Admirals Club and a DC Drivers License Woes
May 9, 2015, 4:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: DCA, ORD, DFW
Posts: 44
Admirals Club and a DC Drivers License Woes
Since the merger I have had to show my ID (in addition to my club card) to access the ORD lounges. As a US club member, we didn't have to do this at my home club at DCA or anywhere really, but I get that's it the AA way. One day I asked why and they told me I didn't have my photo on my profile. I asked how I could add it and was told they just scan my drivers license. Great! I offered my DL but when she tried to scan it she kept getting errors and told me her machine was down. No biggie, I'll try next time. This continued for like a month. Finally today I was told that their machine only accepts State issued DLs and DC isn't a state. Yeah, I know, it's a District (having lived there for years) but how can the software NOT accept a DC license?! This isn't as bad as having to explain to numerous TSA agents that a DC license is real, but come on. I once even had someone ask how it got it. I explained I lived there and they replied (I'm not making this up) "like in the White House?". Anyway, I guess that I'm just annoyed that AA can't scan my DL and that people don't know that a DC license is a real thing.
May 9, 2015, 5:48 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
I know they scan bar codes; do they have a "scanner" scanner
that scans photos? Or is it just the existence of a photo item that is needed?
that scans photos? Or is it just the existence of a photo item that is needed?
May 9, 2015, 6:13 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PBI/FLL/MIA
Programs: DL DM/2MM, MR Ambassador, National EE
Posts: 1,614
They can scan the photo from your DL and add it to your AC profile, that way you can give them your number upon entering the club - no ID required. They scanned mine (FL DL) in MIA over a year ago and I can tell the AAngels at any AC my number and enter since my photo is there...
May 9, 2015, 6:16 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Call AA. Expecting a front line agent to know the intricacies of AA's technology is the same as expecting an IT person to know where the men's room is relative to a gate at a given airport.
May 9, 2015, 9:06 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: WAS & AGP
Programs: AA member since 1990 (lifetime PLT/OWS)
Posts: 242
It is not clear where you are having the DL scanned but I am guessing it is at ORD.
Question: have you tried asking the very nice Admirals Club agents at DCA, specifically at the B concourse lounge?
Question: have you tried asking the very nice Admirals Club agents at DCA, specifically at the B concourse lounge?
May 9, 2015, 9:13 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, WOH Globalist
Posts: 1,160
This has been an issue for me as well. As recently as Thursday in MIA (D15 club) I asked them to scan my DL and add the photo to my account but was told that the system does not accept DC licenses. Not a huge deal, just a slight inconvenience.
The worst experience I've had was with a grumpy TSA officer in BNA who said my DL "seemed suspicious" and looked up the DC license in an old 3 ring binder. Naturally, the binder was out of date and showed an older version from years ago. Took about 15 minutes of arguing with him and a supervisor before they let me through.
The worst experience I've had was with a grumpy TSA officer in BNA who said my DL "seemed suspicious" and looked up the DC license in an old 3 ring binder. Naturally, the binder was out of date and showed an older version from years ago. Took about 15 minutes of arguing with him and a supervisor before they let me through.
May 9, 2015, 10:31 pm
#10
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
Web services / tech support:
Call us Within the U.S. and Canada
800-222-2377 Daily 6 a.m. - 2 a.m. (CT)
Or e-mail them via this link.
When they set up the system, they obviously missed the U.S. Capital.
Call us Within the U.S. and Canada
800-222-2377 Daily 6 a.m. - 2 a.m. (CT)
Or e-mail them via this link.
When they set up the system, they obviously missed the U.S. Capital.
May 10, 2015, 12:00 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
The worst experience I've had was with a grumpy TSA officer in BNA who said my DL "seemed suspicious" and looked up the DC license in an old 3 ring binder. Naturally, the binder was out of date and showed an older version from years ago. Took about 15 minutes of arguing with him and a supervisor before they let me through.
May 10, 2015, 12:22 am
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: AAdvantage EXPLAT, Hilton Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Citi Exec MC, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,443
The worst experience I've had was with a grumpy TSA officer in BNA who said my DL "seemed suspicious" and looked up the DC license in an old 3 ring binder. Naturally, the binder was out of date and showed an older version from years ago. Took about 15 minutes of arguing with him and a supervisor before they let me through.
May 10, 2015, 8:07 am
#13
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
Or the CBP agent who decided to "educate" me when he asked "What state were you born in?". I answered Washington, DC and he launched off on it not being a state, etc., etc. Cute but I was tired after a long flight FRA>DFW in coach and was in no mood to get in a battle of wits with him.
May 10, 2015, 8:52 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, AA EXP, various hotel
Posts: 2,227
May 10, 2015, 1:21 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: DCA, ORD, DFW
Posts: 44
Yeah, they can't scan it there either. Their software (for the Admirals Club) doesn't recognize DC DLs. I can bring in a passport to scan, but I never leave from DCA for International trips and when I leave from ORD I leave from T5 and the pic is me +80 lbs. ago so it looks nothing like me anymore. I just need to wait until I get my new passport in a few months. Not a big deal, just more annoying than anything else.