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My first stop on my trip to Zurich was relaxing in the lounge. Unfortunately, the Flagship Lounge was closed so I needed to spend the time before my flight in the DFW Airpot Admirals Club. There are five Admirals Clubs in total at DFW Airport – one in each terminal. Since I was departing from Terminal D, I decided to just hang out at the closest one. But you can easily get to the other locations via the SkyLink.   

Hours

The Terminal D location is open from 5AM to 10:15PM daily.

Location

You’ll find this lounge after security between the D23 and D24. There is a huge sign hanging from the ceiling with Admirals Club.

Getting Access

There are a couple different ways to get access.

Flyers on a qualifying American Airlines or oneworld airlines first class or business class tickets get access. From DFW this includes international flights and flights to Honolulu (HNL), Kona (KOA) and Maui (OGG). Flights operated by Alaska do not qualify.

Certain AA elite also get access on qualifying international flights. If you are a Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro or Platinum, you get access regardless of class of service you are traveling in. This means that even economy flyers will have access.

Other oneworld elites may also gain access if they are a oneworld Emerald or Sapphire. There are a few restrictions depending on destination and which loyalty program you have status through.  

Flyers with an Admirals Club membership will gain access. It is pricy though. Instead, consider opening the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard. The annual fee is less than an annual membership. Even better you can add up to 10 authorized users who will also get access to the lounge.

Finally, you can purchase a one-day pass for each passenger. This is a good way to use up those airline incidental credits from The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

You can also bring guests depending on how to gain access. Those with an Admirals Club membership can bring immediate family or up to two guests. International First Class passengers and AA elites can bring one guest that are traveling on a oneworld airline.

Because I was traveling on a business class ticket, I was supposed to have access to the Flagship Lounge. But it was closed. American Airlines has stated they plan on reopening the Flagship Lounges before the end of 2021. Hopefully that comes true for my Europe trip later this year.  

Seating

The lounge is fairly spacious. There are different seating areas through to accommodate solo travelers or those in a group.

In one section there were single seats all facing the same direction. There were power outlets and USB stations on all the tables.

In the main section, there was a mix of single seats for a solo flyer or 4 seaters. There was also a few tables throughout the section. Power was ample available. There was also floor to ceiling windows with views of the tarmac. It was cool to see the planes come in. It was crazy to watch some pretty bad storms come through the DFW Airport during my stay.

There was also a small area past the food space with seating for two people in a couple of areas. Solo travelers might like the “business center”. It was just a desk chair with dividers. There was also seating similar to a restaurant in the bar area.

Attendants came through often picking up any dishes and wiping down tables.

Food and Drink

Food options were limited to light bites and some drinks.

The food selection was limited to hummus, carrots, corn salad, cheese, grapes and cookies. There also appeared to be a salad bar, but I didn’t see any lettuce.

There was a Freestyle Coke machine. You could get coke products such as Coke, Dr. Pepper, Fanta Sprite and Minute Maid. It also dispensed water. The ice was out each time I went to refill my drink. There was also coffee and hot water with a small tea selection and chocolate.

If you wanted something stronger, you could head to the bar. You can get different beers, wine, and liquor. A bartender pours your drinks. There was a menu off to each side of the bar.

Bottom Line

The Admirals Club is a decent place to relax before your international flight. I much prefer the Flagship Lounge for the food options. The food here just looked sad and uninviting. As my time in the lounge went by the lounge got busier and busier. When I left, I didn’t see much available seating. I’d expect that to change as the Flagship Lounge reopens. I’d recommend the more spacious lounge in Terminal C. It’s a quick ride on the SkyLink and no need to go through security again.

After spending a couple of hours in the lounge relaxing it was time for my flight to London. Be on the lookout for that review later.

Have you visited an Admirals Club before? What are your thoughts on them? Let me know in the comments.

These opinions in this article are the author’s not those of a bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.