On a recent trip through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) I decided to forgo the Flagship Lounge and headed to check out the American Airlines Admirals Club located in Terminal A instead.
Admirals Club DFW Terminal A Location
American Airlines operates its largest hub at DFW Airport and the airline has an Admirals Club located in each Terminal. The Admirals Club in Terminal A is located across from Gate A24. The entrance to the lounge is located on the concourse level with the lounge space located one floor up.
Admirals Club DFW Terminal A Hours of Operation
The Admirals Club in Terminal A is open between 4:00a and 10:15p daily. This covers virtually all of the carrier’s departures from the airport. The Terminal A Admirals Club opens the earliest out of all of American Airlines’ lounges at DFW Airport and can be accessed from any terminal via the Skylink train.
Admirals Club DFW Terminal A Entry Requirements
The Admirals Club can be accessed in a variety of ways, including by:
- Admirals Club members, including Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard cardholders;
- First and Business Class passengers on a qualifying departing or arriving international, transcontinental or other domestic flight;
- American Airlines Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum elite members traveling on qualifying departing or arriving international flights;
- OneWorld Emerald and Sapphire members (excluding American and Alaska members);
- Active duty military traveling in uniform traveling on a same-day flight operated by American.
- Purchasing a single-day pass for $79.
I accessed the lounge thanks to my British Airways Executive Club Gold (OneWorld Emerald) status. There was a line to access the lounge that stretched out into the concourse but, it moved quickly after and I was welcomed into the lounge within a few minutes of my arrival.
Full entry and access requirements can be found here.
Layout
After making your way upstairs, via stairs or elevator, you’ll find yourself in the middle of the lounge. The lounge is a long, skinny rectangle that is broken up into multiple seating areas. When you arrive you’ll find a large partition separating the main seating area of the lounge from the entrance.
Lounge AAgents are stationed on either side of the entryway to assist passengers, if necessary.
To the left is a small seating area that has some lounge chairs separated by built in tables. Power outlets are located in each table and are abundant throughout the lounge.
Past the seating area is a communal, high top table which has enough seating for 15-20 people.
At the rear of the space you’ll find the lounge bar. There were only a few barstools present during my visit, which provided plenty of space for walk up guests. There is also a buffet located in this space.
In the center of the lounge, behind the main partition, is another buffet as well as the primary seating area.
Most of the seating area has the standard lounge chairs and tables, all of which had power outlets. While the furnishings in the lounge appear somewhat dated, I found the seats to be comfortable.
Along the back wall is a communal counter that can be used as a workstation. While the windows provide a ton of natural light, the bottom layer is frosted. This is due to the fact that the lounge overlooks the HVAC systems on the roof of Terminal A.
If you’re in the need of a little more privacy, or lack thereof, there are a few pairs of seats that are alone in the middle of the lounge.
Back out in the main corridor, if you head to the right upon entering the lounge you’ll find a long hallway with rooms coming off of the left side.
On this end of the lounge you’ll find a kids room, quiet room, and an additional seating area.
At the back of the lounge is the business center. If you’re looking for a quiet space in this lounge then head for the business center as it was virtually deserted during my visit.
Some of the workspaces have external monitors and iMac computers available for use.
Food & Beverage
I visited the lounge during breakfast and, while the lounge has multiple buffets, the offerings were the same at both. Drip coffee, both regular and decaf, was available along with machines that could make lattes, cappuccinos, and more.
On the chilled buffet, hard boiled eggs, deviled eggs, yoghurt, and a salad were available.
A small cabinet held bagels, pastries, peanut butter, and jams.
The two hot dishes on offer, breakfast sausage and omelettes, weren’t anything special but they were decent.
Fruit, juice, and Coca-Cola machines were available on the self-serve buffet as well.
As I mentioned earlier, there is only one bar in the Terminal A Admirals Club. I visited on a Sunday morning so there weren’t any crowds but I could see this becoming a bottleneck at peak times.
The bar has complimentary beer, wine, and well liquors available along with top shelf options available for a fee. American also has complimentary, curated cocktails on offer for lounge guests.
Atmosphere
The lounge environment here ebbs and flows depending on American’s flight banks. I had quite a long layover during my visit and found that the lounge was either packed or deserted. If you have a short layover it likely isn’t worth visiting the lounge but, if you have a longer layover, the lounge can be respite from the concourse below.
Also, given the fact that this lounge has the most open hours of any Admirals Club at DFW, you’re likely to find yourself here for any early morning departures.
Summary
The The American Airlines Admirals Club in DFW Airport’s Terminal A is a nice enough space that can get crowded at times. If you’ve got a long layover this lounge is worth the visit, especially if you can snag one of the private chairs and catch a nap. Otherwise, this lounge falls squarely into the “drop by if its convenient” bucket.
I detest the design of this lounge, which helped launch the airline’s “modern hospital” lounge aesthetic that they’ve fortunately moved past. The lighting is just awful. It was far nicer prior to renovation. The old Admirals Club in the space actually had their Flagship First lounge inside of it, which was converted to more club space (and nobody used, so it was a nice private area with its own bathroom) after the D terminal opened for international departures. And it had an exercise room too.
I didn’t realize that this lounge was the model for the Admirals Clubs we’ve seen over the last 6-7 years. I knew that it used to have the Flagship space which was rarely used.