FORT WORTH, Texas — In time for the busy summer travel season, passengers traveling through Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) now have a 25,000-square-foot oasis awaiting them in the A-West Terminal, as American Airlines opens the doors to its highly anticipated Flagship^® and Admirals Club^® lounges on May 22.

Eligible AAdvantage^® members, qualifying oneworld^® members and customers traveling in premium cabins on qualifying same-day flights can access the Flagship^® and Admirals Club^® lounges in Terminal A-West, located between gates A15 and A16. The new lounges will replace the Admirals Club^® lounge in the A-East Terminal.

“We are excited to welcome our customers into American’s newest preflight experience with the opening of our brand-new Flagship^® and Admirals Club^® lounges in the A-West terminal,” said Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer. “With more than 19 million travelers passing through Philadelphia last year, our passionate team worked zealously to create a calm, comfortable sanctuary away from the terminal hustle where customers can relax, recharge and feel taken care of before their journey takes off.”

With PHL being American’s trans-Atlantic gateway and one of its most important hubs, American had more than 355 peak-day departures out of PHL in 2024 to more than 120 destinations in 26 countries. This summer, American will continue to serve customers from the tristate area and launch five inaugural routes, including flights to Milan (MXP) and Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), both of which begin flying on May 23.

Designed with intention

Every element of the Flagship^® and Admirals Club^® lounges has been thoughtfully curated to balance style, comfort and function, creating spaces that feel less like an airport and more like a modern hospitality destination.

Natural materials, warm woods and organic textures reflect the surrounding environment, while zoned lighting and ambient music set the tone for relaxation or focus. A variety of seating options — from café chairs and bar stools to soft lounge seating and private work pods — allow customers to choose how they spend their time.

High-speed Wi-Fi, ample power outlets and clearly displayed flight information screens support productivity and peace of mind for business travelers. Curated artwork adds local and cultural character, while spa-style shower suites, tranquil restrooms with high-end finishes and family-friendly spaces ensure every kind of traveler is considered.

Neighborhood-inspired design for every traveler

Both lounges are organized into thoughtfully designed areas that create a versatile experience for every kind of traveler. Whether looking to sip, savor, socialize or retreat to a quiet corner, there is the perfect space for all:

• Lounge neighborhood: Plush seating and a cozy fireplace create an inviting space to decompress and relax between flights.
• Dining and bar neighborhoods: A mix of self-serve stations and full-service bars encourage social connection and culinary exploration.
• Villas: Restrooms and spa-style showers for customers to refresh between flights.
• Kids room: A playful space for families traveling with children to relax before takeoff.

American will launch Klur bath products across the PHL lounge spaces in Balance in Bloom, a new scent developed in partnership with American. The airline will launch the new products across its U.S.-based lounges throughout the year.

Two lounges. One seamless welcome.

Guests enter through a shared reception lobby with multiple guest service stations and sleek eGates. Inside, two premium lounge experiences await:

The Flagship^® lounge (nearly 12,500 sq. ft.) offers an elevated experience for customers traveling in Business on qualifying international, transcontinental or select domestic flights. Customers are greeted with a complimentary glass of champagne and can enjoy panoramic runway views, six spa-style showers and a variety of seating options. Customers looking for a culinary experience can enjoy specially created dishes by renowned local chef and James Beard Award Semifinalist^®, Chef Randy Rucker, and can also indulge in a unique-to-Philadelphia a la carte dining experience, which customers can order via QR code.

The Admirals Club^® lounge (nearly 11,000 sq. ft.) offers a refreshed take on the classic lounge experience with curated self-serve offerings, specialty Don Francisco coffee and a full-service bar, while families will appreciate the dedicated kids’ area. The design follows American’s latest Admirals Club^® lounge design found at Washington Reagan National (DCA), Denver (DEN) and Newark (EWR), combining elevated finishes with zones dedicated to comfort, productivity and well-being.

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To support peak traffic, there is flexibility to add extra 1,364 square feet to each lounge when needed.

The AAdvantage in

Looking to access the lounges? With the AAdvantage^® program, it’s never been easier to enhance the travel-day experience.

AAdvantage^® members with Platinum status or higher and non-AAdvantage oneworld^® Emerald℠ and Sapphire℠ members on qualifying itineraries, can enhance their travel day by visiting the Flagship^® lounge when traveling internationally in a Flagship^® cabin. Single Visit Passes are also available for $150 or 15,000 AAdvantage^® miles.

Traveling domestically? Access to the Admirals Club^® lounge is available through an Admirals Club^® membership, qualifying oneworld^® status or the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive credit card. Customers can also purchase a One Day Pass, eligible for 24-hours, for $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage^® miles.

Whether customers are stopping in for a quick coffee or spending a few hours recharging before a long-haul flight, the lounges deliver a calm, intuitive experience, designed with today’s travelers in mind.

About American Airlines Group
As a leading global airline, American Airlines offers thousands of flights per day to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. The airline is a founding member of the oneworld^® alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines. To Care for People on Life’s Journey^®.

• The airline’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) hub operation injects more than $30 billion into the North Carolina economy and supports nearly 150,000 jobs statewide, according to a recent study.
• American’s sustained growth has propelled CLT to its status as the third-largest connecting hub airport in the country, giving CLT more capacity relative to local demand than any other similarly sized city.
• The breadth of air service at the CLT hub provides significant economic benefits to the state, including billions in foreign direct investments and thousands of well-paying jobs.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — American Airlines is one of the biggest economic engines in North Carolina. Its hub operation at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) independently contributes more than $30 billion to the state economy and supports nearly 150,000 jobs statewide, according to a recent economic impact study conducted by North Carolina State University’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE). American is the largest carrier in North Carolina, operating the most flights and more than 70% of all available seats in the state.

The airport is home to American’s second-largest hub, where it operates approximately 90% of departures. CLT plays a significant role in the airline’s operation, connecting tens of millions of customers each year to its global network through the airport. That connecting power brings numerous benefits to North Carolina while providing substantial air service and thousands of well-paying jobs, all of which have a cumulative effect on the state’s economy.

“Fueled by sustained growth over more than four decades, our commitment to Charlotte is unwavering, and that strong foundation is only the beginning,” said American’s Senior Vice President of CLT Operations Ralph Lopez Massas. “Our hub operation positions North Carolina at the center of the world for tourism, events and business development, and those benefits extend far beyond the airline and deep into the communities we serve. We are incredibly proud of our contributions to the state economy, thanks to our strong partnership with CLT Airport and the 15,500 CLT-based team members who are the driving force behind our success.”

A connection factory

Of the 50 million customers American served at CLT last year, approximately 70% were passengers connecting through the airport. That connection factory enables the airline to operate significantly more air service than is warranted by local demand alone, which brings a host of other benefits for:

• Customers: American’s CLT hub gives North Carolinians more connectivity and access to more destinations and choices in departure times.
• Local businesses: Robust air service provides more opportunities to travel and host clients from across the globe.
• The state and the airport: Connecting customers generate state and local taxes and revenue for the airport, while the size of the operation involves thousands of well-paying jobs in the state.
• Business development: Companies value air service when looking to expand or relocate, and the breadth of service provided by a hub operation makes Charlotte a more attractive place for economic development.

Our research demonstrates the significant role of North Carolina’s commercial service airports — and the American Airlines hub in particular — in the state’s economy. Having an airline hub and the exceptional level of air service that comes with it connects our businesses to opportunities, visitors to our communities and North Carolinians to friends and family,” said Ryan Hassett, Economist at ITRE. “Put simply, the American hub at CLT contributes significantly to North Carolina’s economy. It supports more than 2.75% of the state’s employment and 2.5% of the state’s economic output, while providing substantial tax revenue to our state and local governments”

Supporting 150,000 jobs statewide

The ITRE study reports that the economic output of the hub supports nearly 150,000 jobs statewide. Since 2020, American has grown its workforce by more than 25% at CLT. It also employs 1,400 team members in North Carolina at two reservation call centers and operates a flight training center, maintenance operation and crew member bases.

In addition to air service, the study identified economic impact from American’s employment, procurement, facilities and cargo operations, as well as the airline’s contribution to capital expenditures. Visitor spending also contributes to its economic impact, which includes revenue generated from activities like concessions and parking at the airport.

American’s Senior Vice President of CLT Operations Ralph Lopez Massas (left) meets with North Carolina Governor Josh Stein (right) in Charlotte on Thursday.

“American’s Charlotte hub connects North Carolinians to the rest of the country and the world, contributing more than $30 billion to North Carolina’s economy and supporting nearly 150,000 jobs,” said North Carolina Governor Josh Stein. “North Carolina’s strong business climate and workforce continue to draw companies here, and we are grateful for the role that American plays in our success and proud that so many of their employees call North Carolina home.”

PSA headquarters relocates to Charlotte

In addition to the $30 billion economic output, the ITRE study identified nearly $230 million attributed to one of American’s wholly owned regional carriers, PSA Airlines, relocating its headquarters from Dayton, Ohio, to Charlotte. The 400 jobs relocated to North Carolina are expected to support an additional 470 jobs with suppliers and businesses across the state. The headquarters will generate $10 million in state and local tax revenue every year.

A global destination

American, along with its wholly owned regional carriers, operates more than 670 peak-daily departures from CLT and about 810 daily departures statewide. American serves more than 170 destinations from CLT, including 41 international destinations, like new service to Athens, Greece, starting in June.

With 10 daily flights from CLT to Europe, including to Dublin; Frankfurt, Germany; London; Madrid; Paris; Munich; Rome; and Athens, the study found that American’s trans-Atlantic service is responsible for thousands of annual overseas visitors to the state that would otherwise not have visited and has spurred foreign business development across the state, particularly with German-based companies. The airline also provides four daily flights to London-Heathrow (LHR) — one from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) and three from CLT.

The CLT hub has also facilitated growth across eight North Carolina airports, like RDU, as well as Asheville (AVL) and Wilmington (ILM) — both of which have grown more than 200% and 100% respectively over the past two decades thanks to multiple daily nonstop flights to CLT and other destinations.

Attracting tourism and major events

Robust air service makes cities more attractive for tourism and events. As the Official Airline of the PGA Championship taking place in Charlotte this weekend, American is proud to bring golf fans from across its network to enjoy the event in the Queen City. The airline sponsors other significant events that will bring travelers to the state through its designation as the Official Airline of U.S. Soccer, the Official North American Airline Supplier of FIFA World Cup 26^TM and its partnership with the Charlotte Sports Foundation.

Capital improvement projects

American has invested $3 billion in infrastructure projects at CLT currently underway to enhance the customer experience. This includes the Terminal Lobby Expansion (TLE) project set to be completed by the end of the year, as well as the fourth parallel runway expected to be commissioned in 2027. The TLE offers a modernized ticket lobby, expanded passenger security screening checkpoints and new induction locations for checked baggage. Once complete, the new runway will allow American to increase capacity to meet future demand and better serve customers.

View the full report on the economic contributions of American’s hub on the ITRE website.

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About American Airlines Group

As a leading global airline, American Airlines offers thousands of flights per day to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. The airline is a founding member of the oneworld^® alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines. To Care for People on Life’s Journey^®.

• Airline testing new technology to help customers make connecting flights
• Record summer schedule across hub airports means more flight options and more connections enabled

With a continued focus on making travel more seamless and enjoyable for its customers, American Airlines and its more than 130,000 team members look forward to a safe, reliable and successful summer travel season. Between May 16 and Sept. 2, American will operate more than 715,000 flights.

“American is once again ready for the summer travel season thanks to the more than 130,000 American team members who make our airline safely move every day,” said David Seymour, American’s Chief Operating Officer. “We’re set to operate the largest schedules ever at many of our hub airports and have been hard at work for months to ensure our people, aircraft, facilities and technology will deliver for our customers.”

Multiplying made connections

The airline is making the customer journey even more convenient this summer — including for those who are traveling on connecting American flights.

Beginning today, American is testing new technology at its Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) hub that identifies departing flights with connecting customers who might miss their flight. If the airline determines it can delay the flight without any impact to the airline’s schedule, we will propose a short hold to get those connecting customers onboard. Saving customer connections isn’t new for American. The technology, developed in-house by the American team, helps automate and enhance existing processes to hold certain connecting flights so the airline can help even more customers make their connections and get to their final destinations. American plans to expand the test next to its Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT) hub, followed by other hubs over the summer.

This comes as American has already added more boarding time on domestic flights to make the airport experience simpler and more straightforward, as well as rolling out a first-of-its kind program that expedites the international transit experience and a redesigned app. A more premium experience is on its way, too, with the debut of the Flagship Suite^® aboard American’s newest Boeing 787-9 aircraft, along with a new Flagship^® Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

“Caring for our customers is at the heart of everything we do, and we know expectations are high when customers are traveling for their hard-earned summer vacations,” said Heather Garboden, American’s Chief Customer Officer. “Whether it’s our redesigned app, improvements to our boarding process or other new technology across the operation we are excited for customers to have a new and improved experience traveling with us this summer.”

10 facts about American’s summer operation

• American will operate nearly 38,000 flights over Memorial Day weekend, which runs May 22–27. The most-traveled days for that weekend are May 22 and May 23, each with 6,471 departures.
• The airline is offering nearly 5% more flights than last summer, with 20% more flights departing Chicago (ORD).
• American’s most-traveled day this summer will be July 6, with nearly 6,800 flights scheduled.
• American expects customers will check more than 50 million bags this summer. The airline had its best-ever bag handling performance over the first four months of 2025. The first checked bag is free for eligible AAdvantage^® credit cardholders traveling on domestic American Airlines-operated itineraries.
• Over the course of the summer, nearly five American flights depart every minute; that’s about one flight every 13 seconds.
• The airline is flying to five new and exciting destinations this summer, including Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI).
• The top three destinations for customers who are redeeming AAdvantage^® miles for summer travel are London (LHR), Orlando, Florida (MCO), and Boston (BOS).
• American expects to serve more than 55 million packages of Biscoff^® cookies and 240 million beverages on board its flights this summer.
• American currently offers more aircraft equipped with high-speed satellite Wi-Fi than any other carrier in the world, powered by Viasat and Intelsat. Starting in 2026, all AAdvantage^® members will be eligible for free Wi-Fi, sponsored by AT&T.
• American is proud to have the new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Enhanced Primary Processing (EPP) system active at its two largest hubs (DFW and CLT). Citizens returning to the U.S. who are not Global Entry members are experiencing average passport control processing times cut in half thanks to this system.

4 things American’s customers should know about summer travel

• Arrive at the airport two hours early for a domestic flight and three hours early for an international flight.
• Download American’s redesigned app for the most seamless travel experience.
• Join AAdvantage^® — American’s award-winning travel rewards program — and earn valuable miles for your travel on American and partner carriers.
• A REAL ID or valid passport is required for domestic travel this summer. Learn more at https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.

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