Originally Posted by
Internaut
Yes, the whole having to buy lounge membership thing is strange. But, if you have a none American OW or *A of suitable status, you can fly in economy for four hours and use the lounge when the people in first cannot (and you can buy a substantial sandwich on board when, at some times of the day, the best the passengers in first can hope for is warm nuts)!
I never paid much attention to USA based flying but the more I search the more I dislike.