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 17, 2018, 9:42 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,134
Admirals Club rates increased, new restrictions: 1 Nov 2019
Looks like AA just changed its policy today to specify that as of 1 Nov 19 you must be on a same day AA or partner flight for AC access. Clearly a downgrade meant to curb crowding at certain locations. Also increased membership costs in $$, but decreased mileage cost.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...membership.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...membership.jsp
Last edited by JDiver; Jun 18, 2019 at 8:04 am Reason: fixed my typo / add images
Oct 17, 2018, 11:24 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 156
Looks like AA just changed its policy today to specify that as of 1 Nov 18 you must be on a same day AA or partner flight for AC access. Clearly a downgrade meant to curb crowding at certain locations. Also increased membership costs in $$, but decreased mileage cost.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...membership.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...membership.jsp
Oct 17, 2018, 11:33 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: DCA
Programs: AA Platinum, Admirals Club Member, HHonors
Posts: 77
Certainly makes membership less worth it for a non AA-exclusive flyer. Would need to have multiple club memberships if you fly through a lot of airports or use multiple airlines. Seems kind of silly, seeing as it is a membership club and not a frequent flyer benefit. I imagine pulling credit card fee memberships would have a similar effect, but wouldn't devalue overall membership. Anyway, I'm sure they've thought it through and those that choose not to retain won't hit that bottom dollar as much as we think.
Oct 17, 2018, 1:35 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: CoUniHound 1K 1MM, AA EXP 2MM, DL Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,625
Oct 17, 2018, 2:26 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
I would have thought that airline lounges were initially another method of securing loyalty. When entrance to an airline lounge becomes based upon having that credit card or this credit card does that result in less loyalty? It would be interesting to see any data that might have been collected.
Oct 17, 2018, 2:44 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: stl
Programs: AA LT Plat/8.1mm now with 1350 miles left in my account and proud of it.. SPG LT Titanium.
Posts: 3,082
I wonder if the Citi card will go up in price when you look at the spread between a family membership or even a single membership versus the $450 card cost.
Oct 17, 2018, 3:41 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, HH DIA, Hertz PC, GE + Pre✓, Amazon Super Special Prime
Posts: 1,008
AA sells miles to Citi (albeit at a bulk rate), but they likely know the average card holder spends X and that will generate Y revenue by selling miles to Citi to award for purchases by cardholders.
If AA sells miles at $0.005 per mile (just a guess as to what Citi gets them for), and the cardholder spends $40k in a year (thereby maxing our card benefits by virtue of spending), AA stands to make an add'l $200 on that card user, in addition to the $450 annual fee - which I estimate AA gets $400 of after Citi takes their management cut. So, $600 in revenue from an AA exec cardholder, is more or less the same as the basic single Admirals club membership. Plus the related revenues from actual airfare purchases likely made by the same cardholder if they are an AA elite, which I would guess a fair majority of the AA exec cardholders are at one level or another.
They have guys and gals that analyze and crunch the financial data on this stuff all day long - they know what they will make on a single cardholder (+/- 1 std deviation, of course
)
Oct 17, 2018, 10:29 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: MSP/DFW
Programs: Priority Club PLT, Marriott Titanium, AA EXP
Posts: 480
In the fine print, in regard to same day flight (or flight the next day before 6am), it says, "non-revenue passengers aren't eligible."
Does that mean that an employee who paid for an AC membership, can never utilize the lounge if they are flying non-rev? If so, that sucks.
Does that mean that an employee who paid for an AC membership, can never utilize the lounge if they are flying non-rev? If so, that sucks.
Oct 18, 2018, 1:18 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Anywhere the Wind Blows...
Programs: AS MVPG 75K / AA EXP / VX Gold / WOH Globalist / SPG Gold / HHonors Gold
Posts: 92
In the fine print, in regard to same day flight (or flight the next day before 6am), it says, "non-revenue passengers aren't eligible."
Does that mean that an employee who paid for an AC membership, can never utilize the lounge if they are flying non-rev? If so, that sucks.
Does that mean that an employee who paid for an AC membership, can never utilize the lounge if they are flying non-rev? If so, that sucks.
This sucks hard. AA couldn’t drive memberships away any easier. I wonder if their management is deliberately trying to ruin the airline - on the phone, in the air, and now at the terminal.
Oct 18, 2018, 9:14 am
#12
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
Admirals Club rates increasing, new restrictions: 2019
Gary Leff (View from The Boarding Area) also shares information about Admirals Club membership changes coming in 2019, including $100 annual member fee increases as of 1 February 2019, as well as the elimination of household memberships. Later, you’ll have to proffer a same day boarding pass on AA, AS or oneworld partner airline even if you’re a member. Link.
You can renew at the old rates up to four months ahead, and this makes membership via the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card at $450 even more of a bargain.
As well, “effective November 1, 2019 same-day boarding passes on American Airlines, oneworld partner airlines, or Alaska Airlines will be required for entry.”
Chart from Gary Leff
American Airlines is raising prices of Admirals Club membership by $100 per year effective February 1. At the same time they’re reducing the mileage cost of membership — that’s still too expensive, though, since they’ll ‘only’ be giving you 1 cent per mile in value using miles to pay for membership. (Today’s mileage pricing is even worse.)
They are also eliminating household membership discounts. Adding a spouse as a member will be just buying them their own membership starting February 1.
With these changes the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® becomes an even better relative value. The card comes with Admirals Club membership. It also lets you add up to 10 authorized cardmembers at no additional annual fee, and each can access lounges themselves with up to 2 guests.
They are also eliminating household membership discounts. Adding a spouse as a member will be just buying them their own membership starting February 1.
With these changes the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® becomes an even better relative value. The card comes with Admirals Club membership. It also lets you add up to 10 authorized cardmembers at no additional annual fee, and each can access lounges themselves with up to 2 guests.
As well, “effective November 1, 2019 same-day boarding passes on American Airlines, oneworld partner airlines, or Alaska Airlines will be required for entry.”
Chart from Gary Leff
Last edited by JDiver; Oct 18, 2018 at 10:38 am
Oct 18, 2018, 9:41 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
Well its a good thing I have used expiring AABusiness points to buy around 10 passes, when either my wife or I or my friends travel AA domestically
(had a membership for 4 years, was not worth to renew, because most of my travel is international)
(had a membership for 4 years, was not worth to renew, because most of my travel is international)
Oct 18, 2018, 9:53 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75k, AAdvantage Executive Platinum
Posts: 197
I am okay with these changes as long as Alaska remains a partner, which it is indicated to be.
Price increases aren't the best, but it's clear that costs have gone up with all of the food now on offer in the clubs. Gone are the days of just snack towers!
Price increases aren't the best, but it's clear that costs have gone up with all of the food now on offer in the clubs. Gone are the days of just snack towers!