Aug 7, 18, 3:43 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Lifetime Admirals Club Membership is not currently offered.
NOTE: Admirals Club Lifetime members are exempt from the requirement of flying AA and qualifying partner airlines the same day of access that became active 1 November 2019.
When the Admirals Club, originally established as the Flagship Club at La Guardia Airport in 1939, it was to serve VIPs and friends of aviation selected by American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith as Admirals of the Flagship Fleet.
In 1967, the Admirals Club network opened to public membership. Fees then:
. . . . Annual Member: $25.00
. . . . Lifetime Member: $250.00
By 1992, Lifetime Membership was $2,500.
In ~1997, a member purchased a senior lifetime Admirals Club membership for $800
In 2005, another member purchased lifetime Admirals Club membership for $5,500
During the 2009 Admirals Club 70th Anniversary celebration, AA held a drawing for a lifetime membership to the Admirals Club. (They also offered a $70 renewal discount for 15 months). Ditto previously in 2007, 2008. Valued at $5,500 by AA.
There are several Lifetime Members among the FlyerTalk Membership. Some of them have multiple Lifetime Memberships in airline lounge schemes. See Any other lifetime Admirals Club members out there - (archived).
TWA offered lifetime membership to their Ambassadors Club, but AA did not acknowledge that Membership, extending a current and next year. Admirals Club Membership, iirc.
Link to Admirals Club History, Logo, Name thread (FlyerTalk)
NOTE: Admirals Club Lifetime members are exempt from the requirement of flying AA and qualifying partner airlines the same day of access that became active 1 November 2019.
When the Admirals Club, originally established as the Flagship Club at La Guardia Airport in 1939, it was to serve VIPs and friends of aviation selected by American Airlines CEO C. R. Smith as Admirals of the Flagship Fleet.
In 1967, the Admirals Club network opened to public membership. Fees then:
. . . . Annual Member: $25.00
. . . . Lifetime Member: $250.00
By 1992, Lifetime Membership was $2,500.
In ~1997, a member purchased a senior lifetime Admirals Club membership for $800
In 2005, another member purchased lifetime Admirals Club membership for $5,500
During the 2009 Admirals Club 70th Anniversary celebration, AA held a drawing for a lifetime membership to the Admirals Club. (They also offered a $70 renewal discount for 15 months). Ditto previously in 2007, 2008. Valued at $5,500 by AA.
There are several Lifetime Members among the FlyerTalk Membership. Some of them have multiple Lifetime Memberships in airline lounge schemes. See Any other lifetime Admirals Club members out there - (archived).
TWA offered lifetime membership to their Ambassadors Club, but AA did not acknowledge that Membership, extending a current and next year. Admirals Club Membership, iirc.
Link to Admirals Club History, Logo, Name thread (FlyerTalk)
What is the Admirals Club?
by Claire Turrell, 18 March 2019, Blacklane link
...The club was created by the American Airlines president C.R. Smith as a marketing promotion after he was made an honorary Texas Ranger. He wanted to make his particularly valued passengers feel like admirals of the American Airlines Flagship Fleet, which was marketed using a nautical theme. So in 1936, the first Admirals Club members were announced. Those invited to the club were celebrities, politicians, VIPs, and customers who had been particularly loyal to American Airlines.
At that point, there was no Admirals Club lounge, members simply received framed certificates they could place on their office wall. The worlds first airport lounge was created in 1939, when American Airlines turned New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardias press conference room at the airport into the first Admirals Club. The club lounge maintained its nautical theme the receptionists were called skippers and the bar staff were called stewards.
If youre a bit of a history buff, you might also be interested to know that the second Admirals Club was in Washington Airport, which didnt have a liquor licence, so members stored their own bottles there. At one point the club was looking after 9,000 bottles.
Becoming a member of the Admirals Club was by invitation-only until 1967, when American Airlines decided to give everyone the chance to enjoy the VIP experience by paying a yearly membership fee (allegedly because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 could adversely affect AA because of the invitation-only policy).
by Claire Turrell, 18 March 2019, Blacklane link
...The club was created by the American Airlines president C.R. Smith as a marketing promotion after he was made an honorary Texas Ranger. He wanted to make his particularly valued passengers feel like admirals of the American Airlines Flagship Fleet, which was marketed using a nautical theme. So in 1936, the first Admirals Club members were announced. Those invited to the club were celebrities, politicians, VIPs, and customers who had been particularly loyal to American Airlines.
At that point, there was no Admirals Club lounge, members simply received framed certificates they could place on their office wall. The worlds first airport lounge was created in 1939, when American Airlines turned New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardias press conference room at the airport into the first Admirals Club. The club lounge maintained its nautical theme the receptionists were called skippers and the bar staff were called stewards.
If youre a bit of a history buff, you might also be interested to know that the second Admirals Club was in Washington Airport, which didnt have a liquor licence, so members stored their own bottles there. At one point the club was looking after 9,000 bottles.
Becoming a member of the Admirals Club was by invitation-only until 1967, when American Airlines decided to give everyone the chance to enjoy the VIP experience by paying a yearly membership fee (allegedly because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 could adversely affect AA because of the invitation-only policy).
Lifetime Admirals Club Membership: lifetime members, discussion
Sep 11, 23, 11:12 pm
#47
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,413
TWA lifetime - $600
Piedmont lifetime- $100
merged into USAir
Merged into AAdmirals lifetime
Sep 11, 23, 11:33 pm
#48
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,209
I don't know of any reports that they've rescinded their decision, lifetime members should be able to enter without flying AA
Sep 11, 23, 11:57 pm
#49
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA, WN
Posts: 139
Just curious, how many "lifetime" programs have you purchased? How many of them turned out to be something fantastic like lifetime AA admiral club for $100? How many of then went worthless quickly?
Sep 12, 23, 12:03 am
#50
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,413
Sep 12, 23, 1:49 pm
#51
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA EXP, 5 MM
Posts: 65
I purchased a lifetime Admiral Club pass in 1977 and my wife also received a card. I paid around $275 for this and “agonized” over the decision as I did not know if I would get use out of it. At the time, a yearly membership was around $40 or $45. I should have purchased a United card at the same time but didn’t.
Sep 12, 23, 2:22 pm
#52
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA, WN
Posts: 139
I purchased a lifetime Admiral Club pass in 1977 and my wife also received a card. I paid around $275 for this and agonized over the decision as I did not know if I would get use out of it. At the time, a yearly membership was around $40 or $45. I should have purchased a United card at the same time but didnt.
Well fellow FTers, if AA now offers lifetime admiral club (or flagship) membership at a price of $4000, will you buy it?
Sep 13, 23, 2:16 pm
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 10,634
Sep 13, 23, 5:15 pm
#55
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: CMH, CLE, CAK
Programs: AA, Hertz, Hyatt, Hilton
Posts: 172
Sep 13, 23, 5:17 pm
#56
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Ambassador, Hertz Gold
Posts: 2,184
As I recall, when I purcahsed it when it was last offered, it was more like $5,500 or so (but am not sure), so I don't see $4k ever being offered. Either level would be a no-brainer for FL access on any flight however, but I don't think any LT memberships are going to be offered in the near future.
Last edited by Madison Guy; Sep 13, 23 at 5:24 pm
Sep 15, 23, 2:45 pm
#57
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,760
I paid $5,500 on the last day lifetime memberships were sold 12/31/2005, so paying $1,500 less twenty years later seems much too low. My Northwest (2008) and Continental (2001) memberships cost less.
Personally I think that one of the benefits for million milers should be the ability to purchase a lifetime Admirals Club membership for something like 10x the current price, so today that would be $8,500.
Personally I think that one of the benefits for million milers should be the ability to purchase a lifetime Admirals Club membership for something like 10x the current price, so today that would be $8,500.
