Feb 19, 2015, 12:28 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
HELP DESK: Lounge Access, Access Rules. Will I Have Lounge Access? (2016)
Please read this wiki carefully; some fine nuances exist.
Please read this wiki carefully; some fine nuances exist.
PLEASE DO NOT ALTER THE CONTENT OF THIS MODERATOR NOTE
The Lounge Access Help Desk
To assist members with questions about Lounge Access Rules that they have not been able to answer on their own using the above resources, the AA Moderator team has decided to institute this thread, the third in a series of "Help Desk" threads. N.B.: If you have questions about physical access to a specific lounge (e.g., airside vs. landside, different terminal, etc.), please search for and post to the appropriate specific thread for that lounge.
New threads on this topic will be merged into this one and bumped by the moderators as necessary. As such, we do not expect that this thread will develop into a searchable database, but that it will nonetheless provide a valuable resource to members. As well, we may shed / pare down posts from time to time to a trailing thread or similar device.
Our goal is to provide a place where members can feel welcome to post such questions and expect helpful, accurate responses. In this way, we hope to accommodate the needs and desires of both new and veteran members - those who aren't sure they are interpreting the available resources correctly can ask for help without fear of snarky-appearing responses; those who do not wish to participate in such threads are invited and, indeed, encouraged, to ignore this thread.
Please be forewarned: This thread will be subject to heavy moderation. Posts that are incorrect will be subject to editing (
Finally, a few guidelines for members posting queries to this thread:
- Please DO make an effort to review the listed resources before posting here.
- Please DO try to give as much information as possible, including your entire itinerary, with carrier for each segment and codeshares and stopovers clearly designated, your class of service and fare class purchased, whether or not you have Admirals Club or Qantas Club membership, a Citi AAdvantage Executive card (which includes full Admirals Club membership), and the number of guests and your family relationship with them, if any.
- Please DO understand it could take some time for answers (especially on holidays and weekends.)
- Please DO thank helpful members volunteering to reply to your questions.
Also see the future changes in lounges and access: Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge Changes, Renovations & Additions
As well, note Expanded Access to Flagship Lounge Coming "in Spring 2017"
Sincerely,
The American Airlines | AAdvantage forum Moderator Team
(Help Desk established by dstan)
=================end mod note===================
oneworld Lounge Access
Wizard by kduarte.
Help Desk: Lounge Access Rules / Will I Have Lounge Access?
Lounge Access can be obtained in a number of ways during travel on AA and its oneworld partner airlines. These include purchasing an Admirals Club one day pass, or via Citi AAdvantage Executive MasterCard (including, as of Dec 20-5, authorized card users), reciprocity agreements with other airlines, traveling on certain transcon flights in F or J, or traveling internationally with Platinum (oneworld Sapphire) or Executive Platinum (oneworld Emerald) status or in F or J classes of service. The last is often the greatest source of confusion, despite lounge access rules being described clearly on aa.com. Threads about these are linked to in the American Airlines LOUNGE DASHBOARD thread.
Admirals Club members paid or Executive cardholder members) are entitled guests as follows:
Up to two guests or household members (spouse, domestic partner and/or children under the age of 18) may accompany the member.
For AA status-based access (PLT or EXP),* passengers must: (1) be traveling on an international itinerary (Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and Mexico City, excluding the Caribbean and other destinations in Mexico), and (2) have an onward flight on a oneworld airline marketed and operated flight on the same day. PLT members are eligible for access to all oneworld Business Class lounges, including Admirals Clubs; EXP members are also eligible for access to all oneworld First Class lounges, including Flagship Lounges.
Lounges operated by third parties or premium lunges operating outside of oneworld rules (e.g. BA Concorde Room, Qatar Al Safwa or Al Mourjan lounges) may be excluded, and all may may refuse admittance if they claim they are crowded. There are other exceptions.
*Non-AA oneworld Sapphire and Emerald elites are not subject to rule #1 above.
Another confusing rule relates to transcontinental access. From member FriendlySkies:
Traveling on a Non-Stop Transcontinental* Flight? http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/trans-con-access.jsp
On September 1, 2012, access to the Admirals Club® and Flagship Lounge® changed for customers traveling on an American Airlines certain non-stop transcontinental flight.
If you are traveling in the First or Business class cabin (on flights sold as three classes) in one of the following non-stop markets, we welcome you to visit the lounge as indicated below.
On September 1, 2012, access to the Admirals Club® and Flagship Lounge® changed for customers traveling on an American Airlines certain non-stop transcontinental flight.
If you are traveling in the First or Business class cabin (on flights sold as three classes) in one of the following non-stop markets, we welcome you to visit the lounge as indicated below.
The following exceptions apply:
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. one world lounge access page - link
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. one world lounge access page - link
In the Flagship Dining subsection, they state:
Beginning in early 2017, the Flagship Dining experience will be available in select cities with 3-class service:
● Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
● New York (JFK)
● Miami (MIA)
● Los Angeles (LAX)
First Class customers on American’s 3-class international and transcontinental flights will have exclusive access to Flagship Dining in 2017
● Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
● New York (JFK)
● Miami (MIA)
● Los Angeles (LAX)
First Class customers on American’s 3-class international and transcontinental flights will have exclusive access to Flagship Dining in 2017
All Admirals Club visitors receive free Wi-Fi access at Admirals Clubs (password is available at front desk and throughout the Club on signs), some non-alcoholic and "well" (lower price tier) alcoholic beverages and counter snacks (fruit, some kind of snack mix, cheese cubes, hot cereal mornings and soup evenings are the most common - recent additions have been made); free computer terminals are available for all passengers, and many Clubs have Business Centers and tethered Samsung Galaxy tablets in seating areas. Passengers accessing Admirals Clubs based on status or class of service on international travel are entitled to free drinks coupons usable for higher-tier non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and bottles of water.
Flagship Lounges (JFK, LAX, LHR and ORD) offer extended beverages and upscale snack services as well. See below for link.
NOTE: US Airways Clubs have been rebranded as Admirals Clubs; full consolidation has occurred. Some Clubs are undergoing refurbishment.
Citi Prestige MasterCard holder Admirals Club access ends July 23, 2017.
American Express Platinum cardholder Admirals Club access ended 21 March 2014.
NOTE: It has been verified more airports are allowing multiple terminal access on one's day of departure. LAX has been one since mid-2014, so this has added the oneworld Business and Qantas First lounges at the TBIT international terminal for passengers departing TBIT; the Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge, and Alaska Airlines Board Room to the scope of lounges one might access (depending on status or class of service eligibility).
Admirals Club access is granted the day of flight for statusholders flyingone world and those flying F or J, or the following day at the first port of arrival if flying overnight and arriving by 0600.
Airports requiring Lounge users have a same day departure boarding pass include BOG, CCS, CDG, GIG, GRU, LHR, MEX, NRT, SCL, YYZ.
N.B. Qantas Lounges and Clubs require Smart Casual (sic) dress as of May 2015; those not meeting the standard may be turned away. They also require AAdvantage members be traveling on a departing AA marketed flight.
Please see the following resources for full details on Lounge Access Rules: (and see below)
. . . ● oneworld Lounge Access Wizard, created by FlyerTalk member imagineertobe
. . . ● AA.com: Lounge Access Rules
. . . ● AA.com: American Airlines Flagship Lounge Access Rules
. . . ● AA.com: Reimaging our lounges
. . . ● AA.com: Admirals Club Membership Guide in a downloadable PDF format.
. . . ● oneworld.com: Lounge Access Rules and Search Tool
. . . ● Wiki: Lounges
. . . ● FT: American Airlines LOUNGE DASHBOARD
For various threads on membership, access by status, transcon service, class of service, Flagship lounge access, lounges directory with links to specific lounge threads, Club member access to partner lounges, recipripocity agreements, etc.
. . . ● FT Help Desk: Lounge Access and Lounge Access Rules [ARCHIVED]
ARCHIVE: HELP DESK: Will I Have Lounge Access? Access, Rules (2016)
Aug 8, 2016, 2:50 pm
#646
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Ca
Programs: A few
Posts: 46
I do understand the transcon, as we do fly LAX-MIA a couple times a year on a two class plane, and get access. But why is the exception listed? Maybe that is the better question.
Either way, I have the rules printed out for when I travel, and hope to get an email response to my inquiry from AA.
Either way, I have the rules printed out for when I travel, and hope to get an email response to my inquiry from AA.
Aug 8, 2016, 2:55 pm
#647
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: District of Columbia
Programs: AA ExecPl, AT Gold, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, Hilton Diamond, National
Posts: 2,440
I do understand the transcon, as we do fly LAX-MIA a couple times a year on a two class plane, and get access. But why is the exception listed? Maybe that is the better question.
Either way, I have the rules printed out for when I travel, and hope to get an email response to my inquiry from AA.
Either way, I have the rules printed out for when I travel, and hope to get an email response to my inquiry from AA.
"First and Business Class customers
Lounge access is not available if you’re traveling on American Airlines solely within the United States or between the United States and the Caribbean, Canada, or Mexico (except Mexico City).
Your access is determined by showing your boarding pass departing on an international flight marketed and operated by a oneworld carrier that is five hours or longer, or connecting to one on the same day or before 6 a.m. the following day. You may enjoy access to:[admirals clubs, etc.]" (underlines added)
And here's the exception:
"When traveling as a First or Business Class customer on a flight of five hours or longer, stopovers are not permitted"
So they're basically saying when your basis for admission is the First or Biz flight (subject to the non-US-domestic provision), you aren't admitted in connection with a stopover.
Aug 8, 2016, 5:35 pm
#648
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 90
Hello, I will be flying in to LAX on CX in J connecting to an AA flight . Will I have access to the Qantas lounge or only the AA admirals club lounges? Thank you.
Aug 8, 2016, 7:12 pm
#649
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
You can clear security in TBIT now, easier to access that lounge, and walk the airside connector to T-4 (and the underground corridor tto T-6 if necessary). See
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...eb-2016-a.html
Aug 8, 2016, 9:31 pm
#650
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Hi, all. Fiancee and I are traveling SAN-SFO-FRA-MSQ and then back DME-FRA-SFO-SAN. I upgraded us to BF for the outbound trip, which gave us First class for SAN-SFO and then BF for SFO-FRA. Both segments on United. Question -- I'm assuming we can use UA clubs in both San Diego and SFO, seeing as we are traveling on BF international that day. Is that correct? Also, I'm assuming we can use the Lufthansa lounge at Frankfurt upon arrival. Is that correct?
On the way back, for now, I upgraded only the DME-FRA segment to business on Lufthansa. Can we use the Lufthansa lounge at Frankfurt, even though it's our arrival destination (not departure)? Thanks so much for any insight!
On the way back, for now, I upgraded only the DME-FRA segment to business on Lufthansa. Can we use the Lufthansa lounge at Frankfurt, even though it's our arrival destination (not departure)? Thanks so much for any insight!
I'll move your post to the United Airlines | Mileage Plus forum for the answers you seek.
See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...tional-bf.html. (The UA Moderators may merge your query into an existing thread.)
/Moderator
Aug 9, 2016, 11:34 am
#651
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Warwickshire England
Posts: 642
AA does not currently have a lounge open at MCO. The United Club is in the same airside as the one AA typically uses in case you have access (or choose to purchase a day pass.) There is a Priority Pass lounge on the other airside, see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/orlan...ne-lounge.html
Aug 9, 2016, 11:45 am
#652
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Nothing yet for AA in MCO, but coming.If you were flying out on a qualifying oneworld flight, BA (not codeshare DL SkyClub, LATAM uses United Club.
Last edited by JDiver; Aug 9, 2016 at 11:51 am
Aug 9, 2016, 12:37 pm
#654
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Trying to understand this slightly complicated process :-)
We are flying on BA bought tickets on AA metal, in business (according to BA) or in first domestic followed by TATL business (according to AA)
Flying MCO-ORD-DUB
No AA lounge at MCO, but can we use Oneworld or BA lounge? Possibly not something the AA forum can answer? I gather one world lets access to Delta gates 60-99 and United gates 30-59 lounges?
We are flying on BA bought tickets on AA metal, in business (according to BA) or in first domestic followed by TATL business (according to AA)
Flying MCO-ORD-DUB
No AA lounge at MCO, but can we use Oneworld or BA lounge? Possibly not something the AA forum can answer? I gather one world lets access to Delta gates 60-99 and United gates 30-59 lounges?
Plesse contain your questions on one topic to a single thread in a single forum. Cross-postings will likely be deleted. /Moderator
Aug 11, 2016, 10:47 am
#655
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Departing LAX in Busiess to Doha on QR as Exec Platinum / Emerald Checking in on line I got an "unboarding pass" detailing I had checked in but needed to present docs at QR checkin at LAX T-2. All necessary data in this document.
No problem with Qantas First lounge, but AA guardians resisted me on Flagship Lounge admission. I got in, but after arguing with two employees.
No problem with Qantas First lounge, but AA guardians resisted me on Flagship Lounge admission. I got in, but after arguing with two employees.
Aug 11, 2016, 11:29 am
#656
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 152
Departing LAX in Busiess to Doha on QR as Exec Platinum / Emerald Checking in on line I got an "unboarding pass" detailing I had checked in but needed to present docs at QR checkin at LAX T-2. All necessary data in this document.
No problem with Qantas First lounge, but AA guardians resisted me on Flagship Lounge admission. I got in, but after arguing with two employees.
No problem with Qantas First lounge, but AA guardians resisted me on Flagship Lounge admission. I got in, but after arguing with two employees.
Aug 11, 2016, 11:36 am
#657
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, USA
Programs: AA EXP, TK Elite, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 939
Aug 12, 2016, 1:14 pm
#658
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: C.A.
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 72
Guys,
Platinum flying Thursday early 12:20 am flight from LAX traveling to GUA (Central America) via DFW all same day.
When i arrive at the LAX airport on WED say 9pm-- will i be allowed access to Admiral Club because the LAX flight leaves before 6am the following day- and central America is the final destination on that same thursday? or no
thanks guys---
Platinum flying Thursday early 12:20 am flight from LAX traveling to GUA (Central America) via DFW all same day.
When i arrive at the LAX airport on WED say 9pm-- will i be allowed access to Admiral Club because the LAX flight leaves before 6am the following day- and central America is the final destination on that same thursday? or no
thanks guys---
Aug 14, 2016, 11:52 pm
#659
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1
Access to Sakura Frankfurt [to merge]
I'm a citi AAdvantage executive card holder. Do I have access to the Frankfurt Sakura lounge even if I do not fly AA?
Thanks
Thanks
Aug 15, 2016, 12:55 am
#660
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Welcome to FlyerTalk.
No, unfortunately.
From the Wikipost at the top of every page in the thread about that lounge (link), found by checking the
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...so-irrops.html "sticky" thread and interactive LOUNGE DASHBOARD post.
We will soon merge this into http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...es-2016-a.html.
/Moderator
No, unfortunately.
"Admirals Club member (annual paid or Citi Executive card) plus two guests or immediate family. Must present boarding pass and Admirals Club membership card for same day travel on AA or US marketed and operated flight*. Not valid for arriving guests."
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...so-irrops.html "sticky" thread and interactive LOUNGE DASHBOARD post.
We will soon merge this into http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...es-2016-a.html.
/Moderator