I visited the Admirals Club in terminal A west of the Philadelphia Airport in November while on a trip to Miami Florida. The Admirals Club is located near gates A15 and A16 in terminal A of the Philadelphia airport.
Look for the sign to the Admirals Club near the midpoint of gate A15 and A16. The Admirals Club sits on the third floor of terminal A west (right above immigration). Take the elevator or large escalator to the 3rd floor entrance of the club.
The Admirals Club in Terminal A west is larger than the other large Philadelphia Admirals Club in terminal B/C and the Philadelphia Admirals Club in Terminal F. The terminal A west Admirals Club looks like two single Admirals Clubs were combined into one large club.
What would normally be the size of one single Admirals Club is located on either side of the main check-in desk.
Layout
The lounge is shaped like a large rectangle. Each side of the rectangle offers an almost mirror image of the other side. In terms of amenities, each side offers a snack bar, newspapers & magazines, small office cubes, and an open seating area.
The one main difference I noticed was that only one bar was available on the far right side of the club. This may have explained why a disproportionate number of people sat on that side of the lounge. In fact, the right side of the lounge was noticeably louder than the left side. The left side offered the same wide open space, but without all of the people and was much quieter.
Direct View to the Runway
The terminal A west lounge offered an abundance of space and the best views of the Philadelphia Airport. The 3rd floor lounge location included direct views onto the airport runway. With this vantage point, you could see planes speed up and lift into the air directly from the lounge.
Rows of chairs strategically placed in front of the floor to ceiling windows of the lounge offered great views of the runway. These front row lounge chairs lined the entire length of the massive lounge on both sides of the club. Nearly any seat on either side of the lounge offered a great view of the airport runway.
The Admirals Club bar located on the right side of the club offered a full range of drinks as well as a small food menu. House beer and wine were free. Premium drinks ranged from $7 to $14. The food options included chips, salads, and sandwiches which ranged in price from $4 to $12.
Pros
- Largest Admirals Club in the Philadelphia Airport.
- I can’t imagine not being able to find a seat no matter how crowded the lounge gets.
- Light food menu in addition to the standard snack options.
- Offers the best views compared with the other Admirals Clubs in the Philadelphia Airport.
Cons
- Terminal A west primarily includes international flights. So domestic flyers won’t normally find themselves near the terminal A west Admirals Club and would need to walk over from another terminal to visit the club.
Final Thoughts
The terminal A west Admirals Club is my favorite Admirals Club in the Philadelphia Airport. The club offers the best views in the airport and provides the largest open space. If you have extra time to spare, it’s worth your time to go out of your way to visit this Admirals Club.
Remember, the Philadelphia Airport offers a shuttle with stops near terminal A, terminal B/C, and terminal F. So if you visit the terminal A west lounge, you can return to one of those terminals within 15 to 20 minutes by using the airport shuttle.
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