Don't forget, the US workforce is within a bell curve of emotional intelligence, intelligence, communication skills, common sense, and memorization skills. Most aren't in the front line customer service oriented positions when they are above the bell curve, unless by choice.

Yes, I do believe memorization of all lounge access rules is probably too cumbersome for the average worker in that same position, since they multitask different roles, aren't just assigned to the lounge entrance as their sole job, and lounge access rules are not the only thing to memorize.

For example, some of the premium CK reps sometimes act as the lounge entrance reps. Sure, a flow chart would be helpful, but that is on the employer to provide. Delta uses a large laminate flowchart of all credit cards that grant access their lounge, but its AA's decision to not do this for their workers for all possible ways to access the FLL.

Being rude is never acceptable on a customer service front, but we all know no company is perfect, and rude staff will be a part of life. How one deals with it, is what makes us individualistic human beings.

To answer the OP, AA isn't cracking down on day pass, rather it is ignorance of AA's staff's part. You did nothing wrong, and the fault lies within AA itself and their employees.