Access domestically within the US is offered AA members holding approrpriate status who are connecting to or from an international flight
If, as I inferred, you are travelling between Sydney-Chicago and not stopping over in LAX/DFW, then there will be no issue getting lounge access prior to the domestic sectors
Originally Posted by inasmuchas
I only mention this as you noted a trip to ORD, which would most likely involve AA domestic sectors. So on these flights if you were AA Platinum you wouldn't get lounge access, whereas as BA Silver you would.
Not true unless the passengers are having a stopover in LAX/DFW. If just connecting, no problem at all