Mar 30, 2017, 9:47 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Stories About Guesting or Being Guested in AA Lounges
GUIDELINES: This thread is strictly for stories of guesting or being guested into AA Lounges. Quibbling over the guesting rules (shown and linked to below), their "spirit" or perceived intent or posting overly personal or negatively judgmental content directed at other members are off topic.
AA rules regarding guest access can be read here (link). In part:
Admirals Club, and Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive Card primary cardholders, AirPass with Admirals Club privileges, Citi Prestige primary cardholders and Military* are all allowed "Immediate family or up to 2 guests".
Admirals Club One-Day Pass holders may guest "Up to 3 children under 18 years of age"
*U.S. military personnel traveling in uniform can enjoy complimentary access to all Admirals Club lounges as a courtesy when traveling the same day on an American Airlines operated flight.
**Children over the age of two count as a guest
1Immediate family refers to spouse, domestic partner and/or children under 18 years of age
2Up to three children under 18 years of age admitted at no additional cost if accompanied by an adult day-pass holder
Note: According to Admirals Club rules, your accompanying guests must leave when you do.
Link to Admirals Club Terms and Conditions
Discussion of the rules and judging members' stories of admitting guests or being admitted, meta-content and hypothetical issues will be considered dilatory to the topic and summarily deleted.
/JDiver, Moderator
Guesting People into Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge Stories
Mar 28, 2017, 11:01 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
Guesting People into Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge Stories
What moves you to guest people aside from family or colleagues into lounges?
I tend to attempt to guest someone in when they have a long layover or who look like they could use a nice gesture. Some have been very appreciative. I've been turned down twice by people I suspect thought I was inviting to a bar or to pick up as a date (Admirals Club).
I tend to attempt to guest someone in when they have a long layover or who look like they could use a nice gesture. Some have been very appreciative. I've been turned down twice by people I suspect thought I was inviting to a bar or to pick up as a date (Admirals Club).
Mar 28, 2017, 11:10 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Has been discussed a few times, lengthy threads (below is the only one I could find from a super-quick search) with many of us feeling it's abusive in many cases, a potential risk to personal property, can put entry agents on awkward situations and adds to expense/ raises rates, etc., etc.
Guesting Etiquette for an Admirals Club
Let them buy access.
Guesting Etiquette for an Admirals Club
Let them buy access.
Mar 28, 2017, 11:14 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: KCGX
Posts: 144
Once at ORD I was at the dragon desk when the family at the other desk was being denied access for the entire family as 2/4 children were over 18 (and not properly trained to say they were under) plus a spouse. They were going to buy day passes but given the ORD construction, the lounge was not selling them. I guested the adult children so they could access the club.
Mar 28, 2017, 11:17 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
I guess my question wasn't about the ethics of guesting, but why someone would offer to guest someone else. I have seen instances where impatient club members will offer to guest someone who is slow in finding their own membership cards so as to enter more quickly, and other reasons.
Mar 28, 2017, 11:41 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,378
I got guested in a lounge when I chatted with my seat opponent on a mileage run SEA-BOS-SEA, and he thought we should have a drink at the bar while I told him about FT and why I did this (lie-flat seats on very long flights).
It was kind of him, and I've tried to pay it forward.
It was kind of him, and I've tried to pay it forward.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Mar 28, 2017 at 2:41 pm
Mar 28, 2017, 11:46 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
Mar 28, 2017, 12:06 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 755
I think it's tacky to guest strangers in. I remember quite a few years back when AA was offering DEQMs on ORD>LAX or ORD>SFO, and lots of people wanted to be guested into the lounge during their "layovers". I feel like if you can't afford a day pass or a monthly membership, then maybe you shouldn't be doing mileage runs, or resign yourself to relaxing in the terminal.
Mar 28, 2017, 12:13 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
I think it's tacky to guest strangers in. I remember quite a few years back when AA was offering DEQMs on ORD>LAX or ORD>SFO, and lots of people wanted to be guested into the lounge during their "layovers". I feel like if you can't afford a day pass or a monthly membership, then maybe you shouldn't be doing mileage runs, or resign yourself to relaxing in the terminal.
You are offering your point of view as to why you wouldn't guest a stranger in. I was hoping to hear from the perspective of those who have guested other people in and why. Or, like myself, have had their offer rejected.
Mar 28, 2017, 12:16 pm
#10
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
Not on AA, but when I used to fly United, I once offered to guest in two soldiers who were connecting in ORD.
They thanked me but said they were going to get something to eat instead.
They thanked me but said they were going to get something to eat instead.
Mar 28, 2017, 12:24 pm
#11
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,484
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...er-thread.html
As for me, years ago on a mileage run, I was chatting with the gal next to me on a PIT-PHL flight. I was continuing to MUC, I think she to CDG, but she was just US Silver (I was Gold or higher, so had lounge access). Anyway, I asked if she wanted to go in the lounge and she graciously accepted. We walked from our flight to the Envoy lounge together, and the agents didn't think anything odd at all. They put the, "docs," stamp on both of our bp's too.
I think I've posted to the meet up thread above, but I always forget to check back to see if anyone has replied to me.
So I've never been the recipient of a random act of lounge kindness.
Mar 28, 2017, 1:22 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
I think it's tacky to guest strangers in. I remember quite a few years back when AA was offering DEQMs on ORD>LAX or ORD>SFO, and lots of people wanted to be guested into the lounge during their "layovers". I feel like if you can't afford a day pass or a monthly membership, then maybe you shouldn't be doing mileage runs, or resign yourself to relaxing in the terminal.
For me, I helped a couple times when I had membership and there was a long queue of passengers waiting to be rebooked (winter ORD weather).
Mar 28, 2017, 1:50 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP; BoNVoY Tit LTP
Posts: 1,921
I once went through a particularly brutal TSA check at JFK and was reassembling myself and saw a serviceman in a similar state. He was happy to come to the AAdmiral's club and have a beer and relax a bit.
Mar 28, 2017, 2:07 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: AA EXP, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,017
Done it a few times. 1) Someone I'd just flown with who was on the same next leg and in the same long weather delay as I was; 2) a fellow-FTer in ORD on the same MR to try his hand at the JAL desk for seating--was an in-and-out job since boarding was near; 3) an AC-members 2nd guest that was being disallowed (as per standard AC policy) in LHR on a long layover.
As a general rule though, my club benefits are mine and not offered to, or shared with, others.
As a general rule though, my club benefits are mine and not offered to, or shared with, others.
Mar 28, 2017, 2:12 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TPA/DFW/K15
Programs: AA EXP, Mar AMB, HH LT DIA
Posts: 1,649
Do FTers count as "strangers" as in the meet/guest thread? I guess I am tacky by offering to guest/meet by that standard since I know no one from FT in person. I have offered to guest many times but no one has ever taken me up on the offer on that thread.
You are offering your point of view as to why you wouldn't guest a stranger in. I was hoping to hear from the perspective of those who have guested other people in and why. Or, like myself, have had their offer rejected.
You are offering your point of view as to why you wouldn't guest a stranger in. I was hoping to hear from the perspective of those who have guested other people in and why. Or, like myself, have had their offer rejected.