Shorty

I'm a relatively new PLT looking at a long layover in DUB later this year. Is there any lounge access available based on PLT status and W fare, or is it strictly based on fare code?

(As an aside, I seem to be perpetually confused on lounge access in general. Is it dependent on each airport to determine who they let in, or is there some kind of standard AA uses across the board to determine this?)

Thanks.

andrzej

Lounge access is not based on fare code. It's based on class of service or status. You will have access to the AerLingus lounge (nothing spectacular, but better than the terminal).

Have a great trip!

JDiver

I recommend you download the AAdvantage Platinum PDF, look at the aa.com Admirals Club admit rules, and oneworld's website for benefits available to Sapphire / AA Platinum members.

That way you will be more familiar with the rules and where they are, specifically how they apply to you as a Platinum / Sapphire traveler, and be able to quite correct information if you meet a lounge Cerberus more interested in refusing entry than following the rules.

The DUB EI lounge is fair at best, reminding me of a large college or military enlisted men's rec room - but has nice views, thin glass (can get chilly and noisy.) I don't recollect any showers at DUB.

Shorty

Thanks, andrzej and JDiver. I've looked at the Platinum PDF, Admirals Club admit rules and oneworld's site, and based on that I have a few more questions:

1) If you are PLT and flying transatlantic on AA metal, do you have access to the Admirals Club on the day of travel whether or not you are actually an AC member?

2) Once you land on the transatlantic side, do you have access to any of the oneworld airline alliance lounges at that airport, or is it only for the lounge of the airline that you are continuing on?

3) On the transatlantic side, is it enough to show your PLT card, or do you have to have the equivalent of a oneworld Sapphire card to show the lounge attendants?

My last question is dependent on the answers to the other questions, but I thought I would ask it now anyway: If you are traveling transatlantic and have a long layover, is it better to try to have that layover at LHR or FRA, for example, which seem to have better lounges, than someplace like DUB (if you have the option of selecting where the layover will be)?

Thanks.

JDiver

oneworld Sapphire (my bad) is shown on your AA Platinum card - just show your AA status card. You are entitled (with one guest, if I recall correctly,) to use any oneworld Business level lounge on the day you are traveling internationally on oneworld metal as a oneworld Sapphire, AC membership is not material; your destination is usually excluded due to the nature of lounges - most of them are airside. Some arrivals lounges are in the system. but those are usually accessible by actual cabin flown, rather than by status.

Some long layovers are made for a trip into town (BRU.)

AA AC Admit Policies has some good illustrations on lounge access here.

Where the connection is made - LHR BA lounges are very nice, but if you are flying out on AA you won't get to use one - and some of us would rather avoid the LHR craziness of interterminal changes, etc. if we can connect via a friendlier airport, such as MAN, LGW, ZRH, BRU even... FRA doesn't offer much in the way of oneworld connections AFAIK, as it is in the midst of Star Alliance (*A) country, and it is a bit of a zoo as well, with lengthy and disorganized queues going airside. OTOH, for arrivals I like it - AC is landside, has showers, and both high speed intercity and local rail connectiosn are to be had at the airport.

Shorty

Thanks so much, JDiver. I wasn't thinking clearly on the airside vs. landside issue. I would definitely prefer to avoid the craziness of LHR as well.

I guess I was just trying to find a way, if you had a 6 to 8 hour layover somewhere after flying all night, it would be nice to use a lounge somewhere if they had showers, even if it meant having to go through security again. The AC in FRA and LHR both have them, so I was trying to figure out if it's 'legal' to use the AC at the connecting airport if I fly AA transatlantic with the connection being on a oneworld carrier. (The examples given on the AC Admit Policy page seems to indicate that would be possible, but I'm not absolutely sure this would qualify.)

Thanks.

brie

As long as you are continuing on a oneworld carrier, you're good to go (as a PLT/sapphire) at any OW (business class) lounge that you can legally get to. (At LHR, that means lounge in the terminal from which your next flight is departing.)

Shorty

Thanks, brie.

arkangel

The only AC, or any other OneWorld lounge for that matter, that you would be able to access at LHR upon arrival is the arrivals lounge and then, since you are flying in Y, only for a $35 fee(it's free to J and F passengers). Access to the other AC/OneWorld airside lounges at LHR is prohibited since these are considered departure lounges only. Access to other OneWorld arrivals lounges is based on class of service flown, and only J and F qualify. Access by payment of a fee is not an option I believe. At FRA, the AC can be used for both arrivals and departures and, based on your status, you would have access during your connection layover but, as previously indicated, would have to reclear security.

andrzej

AND/OR Status......

OW Sapphire - J lounges
OW Emeralds - F lounges where available

....as long as you are originating/continuing on a OW partner.

gemac

Most of the information in this post is not correct. I would suggest you not rely on it.

As a OW sapphire, if you arrive on a OW flight, and depart the same day on a OW flight, you can use any OW departure lounge that you can get to, on a space available basis. You do not need to be flying J or F. You will not need to pay a fee.

brie

arkangel, I think that you may have missed Shorty's saying that this was a 6-8h connection. arkangel's comments about arrival lounges are (AFAIK) correct, but Shorty was asking about departure lounge use during a layover.

• Departure lounge use is by status or by class of service. It is available (by status) on the day of departure provided the onward flight is on a OW carrier.
• Arrival lounge use is by class of service only (at least at LHR, although Y pax can pay $35 for AA arrival lounge if arriving on AA).

gemac, I thought that an international intinerary (or, rather, not wholly domestic within the US by AA's somewhat tortured definition of domestic) with the next leg on a OW carrier was sufficient. I didn't think that you actually needed to arrive on a OW carrier. (Have I got this wrong?)

Also, I'm pretty sure that you don't need to arrive and depart on the same day, but you can only access the OW lounge on the departure day. I'm not sure whether a layover from 22:00 to 6:00 the next day would give you access at 22:00....I'd like to think that this would be viewed as a same day sort of thing, but then I tend not to think like a bureaucrat

GUWonder

OW Sapphire and Emerald status by itself does not provide access to BA arrivals lounges. If you are originating or continuing on a OW partner, BA will give you access to their departure lounges; however, BA does deny access to those trying to access BA Arrivals lounges on the basis of OW Sapphire/Emerald status.

andrzej

very true.... missed the arrivals part

That's true for ANY arrivals lounge.

gemac

Yeah, I guess I was concentrating too much on what we were discussing and not the general case. Seemed like we were discussing coming in on AA, long layover, and departing on OW carrier (international not specified). The key seems to be that you are flying internationally that day, and you are not at your stopover point.