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ARCHIVE: 2018 HELP DESK: Will I Have Lounge Access? Which, Access, Rules

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Old Jan 1, 2018, 2:40 pm
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HELP DESK: Lounge Access, Access Rules. Will I Have Lounge Access? (2018)
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 deletion without notice - DO NOT POST answers unless you are 100% sure your answer is complete and correct. Posts that are unhelpful or off-topic will also be subject to deletion without notice - DO NOT POST unless you can be friendly, helpful, concise, and salient.

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.

Note: Members interested in arranging AA lounge meet-ups or offer guesting in should use this thread: Admirals Club / Flagship Lounge Meet Up & Guest Offer (master thread)

Also see the future changes in lounges and access: Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge Changes, Renovations & Additions

Sincerely,
The American Airlines AAdvantage forum Moderator Team
(Help Desk established by dstan)
=================end mod note===================

The kduarte Lounge Access tool page is unavailable

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 2015, 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 - except if flying solely within North America inc,Using destinations other than MEX or the Caribbean. 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.
* Note that AA no longer offers a 30-day membership as of July 25 2016.

For AA status-based access (PLT, PlatPro 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 North America (other than on certain three class transcontinental flights) including other destinations in Mexico, and (2) have an onward flight on a oneworld airline marketed and operated flight on the same day. PLT and PPRO members are eligible for access to all oneworld Business Class lounges, now including Flagship 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.

Emerald / EP on CX JFK-YVR are not subject to AA limitations and are issued Flagship Lounge invitations for use at JFK.

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

More changes:

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
On February 17 2016, AA announced an addition to the above. As stated on their Reimagining our lounges page, in the Flagship Lounges section, "Starting in 2017, lounge access will be extended to customers booked in Business and First Class on A321T, Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific and deep South American flights."
Important Note: Though this announcement excluded Northern South America and Central America, those travelling to or from those destinations in J/F or whom hold OWE or OWS, including AA elites, do indeed have access to the Flagship Lounge. See the link below for Flagship Lounge access rules for details.

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
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: Some Lounges and Clubs are undergoing refurbishment.

Citi Prestige MasterCard holder Admirals Club access ended 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.

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)

. . . ● AA.com: Lounge Access Rules

. . . ● AA.com: American Airlines Flagship Lounge Access Rules

Beginning later in 2017: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ge-updates.jsp opens Flagship access to many more pax.

. . . ● 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.

. . . ● Last year's thread:https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...es-2017-a.html

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ARCHIVE: 2018 HELP DESK: Will I Have Lounge Access? Which, Access, Rules

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Old Jun 27, 2018, 5:21 am
  #466  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
Originally Posted by Basicyellow
Hi! I’m confused about access to the FF Dining. I will be traveling MIA>DFW in domestic first on 772... connecting on to LHR in first on 773.

Does anyone know if I can access FF dining in Miami before departing to my DFW international connection? Especially considering DFW has no FF Dining as of yet.

many thanks.
As long as your international flight in First is the same day or before 6am the following day, you will have access to Flagship First Dining in Miami before flying to Dallas/Fort Worth (don't call it Dallas....) on that same day. Miami FFD does not open until 1pm.

If you go, please report back on the experience. We need more data points on what's going on in there.
JDiver and Basicyellow like this.
jcatman is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2018, 7:04 pm
  #467  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Diego US and Brisbane AU
Programs: AA EXP/2MM - DL PM - OZ Diamond - Bonvoy LTT - Hyatt Glob - IHG Plat - National EE - Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,315
Flying DFW-MIA on AA on one PNR, and then MIA-GIG on LATAM on a different PNR. Will I still be able to access the AC at DFW as an EXP/OWE based on the LATAM flight? If so, assuming I show them that boarding pass even if it only covers MIA-GIG?

Thanks!
SpeedRicer is offline  
Old Jun 27, 2018, 7:15 pm
  #468  
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
Originally Posted by SpeedRicer
Flying DFW-MIA on AA on one PNR, and then MIA-GIG on LATAM on a different PNR. Will I still be able to access the AC at DFW as an EXP/OWE based on the LATAM flight? If so, assuming I show them that boarding pass even if it only covers MIA-GIG?

Thanks!
You’ll have access regardless of separate PNRs. Merely display your qualifying boarding pass.
JDiver is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2018, 8:49 am
  #469  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Diego US and Brisbane AU
Programs: AA EXP/2MM - DL PM - OZ Diamond - Bonvoy LTT - Hyatt Glob - IHG Plat - National EE - Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,315
Originally Posted by JDiver
You’ll have access regardless of separate PNRs. Merely display your qualifying boarding pass.
Thanks JDiver!
SpeedRicer is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2018, 12:02 am
  #470  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,662
Originally Posted by apeortdz
Has anyone tried using the Madrid (MAD) Iberia arrivals lounge in T4 lately? We are EXP+PRO travelling in Business class on AA later this month. Access rules seem convoluted so not sure if we can access as Emerald or not. AA740 PHL-MAD. Thanks.
Originally Posted by apeortdz
Thanks JDiver. The AA flight is a code share with IB so technically it is marketed by Iberia - even though I personally didn't purchase it from Iberia. Perhaps that bends the rules too much.
Originally Posted by apeortdz
I will report back with my success or failure to gain entry later this month 30Jun.
Regarding access to the Madrid Iberia T4 Arrivals Lounge: We were not allowed free access as OneWorld Emerald in Business Class AA740 PHL-MAD. So we did pay 45 euros per person which includes a shower. Lounge access with no shower is 29 euros. The shower is worth it after the overnight flight in my opinion.
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Old Jul 2, 2018, 12:41 am
  #471  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2
I am flying the following itinerary in August:

LHR - DFW - CHA

all on one American Airlines ticket - LHR to DFW is Business (D), and then DFW to CHA is First (also D, for some reason) with American Eagle.

The first leg is operated by BA so I'll have access to their lounge at LHR, but I'm wondering what lounge access (if any) I'll have at DFW with AA? I'm not super sure of the relation to American Eagle so I don't know if I get access to any lounges for my connecting flight. :-(
Matthew Heath is offline  
Old Jul 2, 2018, 2:03 am
  #472  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hoboken, NJ
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 194
Does anyone know if the OW lounge in OSL has showers?
BOSishome is offline  
Old Jul 2, 2018, 2:53 am
  #473  
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,401
Originally Posted by Matthew Heath
I am flying the following itinerary in August:

LHR - DFW - CHA

all on one American Airlines ticket - LHR to DFW is Business (D), and then DFW to CHA is First (also D, for some reason) with American Eagle.

The first leg is operated by BA so I'll have access to their lounge at LHR, but I'm wondering what lounge access (if any) I'll have at DFW with AA? I'm not super sure of the relation to American Eagle so I don't know if I get access to any lounges for my connecting flight. :-(
Hi and welcome to FT!

Eagle is treated as a full member of OneWorld - at least for these purposes - so you'll have lounge access by virtue of OneWorld rules connecting off a long haul to a short haul/domestic.
LHR/MEL/Europe FF is offline  
Old Jul 2, 2018, 4:57 pm
  #474  
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Posts: 21,991
Originally Posted by BOSishome
Does anyone know if the OW lounge in OSL has showers?
Seems not ...

https://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-...eaccess/OSL/-1
serfty is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2018, 8:59 am
  #475  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF
Hi and welcome to FT!

Eagle is treated as a full member of OneWorld - at least for these purposes - so you'll have lounge access by virtue of OneWorld rules connecting off a long haul to a short haul/domestic.
Thank you! It looks like I can go to the temporary premium AA lounge or The Club (on the basis of flying with British Airways for the international segment of the trip), both in D.
Matthew Heath is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2018, 10:10 am
  #476  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,086
Originally Posted by Matthew Heath
Thank you! It looks like I can go to the temporary premium AA lounge or The Club (on the basis of flying with British Airways for the international segment of the trip), both in D.
At least "The Club" has real silverware and glassware...
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teemuflyer is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2018, 1:26 pm
  #477  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 3
Originally Posted by jcatman
As long as your international flight in First is the same day or before 6am the following day, you will have access to Flagship First Dining in Miami before flying to Dallas/Fort Worth (don't call it Dallas....) on that same day. Miami FFD does not open until 1pm.

If you go, please report back on the experience. We need more data points on what's going on in there.

well... this was a pretty big fail. MIA->DFW was first class on a 772, connection to DFW->LHR in first class on a 773. Flagship check in was totally confused and allowed me to check in and then proceeded to tell me after check-in that I should not have used flagship check in since my 773 flight departed from DFW not MIA. Not a great first impression.

recieved access to the Flagship Lounge (very nice space) but was denied Flagship First dining for same reasons... 773 flight does not depart from MIA. Denied even after they confirmed that the same offering is unavailable at DFW due to construction. again... poor inpressions

Overall, for a high ticket, paid first class international flight AA sorely lacks the ability to execute. I did send a tweet to AA customer service and they promptly replied that I should have been given access to both services... and that they would follow up with the airport team. Hopefully that happens... but not much good it does me.

I think BA offers the better experience at this point in first.
Basicyellow is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2018, 2:24 pm
  #478  
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
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Posts: 12,438
Originally Posted by Basicyellow



well... this was a pretty big fail. MIA->DFW was first class on a 772, connection to DFW->LHR in first class on a 773. Flagship check in was totally confused and allowed me to check in and then proceeded to tell me after check-in that I should not have used flagship check in since my 773 flight departed from DFW not MIA. Not a great first impression.

recieved access to the Flagship Lounge (very nice space) but was denied Flagship First dining for same reasons... 773 flight does not depart from MIA. Denied even after they confirmed that the same offering is unavailable at DFW due to construction. again... poor inpressions

Overall, for a high ticket, paid first class international flight AA sorely lacks the ability to execute. I did send a tweet to AA customer service and they promptly replied that I should have been given access to both services... and that they would follow up with the airport team. Hopefully that happens... but not much good it does me.

I think BA offers the better experience at this point in first.
Also send an email complaint to AA customer relations, I would hope they send you a few miles. Another case of just poorly trained frontline AA agents.
JJeffrey is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2018, 2:29 pm
  #479  
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,724
Originally Posted by Matthew Heath
Thank you! It looks like I can go to the temporary premium AA lounge or The Club (on the basis of flying with British Airways for the international segment of the trip), both in D.
You can also access any of the Admiral’s Clubs in A, B, or C. Most likely your onward flight will be from B.
Matthew Heath likes this.
wrp96 is offline  
Old Jul 4, 2018, 2:31 pm
  #480  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,724
Flying business ZRH-PHL-CLT-home on Friday. What are the best lounge options (and yes I know best is not necessarily the correct description for the lounges at PHL and CLT)?
wrp96 is offline  


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