I wish I had been able to do so much flying before I was 21! IMO, if you're MIA based, AA makes the most sense--I'll add that I prefer the Centurion lounge anyway for the spa. I've been dieting lately and trying to george myself on food less, but getting a free chair massage is fantastic!

If you're bothered by being 10 of 15 on the upgrade list, DL would not be a good fit for you. On elite heavy routes, a GM = Gold = DL equivalent to the AA Plat tier can easily be 49 of 70 for 1 seat.

Time for the chorus: Goodbye cruel airline (copyright, QueenOfCoach).

Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I pulled up the SC lounges in BOS and they say they have bars. Does this mean they're self service bars or not necessarily?

AFAIK all SCs have bars and provide some alcohol for free. The prohibited SCs are those without bartenders or, equivalently, with self service bars. If you can find a menu with drink prices, there must be a bartender to collect the money (and of course also to collect tips on even the free drinks).

Unfortunately I don't recall the situation in BOS, but if I had to guess, I would say that they have a "luxury" bar and hence a bartender (as does JFK T4, all SCs in ATL, F/G at MSP, etc.). Note that some of these luxury bars are more luxurious (and expensive) than others; there are a bunch of versions of the drinks menu.

Thank you, I'm a college student at the moment but I do have my own business and it's always been a goal of mine to be productive with my time and to be financially independent of my parents. I love travel intrinsically, so I enjoy going between my college town and home for all reasons (family, friends, unofficial SO, business, etc). I'm glad to be doing this at an early age. Before I even started college I wanted more time to do what I wanted, and college kind of gives you a lot of free time. However I'm more mature than people my age and instead of getting wasted every weekend I work on progressing my business and strengthening the relationships that I truly care about. I appreciate the kind words!

I'll investigate, but hopefully there aren't open bars in the BOS SCs. If that's really the case then I figure getting the AC membership and sticking to AA would really be the best thing that I could possibly do to make my airport experience better. Unless some nice AA exec wants to throw CK at a young frequent flier and give me AC for free hahaha (wishful thinking at its finest, unfortunately I'm not at that level)

Thank you! I really do like the Centurion lounge. Yesterday I found this super secluded spot where you can just lay down in peace and quiet. The lounge was pretty full but it looks like nobody wants to go all the way down the side corridor near the front desk (it's kind of a walk but the last section was literally empty). I was going to try the massage yesterday for the first time, but they could only get me in around boarding time. Great amenity especially given that it's free! I was told they work on a tip basis, but do you know if they take card for tips? I don't like to carry cash with me, I used to walk around with a wallet full of credit cards, loyalty cards, cash and ID and now I'm only on a cardholder with my AMEX, ID, $100 bill, and a debit card. Much preferred.

A drawback to BA status is that you won't qualify for upgrades as you would with AA status. The lounge access is a great benefit but you do indeed have to do 4 segments on BA or BA code shares to qualify.

Well, as someone myself who had 3 degrees (2 bachelors, 1 doctorate) by age 24, I would suggest nevertheless trying to enjoy your time in your 20s. I ended up living in San Diego and really living out my 20s the way they should be lived, at least for a while, until I got really got serious about my work again. I'm in my mid-30s now, and I can absolutely say the hard work really does pay off, so certainly keep doing what you're doing, but find leisure time also, and definitely don't totally disconnect from your peers. Work hard, play hard, as the saying goes.

Remember that BA marketed flights (BA flight number, but other airline like AA operating), as well as BA operated flights themselves count toward the requirement. So if you buy a ticket with BA that has an AA codeshare flight (with a BA flight number, but on an AA plane), that counts toward the requirement, so you just need to make sure it's a multi-segment trip, with perhaps a couple of domestic segments on AA that have BA flight numbers.

At 65 I'd say the same thing. All the hard work I did when I was younger is now paying off.

I find it concerning to read these messages from under-21 folks who are dying to get into the Flagship Lounge. There is PLENTY of time in your middle and old age for sitting around a stuffy lounge with boring old people.

I have a brother-in-law who is exactly my age (born the same month, same year) who acted like an old man from the time I met him in our 20s. Instead of going out and doing things, he'd sit at home in the relaxer chair watching TV with his dad. ("Hey, quiet down there. It's time for Star Trek.") At the same time I was working hard in school, at paid work and going around the world with my marketing job, as well as building my marriage. (43 years now with the Original Husband.)

NOW, I'm happy to sit in a comfy airport lounge chair doing Sudoku. My BIL is, sadly, passed on. He never got to be "young".

OT, but I'm more concerned that the OP is spending a lot of time traveling between MIA and BOS, regardless of class or travel and lounge access, rather than spending time interacting with and learning from his student peers. Students get more out of college when they spend time around campus (in order to do stuff with other students) not in an airplane/airport/lounge. This is an investment in your future too.

I'm know I'm getting OT here but actually it might be a positive thing. If I had to do it all over again I would have not only worked harder but have been much more proactive with my career in my 20s. I knew nothing like a FL Lounge (and all that goes with it) existed. Had I, I might have been more serious about getting the type of job that would allow me to sit in a FL lounge. It's the motivation to worker not only harder but smarter.

DL was the first airline on which I had elite status due to the airline loyalty program use. After having been hit by enough of the DL program devaluations, I shoved most of my business with some exception over to AA and flew AA/Oneworld enough that I got Lifetime Platinum and had every intention of keeping AA as my primary airline program. But As AA gutted the value I got out of the AA loyalty program — with the AA fuel surcharge shenanigans on AA-issued award tickets being one of the last straws for me — I migrated away from AA. And as AA approached DL’s ways with the mileage program but flopped in more basic operational terms, my use for AA as an airline and AA’s program pushed me over into the “avoid AA unless there is a very good reason not to avoid it” crowd. And now I’m sort of back with DL because of AA being AA.

Definitely. I’m not throwing away my 20s- this is definitely not what I’m trying to accomplish here. OT but just so you have an idea, I have classes Monday through Friday all in the mornings. I’ve never been a morning person but I am now waking up early, fixing up my nutritional schedule, going to class and then having the entire afternoon free. Homework and projects aren’t that time consuming so I work on business related agendas. I fly to Miami a couple of times a month for the weekend, where I see friends and family there. I feel like I have a nice little system going here. I wasted so much time in high school just doing nothing and that even jeopardized my academics to the point that I didn’t end up in the college that I wanted to. I realized how that’s a bad habit and took it seriously to remedy it by keeping myself busy. I was living in London for a few months and I can’t even begin to explain how much time and money I threw away going out to nightclubs to seek validation from people that I don’t like or care about. I’m just filtering what’s worth my time and what isn’t, but I’m also not slaving my 20s away. I do enjoy having fun and by focusing on school and my business on those afternoons I clear up my weekends to do as I wish with the people that I value. I do appreciate the insight and I like to look in the long term, because I want the hard work that I’m putting in to pay off in the end. It’s never too early to get started with something, I disagree with anyone that tells me that you can only start your career after graduating from your bachelors degree. So I’m just doing what I can. Thank you for the insight, I appreciate it truly

I’m sorry for your loss, I do understand what you’re saying. I don’t equate being “young” to being irresponsible, and I feel like students my age look at college as their last opportunity to “let loose” before “adulting” hits them. I see it as otherwise. I was always more mature than my own age and I find it silly to go to parties every weekend, get absolutely wasted, make bad decisions, slack on academics, and rinse and repeat for 4 years. I do enjoy going to parties and doing fun things, but in moderation. I’ll involve myself with these activities, but I know when I feel as though I’m doing it too much. Sometimes it just so happens that everyone around me keeps on partying and then I’m left alone. I don’t feel the need to give my friends and peers these validation, as in I don’t really fall victim to peer pressure in these senses. I’m spending these years being as productive as possible because that’s just how I feel the best about myself. I want financial independence for my future and I know that the work I’m putting in today will take care of me in the future. But not to worry, I do live young- just not necessarily in the most general way. Thank you for the wisdom and the kind words, I do appreciate what you have to say especially given your first hand experience with issues like these.

You’re right, it definitely is an investment in my future and I do try to spend some time involving myself with the college community to get some of the college experience out of these years. However I also look at the bigger picture and I just see so much untapped opportunity that other people my age refuse to pursue because they think they need to graduate and get a degree first. While some are partying their weekends away, I’m trying to put work in that will set me apart from the rest. My father became very successful in healthcare and real estate by going against the grain at an early age (at around age 24 or 25 he opened his first business). Thank you for the insight, and I hope I don’t come off as some kind of know it all. I take in all of the advice being given on this thread and appreciate the insight of all of you. I really enjoy learning from people that have gone through issues like these in the past. Thank you again

amen! I work and study smart. I know I’m young but it feels like I could’ve done things with my time in the past that I chose not to do, and I’m taking 2020 to be a productive year that I can look back at and be proud of myself for whatever it is that I accomplish.

I remember the good ole' days when I flew all over the USA cheaply right after 9/11 as a young man. I was a silver elite with Northwest Airlines for three years, age 21 to 24, in the early 2000s, and I could get a Worldclub yearly membership for about $300. I loved making my own drinks, and the world clubs were very nice. That membership also gave me access to Crown Rooms and Continental Clubs. My upgrade percentage was about 75% even as a silver elite. I was CLT/GSO based, and I was flying all over the country in first class, usually on tickets that were less than $200, sometimes closer to $100. No EQD requirements and NW allowed for a lot of creative itineraries that had tons of miles without being much more expensive. Despite the horrible overall state of NW airlines financially during that time, I still received a lot of quality service from the NW employees. NW was an excellent operational airline and had the best on-time performance of all the legacies at the time. I admired the employees for doing their jobs in spite of what chainsaw Doug Steenland was doing. (One can debate that what he was doing was necessary to save the airline, even if his methods left something to be desired.) DTW was a newly opened palace and MEM was a fun place to connect and have some awesome BBQ. The good ole days!

Note: I strongly feel that one of the big reasons DL is so successful today is because they merged the operational excellence of NW with the customer service of DL. NW was bashed to a pulp back then, but if you wanted to get to your destination on time with your bag, they were most likely to do it! People forget that. I am still sometimes sad that NW is gone. They helped build my love of flying and traveling. I also loved getting on a DC9 and telling the person next to me that the plane was built in 1964!

I'm with you on that. I went my entire college career never ever drinking more than just a few small sips of alcohol, in fact I ditched it completely when I was 26. To this day I am a triple zero. No alcohol, no nicotine, no caffeine. (I seriously dislike coffee and Coca Cola.)

Yes, I focused on academics and still had a good time in college. I got my Masters from UCLA at the age of 23.

Back to the subject of airline lounges. At your age I had no clue how much my body would deteriorate in the next 40 years. I now have arthritis and have some difficulty walking. The days of having a great time roaming around the airport just to see what's there (shops, etc) are over. I go from Point A to Point B and minimize the time on my feet. I try to connect through DFW because they have electric carts that whisk me to where I need to be.

It sounds like you are on the right track, with a healthy personal life - college life - work life balance. I suggest you take time, occasionally, to reevaluate and see if adjustments in your time are necessary.

Finally, more advice. Do not underestimate the value of making a good selection of a life partner. One of the best and smartest things I ever did was stick with my then-boyfriend, now-husband. It's absolutely possible to go through life without an SO, but having the right SO makes a lot of little things a lot easier.

I agree, having the right SO can help a lot. I’ve been talking to a girl that really helps me keep my life together and gives me a sense of direction on bad days if that makes sense. At the same time people tell me to not get attached so soon because I’m young and she’s a year younger than me, but I do enjoy spending time with her and it’s definitely something that helps me stay in the right track. Thank you for the advice :)

Both Sky Clubs in Boston have bartenders and are not self-service. They are also currently renovating one of the clubs in Boston (it is still open during renovation) and are adding showers there, if that makes any difference to you.

Yes but those domestic lounges are crap compared to flagship lounges or the Centurion lounges.

Perfect, I’ll be visiting them in about a month when I fly Delta. Hopefully they’re not packed, but if they are I might just stick with AA and reluctantly buy the AC membership. I wish there was a Centurion lounge in Boston!

I would argue that the flagship and centurion lounges are still behind some first class lounges in Europe and Asia. The Cathay Pacific lounge in LHR is probably the nicest lounge I’ve ever been to.

Try the CX first in Hong Kong... its amazing... probably the best I have been too.
along with the first lounge in BOM...

Hard to *really* compare First Class lounges to business class lounges like the Flagship Lounge. Though supposedly AA's Flagship First Dining compares pretty favorably with global F lounges. That said, obviously as AA EXP you do get access to the OneWorld F lounges. But the bar is generally much higher for the best F lounges in the world (generally you have to be flying F or I think in some cases a more difficult top-tier like LH HON) like AF in CDG, LH in FRA/MUC and LX in ZRH, or even the BA Concorde room at LHR/JFK.
As far as J lounges go, I'd say the Virgin clubhouse at LHR (and its smaller cousin at JFK) is the best in the world, and actually on par with many OneWorld F lounges. If you switch to DL, you can use the Clubhouse when flying either VS or DL metal on a transatlantic flight to/from the UK, either in business class or as DL Plat/Diamond (or I think Gold outside of LHR).

I would recommend optimizing your credit card lounge access based on the airline you fly.

Boston on AA you have the admirals club but you also have priority pass restaurants which are available if non Amex priority pass. There is lots of good working space in BOS terminal B as it's underutilized. In terminal A at BOS with DL the terminal is crowded and the lounge is nice.

If I were in your shoes, I'd take the citi executive credit card and stick with AA. Maybe get a chase card or something else with priority pass and enjoy the PP restaurant in BOS terminal B.

You can also buy the membership with miles if you don't want to spend the cash.

Maybe its just me. But this thread just doesn't add up.

I wonder if those restaurants are on LoungeKey - I have a brazilian credit card with unlimited LK access so maybe it's the same offer. and I'd get the citi exec if getting approved isn't an issue although it might be because of citizenship issues. I might just get the AC membership though if I have issues with applying.

Yes, but it's also a bad use of miles in my opinion. I flew business class LHR-PHL-MIA with MileSAAver for like 57.5k miles + $300 or so. AC membership is 60k per year for PL, and that flight I took definitely costs more than $600

Why's that? I hope it's not because I'm young and I fly a lot.

That flight was a waste of miles, a 6-hour daytime flight LHR-PHL, no flagship lounge in PHL. You could have used those 57.5k miles for an annual AC pass and with the $300 you could have bought a roundtrip in coach Europe-MIA.

I think it is because you seem to be basing too much on lounges rather than the airline and its network.

well I see your point, but it was my cheapest way out of London. I had a flight booked coach and had to change the date, but the fare difference was going to cost $1500+ since it was last minute so I booked an award flight for those miles and $300 out of pocket and left the original flight as a no show. I then used the Centurion Lounge in PHL. I see what you mean but the price of the flight itself is far greater than the price of AC membership

In my somewhat limited experience, the AA club agents have had their ability to proactively help passengers reduced drastically in the last few years. I'm not an AC member, but before the downturn I would routinely buy a day pass when IRROPs started snowballing in order to get the improved service. In the last year or so, I still did that, with negligible results. The AC agents would routinely direct me to the gate agents or give me a number to call. "I don't have the ability to fix that..." Now it is no longer an issue since I have Skyclub access, and also in my still limited experience DL gate agents are as proactive and helpful as the AC agents ever were at their best. To be precise, I've experienced IRROPs twice since I switched to DL, and both times the gate agents, that I spoke to initially, aggressively and cheerfully solved the problem with better results than I expected.

So, in short, I totally agree with your experience regarding AC staff _as of several years ago_. In recent years, my experience has been different, I am sorry to say.

saunders111

I have been flying a lot on Delta lately as I won't connect to stay on AA and am NYC based. I'm not sure how Delta does what it does, but the attitude of employees is noticeably better - I'm reguallry told "thank you" for your business by check-in agents and FAs. On my Delta regional yesterday from LGA to Savannah there was a mechanical problem after boarding - Delta literally sent a SWAT team of mechanics to the plane who were breathless by the time the situation was solved - departed 10 minutes late. On AA this would have taken god knows how long. Delta and AA just have a fundamental difference in what they want their companies to be. Delta bet that they could create a brand that people are willing to pay more to fly - I bet Doug Parker thought Delta was crazy when they set out on this strategy - but it's obviously working. However, as a paid J flyer with my travel patterns AA works very, very well.