Update: Now in DOH. Decided to try entry into the AM lounge despite what we were told at check-in... and it worked no problem! Attendant at the escalator scanned my boarding pass and got the green light to head upstairs.

So now I’m not sure if what happened at MLE was isolated for that airport or if something else was/is going on.

Planning on visiting AM again later with my wife before our flight so will have a second datapoint later today.

Our tickets:
-2 pax on same PNR booked as single itinerary using AA miles (70k each)
-MLE-DOH-LAX-SEA, with the MLE-DOH-LAX all on QR in J and the domestic segment on AS.