It’s certainly a work in progress right now, but the Admirals Club in Concourse C at Charlotte Douglas International Airlines still reminds me of the good old days of US Airways…
American Airlines Admirals Club Charlotte Review – Concourse C (CLT)
I hesitated even writing a review of this lounge since it is under construction, but since it will continue to be under construction for several for months I hope this review will be helpful to some of you… perhaps even a warning to stay away.
Next year, American Airlines plans to open a massive new lounge in Charlotte in the Concourse D-E connector area that will be the largest in the system. For now, the Concourse C Lounge remains the primary lounge at CLT (there’s a smaller one in Concourse B) but is itself undergoing gradual renovation…and boy does it need it.
Location + Hours + Access
The lounge is located airside (past security) at the intersection between Concourse C and D is open daily from 5:15 am to 11:15 pm. There are sliding doors on both sides of the concourse that lead into the reception area (currently under construction and quite unsightly).
Access is reserved for:
- Admirals Club members
- Qualifying first and business class passengers, including those traveling same-day on American or another oneworld member to:
- Asia
- Australia
- Canada
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Europe
- Mexico
- Middle East
- New Zealand
- South America
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Platinum members traveling internationally in any cabin of service
- oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members from other oneworld carriers (on any oneworld itinerary in any cabin of service)
- Admirals Club day pass holders
- Citi / AAdvantage Executive Card authorized users
- Active-duty military traveling in uniform with military ID
International first class and oneworld elite customers are allowed one guest (a child over two counts as a guest). Admirals Club members or members of the military may bring in their “immediate family” (spouse, domestic partner and/or children under 18) or two guests.
Seating
I visited around 2:00 pm and the lounge was packed…though my understanding is that is always packed. Seating spans a trio of large rooms, with almost every seat taken in all three rooms.
Power ports are available in the end tables between seats, but some are quite worn (meaning your plugs just fall out).
Restrooms + Showers
This lounge has no showers. There are restrooms, but they were so crowded I have no pictures.
Food + Drink
During the construction phase in this lounge, most of the food items are individually packaged. The advantage of that is that if you are hungry, you can grab a few things and head on out, especially considering the shortage of seats.
Snacks included beef jerky, granola bars, gummy bears, dried bananas, Nutter Butter cookies, hummus with crackers, Pringles potato crisps, Doritos chips, cake, cookies, and a selection of flatbread wraps.
Additionally, self-serve snack jars were available (corn nuts, dark chocolate covered cranberries, “Sweet Caroline” mix) as were two choices of soup (minestrone and “Italian Wedding”).
In terms of drinks, La Colombe coffee (regular and decaf), an espresso machine, tea, water, and soft drinks were available on a self-serve basis.
A makeshift but full-service bar was available in one of the rooms with a complimentary selection of beer, wine, and spirits plus higher quality drinks for purchase.
CONCLUSION
While I suppose this lounge is a better alternative than a crowded gate area, this lounge is desperately overcrowded and is finally being refurbished. While I do appreciate the pre-packaged snacks, I would tend to avoid this lounge now if possible.
