Alaska Lounge Member Access to AA Admirals Club
 

Everything I have read indicates that Alaska Lounge members have access to AA Admirals Clubs, both arrival and departure. This past week, I didn't have too much trouble at JFK (had to explain, but at least he did look it up and admit me), but was refused entry at the LHR arrival lounge, and then had to talk my way into the departure lounge at LHR terminal 3 on the way home, as the reception desk said I didn't have high enough access. She let me in because it was empty. (This was NOT the Flagship, just the regular Admirals Club.)

For those of you who do use your Alaska membership at AA or other partner lounges, do you also have these issues?

The arrivals lounge at LHR is not part of the Admirals Club network. AA is very strict on who, among their own flyers, can get in there, so no surprise Alaska flyers would be denied entry.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...als-lounge.jsp

Thank you. I wasn't too upset about that one because I figured there must be something I was misunderstanding. But the regular departure lounge in T3 puzzled me. She knew nothing about any reciprocal status with AS, just said I didn't have the right status but "winked" me in.

Is there something special I should be telling them to make this process easier? I am new to AS Lounge membership.

I'd print out the pages from the Alaska website that shows partner lounges (one page for AA, one for QF, and one for others). Can't hurt to have those along if you're questioned.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/ai...tion-and-hours

I would raise this with AS. AA could care less about you, but it is AS which sold you the membership and told you that access at LHR was included.

I do think maybe AS ought to clarify this on their website, though:

Alaska Lounge members have access to the select Admirals Club locations listed below when arriving or departing that day on a purchased or redeemed-mileage ticket on Alaska Airlines or American Airlines

See "Admirals Club locations" as well. AS may not explicitly call out the Arrivals Lounge as not being covered under their lounge membership, but it isn't an Admirals Club, and AA clearly categorizes it separately on their website.

The departures lounge in T3 it sounds like you should've certainly had access to without any problem. Likely the agent was just a bit confused as they probably don't see a high volume of us coming through.

I had the same problem when trying to access the BA Galleries Lounge in T3 as an MVP Gold. The agent seemed perplexed because my boarding pass didn't have a "lounge access" printed or stamped on it which they are used to seeing apparently (my boarding passes in CDG & REK had these indicators as I was in business).

No arrivals access at Admirals Club
 

I had some time before a meeting after landing at John Wayne and I was told very specifically that the Alaska/American club arrangement did not allow for arrivals admission. Was I given bad information?

No issues with AA upon arrival into EWR
No issues with AA at ORD for departure use of lounge and in Nashville.

I had problems at London Heathrow. Upon departure, the woman at the Admirals Club said categorically that I was not eligible for access. Even though the Alaska website specifically lists LHR as a partner location.

I'm guessing the staff in the domestic lounges are better informed than the international ones, but I really don't want to face this hassle every time I travel... ugh.

You didn't say, but were you on an AA ticket (obviously not an AS ticket with that routing)? If not, that would explain it.

Yes, I was on an AA ticket. I'm not ENTIRELY stupid... :D

Admirals Clubs allow for arrival access
 

I have used Admirals Clubs upon arrival many many times. I've never been denied arrival privileges at a domestic admirals club that is listed on the AS website (though I can see why the specific "arrivals lounge" at LHR would exclude the OP). The only hiccup is that your Alaska boarding pass disappears if you are using your phone app (i've still been let in by showing the info on my Alaska app, but the boarding pass makes it easy for the Admirals club employee to scan you in along with your Alaska Lounge card). So, if I plan on using the Admirals Club upon arrival, then I just - in advance - either get a paper copy of a boarding pass or make a screen shot of my Alaska boarding pass. I have used Admirals Clubs arrival access at Austin, DFW, Phoenix, and LAX. Orange County should have let you in as they are one of the Admirals Clubs on Alaska's website.

The United Club at Phoenix will NOT allow arrivals access (I have tried twice and was denied access on one of the two ocassions). I prefer the UA lounge to the Admirals clubs at Phoenix, but UA is kinda a stickler there.