American Airlines operates out of several hubs across the United States that include Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas Fort Worth in the United States of America. As American Airlines operates in the One World airline alliance, it is a major competitor to United Airlines who operates in the Star Alliance airline alliance. We would get the opportunity to explore their American Airlines Admirals Club at their Dallas Fort Worth – Terminal C hub prior to our early morning departure.

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This post is one chapter on our trip during the pandemic to Curaçao in the Southern Caribbean. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. For more information on how this trip was booked, please see our trip introduction here. For other parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Review: American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge – C Terminal, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, United States of America

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We departed a strange stay at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport Marriott hotel by Uber Black and headed to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport C Terminal.

Checking Into American Airlines First Class:

We arrived to the Dallas Fort Worth airport at about 2:50 AM and wandered over to the American Airlines Check in. There were about fifteen people waiting in the economy check in line. We queued up as the first in the Priority Line for today.

The American Airlines attendants started work at 3 AM. We were among the first in line and were dealt with promptly. We checked our bags to Curaçao. We were re-issued new boarding cards and given our bag claim checks.

We immediately passed through TSA security which also opened at 3 AM. We arrived into a deserted terminal where there was almost nothing open.

Locating the American Airlines Admirals Club C Terminal:

The AAdmirals Club for the C Concourse is centrally located across from Gate C20. The AAdmirals Club is relatively easy to find and is well marked. You would be hard to miss it. Gate C20 is right in the middle of the circumference of the C Terminal semi circle.

The AAdmirals Club opened at 4 AM, which was early enough to capture the earliest banks of flights. Some carriers don’t open their lounge early enough to capture the first flights of the day. American Airlines should be commended for making it’s lounge available to all travellers, regardless when their flight leaves.

Accessing the American Airlines Admirals Club:

We rode the elevator up from the concourse floor to the top level “3”. We presented our boarding cards at the reception desk.

Thanks to complex lounge access rules in the United States where memberships are offered, it’s a little more challenging than most countries to access American Airlines Admirals Club Lounge. American Airlines also offers among the more restrictive access between the three airline alliances of One World, Star Alliance and Skyteam.

Access to the Admirals Club is permitted under the following circumstances:

The most likely way into the American Airlines Admirals Club is through a qualifying First or Business Class flight to an international destination. The qualifying destinations include:

Flights between the U.S. and:

• Asia
• Australia
• Canada (not always found on the eligibility list)
• Caribbean (not always found on the eligibility list)
• Central America
• Europe
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• South America

Access can be granted through select international itineraries. While Caribbean access is not normally on the list of international itineraries, we were able to gain access through Caribbean flights “for a limited time”. Normally, American Airlines considers international flights of the longer haul variety which include Southern South America, Europe, or Asia. Flights to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Northern South America are not always included. 

If you’re in International First Class, you are entitled to bring one guest under this category.

You can also get in with Qualifying transcontinental flights as flights with seats ticketed as Flagship®, including flights from Los Angeles to:

• New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX)
• JFK and San Francisco (SFO)
• JFK and Orange County (SNA)
• LAX and Miami (MIA)

Qualifying AAdvantage® Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro and Platinum, and qualifying One World Emerald and Sapphire level members to the above international destinations are also permitted access.

Admirals Club® members, including annual and lifetime members, Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite™ MasterCard^® primary cardholders, ConciergeKey^SM members and AirPass^SM members with Admirals Club privileges. If you have a paid annual membership, this allows you access to:

• Domestic and international Admirals Club locations
• All Alaska Airlines Lounges (when departing on flights marketed and operated by American or Alaska Airlines)
• All Qantas Clubs (when departing on same-day flights operated by Qantas, or operated by American out of Auckland, New Zealand or Sydney, Australia)
• Select partner lounges operated by third parties (on same-day flights operated by American)

You can also purchase a day pass for a visit in advance or at the counter for $59 USD. The day passes sales are based on lounge capacity constraints.

In short, there are many ways to get in, if one can figure out the assortment of complicated access rules. Our access today was courtesy of the International Business Class ticket status of our American Airlines ticket.

Inside the American Admirals Club DFW – Terminal “C”:

After passing through reception on the fourth floor, I entered in to the main part of the lounge. The American Airlines Admirals Club at C Gates Dallas Fort Worth is a pretty large space. There are ample lounge chairs with lounge seating occupying about 90% of the available space.

Lounge Seating:

The primary part of the lounge offers lounge seating. After getting to the top of short stairs behind reception, the main lounge space is dissected by a large pathway that runs through the lounge. Unlike many lounges, the walkways is quite pronounced and makes a statement on the space.

Work Station Area:

At the far left hand side of the lounge, the lounge space offered a work station area for those looking for a little productivity.

There were floor to ceiling angled windows that ran the length of the airside portion of the lounge. The windows assisted in providing some natural light into a variety of seating spaces sprinkled alongside the windows. The seating surfaces are traditional men’s study leather and chocolate browns leading to a comfortable familiar environment.

The window shades were drawn the entire time we were here and I happened to notice that the view was of a concrete parking structure. As a result, I wouldn’t expect to get aspirational plane side views from this particular lounge facility.

In addition to the window seats, the lounge offered several other square seating environments. There were spots to sit almost everywhere. Unlike other lounges, American Airlines didn’t make the lounge higher density by offering tables and chair seatings in order to squeeze more people in.

Food and Beverage Area:

Heading towards the back of the back of the lounge down the hallway, I located the dining and the primary food services area.

There were some tables and chairs set up at the rear. These were set in a socially distant setting during our visit.

Food an Beverage:

Lounge Dining:

The lounge was serving breakfast during our visit. The center station offered a selection of continental toasts, bagels.

The rear bar area of the lounge offered the only hot breakfast area of the lounge.

It offered Tex Mex scrambled eggs with pico de gallo sauce, salsa, shredded cheese and bacon bits to top over the eggs. A variety of yoghurts were also offered.

There was even a Korean Styled Condiment area with Old Bay Seasoning, Red Pepper Flakes, among other seasoning items.

There was also a combination of filtered coffee and an espresso machine.

I was able to get a small snack in the form of scrambled eggs with all the usual toppings.

While the bar wasn’t open during our visit, American Airlines Admirals Club offered scan by table menus for drink offerings. They offered some simple table wine along with Miller Lite and Heinkein as the house beers. Many of the other beverages were at charge.

They also offered a number of plated menu items during breakfast hour that ranged from $12 to $16 USD a plate.

I was able to take a coffee to go from the lounge to enjoy while I waited for our American Airlines First Class Dallas Fort Worth – Miami flight.

My Thoughts on the American Airlines Admirals Club DFW Terminal “C”:

The Admirals Club offered a quick stop for us prior to our early morning flight. The most impressive part of the lounge was the hardware and the spacious seating area. The food was reasonable, although if I was a regular visitor, I think the offerings would get old pretty quickly.

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If you travel through Dallas Fort Worth, do you visit the impressive space in the American Airlines Admirals Club ?

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