large, but will feature an outdoor terrace.
The 20,000 square foot West Infill space is slated to become a bank’s lounge. Chase has already been in the airport in the mostly-outdoors ‘Sapphire Terrace’ space beside the Delta SkyClub that they will exit at the end of a two year lease next month.
The airport had almost award space for an Escape lounge (that would have been branded as an American Express Centurion Studio) before the pandemic, but that got caught up in a dispute over diversity contracting requirements. (Airport Dimensions argued that their The Club project would have had a higher diversity component, but whether a project meets requirements or not is what’s relevant and not by how much.)
The lounge space for a bank is slated open in 2026-2027 (so not in 2026).
If all three want it, why not arrange for three new lounges? Is (Austin) Texas not big enough for the three of theme?
*them (freakin’ pronouns!!)
Austin is a small airport, with limited space. Last time flying through there was miserable due to the poor choices for food. Not enough time to leave the airport and hit the Whataburger just outside.
@1990 Agreed — the more lounges, the merrier. At 20,000 square feet this would almost double the size of the current largest Capital One lounge. Not that I’d complain with that but perhaps they could make at least two banks happy and split the space? Kind of like how DFW has Cap 1 and AA Flagship in the same area.