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)
Oct 24, 2011, 1:25 pm
#91
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: COS
Programs: JAL Global Club, One World Sapphire, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,246
Make sure you have your BA card with you. Not all of the AC's I've gone into have asked to see it, most of them see the "Sapphire" written on the boarding pass and have let me in but the AC's in DFW asks to see the card almost all the time.
Dec 3, 2011, 9:26 am
#92
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 95
I am on cx first to HK but connection is economy on KA. I have no status. Do i still get HK lounge access based on my inbound first BP?
Dec 3, 2011, 2:19 pm
#94
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 129
Will be flying from NRT on AA F. With no status, will I have access to JAL F lounge at NRT? If so, do the AA/JAL agents know about this?? I emailed JAL a while ago asking about this and did not get a reply.
Dec 3, 2011, 3:03 pm
#95
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,731
May be worth a try though. The agents at the JAL lounge may still let you in with your AA F boarding pass.
Dec 3, 2011, 4:09 pm
#96
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 129
According to the latest revised text on the Oneworld web site, no. You will only have access to your own airline's lounge as a non-status passenger, which in this case would be the AA NRT admirals club.
May be worth a try though. The agents at the JAL lounge may still let you in with your AA F boarding pass.
May be worth a try though. The agents at the JAL lounge may still let you in with your AA F boarding pass.
Dec 5, 2011, 5:52 pm
#97
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYLON - AA EXP 1MM, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,234
Flying LAX-JFK in A class (paid discount first on a 3 class plane). Per aa.com it seems that I have no lounge access - is that correct? Seems strange that a J class ticket gets AC access but A class gets nothing.
In this case, Im on a 4pm flight (arrives JFK after midnight) and continuing the next evening to LHR (also A class) - technically next day flight but any experience if the agent might grant access to the AC or flagship in LAX?
In this case, Im on a 4pm flight (arrives JFK after midnight) and continuing the next evening to LHR (also A class) - technically next day flight but any experience if the agent might grant access to the AC or flagship in LAX?
Dec 5, 2011, 6:07 pm
#98
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
In this case, Im on a 4pm flight (arrives JFK after midnight) and continuing the next evening to LHR (also A class) - technically next day flight but any experience if the agent might grant access to the AC or flagship in LAX?
Dec 5, 2011, 6:19 pm
#99
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 10,419
Flying LAX-JFK in A class (paid discount first on a 3 class plane). Per aa.com it seems that I have no lounge access - is that correct? Seems strange that a J class ticket gets AC access but A class gets nothing.
In this case, Im on a 4pm flight (arrives JFK after midnight) and continuing the next evening to LHR (also A class) - technically next day flight but any experience if the agent might grant access to the AC or flagship in LAX?
In this case, Im on a 4pm flight (arrives JFK after midnight) and continuing the next evening to LHR (also A class) - technically next day flight but any experience if the agent might grant access to the AC or flagship in LAX?
Yes, technically in LAX it's not the "same-day of your international flight," but I think it's worth showing your continuing BP and asking nicely to see if you can access the Flagship Lounge since you are an EXP continuing onwards to an international flight.
Dec 6, 2011, 5:58 pm
#100
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,259
Well, it looks like OW has issued a lounge policy update/clarification. Ruby and non-elites must use only the operating airline's lounge (or contracted lounge I suppose) even in J and F. The new policy states:
How generous -- "you are free to enjoy that airline's First or Business Class lounge before departure!" 
When you fly First or Business Class with a oneworld member airline, you are free to enjoy that airline’s First or Business Class lounge (depending on which class you are flying) before departure, regardless of your frequent flyer tier status.
This lounge access also applies when you connect from a domestic or intra-European segment to or from a oneworld longhaul First or Business Class flight
This lounge access also applies when you connect from a domestic or intra-European segment to or from a oneworld longhaul First or Business Class flight
Dec 7, 2011, 9:14 am
#101
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
My colleague JY1024 has updated the OP and I've updated the Lounge Access Help Desk thread to reflect the new wording of the oneworld website, explicitly restricting class-of-service based access to the airline the pax is flying.
Thanks to all!
/Moderator
Thanks to all!
/Moderator
Dec 7, 2011, 12:20 pm
#102
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 76
Almost(?) all domestic "A" fares do not allow three-cabin AFS.
Dec 7, 2011, 12:22 pm
#103
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 76
Well, it looks like OW has issued a lounge policy update/clarification. Ruby and non-elites must use only the operating airline's lounge (or contracted lounge I suppose) even in J and F. The new policy states:
How generous -- "you are free to enjoy that airline's First or Business Class lounge before departure!"
How generous -- "you are free to enjoy that airline's First or Business Class lounge before departure!"
Book AA in F because you can't get (and won't pay for) anything else, stay in the stupid AC.
Dec 7, 2011, 6:25 pm
#104
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
Dec 13, 2011, 5:09 am
#105
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 95
The new wording isnt exactly being enforced yet. I was able to access qantas first lounge at HKG with a cx first boarding pass