Mexicana OneWorld Lounge Access
 

Hi All,

I am a Platinum on AA, and was reading the lounge access for one world and it says the following:

1. American Airlines AAdvantage® Program: American Airlines AAdvantage® Program members, regardless of their tier status, may not use lounges when travelling on solely North American itineraries (defined as within or between the USA, Canada, Mexico [except Mexico City], the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean). In these cases, access rules are governed by American Airlines' own rules (ie paid lounge-access membership).

Does that mean that I can use the lounge during my flight from LAX - MEX - CUN and back from CUN - LAX?

It sounds like it's meant for us flying on AA, but I'm not really sure.

Also, does our status automatically get updated with Mexicana? I booked a flight a couple of weeks ago and am curious if I can get preferred seats now.

Thanks....
Rez

My feeling is that access by tier status is governed by the airline the passenger has status with. I doubt AA will pay MX for lounge usages by AA members flying MX instead of AA. Many AA members will choose to fly MX then.

You should still have access by COS on MX though.

This means that you will have lounge access in LAX and MEX (and CUN, I suppose) for your outbound leg since you are flying outside of the zone defined as North America (OP quoted, above), i.e., through MEX.

On the return, you are flying a North American leg, thus you will not have access to a lounge at either CUN or LAX.

HOWEVER, if you have OW Sapphire or Emerald status with any other OW airline, you would qualify for lounge access for the whole itinerary.

COS does not change these rules except on transcon flights.Perhaps, and supposing OP is flying J.

See my lounge access wizard here.

I suppose MX allows business class passengers to have lounge access. If so, AA members should still have lounge access by COS (even though not by status) on MX flights. In the worst case, a J passenger can remove the AA membership info, and have lounge access just like a normal J passenger without any FF programme affiliation.

In fact, this is true; see this link. However, OP never said which cabin (s)he is flying.

I'm flying in Y. :(

I actually purchased the tickets hoping that we might still be able to use the lounge. So, the consensus is that we'd be able to use it in LAX and MEX, but maybe not in CUN on the way back.

That would work perfectly since we have a 3 hour layover in MEX.

Thanks!

Will I still have lounge access in Los Angeles even-though there is no dedicated MX lounge in LAX? There is a QF/BA/CX lounge. Will I have access??

Thanks!
Reza

You should have access as per OneWorld rules and assuming you have access to the relevant terminal with your BP.

I will be leaving out of the international terminal (bradley) which is where the cx/qf/ba lounge is. So, its good to know that I will have access to their lounge.

Thanks!

Update
 

Just to let everyone know. We checked in at LAX and were told that we could use the One World lounge at Tom Bradley. Once we arrived at the lounge the staff stated that we could not use the lounge because Mexicana had their own lounge and that they do not pay the One World lounge for our access and that we should try Mexicana's lounge.

We went downstairs to Mexicana's lounge and were told we would not have access there unless Mexicana gave us a little card which stated we have acess to their lounge.

So, in the end we were not able to access either lounge, and it was getting late, so we just went to the gate. Mexicana's Employees just don't seem to know exactly what they are doing.

In Mexico City we had no problem accessing the lounge.

Were you attempting to access the lounge(s) at LAX based on your airline program elite status? If so, which program and status level? Or were you attempting lounge access based on the class of service being flown on a same-day Mexicana flight to Mexico City?

This is contrary to oneworld lounge access rules for AA Sapphire passengers:Did the Lounge agent not know that MX is now a oneworld carrier?

AA Platinum as per post #1 and in WHY as per post #6.

This is awful! When people do online check-in they have no access to the invitation card from agents. Does this mean that premium pax would then have no lounge access at all? It makes no sense that MX pax cannot access the OneWorld lounge. Is this still the case?

Beware of the Mexicana at MEX
 

Apropos the OW lounge at LAX, there should be no problem accessing the OW lounge (for Sapphire or Emerald members), regardless of the class they are flying on MX. FYI I did so last weekend.

Am in MEX today for an onward flight to South America and was shocked to find that the Mexicana lounge (up on the 3rd floor with a out-of-order elevator) actually charges money for food & alcoholic drinks, even for Emerald passengers flying MX/J! Happily, the AA Admirals Club one floor down has no such issues!