American Airlines is building its largest Admirals Club in Charlotte, with more than 40,000 square feet of space, showers and multiple bars above the airport’s atrium. Construction starts this year at a hub where escaping the crowded concourses has meant entering a lounge that’s just as crowded – if you can make it in through the lines.

I ranked American’s planned Charlotte Admirals Club and Flagship lounge number five among the airport lounge openings I’m most looking forward to. Charlotte desperately needs the space. American operates more than 650 peak daily flights at its second-largest hub, and its two existing clubs haven’t been up to the job.

Here’s What American Is Building

The existing main club is still in the miserable US Airways style, and the smaller second club is in the airline’s 2018-era ‘modern hospital’ design. American also announced a Charlotte Flagship business class lounge last year but there are no new details of that project.

We’ve Known About The 40,000 Square Foot Plan Since 2023

Back in March 2023 I wrote about plans for a 40,000 square foot Charlotte Admirals Club, following reporting by aviation watchdog JonNYC and airport planning documents I’d reviewed.

That proposal placed the club on the upper level of the D–E connector and contemplated converting the existing main club into revenue-generating retail space. Today they’re identifying the location as the atrium mezzanine.

American says the current clubs will stay open during construction but haven’t commented on future disposition once the new lounge is ready.

Bigger Than American’s Planned DFW Club

Charlotte will surpass the 37,000 square foot Admirals Club planned for Dallas–Fort Worth’s Terminal C. The new Provisions location announced for DFW is going into Terminal F.

It’ll also be in the same size class as United’s 40,000 square foot Washington Dulles Concourse E club and slightly larger than Delta’s JFK business class lounge. United’s forthcoming Houston Terminal B club, at 55,000 square feet, will still be much larger.

Emirates Business Class Lounge, Dubai (DXB) Concourse A is approximately 177,960 sq ft

Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai (DXB) Concourse A approximately 133,774 sq ft

Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge, Doha (DOH) 107,639 sq ft

Emirates Business Class Lounge, Dubai (DXB) Concourse B 99,123 sq ft

Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden, Doha (DOH) 79,545 sq ft

Turkish Airlines Lounge Business, Istanbul (IST) 60,278 sq ft

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Lounge, Istanbul (IST) 60,278 sq ft

United Airlines New Houston Club (IAH) 55,000 sq ft (forthcoming)

LATAM Lounge, Santiago (SCL) 43,056 sq ft

American Airlines Admirals Club Charlotte (CLT) 40,000+ sq ft

United Airlines Washington Dulles Concourse E Club (IAD) 40,000 sq ft

Charlotte Needs This More Than Most Airports

Charlotte airport offers crowded corridors, long walks and insufficient amenities. Low airport charges are great for American, except I avoid connecting there when possible.

I bet other passengers choose to book away from American when their options involve Phoenix, Charlotte and Philadelphia – but more connect there and it influences their overall view of the airline’s experience – and harms its efforts at premium orientation and revenue generation.

The airport’s broader construction program should help aircraft move around the ramp. But the planned Concourse C extension adds 12 to 16 gates without widening the existing B and C corridors. More passengers will feed through the same choke points, and eventual extensions could produce connections involving walks of a mile or more.

American already sells 35-minute connections from regional jets on Concourse E to mainline at the other end of the complex. Passengers may have to wait for their carry-on bags planeside before starting the walk, and the next flight’s door closes before its scheduled departure.

If we aren’t going to get better corridors, I at least want American to put at least a Provisions grab-and-go location on Concourse E, and a Flagship lounge will be a huge improvement too when it arrives.

American Has A Lot Of Lounges In The Pipeline

We should also see new lounges as part of the Phoenix West Terminal project which American will anchor. Indeed, American Airlines now says they will deliver a new, renovated or expanded lounge nearly every month, on average, over the next two to three years. That’s a huge investment and turnaround for the airline in a short period of time.