American Airlines is ringing in the new year with updates to its premium lounge offerings. This includes some new experiential offerings in select Admirals Club lounges beginning in January 2026.
Seasonal Flavors in Flagship Lounges
The most notable changes each season are found in American Airlines Flagship and premium lounges. According to American, you’ll find the following offerings in these lounges this winter:
- Chicago (ORD) Flagship Lounge
- Curried artichoke orange salad with shave fennel, mint and curry vinaigrette
- Honey mascarpone and fig parfait with roasted pistachios and almonds
- Coconut lemongrass salmon with fried eggplant and chickpeas
- Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) Flagship Lounge)
- Beef bulgogi and poached egg with sticky rice, butternut squash, kimchi, sauteed mushrooms, garlic chili oil, seaweed flakes, scallions and toasted sesame
- Mediterranean couscous salad with mixed olives, baby artichokes, red onions, feta and lemon oregano dressing
- Beet and farro salad with goat cheese and vinaigrette
- Los Angeles (LAX) Flagship Lounge
- Apricot and ginger pork loin with baby spinach, kale and micro cilantro
- Cinnamon matcha pancakes with mandarin orange syrup, raspberries and mint
- Grapefruit and fennel goat cheese salad with baby arugula, heirloom radish, farro, glazed pecans, sultanas, mint and white balsamic grapefruit vinaigrette
- Miami (MIA) Flagship Lounge
- Blistered shishito peppers with sesame chimichurri and pearl onions
- Ghirardelli cocoa bar with butterscotch sticks, white and dark chocolate chips, marshmallows, Andes Mints, whipped topping and caramel and chocolate sauce
- Peruvian chaufa bowls action station with brown rice, chorizo, fried tofu, hoisin sauce, carrots, napa cabbage, charred corn, scallions, cilantro, red peppers, tamari and broccoli
- Philadelphia (PHL) Flagship Lounge
- Farro and squash salad with butternut squash, imported farro, pomegranate arils and citrus vinaigrette
- Mini pretzels with Dijon mustard and Yards beer cheese sauce
- Custom pho bar with pho broth, tofu, lemongrass chicken soy, vermicelli noodles, sliced yellow onion, bean sprouts, lime wedges, mint, Thai basil, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, sweet chili, tamari, hoisin and sambal
In New York, American operates three premium lounges in partnership with British Airways; The Chelsea Lounge, Soho Lounge, and Greenwich Lounge. These offerings will vary by lounge but include:
- Pulled short rib sliders (Greenwich)
- Avocado tartine with smashed avocado, toasted sourdough, mache salad, heart of palm, pickled shallot, fresno pepper and radish (Chelsea)
- Signature burgers (The Soho, Bushwick and East Village burgers): A trio of chef‑crafted options, including a house‑made veggie patty with vegan aioli, and two Pat LaFrieda smash‑patty creations featuring toppings such as English cheddar, caramelized onions, smoky aioli and artisanal buns (Soho)
Improved Admirals Club Action Stations
While the airline’s premium lounges have long featured specialty food items, American is continuing the rollout of its “experiential culinary program” at select Admirals Club lounges. This is being done in partnership with Citi and Mastercard (remember the guacamole stations) at select lounges.
Admirals Club guests will find bagel bars in DFW, LAX, Nashville (BNA), ORD, Phoenix (PHX) and San Francisco (SFO). Toppings and condiments will include avocado, tomato, arugula, red pepper, red onion, prosciutto, smoked salmon, fresh dill, capers, cream cheeses, hot sauces, olive oil, honey, everything seasoning and lemon.
In Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), JFK, New York (LGA), MIA, PHL, and Washington D.C. (DCA) guests will find waffle bars featuring maple syrup, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and almond butter powdered sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, coconut, fresh fruit and sprinkles.
My Thoughts
Typically I don’t cover things like culinary changes in lounges because they happen so often and there are way too many to keep track of. However, this one piqued my interest. A college buddy and I recently booked a quick trip to Europe in February which will have plenty of reviews.
Thanks to a schedule change we have multiple layovers that are now in play which could see visits to the Chicago, Dallas Ft. Worth, Miami, and/or Philadelphia Flagship Lounges in play. In addition, I’ll also be checking out the New York premium lounge options on our outbound so I’ll actually be able to sample some of these seasonal items.
It’s been quite a few years since I flew long-haul on American and its OneWorld partners so I’m looking forward to checking out these spaces and seeing firsthand how the carrier’s push to become more premium is doing.
Summary
American Airlines has revealed the dining upgrades for its premium lounges this winter. Guests at Flagship Lounges across the country and premium lounges in New York will get unique items based on each location. Admirals Club guests will see an expansion of the experiential culinary program to more than a dozen airports this winter.
(Images courtesy American Airlines)