Why do you pay for an Admirals Club Membership?
Sep 29, 2019, 8:05 pm
#78
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO, CLT
Programs: AA Bonsai EXP (2.9 MM), AS MVPG
Posts: 1,394
Asking what? Spend the money from your own pocket, and get on to earning more money... it's $500. If you fly 150 segments per year, you're on the road a lot. Why would you even think twice about spending the same amount that you might spend on a nice dinner or a couple of nosebleed seats to a basketball game to have access to nicer place to wait, work, and relax while you're on the road?
Sep 29, 2019, 8:55 pm
#79
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: SFO
Programs: A few here and there
Posts: 207
Looking at it monthly
I am on a plane about once a week. If I break the annual down to monthly 450/12=It’s about 37.50 a month. This is less than one meal a month on the road and having the club with some food,drink and a quiet place to work with decent WiFi makes it a no brainer.
plus the club aangels have saved me a night in a hote countless times.
plus the club aangels have saved me a night in a hote countless times.
Sep 29, 2019, 10:25 pm
#80
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
The math doesn’t work out, though. Taking into account that most airports DON’T have ACs, it becomes an incrementally greater cost. Add in that that when I connect, about 40% of the time my inbound is late (PHL-ORD/CLT most common connections) I don’t always get the opportunity to even visit the restroom. I’d guess that of the 115 flights I’ve taken this year I may have had 15-20 opportunities that would allow me to fit in an AC visit
Do you not want to pay and get groupthink validation of that or pay and get validation? It's your money and lifestyle so decide what's best.
Last edited by ricktoronto; Sep 29, 2019 at 10:32 pm
Sep 30, 2019, 6:16 am
#81
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM HH Gold, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 1,298
Asking what? Spend the money from your own pocket, and get on to earning more money... it's $500. If you fly 150 segments per year, you're on the road a lot. Why would you even think twice about spending the same amount that you might spend on a nice dinner or a couple of nosebleed seats to a basketball game to have access to nicer place to wait, work, and relax while you're on the road?[/QUOTE]
This is a fair statement. I don't think I'll get nearly the benefit or frequency of use others have, but as many have stated it's worth the quiet.
I have the Plt Amex/Priority Club and get little usage from this based on where I fly and the fact that I travel on an expense account. I wanted to understand what the value of actually having an AC membership was, particularly as there's no appeal of free food and booze to me (as so many others have pointed to). In addition, I keep hearing how overcrowded the clubs are and wondered if there was any real advantage. It sounds as if there is based on the AAngels and the better seating.
The crowd has spoken and it's worth a trial run for the year, but I hardly think spending $500 is a trivial expense regardless of my income. $500 now is a pretty penny in my daughters college fund.
This is a fair statement. I don't think I'll get nearly the benefit or frequency of use others have, but as many have stated it's worth the quiet.
Frankly even for $20 or $25 a visit who cares about the trivial annual cost? Get the Platinum Amex as well and add Priority Club as well. You're the one who travels, has a good income so $1,000 a year for maybe $6 or $7 a flight segment is barely one Starbucks coffee.
Do you not want to pay and get groupthink validation of that or pay and get validation? It's your money and lifestyle so decide what's best.
Do you not want to pay and get groupthink validation of that or pay and get validation? It's your money and lifestyle so decide what's best.
The crowd has spoken and it's worth a trial run for the year, but I hardly think spending $500 is a trivial expense regardless of my income. $500 now is a pretty penny in my daughters college fund.
Sep 30, 2019, 6:22 am
#82
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
If you're one that never arrives at the airport early and always takes the shortest connection available then yes an AC membership probably doesn't make sense. I for one rarely (even for business) will take a one hour connection. Not with AA's operations and banked hubs.
Sep 30, 2019, 6:37 am
#83
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,094
I fly about 40% as much as you do and don't think twice about paying $500 out of my own pocket. The ability to get some work done plus having better-quality help with ticketing issues alone make $500 worth every cent.
Sep 30, 2019, 6:47 am
#84
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM HH Gold, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 1,298
That's absurd. Come annual review time, bring this up during the discussion: you'd like to submit $500 for reimbursement for an airline lounge membership. Not only will you be more productive, but if you travel with co-workers or clients, they'll love getting AC access. If you aren't being paid enough to make $500 a non-issue, then your employer should cover it.
I fly about 40% as much as you do and don't think twice about paying $500 out of my own pocket. The ability to get some work done plus having better-quality help with ticketing issues alone make $500 worth every cent.
I fly about 40% as much as you do and don't think twice about paying $500 out of my own pocket. The ability to get some work done plus having better-quality help with ticketing issues alone make $500 worth every cent.
Sep 30, 2019, 6:48 am
#85
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, Amex
Posts: 419
Have to say it really does seem like it should be an easy sell to management. Rational management anyway 
150 segments can pan out a lot of different ways. But looking at ballpark numbers, let's say that's 75 RT's. Arbitrarily looking at CLT-PHL as a route, call it $400 / RT in main cabin as an average or $200 per segment.
That's $30,000 in annual air fare. A $500 lounge membership is an additional 1.7% cost. I'd think that's justifiable just on the basis of having better customer service for delayed or canceled flights (along with quantifying how much irregular operation time you've had). Not to mention having the opportunity for a quieter or less crowded area than the gate where you might be able to get more stuff done or be better prepared wherever you're going.
That's how I'd try selling it anyway.
150 segments can pan out a lot of different ways. But looking at ballpark numbers, let's say that's 75 RT's. Arbitrarily looking at CLT-PHL as a route, call it $400 / RT in main cabin as an average or $200 per segment.That's $30,000 in annual air fare. A $500 lounge membership is an additional 1.7% cost. I'd think that's justifiable just on the basis of having better customer service for delayed or canceled flights (along with quantifying how much irregular operation time you've had). Not to mention having the opportunity for a quieter or less crowded area than the gate where you might be able to get more stuff done or be better prepared wherever you're going.
That's how I'd try selling it anyway.
Sep 30, 2019, 6:55 am
#86
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM HH Gold, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 1,298
Have to say it really does seem like it should be an easy sell to management. Rational management anyway 150 segments can pan out a lot of different ways. But looking at ballpark numbers, let's say that's 75 RT's. Arbitrarily looking at CLT-PHL as a route, call it $400 / RT in main cabin as an average or $200 per segment.
That's $30,000 in annual air fare. A $500 lounge membership is an additional 1.7% cost. I'd think that's justifiable just on the basis of having better customer service for delayed or canceled flights (along with quantifying how much irregular operation time you've had). Not to mention having the opportunity for a quieter or less crowded area than the gate where you might be able to get more stuff done or be better prepared wherever you're going.
That's how I'd try selling it anyway.
150 segments can pan out a lot of different ways. But looking at ballpark numbers, let's say that's 75 RT's. Arbitrarily looking at CLT-PHL as a route, call it $400 / RT in main cabin as an average or $200 per segment.That's $30,000 in annual air fare. A $500 lounge membership is an additional 1.7% cost. I'd think that's justifiable just on the basis of having better customer service for delayed or canceled flights (along with quantifying how much irregular operation time you've had). Not to mention having the opportunity for a quieter or less crowded area than the gate where you might be able to get more stuff done or be better prepared wherever you're going.
That's how I'd try selling it anyway.
Sep 30, 2019, 6:59 am
#87
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,094
Materially, $500 is not a big deal - but we're talking about different things. I've done fine through 115 flights without AC membership, so I'd chalk this up as a luxury item. Thus to me, it's not insignificant to consider the cost. I do believe it reasonable to ask for reimbursement but I've only been with the company for 8 months and want to lock in a year and a bonus/raise before haggling over an airline lounge membership.
Sep 30, 2019, 7:58 am
#88
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: JFK/LGA
Programs: AA EXP/5 MM, BA Blue Bayou, HH LT Diamond
Posts: 5,827
For years i worked for companies where one airline club membership was reimbursable. About 6 years ago i went into a new org where travel was much less but no memberships. I let the AC lapse for a couple of years but missed it when travelling with family so got the MC card and cavcelled my existing AA card ($99 annual fee ) At a net $350 per year it is a no brainer.