First Trip to Hawaii: American Admirals Club Honolulu

May 15, 2020

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American Admirals Club Honolulu Bottom Line

Note: This is a trip report from my first trip to Hawaii. The trip was during the summer of 2016, but I had lost the photos until a few weeks ago. I thought it would be cool to share my experiences, and hopefully, have people comment on how the lounge has changed/improved since I took this trip! Let me know if you have been to the Admirals Club Honolulu recently!

For my flight to Honolulu on American Airlines, read here.

American Admirals Club Honolulu Bottom Line

American’s Admirals Club Honolulu is a jointly managed lounge between JAL and AA agents. I found the agents to be extremely kind and helpful. The lounge was mostly full of JAL passengers. There were totally different food options at the lounge that you don’t find at other Admirals Clubs. The usual soups, veggies, and other snacks were available as well.

The Good: A fairly large lounge that was mostly empty. The few passengers that were there while I was at the lounge were flying on JAL.

The Bad: Dated furniture, only one TV and not to the standard of a JAL lounge. If measured as an Admirals Club, it was as good as any.

The Noteworthy: There were so many open chairs. The lounge itself is a very large space.

Arrival at Honolulu

After a blissful stay in Honolulu, it was time to head back home. Once at HNL airport, I checked my bags through the USDA checkpoint. Then I went to American’s check-in counters. They are all open-air, the last reminder of the relaxed nature of visiting Hawaii. After checking in, I went through security in a matter of minutes and was inside the terminal. There is a garden in between the terminals where some of the lounges are located.

Admirals Club Honolulu

The lounge itself is on a higher floor than the other lounges. (Floor 1 vs Floor 3). As soon as you enter, you see the two logos of American and JAL. The two airlines jointly manage and staff the lounge. I believe it is the only AA lounge that is jointly operated. The agents were extremely friendly and the JAL agents were, in the typical Japanese fashion, very differential.

The lounge has multiple seating areas. Too many, if you asked me. The main seating area is at the back of most of the lounge. It has windows that face the interior garden/courtyard of the terminal.

Seating Area American Admirals Club Honolulu

There is another seating section, that has the one TV to view news in. There are computer workstations that also face the garden.

Dining Area

The lounge has a small dining area. There you can find a different assortment of food than what you would otherwise find at an Admirals Club. There are your usual soups, as well as cheeses, crudites, and hummus. There is also Hawaiian sushi (pineapple with spam), Japanese pastries, and packaged snacks.

Soup Selection American Airlines Admirals Club Honolulu

Landing Thoughts

I enjoyed my time at the Admirals Club in Honolulu. It’s not the greatest lounge in the world, but it is quite a nice place to spend time before your flight. The agents are very nice and the JAL agents are as complacent as possible. I would love to know how it has improved since then, and I hope to go back soon!