Admirals Club Benefits - Worth it? (consolidated)
Jul 3, 2017, 11:15 am
#166
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
Completely.
I was there on Sunday and quite literally every single seat was taken, I got lucky as a single person was leaving as I entered. What's open right now is the space that used to be the International First Class lounge. The remainder of the club is closed. Not sure what their long-term plans are for the remainder of the space, now that they're creating the Dining and Flagship lounges too. But then they are taking over the old Delta lounge in T5 so that will be a good option to have when it opens.
I was there on Sunday and quite literally every single seat was taken, I got lucky as a single person was leaving as I entered. What's open right now is the space that used to be the International First Class lounge. The remainder of the club is closed. Not sure what their long-term plans are for the remainder of the space, now that they're creating the Dining and Flagship lounges too. But then they are taking over the old Delta lounge in T5 so that will be a good option to have when it opens.
What a difference between this month and last months visit to the LAX Red Carpet Club as we were flying United. Huge club, lots of space, complimentary bubbles, more food options and we only had access due to the fact that we were flying international business to Mexico (no such access to the AC under identical circumstances).
Jul 6, 2017, 1:44 pm
#167
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PIT
Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Silver, Fantasy Football Champ
Posts: 72
Discount?
With the benefit through the Citi Prestige card ending this month, I plan to buy the lounge access. $500 for Platinum. Just wondering if anyone knows of a coupon code to get the cost a little lower. They have an option for the discount code. Thank you!
Jul 6, 2017, 7:44 pm
#168
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
You can apply for and receive the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard for $450 annual fee. That provides you a full membership to the AC, so you can use the lounge even when you are not flying on AA.
Jul 7, 2017, 3:18 pm
#170
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: AAdvantage EXPLAT, Hilton Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Citi Exec MC, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,443
on top of that, your authorized users also get access to the admirals clubs, each with 2 of their own guests and they can be flying any airline.
Jul 11, 2017, 4:02 am
#171
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
To help me understand (related to Biggie Fries' question): nrr, what variety of Citigold pertained to your case? I think we might have up to 4 hypothetical ways to get Citigold-like benefits:
(1) Come in with no Citi status and use an in-branch offer that "magically" provides Citigold benefits on a given card (how some people, including me, got the Prestige for $350).
(2) Come in with Citigold status on an existing card via (1), and see if that enables using an in-branch Citigold offer for a new card.
(3) Have a history of qualifying "normally" for Citigold (deposits, etc.) in the past, but no longer meet current requirements, and be grandfathered.
(4) The obvious: Meet current standard Citigold requirements and be indisputably Citigold.
What do we know about which of the above can get the Executive for $350, and how?
When I asked in a branch, noting my Prestige reflecting Citigold (though I have no Citi deposits), they gave a printout on the Executive showing "$350 for Citigold" but said they couldn't process that for me unless I became a full Citigold with deposits.
The printout indicates that, if nothing else, case (4) should work in-branch. The response I got suggests that (1) and (2) don't work at least at that branch.
Any other data?
(1) Come in with no Citi status and use an in-branch offer that "magically" provides Citigold benefits on a given card (how some people, including me, got the Prestige for $350).
(2) Come in with Citigold status on an existing card via (1), and see if that enables using an in-branch Citigold offer for a new card.
(3) Have a history of qualifying "normally" for Citigold (deposits, etc.) in the past, but no longer meet current requirements, and be grandfathered.
(4) The obvious: Meet current standard Citigold requirements and be indisputably Citigold.
What do we know about which of the above can get the Executive for $350, and how?
When I asked in a branch, noting my Prestige reflecting Citigold (though I have no Citi deposits), they gave a printout on the Executive showing "$350 for Citigold" but said they couldn't process that for me unless I became a full Citigold with deposits.
The printout indicates that, if nothing else, case (4) should work in-branch. The response I got suggests that (1) and (2) don't work at least at that branch.
Any other data?
Oh, well -- for 75,000 less-and-less valuable AA RDMs, and (to get back to the topic of this thread) Admirals Club admission for family for one more year, I can live with this. Without the 75,000 RDMs in amortization ... I don't know. Will worry about that next year this time.