First may I say many thanks for the kind response. There is an AA flight that has reasonable timing, but more expensive. It also poses a risk of delay into SLC with potential impact to the recheck scenario and also includes the dreaded CJ700 with limited bin space further delaying the SLC dance (I'm traveling with a carry on needing overhead). My last experience with QF F lounge was interesting in that the agent did a very thorough check of my status before allowing me in, confirming my status and also acknoledging that I was a JL F passenger thus granted access anyway; but that was a departure, not arrival...

Cheers,

-Cyborg

Ok, so I am looking at flying LAX-DFW-HND (and secured a JAL F ticket on the A350!!). I probably will take one of the red-eyes to DFW, but I am wondering if either will give me access to QF First Lounge. I can either take the LAX-DFW that leaves just before midnight the day before my DFW-HND, or the one that leaves shortly after midnight on the day of my DFW-HND. The goal will for both segments to be on the same reservation. I also have AA Plat Pro.

Would either of these qualify?

For the QF lounges, no. Your international flight has to leave before 6am the following day. If it's the same itinerary then AA would probably let you into the FL. I've done it before on the same flight you're talking about but was connecting to AA's HND flight, not JL.

That's an awful red-eye flight BTW, I wouldn't want to do it again. Don't think I slept at all, doing it again I'd rather take an earlier flight and get a hotel at DFW.

I kinda figured that might be the case. I’d probably drop into the FL, but I’ve never been too impressed with LAX or DFW.

I actually don’t want to sleep too much on the LAX-DFW flight. I’ll rest a bit, but the goal is to get a few hours of sleep on the DFW-HND flight. I did the same thing last time (on the 777), and it worked pretty well.

I haven't come across a nuance such as that. Is that an AAdvantage thing?

The only oneworld relevance is the "connecting flights" rule which would imply access, although the Qantas Lounge staff sometimes are a rule unto themselves.

It would not hurt to try however, should you go the red-eye route.

Yes it's a OW policy, it's in both the Status access and Business / First access rules:
https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounge-results

This is the posted rules for status members:
If the OP's status was from a non-North American carrier then they would get access regardless on a domestic ticket, however for AA and AS status members, it's only for same day international or before 6am the following day, which doesn't work for the redeye. AA FL was more generous with me when I had that same connection last year (to the AA metal flight, not the JL flight) but the QF lounge was an absolute flat No Way Jose!, bye bye Mr. AA status member. (They have a pretty clear disdain for AA status people).

But the OP said they aren't a fan of the LAX and DFW Flagship Lounges. Unfortunately on that flight with AA status that's the only option (hopefully). But honestly I find both of them to be perfectly fine. They're better than a lot of other OW hub lounges around the world. Definitely better than RJ in AMM, and BA's business lounges at LHR, I'd say a toss up with BA's F lounge, I'd also say better than JL's J and F lounges, I think JL lacks in food selection even in the F lounge and definitely doesn't have the wide array of alcohol that the AA FL's have. I was also a *A flyer for many years and there aren't any *G lounges that are as good as the AA FL's, not even the TK one that everyone raved about. Some of the LH / LX Senator Lounges are on par for liquor but definitely not even close for food, so I do wonder what the metric is for disliking the LAX and DFW FL? It's one of the areas that I actually think AA does a pretty good job.

It's the wrong rule - this is Class of Service based access (The JAL flight out of DFW in First). The connection is same day at DFW; 6am does not come into it.

See point 4 in this thread's wiki:
From the oneworld Lounge Access Page:

The Flagship Lounges are generally pretty good. For sure better than any of the BA J lounges, LAX *G and the LH J lounges I have been to.

Food is decent, and the selection of drinks is pretty good. However, for LAX FL, I wouldn't really arrive early just to be in the lounge, though I definitely would arrive early for the QF F lounge. In DFW, to be honest, I think the Capital One lounge (when it isn't packed) is just as good as the FL. What it lacks in drink selection, it makes up for in atmosphere and food.

It's been a while since I've been to the one in ORD, but I remember having a great experience there. Haven't been to the one in MIA, and really want to go to the Greenwich and Soho in JFK.

The redeye flight that's being referenced is not the same day as the DFW-HND flight, it departs LAX before midnight. I do see the 6am rule in the quote you posted. YMMV but I was definitely refused access to the QF lounge when I flew on that same route and they read out the 6am rule word by word.


Only one I haven't been to is MIA, I think the others all all about equally good. The new JFK SoHo lounge is quite good, I think overall it's better than the FL's but I don't like that the bar isn't self service. Also the table ordering system wasn't working when I was there, it said you had ordered something and showed the confirmation on my phone but the food and drinks never came. I had to ask a waiter for the order. I haven't had access to the Chelsea yet, I was supposed to one time but my connecting flight from JFK was cancelled and I had to go to LGA in a hurry for the flight they moved me to.

As I indicated:
It is unfortunate you came across that. You should have had access as the connection is not at LAX; so any reference to a 6am rule would be irrelevant.

It's no different from flying in from Europe or Asia where that departure could be the day before the DFW connection.

I wonder how they'd interpret the rules with AA971, departing 00:48?

Because it's a domestic flight that's not the same day or before 6am the next? And my status is with AA. If I had BA, IB, AY, QR, JL, MH status, you're correct access would have been incorrectly denied because they get access on AS and AA domestic flights, irrespective of international connection. But for domestic flights both AA and AS status holders are discriminated against if their international flight isn't the same day or before 6am the next day. That's just the way it is and I've resigned to that. The OP on that question was also an AA status holder, subject to the same rules / discrimination.

I challenge you to go to that same QF lounge in LAX, try to get in on the AA redeye that leaves just before midnight (with AA / AS status or no status and only a business class ticket), connecting to JL or AA in DFW to TYO and see if you get any further with them. There are plenty of data points in this thread, it's not happening. That seems to be one of the most stringent lounges in the system. The RJ lounge in AMM seems to be nearly as bad by denying entry to their own connecting business class passengers until 3 hours before departure (also very well documented in the forums).

No issues with access this morning before a Flagship Business flight LAX-JFK. Itinerary also includes JFK-LHR on BA, but I wasn't asked for that boarding pass (passport requested).

Thankyou for the data point.

Still, my opinion is generally the T4 F/L has better F&B.

also got access to QF flying F on AA transcon. Agent (not John) said AA 3 class transcon to BOS, JFK and MIA get access in F

Presumably they'd also get access to the Qantas First Lounge. Note: this should be as per rules, but there have been many anecdotes of that being denied.