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In the past 12 months, American Airlines has added an impressive number of routes to its Austin network but with the Austin Admirals Club already short of space before most of the new routes were added, something had to be done about the lounge situation at the airport. Well, something *is* being done and it’s something that goes a lot further than the renovation project I was expecting – Austin is getting a brand new Admirals Club.
The plans for the Austin Admirals Club
The current Admirals club sits opposite Gate 22 but that’s not going to be where the new Admirals Club will be housed. A new 15,000+ square foot facility will be constructed “near Gate 14” and will be designed to accommodate over 250 guests.
American Airlines hasn’t really provided us with very much more information about the new Austin Admirals Club but it has said that inspiration for the lounge design will be “taken from the city itself, reflecting the urban fabric of Rainey Street, Austin Parks, local art and music”.
That sounds pretty nice and the vague imagery provided by American Airlines paints a picture of a spacious and airy space that looks quite inviting.
What sounds less nice is a line from the American Airlines press release which suggests that that the new lounge may not end up being the place of serenity that I suspect a lot of flyers will be hoping for:
“Customers can get a taste of the Austin vibe throughout their experience in the Admirals Club. Once open, customers will also be entertained by local musicians“.
Erm…what??!!
Musicians? In an Admirals Club? Who thought that was a good idea?!
We already have enough noise in airport lounges thanks to a wide range of inconsiderate travelers who think it’s appropriate to watch videos on their devices without headphones, who think that Facetime is an appropriate way to communicate while in a shared public space, and who love the sound of their own voices so much that they feel the need to broadcast any conversations they have at the top of their voices.
We definitely do not need live music being added to all of that and if this ill-conceived idea goes ahead, I really hope that it’s short-lived.
Still, that one worrying piece of information (and my mini-rant) aside, the fact that we’re getting a shiny new Admirals Club in Austin and not just a rehashed version of the current one is very good news.
We don’t yet know what kind of timescale American Airlines is working to – we only know that work is expected to start “next year” – but the fact that this will be a new Admirals Club in a new location means that the old Admirals Club can stay open while this one is being constructed. That’s a nice bonus.
Bottom Line
American Airlines will begin work on a new Admirals Club at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at some point in 2022. The new lounge will be located near Gate 14, it will be over 15,000 square feet in size, and is expected to house over 250 guests. Most importantly, it’s going to be a big improvement over what American offers in Austin right now.
Featured image courtesy of Mitchell Kmetz
