bsinay

Is it me or do all AA lounges need an update?

I'm new to lounges, frequent flyer stuff, etc but the tips on this site has me EXP through Feb 2014 and flying business more than ever.

Today, I'm flying AA from NRT->LAX and went to the Admirals club. Did a loop through the lounge and was more than disappointed. You should have seen the food they had ... I'd consider feeding it to my dog, which is an awesome lab who'd eat anything that isn't nailed to the ground.

The seats, food, booz and ambiance had me running for the hills before sitting down. I went to the JAL first class lounge. Better food, service, seating, booz everything!

It's time for an update AA!

By the way, I love that I can use the JAL lounge w/ my one world emerald status ... sweet!

AZbba

It's not exactly breaking news that a non-us hub FC lounge will beat any lounge operated by a US based airline.

worldwidedreamer

The domestic US/Australia model of paid membership is quite different than elsewhere. Very few lounges, imho, have foodnbetter than in a four star hotel.

will2288

^


Some clubs are quite nice and certainly don't need an upgrade. But compared to JL first class lounge, of course they are not as nice.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

You should see the DL SC at LAX. The last time I was in there every seat was taken with some people standing. Of course, the SC has a much wider complimentary food selection and self service bar.

Now with domestic airline lounges giving entrance to certain credit card holders the lounges are not the quite oasis they once were. At times you feel like you are at the gate.

Even with AA the food for purchase is really pathetic other than the pizza which is actually really good. The complimentary offerings are nothing short of miserable unless you have a sodium deficiency.

brp

Seriously. A little reading here before going and the OP wouldn't have even been in the FC, removing the need to start this thread on a well-known and beaten-to-death topic

Cheers.

ksweeney

Sky Clubs generally are more crowded than Admirals Clubs. I do like the self service bars that are in many of their clubs, but I generally prefer AC over Sky Clubs. I am especially looking forward to the re-opening of the tornado damaged STL AC in August. That is a truly classic club - It's the one that Ryan Bingham visits in my favorite movie of all time "Up in the Air".

TheBOSman

Not to get too far off topic, but I definitely hope that is on time. I'll likely visit STL in early September, would be good to check out the renewed AC and report back!

LoneStarSteeler

Agreed that virtually all of the AC's are laughable as far as clubs go when you compare them not just to the foreign clubs but also to the other domestic ones. Old CO clubs had a nice array of snacks, the UA clubs even more so. DL SC's are pretty good as well.

On that note - there was a thread yesterday talking about the PHL AC. As I'm sure everyone is aware it's the BA club that AA pax have access to. Questions to the community:

1) Have you been to this club?
2) If so, would you be willing to pay a higher fee to have access to the same level of amenities and service? Eg: the nice bar selection, the wide variety of bottled beer, the fresh fruit and snacks, sandwiches in the afternoons, etc.

I for one would be more than happy to pay an extra $250 for the ability to have access to a world class lounge instead of what should be in the terminal to begin with.

~M

I_Can_Fly_US_Airways

There won't be any changes until they convert them to the US Airways Club :-)

emma dog

So inaccurate.

UA clubs have been a dive since pre-9/11. They were one of the last to offer food for sale yet the clubs lacked any snacks beyond stale fruit. I was 1P from 1997-2006 and had A LOT of experience in RCC's.

DL SC's are slums as well. They are more than overcrowded and the "snacks" are nothing but processed cheese in plastic wrappers, some pretzels, hummous in a weird squeezy tube, and some crackers. There's orange sticks and green sticks posing as carrots and celery but I am afraid I'll get e coli from touching them.

As stated above, no club meets the luxury of any foreign carrier club... especially in their hubs. BA at LHR, CX in HKG, and JK in NRT beats the heck out of any US airline offering... ANYWHERE.

econometrics

+1

I've been flying Eagle into DFW recently and using the B AC, and I really love it. Probably my favorite DFW AC now. Always quiet in there.

As stated above, domestic carrier's clubs are nothing great internationally. ^

TheBOSman

I like A for a similar reason, haven't been in B yet though, I haven't yet been in or out of DFW on Eagle. D is nice but seems to be crowded. I'll be in it next month for a flight to NRT though, hopefully it will be less crowded.

I think OP also makes the mistake of comparing the AC (technically a biz class lounge) to JL F class lounge. Not that it still wouldn't be way better than an FL of course .

ksweeney

After 50 plus years of flying, I still love watching airport activity. My favorite are clubs are those up high with big windows - D at DFW, H/K at ORD, STL (when it reopens), LGA (construction almost done), and the somewhat hidden SkyClub in Atlanta on concourse A above Chili's.

econometrics

My sentiments as well. I enjoy it, but not the constant in-and-out of lots and lots of travelers.

D is great for views, definitely. The problem is... the sun gazes so strongly through those windows in the afternoons / eves of the summer that it is either A) too uncomfortably hot to sit next to the window or B) you can't see out the window because the black shades are drawn - and it's still hot.