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.

Quote:

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:

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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:

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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.

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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:

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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

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

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Mar 16, 2018, 11:14 am

#241

Tronic

Join Date: Jun 2011

Posts: 123

EZE-MIA in business (2-class 772) and then MIA-JFK in first.

Can i access the flagship lounge in MIA? I’m thinking yes since the first leg is over 3k mi, but not completely sure.

Thanks

Mar 16, 2018, 11:24 am

#242

teemuflyer

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Austin

Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond

Posts: 6,087

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tronic

EZE-MIA in business (2-class 772) and then MIA-JFK in first.

Can i access the flagship lounge in MIA? I’m thinking yes since the first leg is over 3k mi, but not completely sure.

Thanks

You are good to go.. enjoy!

Tronic likes this.

Mar 16, 2018, 4:42 pm

#243

pdac1975

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: DCA

Programs: AA EP, HH LT Diamond

Posts: 1,001

Lounge Access - LHR

Not sure if I should post this here or on the BA forum but I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm having trouble figuring out if I will have lounge access (and which one) as a One World Sapphire (plat pro) when traveling LHR-VCE on BA. The wording says I and a guest would have business class lounge access on international itineraries regardless of class of service but I'm not sure if this qualifies. We will be arriving in LHR on VS Upperclass and have about a 6 hour layover so I'm wondering if it's worth it to go past security to go to the VS Arrivals Lounge or not. If we can access a lounge inside security that would be best.
Again, this might be better posted in the BA forum but thought I'd try.
Thanks!

Mar 16, 2018, 4:44 pm

#244

lds89

Join Date: Oct 2015

Location: SFO

Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD

Posts: 520

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdac1975

You'll get access to the BA Galleries Lounges in T5. There are three - two in the A wing (north and south) and one in the B wing. The international restrictions are only for access on US / North America itineraries (ie ORD-CUN or LAX-YVR) and only for AA elites. Abroad all OWS/OWE get lounge access, regardless of class of service flown or carrier / whether it's international or not. You'll also get access on the return. I'm sure this will get merged into the Will I have Lounge Access thread?

Mar 16, 2018, 8:34 pm

#245

pdac1975

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: DCA

Programs: AA EP, HH LT Diamond

Posts: 1,001

Quote:

Originally Posted by lds89

Thanks very much for the info!
Thanks mods for moving this to the correct place.

Mar 16, 2018, 9:29 pm

#246

swgsword

Join Date: Jun 2010

Location: SFO/DFW

Programs: AA-EP, A3*G, UA*S

Posts: 290

I am Platinum Pro with AA, but I also hold Oneworld Sapphire with Iberia. If I keep my AA number attached to the PNR, will I be able to enter Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge on a domestic itinerary, if I show them my OW Sapphire card?

I know this is very much possible with United but was not able to find anything here on AA.

Thanks

Mar 16, 2018, 10:36 pm

#247

serfty

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Nov 2004

Location: Melbourne

Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver

Posts: 21,993

Quote:

Originally Posted by swgsword

I know this is very much possible with United but was not able to find anything here on AA.

Thanks

As long as Qantas is not involved you should be fine ...

Mar 18, 2018, 10:59 am

#248

coolcoil

Join Date: Nov 2010

Location: MDE

Programs: AA-PLT, HH-GLD, PP

Posts: 1,511

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tronic

EZE-MIA in business (2-class 772) and then MIA-JFK in first.

Can i access the flagship lounge in MIA? I’m thinking yes since the first leg is over 3k mi, but not completely sure.

Thanks

As noted above, the answer is indeed yes. However, so that others are not left with the impression that there is a 3,000 mile rule, I'll mention here that there is not a distance rule. You could be coming from anywhere in South America or Central America and still have access. This misinformation was implied in the wiki, where the original FL announcement that limited access to "deep South America" was quoted. I added a note there that travelers to/from all of South and Central America are welcome, assuming they are in J/F or have the appropriate elite status. I also updated the link to the AA.com FL page that lists the access rules.

Mar 18, 2018, 12:43 pm

#249

henhen

Join Date: Feb 2018

Location: Atlanta, USA

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 75

Booked an award ticket without thinking twice about visiting Qantas F/AA Flagship in LAX, but today thought more about it and having second thoughts?
AA Award in Coach. Alaska Air MEX-LAX, American LAX-BOS
As an EXP with AA, I should have access to the Qantas F lounge/AA Flagship in LAX? Would be a big downer if I didn't as I was quite happy with the award routing I was able to get. A solid 4 hours loitering around in Qantas lounge

Henry

Mar 18, 2018, 1:01 pm

#250

teemuflyer

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Austin

Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond

Posts: 6,087

Quote:

Originally Posted by henhen

Unfortunately you will not have access as your otherwise "qualifying" segment is on Alaska Air(lines), a non-OW airline. Perhaps you can try to change the MEX-LAX segment to AA? No charge for that as an EXP if available.

JDiver likes this.

Mar 18, 2018, 1:43 pm

#251

henhen

Join Date: Feb 2018

Location: Atlanta, USA

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 75

Quote:

Originally Posted by teemuflyer

Thanks for the tip!
ay ay thats no good with my current setup then with first segment on AS metal then if I'm wanting lounge access at LAX.
So looked and there's no award on American metal all the way that day May 6th in economy, but if I look up the segments individually, there are saver awards. What are my hopes for getting the AS segment swapped for AA metal?

Henry

Mar 18, 2018, 1:52 pm

#252

teemuflyer

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Austin

Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond

Posts: 6,087

Quote:

Originally Posted by henhen

I did a quick check using EF, and there is indeed T (mileSAAver coach) available from MEX to LAX on May 6th. Just call the EXP Desk up right now and have them swap that segment from AS to AA and keep your LAX-BOS untouched.

henhen likes this.

Mar 18, 2018, 4:15 pm

#253

henhen

Join Date: Feb 2018

Location: Atlanta, USA

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 75

Quote:

Originally Posted by teemuflyer

I saw that as well, will have to call them here to get it switched. It's also less miles as well all on AA metal! Great stuff, thanks for the help folks.
Henry

Mar 19, 2018, 2:24 am

#254

davie355

Join Date: Nov 2013

Posts: 4,374

Will an F ticket on SFO-JFK qualify for any lounge access upon arrival at JFK?

Hoping to shower after a redeye... thanks

Mar 19, 2018, 3:50 am

#255

teemuflyer

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Austin

Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond

Posts: 6,087

Quote:

Originally Posted by davie355

Will an F ticket on SFO-JFK qualify for any lounge access upon arrival at JFK?

Hoping to shower after a redeye... thanks

The Flagship Lounge and ACs in T8.