Jan 4, 2017, 9:24 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
HELP DESK: Lounge Access, Access Rules. Will I Have Lounge Access? (2017)
Please read this wiki carefully; some fine nuances exist.
Please read this wiki carefully; some fine nuances exist.
PLEASE DO NOT ALTER THE CONTENT OF THIS MODERATOR NOTE
The Lounge Access Help Desk
To assist members with questions about Lounge Access Rules that they have not been able to answer on their own using the above resources, the AA Moderator team has decided to institute this thread, the third in a series of "Help Desk" threads. N.B.: If you have questions about physical access to a specific lounge (e.g., airside vs. landside, different terminal, etc.), please search for and post to the appropriate specific thread for that lounge.
New threads on this topic will be merged into this one and bumped by the moderators as necessary. As such, we do not expect that this thread will develop into a searchable database, but that it will nonetheless provide a valuable resource to members. As well, we may shed / pare down posts from time to time to a trailing thread or similar device.
Our goal is to provide a place where members can feel welcome to post such questions and expect helpful, accurate responses. In this way, we hope to accommodate the needs and desires of both new and veteran members - those who aren't sure they are interpreting the available resources correctly can ask for help without fear of snarky-appearing responses; those who do not wish to participate in such threads are invited and, indeed, encouraged, to ignore this thread.
Please be forewarned: This thread will be subject to heavy moderation. Posts that are incorrect will be subject to deletion without notice - DO NOT POST answers unless you are 100% sure your answer is complete and correct. Posts that are unhelpful or off-topic will also be subject to deletion without notice - DO NOT POST unless you can be friendly, helpful, concise, and salient.
Finally, a few guidelines for members posting queries to this thread:
- Please DO make an effort to review the listed resources before posting here.
- Please DO try to give as much information as possible, including your entire itinerary, with carrier for each segment and codeshares and stopovers clearly designated, your class of service and fare class purchased, whether or not you have Admirals Club or Qantas Club membership, a Citi AAdvantage Executive card (which includes full Admirals Club membership), and the number of guests and your family relationship with them, if any.
- Please DO understand it could take some time for answers (especially on holidays and weekends.)
- Please DO thank helpful members volunteering to reply to your questions.
Also see the future changes in lounges and access: Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge Changes, Renovations & Additions
Sincerely,
The American Airlines | AAdvantage forum Moderator Team
(Help Desk established by dstan)
=================end mod note===================
oneworld Lounge Access
Wizard by kduarte.
Help Desk: Lounge Access Rules / Will I Have Lounge Access?
Lounge Access can be obtained in a number of ways during travel on AA and its oneworld partner airlines. These include purchasing an Admirals Club one day pass, or via Citi AAdvantage Executive MasterCard (including, as of Dec 2015, authorized card users), reciprocity agreements with other airlines, traveling on certain transcon flights in F or J, or traveling internationally with Platinum (oneworld Sapphire) or Executive Platinum (oneworld Emerald) status or in F or J classes of service - except if flying solely within North America inc,Using destinations other than MEX or the Caribbean. The last is often the greatest source of confusion, despite lounge access rules being described clearly on aa.com. Threads about these are linked to in the American Airlines LOUNGE DASHBOARD thread.
Admirals Club members paid or Executive cardholder members) are entitled guests as follows:
Up to two guests or household members (spouse, domestic partner and/or children under the age of 18) may accompany the member.
For AA status-based access (PLT, PlatPro or EXP),* passengers must: (1) be traveling on an international itinerary (Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and Mexico City, excluding the Caribbean and other destinations in North America (other than on certain three class transcontinental flights) including other destinations in Mexico, and (2) have an onward flight on a oneworld airline marketed and operated flight on the same day. PLT and PPRO members are eligible for access to all oneworld Business Class lounges, now including Flagship Lounges, including Admirals Clubs; EXP members are also eligible for access to all oneworld First Class lounges, including Flagship Lounges.
Lounges operated by third parties or premium lunges operating outside of oneworld rules (e.g. BA Concorde Room, Qatar Al Safwa or Al Mourjan lounges) may be excluded, and all may may refuse admittance if they claim they are crowded. There are other exceptions.
*Non-AA oneworld Sapphire and Emerald elites are not subject to rule #1 above.
Emerald / EP on CX JFK-YVR are not subject to AA limitations and are issued Flagship Lounge invitations for use at JFK.
Another confusing rule relates to transcontinental access. From member FriendlySkies:
Traveling on a Non-Stop Transcontinental* Flight? http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/trans-con-access.jsp
More changes:
If you are traveling in the First or Business class cabin (on flights sold as three classes) in one of the following non-stop markets, we welcome you to visit the lounge as indicated below.
More changes:
If you are traveling in the First or Business class cabin (on flights sold as three classes) in one of the following non-stop markets, we welcome you to visit the lounge as indicated below.
The following exceptions apply:
First and Business Class customers who do not hold Emerald or Sapphire tier status are not eligible to access American Airlines lounges when travelling on solely domestic flights within the U.S. or between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico [except Mexico City], the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean; customers travelling in First or Business class on U.S. transcontinental flights between JFK-LAX, JFK-SFO and MIA-LAX (and vice-versa) are eligible for lounge access. one world lounge access page - link
First and Business Class customers who do not hold Emerald or Sapphire tier status are not eligible to access American Airlines lounges when travelling on solely domestic flights within the U.S. or between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico [except Mexico City], the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean; customers travelling in First or Business class on U.S. transcontinental flights between JFK-LAX, JFK-SFO and MIA-LAX (and vice-versa) are eligible for lounge access. one world lounge access page - link
In the Flagship Dining subsection, they state:
Beginning in early 2017, the Flagship Dining experience will be available in select cities with 3-class service:
● Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
● New York (JFK)
● Miami (MIA)
● Los Angeles (LAX)
First Class customers on American’s 3-class international and transcontinental flights will have exclusive access to Flagship Dining in 2017
● Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
● New York (JFK)
● Miami (MIA)
● Los Angeles (LAX)
First Class customers on American’s 3-class international and transcontinental flights will have exclusive access to Flagship Dining in 2017
Flagship Lounges (JFK, LAX, LHR and ORD) offer extended beverages and upscale snack services as well. See below for link.
NOTE: Some Lounges and Clubs are undergoing refurbishment.
Citi Prestige MasterCard holder Admirals Club access ended July 23, 2017.
American Express Platinum cardholder Admirals Club access ended 21 March 2014.
NOTE: It has been verified more airports are allowing multiple terminal access on one's day of departure. LAX has been one since mid-2014.
Admirals Club access is granted the day of flight for statusholders flyingone world and those flying F or J, or the following day at the first port of arrival if flying overnight and arriving by 0600.
Airports requiring Lounge users have a same day departure boarding pass include BOG, CCS, CDG, GIG, GRU, LHR, MEX, NRT, SCL, YYZ.
N.B. Qantas Lounges and Clubs require Smart Casual (sic) dress as of May 2015; those not meeting the standard may be turned away. They also require AAdvantage members be traveling on a departing AA marketed flight.
Please see the following resources for full details on Lounge Access Rules: (and see below)
. . . ● AA.com: Lounge Access Rules
. . . ● AA.com: American Airlines Flagship Lounge Access Rules
Beginning later in 2017: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ge-updates.jsp opens Flagship access to many more pax.
. . . ● AA.com: Reimaging our lounges
. . . ● AA.com: Admirals Club Membership Guide in a downloadable PDF format.
. . . ● oneworld.com: Lounge Access Rules and Search Tool
. . . ● Wiki: Lounges
. . . ● FT: American Airlines LOUNGE DASHBOARD
For various threads on membership, access by status, transcon service, class of service, Flagship lounge access, lounges directory with links to specific lounge threads, Club member access to partner lounges, recipripocity agreements, etc.
. . . ● Last year's thread:HELP DESK: Will I Have Lounge Access? Access, Rules (2016)
ARCHIVE: HELP DESK: Will I Have Lounge Access? Access, Rules (2017)
Sep 13, 2017, 8:49 am
#631
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
inbound to ORD on IB in J
I have AA awards flying IB MAD-ORD in J, connecting to AA ORD-MCI in F. Will I have access to the remodeled Flagship Lounge in Chicago during the 2 1/2 hour layover?
Sep 13, 2017, 9:03 am
#632
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,087
If the new Flagship lounge will be open by the time you come through ORD, yes, due to your long haul J segment. Prior to the new lounge opening, no, as it is still restricted to qualified international F, OW Emeralds, and AA EXPs with a qualifying international segments.
Sep 13, 2017, 9:08 am
#633
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
If the new Flagship lounge will be open by the time you come through ORD, yes, due to your long haul J segment. Prior to the new lounge opening, no, as it is still restricted to qualified international F, OW Emeralds, and AA EXPs with a qualifying international segments.
Sep 13, 2017, 9:32 am
#634
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...-lounge-ohare/
EDIT: View from the Wing has a write-up and it looks much better:
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....-whats-inside/
Last edited by zpaul; Sep 13, 2017 at 9:47 am
Sep 13, 2017, 3:09 pm
#635
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: LA
Programs: AA EP,HH
Posts: 4
one world lounges LAX
I am an EXP going to Toronto tonight via Chicago.Is it possible for me to get in to one of the One world lounges at Bradley International.
Thanks
Thanks
Sep 13, 2017, 3:46 pm
#636
Join Date: Mar 2003
Programs: BA GGL; AA LT Gold; AS 100K; DL MM GM; Hyatt G*list, Hilton Diamond; SQ silver
Posts: 3,806
Unfortunately not.
American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, are not eligible for lounge access when travelling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. For more information, visit, http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...miralsClub.jsp
Sep 13, 2017, 4:25 pm
#637
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: LA
Programs: AA EP,HH
Posts: 4
I thought being an EXP going to canada I will be able to visit Cathay pacific or quantas lounge at Bradley LAX.Admiral club is a no no
Sep 13, 2017, 4:29 pm
#638
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, are not eligible for lounge access when travelling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
https://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access
Sep 13, 2017, 4:30 pm
#639
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
The following exceptions apply: link
American Airlines and Qantas offer programmes enabling customers to pay to gain access to their lounges. These programmes are not part of the oneworld agreement, and members of these programmes are not entitled to access lounges under the oneworld agreement.
American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, are not eligible for lounge access when travelling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. For more information, visit, http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...miralsClub.jsp
Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld tier status, cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Lounges.
American Airlines and Qantas offer programmes enabling customers to pay to gain access to their lounges. These programmes are not part of the oneworld agreement, and members of these programmes are not entitled to access lounges under the oneworld agreement.
American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, are not eligible for lounge access when travelling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. For more information, visit, http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...miralsClub.jsp
Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld tier status, cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Lounges.
Sep 13, 2017, 4:49 pm
#640
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: LA
Programs: AA EP,HH
Posts: 4
Thanks for the info
Sep 14, 2017, 8:16 pm
#641
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
No, you will not. There is no Cathay lounge at LAX; they use the Qantas (no "u") First Lounge or the oneworld Business Lounge (operated by Qantas) in TBIT. You as AA EP are ineligible to use either lounge, or Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge on flights within North America that are not specified three class transcons or to MEX.
Sep 14, 2017, 9:26 pm
#642
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Sep 15, 2017, 5:07 am
#643
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP
Posts: 1,511
I'm flying BWI-CLT-MIA-MDE. The two domestic legs are in the evening with the int'l leg departing the next morning, about 10 hours after arrival in MIA.
BWI-CLT Leaving 7:25 p.m.
CLT-MIA Leaving 10:40 p.m., arriving 12:38 a.m.
MIA-MDE Leaving 10:50 a.m.
Do I get lounge access in CLT?
I know from past experience that if my layover in MIA were more than 12 hours, the answer would be no. If all legs were on the same day the answer would be yes.
I first assumed the answer is no in this case as well, since my int'l leg is not leaving before 6 a.m. on the next day. However, on reflection I realize that the rules language does not specifically say that the onward flight has to be the int'l leg when you are on a 3-leg trip.
What made me wonder is this: In the past when I had a layover of more than 12 hours, the on-screen display of my reservation had a physical gap between the dom and int'l portions which appeared to indicate that AA considered them to be separate (dom itinerary on day 1 and int'l on day 2). On this trip, there is no gap, which makes me think AA considers this to be one continuous itinerary.
Sorry if this has been answered before. I read through about 15 pages of this thread and did not see a similar situation.
BWI-CLT Leaving 7:25 p.m.
CLT-MIA Leaving 10:40 p.m., arriving 12:38 a.m.
MIA-MDE Leaving 10:50 a.m.
Do I get lounge access in CLT?
I know from past experience that if my layover in MIA were more than 12 hours, the answer would be no. If all legs were on the same day the answer would be yes.
I first assumed the answer is no in this case as well, since my int'l leg is not leaving before 6 a.m. on the next day. However, on reflection I realize that the rules language does not specifically say that the onward flight has to be the int'l leg when you are on a 3-leg trip.
What made me wonder is this: In the past when I had a layover of more than 12 hours, the on-screen display of my reservation had a physical gap between the dom and int'l portions which appeared to indicate that AA considered them to be separate (dom itinerary on day 1 and int'l on day 2). On this trip, there is no gap, which makes me think AA considers this to be one continuous itinerary.
Sorry if this has been answered before. I read through about 15 pages of this thread and did not see a similar situation.
Sep 15, 2017, 7:46 am
#644
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,474
I'm flying BWI-CLT-MIA-MDE. The two domestic legs are in the evening with the int'l leg departing the next morning, about 10 hours after arrival in MIA.
BWI-CLT Leaving 7:25 p.m.
CLT-MIA Leaving 10:40 p.m., arriving 12:38 a.m.
MIA-MDE Leaving 10:50 a.m.
Do I get lounge access in CLT?
I know from past experience that if my layover in MIA were more than 12 hours, the answer would be no. If all legs were on the same day the answer would be yes.
I first assumed the answer is no in this case as well, since my int'l leg is not leaving before 6 a.m. on the next day. However, on reflection I realize that the rules language does not specifically say that the onward flight has to be the int'l leg when you are on a 3-leg trip.
What made me wonder is this: In the past when I had a layover of more than 12 hours, the on-screen display of my reservation had a physical gap between the dom and int'l portions which appeared to indicate that AA considered them to be separate (dom itinerary on day 1 and int'l on day 2). On this trip, there is no gap, which makes me think AA considers this to be one continuous itinerary.
BWI-CLT Leaving 7:25 p.m.
CLT-MIA Leaving 10:40 p.m., arriving 12:38 a.m.
MIA-MDE Leaving 10:50 a.m.
Do I get lounge access in CLT?
I know from past experience that if my layover in MIA were more than 12 hours, the answer would be no. If all legs were on the same day the answer would be yes.
I first assumed the answer is no in this case as well, since my int'l leg is not leaving before 6 a.m. on the next day. However, on reflection I realize that the rules language does not specifically say that the onward flight has to be the int'l leg when you are on a 3-leg trip.
What made me wonder is this: In the past when I had a layover of more than 12 hours, the on-screen display of my reservation had a physical gap between the dom and int'l portions which appeared to indicate that AA considered them to be separate (dom itinerary on day 1 and int'l on day 2). On this trip, there is no gap, which makes me think AA considers this to be one continuous itinerary.
You get lounge access on the day of your qualifying flight, or the day before if you're qualifying flight is before 6am. Whether your connection is 1 hr, 12 hrs, or 23 hrs doesn't matter. It also doesn't matter how aa.com breaks the flights out when you pull up your reservation.
So in your case, by the rules no access in CLT the day before. However, I've found that many AC AAgents are not too familiar with this rule, and will let you in anyways even if your qualifying flight is the next day. Might be worth a try if you have time.
Sep 15, 2017, 3:41 pm
#645
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MDE
Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP
Posts: 1,511
You're over-analyzing it.
You get lounge access on the day of your qualifying flight, or the day before if you're qualifying flight is before 6am. Whether your connection is 1 hr, 12 hrs, or 23 hrs doesn't matter. It also doesn't matter how aa.com breaks the flights out when you pull up your reservation.
So in your case, by the rules no access in CLT the day before. However, I've found that many AC AAgents are not too familiar with this rule, and will let you in anyways even if your qualifying flight is the next day. Might be worth a try if you have time.
You get lounge access on the day of your qualifying flight, or the day before if you're qualifying flight is before 6am. Whether your connection is 1 hr, 12 hrs, or 23 hrs doesn't matter. It also doesn't matter how aa.com breaks the flights out when you pull up your reservation.
So in your case, by the rules no access in CLT the day before. However, I've found that many AC AAgents are not too familiar with this rule, and will let you in anyways even if your qualifying flight is the next day. Might be worth a try if you have time.