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I visited the Charlotte Admirals Club in late November. The Charlotte airport includes two Admirals Clubs. A larger club located in Concourse C and a smaller Admirals Club in Concourse B near gates 3 and 5. On a recent flight from Charlotte, I had some extra time before my flight and visited both Charlotte Admirals clubs.
Lounge at Concourse C Details
- Location: Charlotte Airport Concourse C / Concourse D intersection.
- Hours: 5:15am to 10:15pm.
- Cost: $59 or free with an Admirals Club membership.
- Free Access: Citi AA Chairman credit card, Citi Prestige credit card (when flying on American Airlines flight paid for with the Prestige*), business or first class customers traveling on American Airline partner airlines.
- How I Accessed: Citi Prestige Credit Card.
*Citi Prestige American Airlines lounge benefit will be discontinued starting in July 2017.
The Concourse C Admirals Club is located at the intersection of the C and D terminals near the general food court area inside the airport and slightly away from the boarding gates. The Admirals Club includes two entrances, one on the Terminal C side and one on the Terminal D side.
Layout
The Terminal C Admirals Club is clearly the flagship club in the Charlotte airport. The Charlotte Admirals Club may be the largest club I’ve visited so far. The club is larger than the Boston Logan Admirals Club and the Philadelphia Admirals Club in Terminal A. Strangely enough, the Cleveland United Club sports a similar layout as the Charlotte Admirals Club.
The lobby inside the club is so large that its bigger than some of the smaller clubs I’ve visited like the United Club Philadelphia and The Club at LAS.
The Charlotte Admirals Club includes an open floor plan design. The club is split into three main seating areas. Each of those seating areas is organized into a large rectangular area. Within each of these rectangular seating areas are multiple big screen TV’s playing either news or football.
Dome Inside the Main Room
The very large back corner of the lounge includes a circular wall of windows facing the airport runway. A distinctive circular dome covers the ceiling in this section.
The lounge includes a full sized bar which sits in the right corner of the lounge. The bar menu includes the standard house beer, wine, and spirits as well as premium drink options and a small food menu.
Pros
- Large modern lounge. I can’t imagine not finding a seat inside.
- Full sized bar with optional food items available for purchase.
Cons
- I found the lounge to be far more crowded than the smaller lounge in Concourse B.
Final Thoughts
This was one of the largest and well designed Admirals Clubs I’ve visited. It easily ranks among my favorite Admirals Clubs which include the Admirals Club in Boston Logan, Miami’s Admirals Club, and the Philadelphia Admirals Club. The Charlotte Admirals Club in Concourse C represents a quality option if you have time in between layovers at the Charlotte airport. Just keep in mind this club is popular and can get crowded.
Visiting the Club Near Concourse B
- Location: Charlotte Airport Concourse B near gates 3 and 5.
- Hours: 5:15am to 10:15pm.
The Terminal B Admirals Club is just a 10 to 15 minute walk from the Terminal C Admirals Club. The Terminal B Admirals Club offers more convenient access with a location closer to the flight gates in Terminal B.
Layout
The Admirals Club includes a smaller, more compact layout. The check-in desk is located in the center of the club. A larger open seating area is included on either side of the lobby.
A small office space area can be found at the far left side of the club. The left side seating area includes a few large flat screen TV’s and a small bar in the corner.
Seating Options
The right side of the club includes a slightly larger seating area. Soft drinks and coffee are available inside this section along with the standard light snacks. This club includes an optional premium food menu, but I didn’t get a chance to see the menu.
I found the club itself to be nicely maintained with plenty of open seating and nice views of the airport runway from the large windows inside the club. The main issue was that it was much smaller than the larger Admirals Club located in Concourse C. However, because the Concourse C Admirals Club offered a larger space with more recent renovations, this club was far less popular and you didn’t have to deal with larger crowds in the other Admirals Club.
Pros
- Much less crowded than the larger Concourse C Admirals Club.
- Represents a good option if your flight already leaves from Terminal B and you don’t have time to walk to the other Admirals Club in Terminal C.
Cons
- Smaller sized club with less amenities and more dated decor than the larger and more modern, Terminal C Admirals Club.
Final Thoughts
This Admirals Club makes a good choice if you don’t have extra time to walk to the larger and more modern Admirals Club in Terminal C. Another benefit of this club is that it seems to attract smaller sized crowds than the more popular club in Terminal C. So if you prefer a more quiet environment with smaller crowds, this club could be a good option. However, for everyone else, I recommend taking the extra 10 or 15 minutes to walk over to the more modern and larger Admirals Club in Terminal C.
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