7 Ways to Access American Airlines Admirals Club Lounges

Lounge access before your flight or during a layover enhances your travel experience. You get free snacks and beverages, generally comfortable seating, high-speed Wi-Fi access and outlets to charge your devices. If you’re flying with American Airlines or any of its partners, you may be able to visit an Admirals Club, which is the airline’s airport lounge.

In addition to Admirals Clubs, customers can access partner lounges in airports American doesn’t fly to. There are currently almost 50 Admirals Club locations and more than 50 partner lounges in airports worldwide.

To enter the lounges, American Airlines requires travelers to present a same-day boarding pass on American or one of its partners. That's true for all passengers, regardless of status or flying class. Here are all the ways you can visit American Airlines Admirals Clubs.

Day passes are available for purchase at select locations for $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles. The day pass includes access for you and up to three children (under age 18). You can log in to your AAdvantage account to purchase a pass or do so as a guest.

NerdWallet values American Airlines miles at 1.6 cents each. If you use your points to purchase a day pass, you’re only getting 1 cent per point. Based on the valuation, you’d be better off paying cash than using your points.

$79 per person is a steep price for visiting a lounge, so you’ll want to do the math on how much you could realistically save on food and drinks and whether you value the specific location’s amenities.

» Learn more: What's the value of American Airlines AAdvantage miles?

Only one credit card will get you into an American Airlines Admirals Club lounge.

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® includes an Admirals Club membership, allowing you to bring your immediate family or up to two guests and up to 10 authorized users with you. This card comes with the following sign-up bonus: Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

The card includes a $100 reimbursement every five years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, $120 Avis or Budget car rental credit every calendar year, $120 in Grubhub credits (up to $10 in statement credit on each monthly billing statement) and $120 in Lyft credits ($10 credit each month after taking three eligible rides).

When flying with American Airlines, you'll receive other benefits such as a free checked bag for you and up to eight travel companions as well as priority boarding, priority check-in and priority screening.

You will also earn:

• 4 miles for every $1 spent on eligible American purchases.

• 10 miles for every $1 spent on car rentals and hotels booked through aa.com.

• 1 Loyalty Point for every $1 spent, which counts towards elite status.

• A 10,000 Loyalty Points bonus after you earn 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. Plus, another opportunity to earn an extra 10,000 points if you reach 90,000 during the same time frame.

• 25% off on in-flight food and beverages purchases.

Although the card has a steep annual fee of $595, as you’ll see below, that is still less than the cost of an annual Admirals Club membership. So, if you plan to visit Admirals Club lounges often, the card's cost along with all its perks, will be your best bet for getting access to the lounges.

Adding another person to your credit card account will cost $175 annually for the first three authorized users and $175 per additional user. It's important to note that authorized users on the credit card only get access to Admirals Clubs; they do not get access to other airline lounges or clubs that American Airlines has a lounge partnership with. Getting into partner lounges is a benefit solely reserved for the primary holder of the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.

» Learn more: Best credit card for Admirals Club access

Admirals Club annual membership rates vary depending on your frequent flyer status with American Airlines:

• Non-elite AAdvantage members: $850 (new membership), $800 (renewal).

• AAdvantage Gold members: $825 (new), $775 (renewal).

• AAdvantage Platinum members: $800 (new), $750 (renewal).

• AAdvantage Platinum Pro members: $775 (new), $725 (renewal).

• AAdvantage Executive Platinum members: $750 (new), $700 (renewal).

With an annual membership, you can bring your immediate family (including spouse and children) or up to two guests. You can also buy a household membership for $1,550 to $1,650 (depending on your status level), which includes access for you and your spouse or domestic partner even when you’re not flying together.

You can access Admirals Club lounges if you fly first or business class on certain international, transcontinental and domestic routes. Those flying on American Airlines and on Oneworld partner airlines are eligible.

Qualifying international itineraries include flights between the U.S. and Asia, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East and New Zealand. International first class customers can bring one guest, but other business class or first class domestic passengers will not have guest privileges.

Domestic flights with seats ticketed as Flagship for the following routes qualify:

• New York-John F. Kennedy to/from San Francisco, Los Angeles or Orange County.

• Los Angeles to/from Boston or Miami.

• Dallas-Fort Worth to/from Honolulu, Kona or Maui.

• Chicago-O’Hare to/from Honolulu.

AAdvantage members with Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro or Platinum status can access Admirals Club lounges when flying internationally on the routes and airlines mentioned above. The member can bring one guest (children above the age of two count as a guest) and the guest must be traveling on a departing or arriving Oneworld ticket.

» Learn more: Guide to American Airlines elite status

If you have Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status, you can access Admirals Clubs and partner lounges with a qualifying itinerary for same-day travel on a Oneworld carrier. Elite status holders are allowed one guest each.

Alaska MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold elites automatically received a status match to Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire, respectively, and can access Admirals lounges. Eligible flights include domestic and international routes mentioned above between the U.S. and Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, Mexico City (MEX), New Zealand and South America.

» Learn more: Oneworld alliance: what you need to know

If you’re traveling in uniform, you can access domestic and international Admirals Club locations (except the JAL Sakura Lounge in Honolulu or the Airspace Lounge in San Diego) if space is available. You will need to present your military ID and a same-day boarding pass for a flight operated by American Airlines. Uniformed military personnel can also bring their immediate family members or up to two guests into the lounge.

» Learn more: 3 ways to score military travel discounts

There are nearly 50 Admirals Clubs and more than 60 partner lounges in domestic and international airports. In addition, American Airlines also has a network of more than 650 Oneworld lounges worldwide. Unfortunately, people with day passes and Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® authorized users do not get access to the partner lounges.

In addition to Admirals Clubs, American Airlines has other lounges that passengers can visit if they have the right access.

Arrivals Lounge in London Heathrow

If you’re flying into London’s Heathrow Airport, you can freshen up at the Arrivals Lounge when you land. To use that facility, you need to be flying in first or business class or have AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro or ConciergeKey status. Oneworld Emerald status and British Airways Premier status will also get you access.

» Learn more: British Airways First Class Lounge at Heathrow review

American Airlines Flagship lounges

American Airlines also has Flagship lounges that offer premium sit-down dining, chef-inspired meals, cocktails, showers and much more. These lounges are located in Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX) and Miami (MIA) airports. A Flagship Lounge in Philadelphia will also be opening soon.

The following passengers can visit these lounges:

• AAdvantage members with ConciergeKey status. 

• American Airlines Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro and Platinum elites.

• Alaska MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold elites. 

• Passengers flying on qualifying first and business class tickets (see qualifying routes here).

• Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire elites.

• Single visit pass holders. Passes can be purchased for $150 or 15,000 American Airlines miles at the lounge. If you purchase a day pass, you cannot bring in guests.

» Learn more: How to access American Airlines Flagship lounges

International First Class lounge in London Heathrow

This exclusive lounge is available to those flying international first class or ConciergeKey, Oneworld Emerald, AAdvantage Executive Platinum and AAdvantage Platinum Pro elites (regardless of cabin class). Elites must show proof of a same-day flight operated by American or another Oneworld airline.

Flagship Lounge and British Airways partner lounges at JFK

Through a new partnership with British Airways, American Airlines opened three premium lounges in New York-John F. Kennedy airport that are available to certain passengers flying on American Airlines, British Airways or Oneworld tickets.

The Chelsea Lounge, Soho Lounge and Greenwich Lounge are the names of these new lounges.

The Chelsea Lounge is the most exclusive. Access is granted to those flying in Flagship First or Flagship Business Plus on certain international and transcontinental routes. ConciergeKey members on qualifying routes on American Airlines and British Airways long-haul flights also get access.

Access to the Soho Lounge has more flexible entrance requirements, allowing the following passengers to visit:

1. Alaska’s MVP Gold 75K elites and AAdvantage Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro members who are flying on qualifying same-day international or long-haul routes operated by American or any Oneworld airline.

2. Any passengers flying on a Oneworld first class ticket between the U.S. and certain destinations.

3. Oneworld Emerald elites flying on any Oneworld flight.

4. ConciergeKey elites flying in any cabin on a Oneworld airline.

Next up is the Greenwich Lounge, which offers a cocktail bar, chef-inspired meals, showers, premium wine and more. Access is available to the following flyers:

1. Alaska’s MVP Gold and AAdvantage Platinum elites who are traveling on a certain same-day international flight operated by American or any Oneworld carrier.

2. Any passengers flying on a Oneworld business class ticket between the U.S. and certain destinations.

3. Oneworld Sapphire elites flying on any Oneworld flight.

4. Any passengers flying in business class on a Oneworld long-haul flight.

Lounge access can be the lynchpin between a good flight experience and a great one. There are several ways to access American Airlines Admirals Club lounges, from having the right credit card to earning elite status with the airline. If you want a taste of the comforts, consider purchasing a day pass during your next American flight.