Nov 19, 2019, 3:16 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Admirals Club access rules for members changed, membership costs increased 1 November 2019.
This is true regardless of membership type, excluding lifetime members. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® Authorized Users must fulfill the same requirements. (Lifetime Admirals Club members may access Admirals Clubs even if they’re flying non-AA partners, e.g. Southwest, United.)
Declared Business Purposes or rental of a conference facility without a same day boarding pass will not suffice to allow access.
As far as we know, authorized guests accompanying a member do not have to present a same day boarding pass.
No discount is available for a household membership, which will cost $600 regardless of the sponsoring guest’s AAdvantage status.
One Day Passes are available at $59 per person, available for purchase at all Clubs except those where Club refurbishment or construction is going on (currently, ORD and PHL). One Day Passes are not available online.
Changes to membership link to this page on aa.com
Access changes
Starting November 1, 2019
Boarding passes for same-day travel on American Airlines or partner airlines are required for entry.1
1 Any departing or arriving flight: marketed or operated by American Airlines, marketed and operated by any oneworld® partner carrier, or marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines
Access changes
Starting November 1, 2019
Boarding passes for same-day travel on American Airlines or partner airlines are required for entry.1
1 Any departing or arriving flight: marketed or operated by American Airlines, marketed and operated by any oneworld® partner carrier, or marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines
Declared Business Purposes or rental of a conference facility without a same day boarding pass will not suffice to allow access.
As far as we know, authorized guests accompanying a member do not have to present a same day boarding pass.
No discount is available for a household membership, which will cost $600 regardless of the sponsoring guest’s AAdvantage status.
One Day Passes are available at $59 per person, available for purchase at all Clubs except those where Club refurbishment or construction is going on (currently, ORD and PHL). One Day Passes are not available online.
Admirals Club rates increased, new restrictions: 1 Nov 2019
Sep 7, 2019, 2:57 pm
#316
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 579
When I purchased Lifetime membership in 1990 there was no internet. I bought my lifetime membership at a city AA ticket office for $2000 and wasn’t given a pamphlet or any document outlining exact rules or benefits, just a receipt for my purchase. So to change terms and conditions wouldn’t I have to have been told what they were in the first place. All I was informed was to show the membership card and ID anytime I wanted to use the lounge. I wonder how many members have lifetime memberships versus total number of members and are there so many like me who would fill the club? I fly AA 95% of the time and also have AA Citi Exec Card which also gives me Admirals Club membership but I keep that for the other benefits. And being ConciergeKey have an Admirals Club membership as well so I actually have 3 memberships. I just want to be able to access the lounge maybe the one or two times a year I might when I’m not on AA. Again I wasn’t told in 1990 that we might change the rules in 29 years in 2019. I feel that AA should honor the rules in place for 1990 when I purchased my lifetime membership.
Sep 7, 2019, 3:01 pm
#317
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,597
If I recall correctly, the credit cards give AC membership, not just afford lounge access. It is just a different way of making the purchase of membership and they are members just as much as any others
Sep 7, 2019, 5:33 pm
#318
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CLE
Programs: UA,WN,AA,DL, B6
Posts: 4,168
Thank you for your attempt to invalidate my actual experience, which I’ll cheerfully discard as non sequitur. I will admit I have no idea what they told their secretary, colleagues, etc. And no, most managers would not be aware of the counseling, as that’s confidential information. The CEO or COO, a very few restricted HR employees might.
The point is the Admirals Club conference room served me well for years as an off site place to conduct confidential business.
I suspect AA will be a bit more alert about these following the change to day of flight access, given the C of C clearly states buying a ticket solely for access to airport facilities (without flying) is fraudulent and they may choose not to refund the ticket.
As to what’s fair, ethical, etc. AA typically has binding language such as this, in the current Club membership t & c:
That’s how it is. (They also cancelled TWA Ambassador Club lifetime membership.) But If we’re dissatisfied, we can cancel our membership. If that occurs sufficiently to lose significant revenue, perhaps AA will rethink some of their new policies.
The point is the Admirals Club conference room served me well for years as an off site place to conduct confidential business.
I suspect AA will be a bit more alert about these following the change to day of flight access, given the C of C clearly states buying a ticket solely for access to airport facilities (without flying) is fraudulent and they may choose not to refund the ticket.
As to what’s fair, ethical, etc. AA typically has binding language such as this, in the current Club membership t & c:
That’s how it is. (They also cancelled TWA Ambassador Club lifetime membership.) But If we’re dissatisfied, we can cancel our membership. If that occurs sufficiently to lose significant revenue, perhaps AA will rethink some of their new policies.
There was a time when you could access the club when not even flying for a business meeting or day picking one up from a flight. You just told TSA you were going to the club and you were allowed access.
Overcrowding at certain clubs exists airline sells as many memberships as possible and how often one uses the club and where varies. But at all clubs there are slow periods especially at smaller airports and should not be a issue for someone flying another airline to use the club.
Sep 8, 2019, 5:33 am
#319
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 579
For example, the MCO club is the same square footage the US Airways Club was in its last iteration (just with slightly different space allocation) — with an exponentially higher pool of members to access it. Two of the three PHX clubs are the same size they were when only HP-eligible members and partners could access them — let alone the US members in the next generation, let alone the AA members in the third generation. I was just in the SFO club yesterday, look at the number of flights it now handles a day compared with when it opened/was designed. To boot, it’s only slightly larger than the old LUS SFO club was itself.
Oct 7, 2019, 8:59 pm
#320
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AA PLT, HERTZ PC, CH GOLD, IHG GOLD
Posts: 39
What about an accompanying guest to the club. If I am flying out on the same day on AA, but a friend is flying out on UA for example. Can I bring them into the club as a guest?
Would I have have to play the game of buying then canceling a refundable ticket for them?
Would I have have to play the game of buying then canceling a refundable ticket for them?
Oct 7, 2019, 9:13 pm
#321
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SNA
Posts: 928
That's not a "game". It is fraud and contravenes the CoC.
Oct 7, 2019, 9:43 pm
#322
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
AA is sure to crack down on this, if they hadn’t started already. The C of C expressly state this is fraudulent, and they can decline to refund such a ticket.
Oct 7, 2019, 11:27 pm
#324
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
P. S. No more questions about how to bypass the C of C will be allowed, in accordance with the Rules we all agree to abide by when granted FlyerTalk membership.
Moderator
Oct 8, 2019, 6:38 am
#325
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: CMH
Programs: BA Gold, AA Plat, NK $9 fare club
Posts: 666
Yes, I would not chance this. If you're in good standing with a particular airline, there's no reason to willfully disregard the contract of the carriages.
Oct 10, 2019, 2:26 pm
#326
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: BUR
Programs: AA, DL Platinum, AS, AF/KL, UA, VS, HA, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 1,788
I have the Citi Executive WE card which has AC membership. Will be flying on BA out of LHR T3 just after November 1 and it will not be in conjunction with any AA flight nor is it a AA codeshare ticket. It’s just a BA ticket on BA metal. I would like to use the AC as I’ve done in the past.
The new rules state to gain access we need “same-day boarding passes on American Airlines or partner airlines.” For AC access, does flying BA require the ticket to be an AA codeshare to be considered a “partner airline” or does BA being a OW carrier suffice?
Really just interested in using the AC shower after a transatlantic VS flight and don’t want to have to clear immigration (I have a PriorityPass but the only T3 free showers available to PP holders are landslide).
The new rules state to gain access we need “same-day boarding passes on American Airlines or partner airlines.” For AC access, does flying BA require the ticket to be an AA codeshare to be considered a “partner airline” or does BA being a OW carrier suffice?
Really just interested in using the AC shower after a transatlantic VS flight and don’t want to have to clear immigration (I have a PriorityPass but the only T3 free showers available to PP holders are landslide).
Oct 10, 2019, 3:04 pm
#328
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP, SPG / Marriott GLD, HHonors GLD
Posts: 520
I have the Citi Executive WE card which has AC membership. Will be flying on BA out of LHR T3 just after November 1 and it will not be in conjunction with any AA flight nor is it a AA codeshare ticket. It’s just a BA ticket on BA metal. I would like to use the AC as I’ve done in the past.
The new rules state to gain access we need “same-day boarding passes on American Airlines or partner airlines.” For AC access, does flying BA require the ticket to be an AA codeshare to be considered a “partner airline” or does BA being a OW carrier suffice?
Really just interested in using the AC shower after a transatlantic VS flight and don’t want to have to clear immigration (I have a PriorityPass but the only T3 free showers available to PP holders are landslide).
The new rules state to gain access we need “same-day boarding passes on American Airlines or partner airlines.” For AC access, does flying BA require the ticket to be an AA codeshare to be considered a “partner airline” or does BA being a OW carrier suffice?
Really just interested in using the AC shower after a transatlantic VS flight and don’t want to have to clear immigration (I have a PriorityPass but the only T3 free showers available to PP holders are landslide).
Any departing arriving flight: marketed or operated by American Airlines, marketed and operated by any oneworld® partner carrier, marketed and operated by American Airlines or Alaska Airlines in any combination