Apr 11, 2013, 8:02 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Lounge Access for oneworld First or Business Class Passengers
NOTE: This thread has received little use since the establishment of the thread HELP DESK: Will I Have Lounge Access? Access, Rules (2017). Please use that thread to inquire about Lounge access. A few more recent posts have been moved to that thread.
Relax in more premium lounges around the world
If your oneworld® frequent flyer tier status is Emerald or Sapphire, or you are traveling in a First or Business Class cabin on a oneworld member airline, you can access more than 600 airport lounges throughout the world.
This means you can relax or catch up with work in comfort and style before departure, regardless of which oneworld member airline you choose to fly with.
To be eligible, you must be departing on a flight that is both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline.
oneworld lounge access for First Class or Business Class customers (link)
Indulge yourself before departure in a wider range of airport lounges when you fly First Class or Business Class with any oneworld member airline.
The following exceptions apply:
If your oneworld® frequent flyer tier status is Emerald or Sapphire, or you are traveling in a First or Business Class cabin on a oneworld member airline, you can access more than 600 airport lounges throughout the world.
This means you can relax or catch up with work in comfort and style before departure, regardless of which oneworld member airline you choose to fly with.
To be eligible, you must be departing on a flight that is both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline.
- Some lounges may get busy at peak times, and access to them may be restricted as a result.
- Lounges operated by third parties are identified in the lounge finder tool (above). Access to these lounges is restricted to eligible customers when travelling on specific oneworld airlines as shown in the lounge finder tool.
- Arrivals lounges are excluded.
- Spa and Pre-Flight Dining facilities are excluded.
- British Airways Concorde lounges are excluded.
- Other exceptions may apply (see below).
oneworld lounge access for First Class or Business Class customers (link)
Indulge yourself before departure in a wider range of airport lounges when you fly First Class or Business Class with any oneworld member airline.
- Customers flying First or Business Class have access to the equivalent class of lounge regardless of their frequent flyer status. First Class passengers may use a Business Class or frequent flyer lounge if a First Class lounge is not available.
- First Class passengers may invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest must also be travelling on a flight operated and marketed by a oneworld airline.
- Connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights:
- First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
- Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
- You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.
- First and Business Class customers who do not hold Emerald or Sapphire tier status are not eligible to access American Airlines lounges when travelling on solely domestic flights within the U.S. or between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico [except Mexico City], the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean; customers travelling in First or Business class on U.S. transcontinental flights between JFK-LAX, JFK-SFO and MIA-LAX (and vice-versa) are eligible for lounge access.
- Guests are not permitted at Qatar Airways Al Safwa and Al Mourjan lounges at Hamad International Airport in Doha or Qatar Airways Premium Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 4.
Please see the following resources for further details on Class of Service Based Lounge Access Rules:
. . . ● oneworld Lounge Access Wizard , created by FlyerTalk member imagineertobe
. . . ● AA.com: AA Lounge Access Rules
. . . ● oneworld.com: Lounge Access Rules and Search Tool
. . . ● FlyerGuide Wiki: Lounges
. . . ● FT thread: AAdvantage status-based access to AA & oneworld lounges (consolidated)
ARCHIVE: Lounge Access Based on Class of Service (master thread)
Jan 6, 2010, 10:39 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,137
Another question - how good is AA with pro-active reprotects on alternate routings, or even alternate carriers - if my JFK-ORD is cancelled? I see that DL has two JFK-ORDs leaving after 3pm on Thursday January 7. I suppose I'll just wait to find out once I land in JFK!
, even though you are on a mileage ticket. I imagine that YMMV on that one and first they'd probably tell you to get over to LGA for one of those flights 
. An AA agent told me that they would rebook my status-less relatives traveling on award tickets* without me, if necessary but we didn't actually have to go for that option so I don't have a real world test to see if it would really work.But you may be worrying about something that won't even have a chance --If AA cancels NYC-ORD due to WX, DL might cancel theirs as well.
* Yes, I'm friends' and family's local, unpaid travel agent!
Jan 8, 2010, 6:45 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MileagePlus Premier Gold
Posts: 11,522
Thanks everyone for your input.
Everything ended up well - I was granted access to the Flagship Lounge with no questions asked, upon producing my CX F boarding pass. The lounge attendant was friendly if not the most overly-nice agent I've ever encountered, but these days, if they don't scowl at me, I'm satisfied.
My once-daily JFK-ORD AA 589 (international 757) ended up departing on time and landing early, even with the snowstorm in Chicago. Ironically enough, DL cancelled their JFK-ORD flights (persumably because they were regional jets).
So there you have it - looks like class-of-service based access to the Flagship Lounge is alive and well. Thank goodness, because I really needed that shower!
Everything ended up well - I was granted access to the Flagship Lounge with no questions asked, upon producing my CX F boarding pass. The lounge attendant was friendly if not the most overly-nice agent I've ever encountered, but these days, if they don't scowl at me, I'm satisfied.
My once-daily JFK-ORD AA 589 (international 757) ended up departing on time and landing early, even with the snowstorm in Chicago. Ironically enough, DL cancelled their JFK-ORD flights (persumably because they were regional jets).
So there you have it - looks like class-of-service based access to the Flagship Lounge is alive and well. Thank goodness, because I really needed that shower!
Mar 25, 2010, 9:57 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,752
Related question....
Flying award travel on CX SFO-HKG-TPE. SFO-HKG in F, HKG-TPE in C. No overnight/ stopover in HKG.
Will I have F lounge access in HKG?
Will I have F lounge access in HKG?
Mar 25, 2010, 10:25 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,238
There's a recent thread in the CX forum that suggests you will, though you may have to ask at the lounge. My experience (posted in said thread as well as above in this thread) on a similar itinerary was that I received an invitation only to the business lounge in HKG. I didn't try to access the F lounge, so I can't say for sure whether you'd get in.
May 30, 2010, 6:05 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: So. California
Programs: BA, AA, Azamara, Princess, RCI & more
Posts: 165
A, I, & C Codes?
We're flying SAN-FCO connecting through JFK in Booking Code A & I (DH) and A & C (me). Will we have access to the Admiral's Club at JFK?
Thanks!
Thanks!
May 30, 2010, 6:37 pm
#23
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
Yes, as you are flying the international leg JFK-FCO in Business, you have international class-of-service-based access to the Admirals Club at JFK, as well as at SAN.
May 30, 2010, 6:38 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: So. California
Programs: BA, AA, Azamara, Princess, RCI & more
Posts: 165
Thank you very much. Sorry to be incompetent with this, it would just be really embarrassing to show up and be denied. Thanks again.
Jul 18, 2010, 5:53 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2003
Programs: BA GGL; AA LT Gold; AS 100K; DL MM GM; Hyatt G*list, Hilton Diamond; SQ silver
Posts: 3,806
How does lounge access work when flying on a AA coded flight operated by another airline (non OW)?
I flew AA6008 in F today and then connected to a domestic AA flight.
AA6008 is operated by Etihad. The lady at the AC to whom I asked where the FL is (I rarely fly through ORD so I get confused as to where the lounge is) said that she does not think that I would get access. The dragon at the FL seemed to think that I had access but he was looking for a way to 'override' the system.
To cut things short, I pulled my BA gold card to get in as I did not want to wait.
Anybody has a definite answer on this one?
PS: I also think that my EXP status should have gotten me in even if I were not flying F, is that right?
I flew AA6008 in F today and then connected to a domestic AA flight.
AA6008 is operated by Etihad. The lady at the AC to whom I asked where the FL is (I rarely fly through ORD so I get confused as to where the lounge is) said that she does not think that I would get access. The dragon at the FL seemed to think that I had access but he was looking for a way to 'override' the system.
To cut things short, I pulled my BA gold card to get in as I did not want to wait.
Anybody has a definite answer on this one?
PS: I also think that my EXP status should have gotten me in even if I were not flying F, is that right?
Jul 19, 2010, 1:02 am
#26
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
Interesting question! I don't have a definitive answer for you, but as to your P.S., both class-of-service-based and status-based access are contingent upon whether your AA codeshare flight 'counts' as a qualifying international segment.
Jul 19, 2010, 10:34 pm
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 1,615
anyone who qualifies to enter the FL automatically qualifies for entering AC's. I have never heard of an airline who will allow you to waltz into their F lounge yet refuse to let you into their J lounges (though they may encourage you to go into the F lounges...)
Jul 20, 2010, 3:36 am
#28
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: AA EXP 3.4MM, BAEC, UAMP, Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz Gold, GE/TSA TT
Posts: 2,723
one int'l ticket, another domestic, AC access
I am flying SFO-ORD-RDU, then RDU-LHR on the same day next month, but on different economy class tickets (2 tickets are for reasons that all FTers can surely guess).
Will I be able to use the AC in SFO based on my EXP status since I am traveling to LHR?
Will I be able to use the AC in SFO based on my EXP status since I am traveling to LHR?
Jul 20, 2010, 4:21 am
#29
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP 2 MM
Posts: 2,823
Same day international travel will entitle you to access: just show your RDU-LHR ticket or BP.
Jul 20, 2010, 6:42 am
#30
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,953
How does lounge access work when flying on a AA coded flight operated by another airline (non OW)?
I flew AA6008 in F today and then connected to a domestic AA flight.
AA6008 is operated by Etihad. The lady at the AC to whom I asked where the FL is (I rarely fly through ORD so I get confused as to where the lounge is) said that she does not think that I would get access. The dragon at the FL seemed to think that I had access but he was looking for a way to 'override' the system.
To cut things short, I pulled my BA gold card to get in as I did not want to wait.
Anybody has a definite answer on this one?
PS: I also think that my EXP status should have gotten me in even if I were not flying F, is that right?
I flew AA6008 in F today and then connected to a domestic AA flight.
AA6008 is operated by Etihad. The lady at the AC to whom I asked where the FL is (I rarely fly through ORD so I get confused as to where the lounge is) said that she does not think that I would get access. The dragon at the FL seemed to think that I had access but he was looking for a way to 'override' the system.
To cut things short, I pulled my BA gold card to get in as I did not want to wait.
Anybody has a definite answer on this one?
PS: I also think that my EXP status should have gotten me in even if I were not flying F, is that right?
PS: There was a "dragon" at the ORD FL?
They are the nicest people in the AA system! 