george 3

Wonderful advice - and yes, even with my own creaky, non-16 year old knees, I enjoy getting to the airport an hour early just to wander around. Particularly LAX, DFW and ORD.

skywalkerLAX

I have never ever heard of a restaurant or facility that wouldn't allow a minor/youth to have a lunch even though the establishment also sells beer and wine (pretty much any restaurant in the country). As I said I get that this might be a problem at self serve lounges such as the FCL but considering the AC doesn't have that there is no legal issue here. That's AA policy.

The voucher they would provide is the same as they give passengers who are inconvenienced due to delay: "F&B, not valid for alcohol - Use at all Terminal F&B Outlets". I got one of these last year at the LAX lounge as well when they had kitchen issues and I had the supervisor come up.

Ali380

Is this the first time a FT thread has hit the news?

UKtravelbear

No. It's not the first and won't be the last.

skywalkerLAX

Well I can't and don't want to speak to your parenting skills but if you consider the Admirals Club or any airport lounge "the finer things in life" then maybe you need a new benchmark. Because the type of behavior I see at such facilities (from 'ADULTS') is more often than not pretty disgusting and has nothing to do with anything premium.

And YES, it's my firm belief that if I entrust someone to not endanger the public's life while operating a vehicle then that 14/16yo is responsible enough to sit in a restaurant or airport club and do whatever people do at a lounge. Would be great if the U.S. finally wakes up and also considers that if I let kids kill people after enlisting in the military then maybe the same person should be allowed to have a f'in Bourbon. But we're going OT now...

skywalkerLAX

Nonsense. Not sure what you call 'most places' but name me one country that doesn't let 16 year olds at least have a license for a small engine motorbike. As far as permits go I for one did have a CA DL when I was 16 just to bring back the analogy to the lounge as it's in LAX.

ijgordon

Ok, enough talk of dinguses from you!

zeer0

Great advice by C17PSGR!

Nobody wants to waste time roaming around LAX, trying to find a power port in a loud, crowded airport. This isn't 1968, it's 2018. If you're asking the passenger to find someone to play cards with... Well take the incentive and be the one to entertain OP. I find the piece condescending to younger travellers who understand exactly how the "system" works.

A 16 year old earned status, they deserve either the promised benefits of it, or an equivalent alternative. A standard $30-50 voucher for age denial should be in place. It's not even going to cost the airlines much, how many underage elites are there...

And as others pointed out, alcohol flows freely in J/F. Haven't seen the airlines limit those cabins by age. And if you're arguing that it's not self pour, the non self pour lounges are still 18+.

I'm 18. I've been in OP's position before, and it sucks! We are willing to work with the airlines to come to an amicable agreement. The voucher system is it.

We don't need condescending "advice" telling us we are lesser elites. We're not. In fact, the reason(s) behind why younger frequent flyers are in the air often isn't as wonderful as it seems... Give us a break, thank you.

skunker

I'm not sure what you are trying to say here, but that is most definitely wrong. Establishments restrict access to minors all the time even though they serve food. Some don't allow any minors, others must be accompanied by an adult.

The best hamburgers in San Diego are at a place that doesn't allow anyone under 21 and only serves beer and wine.

JDiver

Though it’s certainly true there is considerable age-based discrimination and inequity (both for younger and elder People), nobody said age granted “lesser elite status”. Applicable law denied the OP access, there’s no voucher in lieu policy at AA - even if one is denied buying a day pass because the airport’s Lounges are under refurbishment or if one is turned down for lack of capacity. (When I was 19, I was in the military and before being of legal age to buy alcoholic beverages in California, I’d served in Vietnam. Injustice? Angst? Or do I just suck it up because I have bigger fish to fry?)

OP earned status on Cathay Pacific, not American Airlines. oneworld stated benefits do not list a substitute benefit if denied lounge access because of a national or local law, or even if denial occurs because of capacity issues.


Your restaurant analogy is not germane (and a number of places that sell food in the USA restrict access to minors). In Flagship Lounges, alcohol is available to self serve. For Admirals Clubs, AA has a policy, it is what it is. Nor is your F&B analogy, since you were issued one due to a kitchen failure.

People ineligible to access a lounge are not eligible for a F&B voucher under any AA policy I’m aware of.

C17PSGR

I find it a bit humorous that two of our top current threads involve under 18 pax ...

In one thread, the consensus is mostly that a CK shouldn't take advantage of teenagers and ask them to move out of Premium Economy and coach. From the approach in this thread, the parents shouldn't have paid for the kids to sit in PE. In this thread, the consensus seems to be mostly that a CX Diamond who is otherwise entitled to visit the flagship lounge shouldn't complain when he can't get in. Interesting ...

I certainly understand why AA has their policy .. it's an alcohol thing. And, I usually find the folks at the Flagship entry to be nice. I'm a little surprised, however, they didn't send him over to the Qantas Lounge where alcohol is served.

But, we are talking about LAX ... I'm there at least 25-50 times a year. Is there seriously a better place at LAX that you would recommend anyone visit other than the Flagship Lounge or QF Lounge? I'll be there today for the 6th time this month. I like LAX and I'm certainly an airport junkie but in terms of a walkable airport where one can have "an experience," LAX ain't it. The Encounter was interesting but its ... closed. Walking Terminal 5 can be interesting if you want to walk by the Spirit and Allegiant gates to people watch. Maybe he can hitch the Parking Spot bus and slide over to the In'N'Out. Otherwise, as much as I like LAX, its just a bunch of franchised stuff from Hudson Group.

So, in 2018 and at LAX, for a teenager who wants to learn more about life or get the airport experience, he was heading for the right place. Although ... I haven't taken the Parking Spot bus for a while ....

JDiver

What is this “consensus” thing you speak of, and has there ever been such a thing on FlyerTalk?

Uncle Nonny

Sitting in the AC is, indeed, finer than sitting at most gates. While we all know adults can and do act in "disgusting" ways at lounges, saying that it happens more often than not is idiotic. I visit the AC several times a week in various cities. I occasionally run into people with young kids who are too loud. I also see adults who talk too loud into their phones and leave their ringers on. It doesn't happen nearly enough for me to question my membership. I don't drink and I only ever partake in the breakfast foods so I'm not in it for those freebies.

C17PSGR

Well ... I wandered through the remote terminal and Terminal 5 today with an open mind ... perhaps there is something to learn by taking the bus to the remote terminal, watching 30 people in line for a coffee, and checking out the crowd heading to Fresno, Reno, Portland, and Salt Lake, or by the standing room only gate for the flight to Maui where there looked to be 50-75 people on the standby list (presumably all non-revs) who let up a collective groan when the gate agent the flight was full as they realized that 50 passengers weren't gong to miss their flight.

Or ... perhaps letting my two children -- both of whom are plats -- hang out at an LAX gate rather than the Flagship Lounge or Admirals Club could be construed as parental malpractice

As for the consensus ... how about we all agree that when US BA lounges refuse entry under OneWorld rules, they should be required to provide a voucher

mvoight

There already is an agreement and I doubt sees any need to renegotiate to pay someone else money for an added benefits for underage travelers. The "promised" benefits have restrictions. You are free to use the lounge with someone who is over the age limit.