Starting July 26th, American Airlines will complete Phase 2 of its brand-new Admirals Club at LaGuardia Airport. This new phase will expand the current Admirals Club with 230 new seats, an arcade, an additional bar, and more amenities to create an even better travel experience for passengers at LGA.

To help celebrate this new space, American invited Time to See the World to an exclusive First Look of this lounge prior to its official opening on July 26th. Read on to see how this new space will transform the guest experience at LGA.

Bright light for a great flight

As you enter this new space, you will be taken aback by the roomy bar and rays of sunlight illuminating this section. In comparison to the slightly older, existing Admirals Club, guests will appreciate the openness of this space. While many airline lounges can feel crowded, this lounge feels the exact opposite. Instead of being in a cramped space, this lounge fits seamlessly into the rest of the airport. It sits above the concourse and providing a beautiful view of the runway and taxiways below. The lounge is just a quick 10 minute walk from security, and can be found above the American Airlines gates for ease of access.

Wait your way

While I realize not everyone will be here for the views, this lounge provides a great range of flexible seating options for its visitors. Outside of your traditional single-person chairs, this lounge offers tables, laid-back chairs, and other varieties of seating options to make your stay here as welcoming as possible. In addition to these spaces, there are also small private cubbies for business travelers to get some work done. Right next to these cubbies, there are also 3 phone rooms available for those that need to take a quick call before their flight. To help accommodate those with disabilities, American made one phone room and one business cubby ADA-accessible. This help makes the space accessible for everyone.

Outside of these business cubbies, American does offer two conferencing rooms for rent. The smaller one rents for $50/hour and the larger one rents for $65/hour. Both of these rooms feature televisions that can also be used to host presentations. For those with important clients in town, American also offers a special catering menu for these spaces.

Anyone up for a game?

As you make your way to the middle of the lounge, you will find the Arcade machines. These machines will definitely be popular with the younger crowd and those who want to take a step back in time and play their favorite arcade games from their childhood. For those worried about any noises coming from these machines, fear not- they won’t be playing any music out loud. Instead, guests can plug in their headphones to hear these classic games.

Time to watch a game

As you walk past the Arcade room, guests will find the television room. Here, three TVs will provide gusts with plentiful experiences to keep themselves entertained at the lounge. Arranged in two rows of seats, guests will feel like they are at a private movie theater as they watch the latest in sports and entertainment.

Nap time

At the rear of the lounge, there is a quiet space with layback and reclined seats. This space will definitely be appreciated by those that want to be away from the hustle and bustle. Finally, this space also curves around to provide a glimpse of the Manhattan skyline to enjoy while you wait for your flight.

Order up!

In addition to the bar mentioned above, there are also two food-serving areas in this expansion. There is both a catered bar with rotating food options as well as a self-service section. By having two areas in this space, American is hoping to spread out customer flow to create a more welcoming environment.

Shower power

As construction of this lounge finishes up, American will open up the last remaining amenity of this lounge. This will be in the form of two shower suites opening up by the fall in the original part of the lounge.

Kyle’s Thoughts

Overall, I think American did a great job with this space. By providing an openness to the lounge, travelers will be able to truly relax at the lounge and enjoy their experience. While I could see this space getting loud with it being open to the concourse below, American did try to lessen the sound with various acoustic panels and soft background music.

American Airlines did a nice job of honoring the legacy of the original Admirals Club (the first ever airport lounge in the world) while providing first-class accommodations and luxuries for the modern traveler. This lounge will be sure to create memories and provide travelers a great place to relax for many years to come!