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
Oct 18, 2018, 4:45 pm
#62
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Raleigh NC
Programs: AA P DL MR UA
Posts: 81
The same-day boarding pass may be a deal-breaker for me and others based in tiny airports like RDU. Since every airline other than WN is out of the same terminal, I could book Delta, United, etc. and know I could, under the old rules. hang out in the RDU AC. In a big airport it's a non-issue--I'm not going to track down an AC in an AA terminal if I'm on a flight in a different terminal--but in smaller ones, it's a define downgrade. This makes the $$$ AF for Citi EP look like money thrown away, since $29 a pop gets me in other lounges, plus AMEX PL gets me a couple of more options. I mean...I can find oatmeal and small snacks lots of other places for the $450 AF of Citi.
More reasons to go free agent, I guess.
More reasons to go free agent, I guess.
Oct 18, 2018, 4:49 pm
#63
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 165
"If you are traveling through multiple cities with lounges, you may use the same day pass to access more than one lounge that day (if traveling overnight, pass is also valid at the first point of arrival the following day)."
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...conditions.jsp
I cannot imagine that access would be somehow less favorable to actual members.
Oct 18, 2018, 4:56 pm
#64
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,550
Oct 18, 2018, 5:07 pm
#66
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 165
Can't speak for all, but for me personally, the price increase isn't that big of a deal (at least as of now, if you get it via the Citi Executive card, there is no price increase). For me the biggest deal is a requirement to have an AA or partner boarding pass, because it dilutes membership (able to access anytime) vs. mere access privileges if you fly OW. I think a lot of us have used AA clubs when forced to travel on different airlines for reasons beyond our control.
Oct 18, 2018, 5:31 pm
#67
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO, CLT
Programs: AA Bonsai EXP (2.9 MM), AS MVPG
Posts: 1,393
Can't speak for all, but for me personally, the price increase isn't that big of a deal (at least as of now, if you get it via the Citi Executive card, there is no price increase). For me the biggest deal is a requirement to have an AA or partner boarding pass, because it dilutes membership (able to access anytime) vs. mere access privileges if you fly OW. I think a lot of us have used AA clubs when forced to travel on different airlines for reasons beyond our control.
Oct 18, 2018, 5:33 pm
#68
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA
Programs: AA PLT, 1.8mm
Posts: 6,988
I was going to mention that too, noting that among the FT/AA Elite/AC member crowd here, many of us make $ 100 faster than the time it takes to write a response here. But that sounded elitist.
Oct 18, 2018, 5:38 pm
#69
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
You should be fine, IMO, given the same day boarding pass restriction is still just over a year away.
Oct 18, 2018, 5:42 pm
#70
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 165
The lack of access when not flying AA or partners is a very big deal for me. Using the AC when flying UA, AS, DL, WN, etc is one of the main reasons I've kept my AC membership - I use it as my "general" domestic lounge. Most of my actual AA flying now is paid J international or SFO-JFK so I get AC access anyway. Admirals Club still works for AS, but if UA keeps their policy as-is (any same day BP), I think it might make sense to switch to United Club or better yet to get the Amex Platinum for PP and Centurion Lounges.
Oct 18, 2018, 5:47 pm
#71
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 80
Oct 18, 2018, 6:16 pm
#72
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: 3,823
This is a big loss for the few of us lifetime Admirals Club members. Living in a non-AA hub city, SFO, often I'm forced to take a competitor to avoid an awkward connection. (i.e. SFO-anywhere-MKE.)
PS: I mentioned this earlier, but my comment disappeared.
PS: I mentioned this earlier, but my comment disappeared.
Oct 18, 2018, 6:26 pm
#73
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Philadephia, PA
Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, UA Silver, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 477
I'd been torn earlier this year about whether to renew my Admirals Club or pick up a Platinum Amex for the Centurion Lounge; almost certainly not renewing next year now (mostly due to the ticket requirement). I do wonder what this will do to Centurion Lounge crowding in DFW/MIA/PHL if people drop the airline clubs for one that doesn't require a specific airline (or costs less for that matter)
Oct 18, 2018, 6:27 pm
#74
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
As I walk past the huge queued people waiting to get service from the CS reps in the terminal, I head into the AC and have a much shorter queue indeed. Often, the AAngeles are often telling people to call their elite lines too. And sure enough, I've seem people step out of line and have done it myself after getting satisfactory service with being accommodated. In fact last week I was stuck in DFW dues to weather issues and when I walked into the AC, I was #7 in queue. Within 10 mins, I was #2 . Ended up speaking with an AAngel before EXP CS came on the line.
Oct 18, 2018, 6:33 pm
#75
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 20
I’m MIA based with AMEX Platinum. I guess my profile doesn’t match the target profile for Admirals Club. Never felt the desire or need to use it. Most of my travel is non-stop or international, so weather rarely has impacts me. I don’t like arriving early, and if it’s a Miami delay, the Centurion Lounge works fine. I suspect that if you are based in a location that require a lot of DFW or ORD connections, it’s valuable. I’ve found the Miami or South American Admirals lounges nice, but food was meh.