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
Nov 1, 2018, 4:52 pm
#226
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 165
Gary Leff of View From the Wing is now reporting that the alleged increase in the fee of the Citi AC card to $550 isn't true based upon what he's been told (as opposed to what Citi told me and others), but he's a bit higher up the industry food chain than me.
https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...m-dysfunction/
https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...m-dysfunction/
I suspect that the rumor probably started with Citi agents not really knowing what they're talking about and quickly confirming online or elsewhere that Admirals Club pricing was increasing (i.e., confusing the annual fee with the purchased club membership prices). Total speculation on my part, but not that hard to imagine.
Nov 1, 2018, 10:18 pm
#227
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 6
UC Access
If you've been denied entry in this situation, you ran into a lounge dragon who didn't know the rules. The AC in Austin gets uncomfortably crowded in the late afternoon just before the BA AUS-LHR flight. I oftentimes go to the UA club instead. Never had an issue. Ever. And I (jokingly) tell them I'm flying a competitor and I show them my boarding pass.
Nov 2, 2018, 10:07 am
#228
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA EXP Plat, Mariott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 165
Remember AA is making a BIG push for CC apps. Keeping the Citi card at 450 will push the people who purchase memberships towards the card. It will also make those CC pitches in air appear to have more value if they start to pitch the 450$ one.
Nov 2, 2018, 3:39 pm
#229
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 165
Generally agree with your comments, except as to the CC pitches in the air. At present, AA exclusively promotes the Barclays CCs in the air. Not sure when that agreement will be revisited.
Nov 3, 2018, 1:39 pm
#230
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K/MM, AA GLD
Posts: 1,708
It's a feature -- not a bug. My boss is pure United and UC. Twice when flying together we've taken a significant excursion (other half of Boston B terminal -- only connection walking across parking garage, separate security) to use the UC (from Air Canada and American). The check-in agent was very familiar with the question and explained the process. Security lets you enter screening if you have any boarding pass and the magic words "United Club". And UC checkin views this as completely routine. As the walk is pretty short though very unsightly and the B terminals are small, very reasonable option in BOS.
Nov 3, 2018, 2:27 pm
#231
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: AA PLTPRO, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,559
I guess this is a bit of a push for the benefit of a Priority Pass backup with all three of the majors imposing the same restrictions.
Nov 3, 2018, 2:48 pm
#232
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,634
United Club terms and conditions
Admittance
Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.
Effective November 1, 2019, United Club customers, including members and their guests, must provide a same-day arrival and/or departure boarding pass in the customer’s name on a United or Star Alliance partner operated flight for entry into all United Club locations. United reserves the right to extend access to customers traveling on partner carriers with whom United holds commercial agreements outside of Star Alliance.
Nov 4, 2018, 5:52 am
#233
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Come 2020 Priority Pass will increase it's fee to be higher than AA, DL and UA since they will have boasting rights of getting it's members into "any Lounge". Just saying...
Nov 4, 2018, 6:51 am
#234
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 165
Sarcasm right? Priority pass in the US is less than stellar lounge wise, and access is often refused (like at many AS lounges). They have been doing a good job at adding restaurants, but those do not provide all the benefits of a lounge.
Nov 4, 2018, 10:58 am
#235
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
BTW, I just renewed my AC membership that's set to expired Jan 3, 2019 at the "old" rate after receiving the notification email, Maybe it's time I explore other options as well.
Last edited by Zacnlinc; Nov 5, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Dec 15, 2018, 5:50 pm
#236
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Plat
Posts: 754
Let's get our facts straight:
Access requirements and eligibility information:
A valid United Club membership card and boarding pass for same-day travel
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...ge/access.aspx
United does not require that the boarding pass be on UA or a partner. HUGE DIFFERENCE.
Access requirements and eligibility information:
A valid United Club membership card and boarding pass for same-day travel
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...ge/access.aspx
United does not require that the boarding pass be on UA or a partner. HUGE DIFFERENCE.
Jan 2, 2019, 7:05 am
#237
Join Date: Nov 2002
Programs: AA EXP, HILTON PLAT
Posts: 226
Club Access on Inbound AA
Not sure if this was mentioned already, but the Club terms and conditions have been updated with a footnote to Admittance section to reflect "Any departing or arriving flight: marketed or operated by American Airlines..."
Jan 2, 2019, 7:18 am
#238
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: SE Wisconsin
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond for Life
Posts: 337
Being able to visit the lounge before a flight is a nice option, but one I rarely take advantage of. More often than not, I’m pulling into the O’Hare parking lot only minutes before boarding!
I fly mostly direct flights, so I don’t get much use on layovers.
Usually when I experience IRROPS, it’s late in the evening and the lounge might already be closed!
Where I get significant value from my membership is after my flight. I like to stop in to use the restroom, check messages, answer emails, grab a tea and do whatever else to clear my head before getting in a car and heading off to my next appointment (or home, office, etc).
Losing arrival access to the Admiral’s Club would be a real bummer.
I fly mostly direct flights, so I don’t get much use on layovers.
Usually when I experience IRROPS, it’s late in the evening and the lounge might already be closed!
Where I get significant value from my membership is after my flight. I like to stop in to use the restroom, check messages, answer emails, grab a tea and do whatever else to clear my head before getting in a car and heading off to my next appointment (or home, office, etc).
Losing arrival access to the Admiral’s Club would be a real bummer.
Jan 2, 2019, 7:27 am
#239
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: RDU
Posts: 2,264
I arrived on an AA flight into CLT yesterday and popped into the Club as I usually do for a quick pit stop and cup of coffee before heading to my car. When I presented my inbound boarding pass, I was informed that this would not be allowed as of November 1. I didn't argue, but fingers crossed everyone is up to speed by the fall.
Not sure if this was mentioned already, but the Club terms and conditions have been updated with a footnote to Admittance section to reflect "Any departing or arriving flight: marketed or operated by American Airlines..."
Not sure if this was mentioned already, but the Club terms and conditions have been updated with a footnote to Admittance section to reflect "Any departing or arriving flight: marketed or operated by American Airlines..."
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...lub-access.jsp
I think many people would agree the arrival access is sometimes as beneficial as departure, so that would be a huge takeaway... thankfully, seems to just be one uneducated agent (for now).
Jan 10, 2019, 10:35 am
#240
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Plat, MR AMB + (LTT) , Hertz PC, UA Silver, HH Gold
Posts: 265
United did this already several years ago. How many people in the grand scheme of things are going to be 1. flying a different airline than AA as a top tier flyer and more importantly 2. going to be anywhere remotely near an AC when flying another airline?
I think it's a great idea in crowd thinning.
I think it's a great idea in crowd thinning.
I'm late to the thread. I was initially outraged by them taking lounge access from me, if im not flying AA. Especially since im paying out of pocket for use of the lounge. But the above poster makes a lot of sense. Im almost exclusively a AA or partner flyer. The times I am not flying AA I am probably in a terminal far away from where the AA lounge is. I think in my 12 non AA flights last year I dont think I ever used the AA lounge, just usually wasn't practical. Now that I have centurion club access and priority pass I will typically always have lounge access, and am not tied to AA.
I thought that pretty much everyone in the club was flying AA that day, but based on the responses it seems a lot of people were just chillin in the lounge and flying someone else. I didn't much see a problem with that, but some lounges were unbelievably crowded. If this can alleviate some of that I am all for it. Now if the lounges are just as crowded come November and December, I will be extremely confused why they made this move.