JJeffrey

The Flagship Lounge rules are pretty specific and limited to one guest. If you were traveling with just one younger child then there's a good chance a friendly agent may let you in, however with 3 extra (older) guests I'd say it's not likely.

In this situation I would just get an AC membership as it allows access for all immediate family under 18. Is the DFW FL even going to be completed by the fall? Right now it's just a temp lounge in terminal D that's not very nice, i.e the normal AC's in DFW are just as good.

And at LHR, a few years back I was definitely denied entry to the FL with 2 family guests, sent to the normal AC (I'm a member). The agent even made a comment that I could use the FL with one guest but not both.

hts

C17PSGR

Based on my experience, most flagship lounges will reject more than one guest and invite you to use the admirals club.

dave_261

DFW now has a premium lounge in Terminal D, which is a temp lounge while the FL is being built. LHR also has a first class/premium lounge which is accessed through the same check-in as the AC, but it too isn't a true FL.

As another poster said, your chances of getting more than a +1 into these specific lounges is very low.

ijgordon

Dallas had what I think was called "Flagship Dining", which was in a conference room off the regular Admiral's Club in Terminal D. Access was like the old Flagship (First Class) Lounges - Exec Plats and OW Emeralds plus OW First Class passengers, and I believe the offering was similar to the old FLs -- buffet style dining. There is now the "Premium Lounge" in DFW-D, I'm not sure if this is the same offering; the regular AC in D lounge is closed now.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...hip-lounge.jsp

LHR has an Admiral's Club (albeit with more substantial food offerings than a typical AC, at least than the typical AC used to offer before I think they upgraded them), as well as an International First Class Lounge (originally called the Flagship Lounge), again, with access for Exec Plats/OWE and First Class passengers with a more substantial food spread than the AC and a limited table service/menu offering. See link above for that also.

ESpen36

1 guest per EXP. The rules are quite clear, and are properly enforced across the network.

We've seen the Centurion Lounge crowding issues....I think OneWorld got it right. One guest. Period. Especially now that Business/PLT/SPH are allowed into Flagship as well when traveling on "international" itineraries.

JDiver

As there is no Flagship Lounge at DFW or LHR currently, its impossible anyway.

DFW hasn’t had a Flagship Lounge in many years. The one you are thinking of was inside the A Admirals Club, adjacent to the Arrivals Lounge. They’ve both been closed for years, and we’re completely eliminated after the recent A Club refurbishment.

There is a temporary D Premium Lounge restricted to those flying in a premium cabin on qualifying flights. It is possible the new DFW Flagship Lounge could open sometime next year. So for DFW, you have the A, B and C; the D Club is temporarily closed.

The LHR Flagship Lounge was renovated not long ago, and is currently an International First Class Lounge - to be a Flagship Lounge once again in the “near” future.

See here for Flagship Lounge locations and access policies.

The chances of being allowed three teenaged guests otherwise unqualified by not having status or arriving / departing in a qualifying cabin and flight in the Flagship Lounge with an Admirals Club membership are virtually zero, as you are thinking about Admirals Club member policies and Flagship Lounge neither have extended family allowance nor flexibility to allow three guests.

If you were all flying those routes in Business Class you’d be eligible to use the DFW Premium Lounge.

You can see the oneworld lounge access policies here.

We will probably merge this into the Flagship Lounge access thread soon.

Moderator

IADCAflyer

The FL lounge at JFK was pretty clear on guesting. I was guesting a friend who was travelling on DL and they weren't initially sure if that would work (that turned out to be OK). When I mentioned that I was guesting in a colleague who was on the way, the agent asked if I had already guested anybody in already and noted the one guest limitation. I mentioned that I had not and she seemed satisfied with that response.

enpremiere

The temporary DFW "premium lounge" (if it can be called that) is really nothing to write home about. It's certainly more than the room that was allocated previously but it certainly doesn't compare with the actual Flagship Lounges at LAX, MIA, JFK, or even ORD and just has a slightly expanded food offering over the clubs.

To maximize the value for your household travelers, instead of getting an Admirals Club membership which would still not provide enough guests in the same visit, consider the Citi Executive Card which would enable you to provide admirals club access to each of your card holders, even if you're not traveling with them (subject to club unaccompanied minor/age rules). Each of the travelers in your household would then effectively have their own Admirals Club access via the card.

WiscAZ

It sounds like you aren't going to be at a true Flagship Lounge so this may be a moot point but I'm curious if this could work... Does AA still do the status challenges? Can't remember the price but depending on future travel plans could be worth some consideration. I don't know all the ins/outs of this but Mrs. WiscAZ and I only have two children so it could make sense in the right situation for the Mrs. to do a status challenge to gain access. At the right time of the year she may even be able to meet the requirements. Again, this is written with absolutely zero knowledge of the policy these days.

lds89

DL guest shouldn't have been OK - OW rules specify that the guest must also be flying onward on a OW flight (though doesn't have to be the same flight as the qualifying member).

IADCAflyer

The OW rules say that but the AA FL lounge rules are totally silent on the matter- they only said a guest...

Guest access

1 guest (children over 2 count as a guest)

hts

Thanks All. I guess we'll think about getting 2 of us (which 2?) into the Premium lounges at DFW and LHR while the other 3 of us slum it in the reg AC.

JJeffrey

As mentioned above, given the current situation with regards to the DFW temp premium lounge, the normal ACs at DFW are just as nice. Not to mention since you're the EXP and also the AC member it's technically against the rules to do that.

nxsahraw