Alright, so I must be doing something wrong still. The last few times I’ve tried to go to the JFK lounge in the past week I’ve been denied. The staff scanned my boarding pass and said I did not have access. I had them scan my Alaska Lounge+ membership card and they said that doesn’t give me access either.

Las week the American Airlines security (prior to the TSA checkpoint) would not let me go to the TSA checkpoint because I was not flying on American Airlines or JetBlue. They held me for about 25 minutes until I could speak to several American Airlines managers/supervisors and they all said the same thing that there is no partnership with Alaska Airlines that would give me access to the Admirals Club lounge, that they spoke to the Admirals Club who confirmed the same, and that even if they did give me access I would have to be flying on American Airlines or JetBlue and not Alaska. They said that American Airlines sets the policies at Terminal 8 as American Airlines owns that terminal.

I showed them an email I received from a JFK TSA specialist that said I have access to enter any terminal at JFK as long as I have a flight out of JFK the same-day. The email did not convince them. I asked to speak to a TSA supervisor multiple times in this process and I was told no. They said they spoke to TSA and they said TSA told them I was not allowed to enter (I don’t know if they actually talked to someone at TSA or if they just disappeared and came back saying they did).

I have escalated the issue with Alaska Airlines through the Alaska Lounge JFK Team with one of their specialists and the lounge manager, and they have used their system to submit a complaint through the Alaska Alliance department. I have gone to many other admirals clubs at different airports and never had issues like I am having with American Airlines at JFK.