Travel Review - Admirals Club Lounge at BNA - Nashville International Airport
On my recent mileage/status run on Southwest and AA I was planning on a 50 minute layover at BNA before my connection to MIA on Southwest. After leaving MKE on time, my flight ended up landing 30 minutes early and since my connecting flight was just a few gates away in the same terminal, I had quite a bit of time on my hands. I noticed that the Admirals Club was on my way to the next gate and decided to stop by and see if I could get in with my AA ticket that was departing MIA later in the day via my OneWorld Sapphire Status.
I explained to the desk agent that I did not have a flight out of BNA but rather out of MIA later in the day, but she welcomed me in and thanked me for my business. I will say, this was a surprise to me that it was such a seamless entrance as my usual experience with AA agents usually involves having to show them AA and/or OneWorld published rules before they finally admit they are wrong and allow me in (this has happened more times than I can count). Given that this is not an AA hub or even a very big location, this surprised me even more. Let’s just say this was not my experience in PHL later in the day.
The entrance to the Admirals Club at BNA - Located in Concourse C across from Gate C 10
I had never been to this particular Admirals Club and did not really know what to expect given that BNA is not really much of an AA hub or focus city. The lounge itself was small as expected, but well laid out and was quite empty when I arrived at 7AM on a Saturday morning.
Check in desk - Admirals Club BNA
Many people love Admirals Club Guacamole Stations sponsored by the AA Executive World Elite Mastercard where they make fresh guac for you, but I did not realize that they also offer Avocado toast in the mornings at the locations where they offer these stations (They are not available at all AAdmirals Clubs). Unfortunately I did not get to try the avocado toast since there was no one at the station for the 45 minutes I was in the lounge.
The Avocado Toast Station at the AAdmirals Club Lounge at BNA
While I was in the lounge there were only about 5 other customers the entire time I was there, but that was likely due to the fact that it was early on a Saturday morning and there seemed to only be a few AA hub flights departing within the next couple of hours.
Overall the lounge was one of the smaller ones I have ever been to, but had plenty of seating that would be comfortable and private enough to relax before a flight.
The bar was empty while I visited the lounge but was a good size with plenty of seating, especially considering how small the rest of the lounge was.
Bar at Admirals Club Lounge BNA
Admirals Club Bar BNA
While there was food available, as you can see in the photo below, the selection is EXTREMELY limited. I believe there was only oatmeal, fruit, and bagels available. Judging by the size of the food area in the lounge, I doubt there is ever much more than that even for lunch and dinner as there simply is no where to put anything else. They did have the standard Admirals Club bar menu with food for purchase as well, so there is that option if you are visiting and want more substantial food.
Admirals Club Bar and food area BNA
There was also a small business center with printers and plenty of seating.
Admirals Club Business Center BNA
Admirals Club BNA Seating
Seating area and food area in the lounge
Overall, I found the Admirals Club at BNA to be clean and comfortable although lacking in amenities and food options. This lounge would certainly suffice if you were a lounge pass holder and needed a spot to relax before a flight from BNA or had access via an Flagship Business ticket connecting later in the day, or perhaps have access via OneWorld Sapphire/Emerald as I did. This certainly is not a lounge I would go out of my way to visit or even buy a day pass for unless I was stuck on a long connection or had a cancellation. Let us know if you have visited BNA lately and have any food / drink recommendations in the terminal.
