American Airlines
has been losing market share and is nowhere near as profitable as its contemporaries, Delta Air Lines
and United Airlines
. The issue is that Delta has maintained a premium brand for years, and United has been upgrading its inflight experience while continuing to expand its international network.
American, therefore, is looking at its own numbers and asking why they’re so far behind. The company has gone through many changes over the past few years to address current market demands. One of those changes is substantial improvements to the passenger experience.
What’s new at the Admirals Club?
Following a test roll-out at Chicago O’Hare, American announced that starting March 18th, the company would be overhauling its culinary offering across their entire network of Admirals Clubs in North America and on domestic flights.
Photo: EQRoy I Shutterstock
The changes are significant and should help move American back up-market as the carrier tries to catch up to its rivals.
Some of the highlights
The company will be refreshing its selection of mocktails and cocktails, as the bar section is one of the most popular areas in any Admirals Club. American quotes that
…bartenders served more than 420,000 glasses of complimentary sparkling wine to guests 21 and older last year.
As such, if the airline wants to improve its image, alcohol is one of the main areas that it should focus on. In this newest update, American will offer
“…a fresh assortment of premium spirits and beverages, including Still G.I.N., Casamigos Añejo Tequila, Tequila Ocho Reposado, Kahlua, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur and Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey.”
Beyond new beverages, American is also significantly refreshing its food offerings at its clubs. American will be offering a new selection of grab-and-go snacks for passengers to enjoy on their flights. Then, there’s the biggest change.
Photo: American Airlines
Regionally inspired dishes
Traveling to a foreign destination can be new and intimidating, and airports can be stressful to transit through. As such, American is introducing regional-themed items at their clubs to give new visitors a glimpse of their destination city’s cuisine and, perhaps more importantly, to give locals a taste of home.
Photo: Rene Dominguez | Shutterstock
Miami International Airport will offer Admirals Club visitors customizable tacos, while New Yorkers can enjoy a build-your-own breakfast slider at LaGuardia, just like the one at the deli. The clubs at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport offer a Southwest bean salad, and passengers at DFW are offered an Argentina beef empanada with roasted red pepper chimichurri.
These dishes are offered as part of an overhaul of American’s self-serve items, with brand-new breakfast spreads and all-day spreads. Some more of American’s new offerings include:
Airport |
Breakfast |
All-day |
---|---|---|
Austin |
Maple strawberry chia oats |
Roasted jalapeno hummus |
Denver |
Maple strawberry chia oats |
Honey mustard pork loin with spring onion and sage |
Los Angeles |
Roasted tomato feta wrap with salsa verde |
Orange peel chicken with roasted red pepper and onion |
Nashville |
Southwest salsa verde breakfast wrap |
Edamame shrimp teriyaki with carrots and water chestnuts |
Philadelphia |
Raspberry chia pudding |
Chickpea edamame salad with mint and lemon |
Changes in-flight
While passengers like to see American offer their best at the Admiral Clubs, the reality is people spend most of their time not in the lounges, but in the air. As such, American Airlines is also upgrading its domestic catering for premium passengers.

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Those traveling in Premium Economy or higher will be treated to a total of five new breakfast options. These are:
- A vegetable and cheese frittata plated with tomato wedges.
- A biscuit plated with scrambled egg and chicken sausage topped with gravy.
- Three different types of breakfast omelet.
The same passengers, meanwhile, will be offered the opportunity to preorder American-style sliders paired with French fries. Available on flights over 900 mi (1,450 km), this offering is an easy and familiar choice for most Americans, given how popular burgers are in America.
In fact, burgers are taking off in the air in general, as rival Delta Air Lines has recently expanded their partnership with Shake Shack to offer burgers in First Class out of multiple hubs. Most recently, this includes flights out of Los Angeles.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
While Premium Economy, Business, and First Class ticket holders will soon have a newly expanded menu onboard, the options in Economy remain light. American only offers complimentary Biscoff cookies and pretzels, while more substantial cold meals are available for purchase, coupled with complimentary soft drinks and coffee.

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American versus Delta vs United
Delta and United are well positioned to take advantage of travel trends after the COVID-19 pandemic, in which leisure travelers are spending more to fly to exotic destinations in Premium Economy and Business Class. American, on the other hand, has lost business passengers, has made strategic decisions that have moved the airline down-market, such as removing inflight entertainment, and has deferred widebody aircraft deliveries.
The results are clear: American has lower profit margins, and Vasu Raja
, who spearheaded many of these changes was politely asked to leave. As such, company leadership is tasked with navigating a business environment that they are not well suited to tackle.
Why make these changes
Airlines in the United States rely heavily on their frequent flyer programs. These programs generate a huge amount of revenue from increased loyalty and income from credit card spending. These programs have propelled companies like Delta and United to become some of the most profitable in the world.

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However, to get customers to sign up, apply for the credit card, and continue to fly with the carrier, the companies have to give something back in return. American’s AAdvantage program was one of the first airline loyalty programs, and it continues to be incredibly popular to this day.
While it originally started as a “fly enough miles, receive a free flight” concept, AAdvantage has evolved into a complex system with numerous credit cards to choose from and membership tiers:
- AAdvantage Gold
- AAdvantage Platinum
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
One of the primary benefits of being an airline frequent flyer is lounge access. This allows for a more serene and luxurious experience, where passengers can relax while enjoying food and beverages on the house. All three major US airlines offer a wide network of “clubs” scattered throughout the United States and abroad. These lounges are offered to most loyalty program members and are slotted beneath their business-class exclusive lounges.

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American grants access to its Admirals Clubs to Platinum members and above, as well as qualifying members of partner programs. Admirals Clubs can also be accessed by Citi Executive World Elite Mastercard holders, veterans, First and Business Class passengers, and those purchasing a one-time pass.
Photo: lorenzatx | Shutterstock
To stay competitive, attract new customers, and retain existing members, airlines must continue to innovate on their passenger experience. This is especially important today in a world where Delta and United are not only positioned as more up-market but are also more successful. Nowadays, premium sells and American needs to improve their image.
Check out more stories about aviation in North America
right here.
A reflection
While some may like to see five-star meals and celebrity chef-designed menus in premium spaces, the reality is that when travel is as hectic as it often is today, something familiar is what many people want.
Just because a dish may be basic or common in concept doesn’t mean that it cannot be premium. If an item is well-presented, well-cooked, and reflects the ticket price, it can have the same effect as something more flashy.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Shack Shake is an example of a company that has created a premium image while offering something as common as a cheeseburger, and Delta, an airline that has spent years building a premium image, now offers those same burgers to First Class passengers.

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The locally themed items in the Admirals Clubs offer a new, exciting experience for first-time visitors, while city locals can arrive at the lounge and unwind while eating something familiar. In the air, meanwhile, the omelets and sliders help travelers enjoy a delicious meal without spending energy trying to figure out what it is they’re eating.
US airlines have faced some criticism for their catering, given the breadth of airlines who do offer elaborate meals and menus designed by the world’s top chefs, but it’s important to note that American is not Emirates, it’s not Singapore Airlines, and they serve a different audience.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Their mission is to be the best and most convenient airline for the American passenger. Their target is someone who travels frequently, mainly within the US, and for that, these new dishes are an excellent choice if they turn out to be well-executed.
American is now facing a situation where they are not at the top anymore and where being premium sells. The new upgraded catering on the ground and in the air is an excellent move towards that.
Check out this video about another major change that American is making to move up-market.