After an incredible week in Paris it was sadly time to return home. Our return flight was a non-stop flight in economy on a 787-8. We ended up flying American’s herringbone business class home, but that is a topic for a later post.
Clearing Security At Charles De Gaulle Airport
I don’t want to get too off topic here, but anyone flying out of Charles De Gaulle should be aware of how long clearing security and customs takes. Actually as I started writing about this experience I decided to dedicate a separate post about security at CDG Airport.
Charles De Gaulle American Airlines Admirals Club Location
After clearing security and customs in the lower level of the airport, passengers are directed upstairs to the duty-free area of Terminal 2. After walking straight through the duty-free store and resisting the overwhelming urge to buy a carton of cigarettes, you find yourself in the main hallway of Terminal 2. Located just between the Hermes and Prada stores is the entrance to multiple airline lounges. Currently the upstairs (where the Admirals Club is located) includes Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Emirates, and American lounges. There are two elevators and a set of stairs which provide access to the various lounges.
Also, there is a public smoking area located en route to the airline lounges in Terminal 2A-C although the smoking area is poorly advertised.
Access To Charles De Gaulle Admirals Club
Access to the Charles De Gaulle Admirals Club is identical to the access rules found at other Admirals Club locations. Admirals Club members, Citi Executive AAdvantage card holders, Citi Prestige card holders w/ same day boarding pass, International Business/First Class passengers, etc. all have access to the lounge. American’s official club and lounge access policy is found here.
Gaining access to the lounge during our visit proved slightly more difficult. I planned on accessing the lounge using my Citi Prestige card, but I downgraded the card just before we left. A Citi phone representative originally told me I’d retain Admirals Club access for up to 13 days, but that was not the case when trying to access the lounge just 7 days after my downgrade call. The Admirals Club AAngel swiped my Citi Prestige card and scanned my boarding pass several times with no luck. She kept getting an error message stating that the card used was not the primary card on account. After roughly 5 minutes she called a supervisor over to assist. The supervisor immediately apologized and turned us down, but the original agent allowed us to enter just a few moments later.
The worst part of the whole situation is that I planned to upgrade our tickets to Business using a miles + co-pay which would have allowed easy access to the lounge, but I wanted to surprise my girlfriend with the upgraded boarding passes once inside.
Paris Charles De Gaulle Admirals Club Amenities
Well originally I planned on spending up to two hours at the CDG Admirals Club, but after a longer than expected train ride to the airport, the long security lines, and the above mentioned credit card confusion we only had 15 minutes to enjoy the lounge. Of that 15 minutes I spent a solid 10 minutes trying to upgrade our seats to business class. If you’re counting you’ll realize I only enjoyed the lounge for a total of 5 minutes. I expected to take several pictures of the space and fully review the area, but was unable due to the limited time. Instead I ran around like an idiot looking at everything, taking it in so I could write this review.
Food options at the lounge were above average for an Admirals Club, but on par for most self-respecting international airport lounges. We were in the lounge during breakfast hours so the lounge offered eggs, sausage, bacon, a delicious salmon quiche, and serial options. Additionally there was a variety of pastries, cheeses, prosciutto, cocktail weenies, and assorted fruits.
Beverage options included a variety of juices (apple/orange), canned sodas, beer, and liquor. It was early in the morning and I wasn’t feeling well, but I wish I had more time to make myself a stiff drink before the flight. All food and beverage options are self-service which I personally prefer.
Lastly, the lounge features complimentary Wifi, a variety of power outlets, shared personal computers, and showers. Sadly due to our limited time in the lounge we did not have time to visit the shower suites.
Walking To Our Gate / Boarding The Flight
American currently uses the end cap gates of Terminal 2A. The walk from the current Admirals Club location to our gate was a minimum of 15 minutes. It seems like the Admirals Club AAgents take this into account when making boarding announcements. Our flight was called and we rushed to our gate only to find the boarding process had not yet begun. We quickly boarding with Group 1 and took our seats, but the entire boarding process took well over half an hour and we ended up leaving Paris 15 minutes late.
Final Thoughts
I’m a little disappointed that we did not have more time to spend in the Paris Charles De Gaulle Admiral Club, but honestly the space is a little underwhelming for an international airline lounge. Anyone familiar with American’s new (2014+) Admirals Clubs should feel right at home in the CDG Admirals Club. Inside the lounge you’ll find the same finishes found in newly renovated domestic lounges.
Either way American Airlines Admirals Club in Paris Charles De Gaulle airport is a great space to get away from the extremely busy hallways of Terminal 2 and relax before a long flight. I definitely wouldn’t arrive at the airport hours in advance to ‘experience’ the lounge, but if you end up having time to spare before boarding the lounge is a great place to get some food, a few drinks, and enjoy a little plane spotting.
