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American Airlines is making a major play to reinvent itself as a premium carrier.
Perhaps nowhere is that investment more apparent than in the ground experience. After debuting an all-new lounge design concept in 2022, American has been busy beautifying its existing lounge network (and plotting out some new locations).
The latest outpost to officially get the redesign will be the Concourse D Admirals Club at Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
And while the specifics of the revamped DCA location are certainly exciting, Rhonda Crawford, American’s new senior vice president of customer experience design and strategy, told me exclusively that there’s much more to get excited about for 2026.
Here’s everything you need to know.
American expanding and renovating DCA Admirals Club
The existing Concourse D Admirals Club at DCA will be fully renovated and expanded.
American plans to close the lounge during construction, then reopen it at an undisclosed date with roughly 50% more seating. Construction is slated to begin in early 2026.
The revamped outpost will feature American’s latest lounge design principles, including earthy wood tones, fireplaces, and modernized lighting. The airline says the space will draw inspiration from the nation’s capital and feature airside views of the Washington Monument and Capitol in the distance.
The two renderings American shared suggest a dramatic upgrade over the existing space.
During construction, travelers will be directed to American’s other Admirals Clubs in Concourses C and E. (I’d recommend going to the one in E since it’s much nicer.)
The goal, Crawford explained, isn’t just to modernize a single lounge — but to make American’s lounge network feel consistently more premium.
“That is the intent,” she said. “To take that design standard and really start to establish it as a standard and expand it.”
Lounges are becoming a pillar, not a perk
American’s mindset around lounges is changing — for the better.
“We are not dabbling in lounges,” she said. “They’re a really important part of our value proposition, especially for our most premium and most loyal customers.”
Rather than focusing solely on new outposts or more minor cosmetic upgrades, American is now focused on the entire spectrum of lounge development.
This includes new club locations in hubs and line stations, renovations of outdated clubs, and expansions in overcrowded spaces.
“You’ll learn more across that entire continuum,” Crawford said.
Overcrowding, she acknowledged, is a real challenge for lounges these days. (The problem isn’t just confined to credit card-branded outposts.)
According to Crawford, the solution to overcrowding is growing capacity to keep up with demand. This includes expanding existing footprints, rethinking layouts, and introducing complementary concepts like grab-and-go Provisions outposts.
Notably, she didn’t mention anything about tightening access policies.
More Provisions are coming
American’s lounge strategy now extends beyond traditional sit-down spaces.
Earlier this year, the airline debuted Provisions, a grab-and-go food concept, at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). The idea is to serve travelers with tight connections who may not have time (or desire) to linger in a full Admirals Club.
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Crawford confirmed that Charlotte won’t remain a one-off.
“Safe to say,” she said, when I asked whether Provisions would soon appear at other airports.
She added that the concept has been well-received, particularly by connecting passengers.
Provisions is designed for large hubs with heavy connection flows. Charlotte may be the most natural fit, but the concept could also translate well to other American strongholds, such as Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth.
American is listening to feedback
Provisions is popular, but Crawford acknowledged that the first iteration hasn’t been perfect.
During my September visit to the Charlotte location, notable shortcomings included no Wi-Fi, limited power outlets, and no takeaway bags for passengers grabbing multiple items.
“All fair feedback,” Crawford told me, before adding that some fixes are already in place.
Takeaway bags have been added, she confirmed, and Wi-Fi, power outlets, and food quality are important areas for investment in the future.
Coffee, in particular, is under review.
“You’re singing our song,” she said when I raised the issue of drip-only coffee.
Crawford described Provisions as a living prototype: one that will be “elevated” and “expanded” over time.
Updates to Flagship Lounges, dining outposts, and more
Looking ahead to 2026, American’s ground-experience roadmap extends beyond more Admirals Clubs and Provisions.
American has already announced two new Flagship Lounge locations — Charlotte and Miami — but Crawford stopped short of confirming whether those will be the only additions.
“That’s the two announcements we have on the table right now,” she said, adding that more details will come when the airline is ready to speak more broadly about its premium ground strategy.
This includes dining.
With American Airlines eliminating international first-class cabins, I’ve been curious about what Flagship First Dining outposts will look like in the future.
“Stay tuned,” Crawford said with a laugh. “It’s almost like you’re in our conference rooms right now.”
“We are in the throes of those plans,” she said. “But it’s certainly worth thinking about what some solutions are that we can do sooner rather than later.”
American is also changing how it approaches lounge development. It’s going to move faster and iterate in real time, much like it did with Provisions in Charlotte.
“Count on us being opportunistic where we can,” Crawford said. “We’re looking at what’s a short-term play and what’s a long-term play.”
For longtime observers of the airline, that approach feels new, intentional, and maybe even transformative.
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fwiw the DCA D concourse refresh has been known since August https://viewfromthewing.com/charlotte-airport-lounges-getting-desperately-needed-overhaul-as-american-builds-flagship-admirals-club/ “word on the street is that there are plans to close and renovate the Admirals Club on the D concourse at Washington National airport (the old US Airways club with ratty furniture, likely to take a year, while eventually freshening up but not renovating the legacy American Airlines lounge on the C concourse).”
Flagship Dining has been available by purchasing Flagship Business Plus tickets or using a promo based on certain LP thresholds