American Airlines upgrades Phoenix club

American Airlines is gussying up its airport clubs after its merger with US Airways, and an old US Airways club at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the first in the country to get the makeover. The Admirals Club above gates A7-9 in Terminal 4 — one of three Admirals Club lounges at Sky Harbor — has a more contemporary look, double the seating capacity, more power outlets, food for sale for the first time and a new self-serve soft-drink machine.

The lounges, an away-from-thecrowded-gate-area haven for business travelers and other frequent fliers, are open to passengers who buy or redeem miles for a membership, purchase a one-day or 30-day pass or who gain access as a credit-card perk. They feature complimentary alcoholic beverages and light snacks. A one-day pass is $50, a one-month pass is $99. Annual memberships start at $400 a year depending on status in American’s frequent-flier program.

The new menu in the renovated club includes a breakfast BLT ($9), a Southwest chicken chopped salad ($12) and a quesadilla ($9, $10 with cilantro chicken).

The new club opened a few weeks ago and will be formally unveiled this week. Reviews on FlyerTalk.com message boards have been mixed but are skewing positive. A sample:

“Overall, a very nice improvement.”

See GILBERTSON, Page 3T

The shortest and most enjoyable distance between two points is a zip line, and Arizona has a new destination to get you from here to there while dangling from a cable.

Arizona Zipline Adventures recently opened a five-span course near Oracle, just north of Tucson. It’s the first such attraction in the southern part of the state.

It joins zip lines in Camp Verde, Williams and Flagstaff. The one in Flag is part of an obstacle course through the pines of Fort Tuthill County Park.

Here are Arizona’s zip lines, starting with the newest one and working north.

Arizona Zipline Adventures

The latest entrant also features the state’s longest span: 1,500 feet. The course winds along the desert foothills with views of Mount Lemmon, the San-

Welcome to the zip line with a great gimmick: soaring over creatures that consider you part of the food chain.

The Predator Zip Line at Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde takes visi-

See ZIP LINES, Page 2T