MilesBuzz! - Louge or club access included with Elite status?

Hello. I didn't see this question asked elsewhere.

Are there any Airlines that include lounge or club access at no extra cost, when elite status is reached?

Thanks!

Yes, that is the idea.

United includes the RCC for free when PremEx's and 1k flyers (50,000 and 100,000 miles) fly on international flights.
ie. I can use a domestic lounge if I'm flying to an international destination.

The OP's question is quite vague and it depends on where the OP lives and where most of the OP's travels are to. Many airlines, including US airlines, provide free lounge access with Elite status outside of the USA. Most US airlines charge for domestic access to lounges, even for their elite members.

Air Canada, for example, provides free lounge access to mid tier and top tier elites for domestic, USA and international itineraries.

Welcome to FT blitztorte :)

Almost all major airlines outside US include lounge access as a free benefit for their elite pax when flying them or their partner airlines. Mostly available to top or high tier elites (eg One World Emerald or Sapphire, Star Alliance Gold, etc), but in some cases also provided to low tier elites.

. . . in some cases also provided to low tier elites.

For example, Lufthansa gives lounge access to its Frequent Traveler level (35,000 miles) which is silver in Star Alliance.

Thanks for everyone's comments. And yes, I should have been more specific with my question. I forgot that this is an international forum. I have been learning a lot on FT on the differences between the US domestic airlines which is what I use. Trying to determine if there really is a big difference between them and lounges/clubs question is only one way of doing that. Other questions I could have asked are: who still serves real food and who offers "fast tracks to elite".

Thanks again.

AA offers Admirals' Club access to Platnum members but only on their international flights (and US flights coming to/from international flights). They also have a fast-track program called the Platinum Challenge. (Go to the AA forum and do a search on Platinum Challenge.) Unfortunately, AA does not serve "real food". In fact, the buy-on-board stuff is apparently bad, too. Twice I've heard gate agents advise people to buy food in the airport and carry it on.

Only US carriers exclude lounge membership as a benefit of the top tier status. This is in part an historical matter, as US airlines were prohibited by the anti-discrimination laws of the 60s to give memberships free of charge as they had been doing for decades to their best customers. This led to the current situation of selling annual memberships (and also a less restrictive access policy, but that's another matter). Once this was established, lounges became a profit centre and giving memberships away even to top elites would become a costly proposition.

Foreign airlines had no such restriction and continued to offer free membership to their lounges as a sales promotional tool. When FF programs came along, this was extended into the top tier package of benefits, and thus most provide free memberships.

I noticed AA is promotionally offering Admiral Club memberships as an incentive to keep flying with them once a member has achieved their Gold or Platinum status for the year. But this is an exception.

Welcome to the non-AA oneworld, where even low elites get lounge access! :D

I'll have AA Platinum status in time for my trip to Istanbul (thanks to Icetrojan's help). It's my first time as an elite so I'm probably part of the riff-raff that make most of you wonder "Dear god, does this airline have no standards...?" My riff-raff question is can I bring my boyfriend or flying companion into the lounge with me? Also, can he pre-board with me if we're sitting together but he doesn't have status himself?

I noticed AA is promotionally offering Admiral Club memberships as an incentive to keep flying with them once a member has achieved their Gold or Platinum status for the year.

I don't believe this is true.

DL has given free lounge access to its top-tier flyers, but that is going away after 2006.

I noticed AA is promotionally offering Admiral Club memberships as an incentive to keep flying with them once a member has achieved their Gold or Platinum status for the year. But this is an exception.I don't believe this is true...It is true, though perhaps incompletely described. AA is offering, as part of its promo for the 25th anniversary of its frequent flyer program, a choice of extra benefits to elite flyers who fly a certain number of miles over and above what is needed for their level but not enough to reach the next level. One of the benefits these people can choose is AC access. Specifically, Gold elites who fly at least 40K miles/points (but not 50K of either) may get a one-day AC pass; PLT who pass 75K (but do not reach 100K) can get two passes; and EXP who pass 125K can get a year's membership. There are other choices as well, some of which would be more attractive to me, but I'm sure this was what Shareholder was referring to.

My riff-raff question is can I bring my boyfriend or flying companion into the lounge with me? Also, can he pre-board with me if we're sitting together but he doesn't have status himself?

Yes and yes. I have Gold status; as long as he sticks with me, he gets the Royal Treatment, too!

Only US carriers exclude lounge membership as a benefit of the top tier status. This is in part an historical matter, as US airlines were prohibited by the anti-discrimination laws of the 60s to give memberships free of charge as they had been doing for decades to their best customers. This led to the current situation of selling annual memberships (and also a less restrictive access policy, but that's another matter). Once this was established, lounges became a profit centre and giving memberships away even to top elites would become a costly proposition.

Foreign airlines had no such restriction and continued to offer free membership to their lounges as a sales promotional tool. When FF programs came along, this was extended into the top tier package of benefits, and thus most provide free memberships.

I noticed AA is promotionally offering Admiral Club memberships as an incentive to keep flying with them once a member has achieved their Gold or Platinum status for the year. But this is an exception.

Great explanation. I would have never considered that these lounges one day might have been used as a segregation method.

Delta, at least use to, offers unrestricted Lounge membership to their highest level, Platinum. I blieve this is the only US airline that does that.

For US Airways, in 2006, if you fly 150,000 miles you get free US lounge access... (and of course international access is included with Gold, Platinum or Chairmans)....

Hawaiian Airlines Gold/Platinum elites get access to the HA lounges.

Northwest's Golds based in Asia have free Worldclub access. (Not US based Golds though)

AA allows access to lounges for Plats traveling to certain international destinations. I seem to recall that some countries/territories are excluded from the perk - British Virgin Islands being one. I think a lot of other Carribbean destinations are excluded too, regardless of whether they are U.S. territory, a foreign country's territory, or a sovereign state in and of themselves.

My last round of Platinumness was 2004, so someone feel free to update this if I'm out-of-date.

AA allows access to lounges for Plats traveling to certain international destinations. I seem to recall that some countries/territories are excluded from the perk - British Virgin Islands being one. I think a lot of other Carribbean destinations are excluded too, regardless of whether they are U.S. territory, a foreign country's territory, or a sovereign state in and of themselves...See post #8 in this thread as well.

The short version is that AA PLT/EXP get lounge access before flights on any itinerary that goes outside North America (by AA's definition, which may not match your map) or to Mexico City. (Other Mexican destinations are excluded, unless you connect at MEX.)

You may or may not get access at your final destination on such an itinerary. People's experience and various versions of access policies differ on this. In some cases arriving passengers are not allowed to use "departure" lounges at all (e.g., London airports) or are not able to reach them because arriving and departing passengers are kept apart airside. These issues are not under AA or oneWorld control.