He american airlines The Admirals Club airport lounge is a great place to relax and recharge before a flight with American Airlines or its partners.
Inside the lounge, you can expect complimentary refreshments, Wi-Fi, and a place to sit away from the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal. You’ll find nearly 50 Admirals Clubs at airports around the world, including major US hubs.
There are several ways to access Admirals Club before your next flight; These are your options.
Related: First Look: American’s New Flagship Lounge and Admirals Club in Philadelphia Shine in Grand Debut
Access Admirals Club on same-day flights
Regardless of how you get access to Admirals Club: through a membership, class of service, or American Airlines AAdvantage elite status — know that you must present a same-day boarding pass on American, Aer Lingus or a Oneworld partner airline.
Flights operated by Aer Lingus are a special case:
- Access to status or premium cabin: allowed only on flights marketed by Aer Lingus and operated by American
- Day pass: not valid on Aer Lingus; must be marketed and operated by American Airlines or a Oneworld airline
Admirals Club life members are exempt from the same-day flight requirement and any airline restrictions on club entry.
Access Admirals Club with a credit card
An easy way to access the Admirals Club is by opening the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), which comes with 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $7,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Cardholders also receive a free Admirals Club membership, which largely offsets the $595 annual fee. With this membership, you get access for up to two guests or immediate family traveling with you (with a same-day boarding pass for an eligible flight).
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The real hidden gem of this card is its generous authorized user policy. You can add up to three authorized users to your account for $175, then additional authorized users for $175 each. Authorized users gain access to Admirals Club when they have a same-day ticket on American or its partners.
Because of this, some may even consider splitting the annual fee among several authorized users to reduce everyone’s lounge costs.
Please note that authorized users do not get full membership, but simply access. They must present their physical Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard and may bring immediate family members or up to two guests. Authorized users do not have access to associated lounges.
You can also access Admirals Club lounges with four single-visit Admirals Club passes each year for the primary cardholder with any of the following cards:
To use them, you must present a same-day boarding pass for an eligible American Airlines or Oneworld flight. These passes cannot be shared or given as gifts, and guests are not permitted unless traveling with their own pass. The primary cardholder can redeem all four passes in a single visit to bring up to three adult guests. Any passes not redeemed at the end of the calendar year will be forfeited.
Related: Best American Airlines Traveler Credit Cards
Access the Admirals Club with a paid membership
If opening a credit card doesn’t appeal to you, you can always purchase a membership. Here’s what you should expect to spend:
| Membership Type | Annual price (individual membership) |
Annual price (family membership: membership for you and your spouse or common-law partner) |
|---|---|---|
|
$850 ($800 to renew) |
$1,650 ($1,600 to renew) |
|
|
$825 ($775 to renew) |
$1,625 ($1,575 to renew) |
|
|
$800 ($750 to renew) |
$1,600 ($1,550 to renew) |
|
|
$775 ($725 to renew) |
$1,575 ($1,525 to renew) |
|
|
$750 ($700 to renew) |
$1,550 ($1,500 to renew) |
|
|
Free |
You can also use miles to purchase an Admirals Club membership for 1 cent each. According to TPG from May 2026 ratingsAmerican miles are worth 1.6 cents each, so we generally do not recommend redeeming American miles this way.
| Membership Type | Annual price (individual membership, in miles) |
Annual price (family membership: membership for you and your spouse or common-law partner, in miles) |
|---|---|---|
|
85,000 (80,000 to renew) |
165,000 (160,000 to renew) |
|
|
82,500 (77,500 to renew) |
162,500 (157,500 to renew) |
|
|
80,000 (75,000 to renew) |
160,000 (155,000 to renew) |
|
|
77,500 (72,500 to renew) |
157,500 (152,500 to renew) |
|
|
75,000 (70,000 to renew) |
155,000 (150,000 to renew) |
|
|
Free |
Related: The best credit cards to access airport VIP lounges
Admirals Club 1-Day Pass
You can use day passes at some Admirals Club locations. These are available for purchase for $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles. However, during peak hours, be prepared to be turned down for a day pass.
A day pass holder may bring up to three children under 18 years of age at no additional charge, subject to lounge capacity.
Access the Admirals Club with elite status
The rules for accessing Elite status are almost identical for membership-based Admirals Clubs and Flagship Lounges, which are reserved for premium cabin travelers on long-haul flights. If you have the choice, head to the upper Flagship Lounge.
American AAdvantage and Alaska Atmos Rewards Elite Members
If you have Oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status through American AAdvantage (via Platinum, Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum status) or Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards With Elite status, you and a guest can access Admirals Clubs or Flagship Lounges on qualified international itineraries operated by American or a Oneworld partner, even in economy class.
If you are status dependent for entry and fly Alaska Airlines, American does not grant access on flights between the US and Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico.
Other Oneworld Elite Members
If you are a Oneworld Sapphire or Emerald member with a program other than AAdvantage or Atmos Rewards, you and a guest can access an Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge when traveling on American or another Oneworld airline. Flagship Lounge access is a generous benefit for Sapphire level members of foreign programs.
Related: Why I get status on foreign airlines and if you should too
Loyalty Points Rewards
The next Loyalty Points Rewards are available to help you join an Admirals Club. When you reach the following point thresholds, you will be able to choose a reward:
- 250,000 loyalty points: An Admirals Club membership (remember, when you reach this level, you can select between two loyalty point rewards, but Admirals Club membership requires both selections)
- 400,000 loyalty points: An Admirals Club membership (requires two options)
- 550,000 loyalty points: An Admirals Club membership (requires two options)
Day passes are no longer offered as a loyalty point reward.
Access Admirals Club with a specific fare class
While standard domestic first class tickets will not give you access to Admirals Clubs, the following ticket types will:
- Business class and first class tickets on international flights operated by American or Oneworld.
- Domestic flights with emblematic tickets. This includes nonstop flagship flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), John Wayne Airport (SNA) or San Francisco International Airport (SFO); Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and LAX, Miami International Airport (MIA) and LAX, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) or Kahului Airport (OGG), O’Hare International Airport (ORD) at Chicago and HNL or OGG and seasonally, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and HNL.
Again, if you are flying through JFK, LAX, MIA, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), or O’Hare International Airport (ORD), you should look for a flagship lounge. Still, access to the Admirals Club can be a benefit for premium transcontinental passengers originating in Boston or San Francisco.
You will not be able to bring a guest if you gain lounge access this way, unless you are flying international first class, in which case you are allowed one guest, as long as they are on the same flight.
Military access to Admirals Club
With a valid military ID and an American Airlines same-day boarding pass, U.S. military personnel traveling in uniform can access the Admirals Club and most partner club locations. You can bring your immediate family or up to two guests.
However, uniformed US military personnel are not permitted to access these two associated lounges:
- Aspire Lounge at San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- JAL Sakura Lounge at Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
Related: The best travel benefits and discounts for members of the military.
In a nutshell
There are numerous ways to access American Airlines Admirals Clubs. While the amenities at Admirals Clubs vary significantly, these lounges are still better than sitting in a crowded terminal and spending more than $5 on a bottle of water.
Make sure you’re familiar with the ins and outs of access to flagship lounges. After all, if you have access to the much nicer Flagship Lounges, you don’t want to visit the Admirals Club by mistake.
If you’re like many TPG employees who value an Admirals Club membership, an American Airlines co-branded credit card that gives you membership and access for your guests may be the way to go.
