Hi

is there a list of the One World airport lounges (I think there are about 340)?
Also as an AA EXP and OneWorld Emerald do I have access to all the OneWorld lounges? Are there any circumstances under which I would be denied access e.g. not flying on a OW airline, flying in Economy etc

many thanks

You have to be travelling with an OW airline to use the lounges. Class of travel is irrelevant

As an AA member you cannot use lounges in the US unless travelling internationally that day.

I don't know where there is a list of lounges

Dave

You have access to all oneWorld lounges, First Class if available (AA's Flagship Lounges) and Business Class otherwise (AA's Admirals Clubs) if you are departing on a oneWorld flight on that day.

You do not have to be departing on a flight of the airline whose lounge you want to use. You don't have to be departing from the airport at which the lounge is located, so you can use it on arrival as well - subject to immigration, etc., restrictions on access to its location.

The major exception is that AA members based in North America have access to AA lounges only when they are on an itinerary that takes them outside the North American zone. Access in this case includes the points of origin of connecting flights to the international gateway, even if those flights are entirely within the North American zone.

Not every oneWorld agent at every airport knows all the rules. Have your card with you and, if possible, some documentation (perhaps a printout of the oneWorld or AA web page) to show if necessary.

"You do not have to be departing on a flight of the airline whose lounge you want to use. You don't have to be departing from the airport at which the lounge is located, so you can use it on arrival as well - subject to immigration, etc., restrictions on access to its location."

Agreed, you can use any OW lounge as long as travelling on a OW carrier, however access based on OW sapphire/emerald status is only permitted when departing from that airport on a OW flight. Access is not available for arrivals.

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave Noble (edited 05-08-2002).]

There are a few airports where the OneWorld carrier shares an airport lounge. You can be denyed status there if not traveling on the carrier in the qualifying cabin. For example, we flew out of Naples in March on BA in coach. We are both Platinum on AA. We were denied admittance to the lounge as we were not in business. The attendant showed us a letter, stating that it was not a BA lounge, and therefore BA was free to set its own qualifying criteria to use it.

So for someone who was BA gold, Qantas Platinum, or CX Diamond who was traveling on American Airlines from BOS to ORD, wouldn't s/he have access to both Admirals Club at LGA on departure and at ORD on arrival?

The entitlement would be to use the Boston Flagship lounge ( or the AC if they so desired ) only. On arrival at ORD they would have no lounge entitlement. I'm not sure where LGA comes into it. If they were flying from Boston to Chicago via LGA, then they would also be entitled to use the LGA one prior to departure

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave Noble (edited 05-08-2002).]

Sorry, I made a mistake. My post should havesaid that the passenger, when flying from BOS to ORD, should have access to both Admirals Clubs at both BOS and ORD. On arrival at ORD, wouldn't the passenger be allowed to enter the ORD Admirals Club? I thought that the rule was that one would have access to a oneworld airline lounge on the day of travel if travel is on a oneworld airline.

Depending on class of travel and which airline you are flying you may not get access to all OW lounges. Example, as a oneworld Emerald card holder you should get access to all first class lounges. However at LHR & JFK, unless you are flying Concorde or BA First you will not have access to the Concorde room (tried this recently when flying QF in first from JFK to LAX). BA has separate First lounges at LHR & JFK to which other passengers are directed. Another case in point is LAX. BA & QF have now allocated one of the lounges to be only for first class passengers. When I was there recently some J class passengers who were QF Platinum were turned away and told there was another lounge for Emerald status card holders (was one of the old J lounges I believe).

Not so, based on multiple recent personal experiences. I have used Flagship Lounges at BOS, ORD, DFW and LHR on arrival. (LHR requires a pass through the flight connections security check and a stamp on your arriving boarding pass.)

A careful reading of the rules will confirm that they say nothing about the lounge you use having to be at your departure airport.

Also, my usual route to Europe, time permitting, is BOS-ORD-LHR (or -CDG) for the extra miles. I have always been admitted to the BOS Flagship Lounge even though my international leg departs from ORD.

I have heard of one person who, on domestic trips, would buy a refundable ticket on any international flight departing from his real destination so he would appear to be on an international itinerary and therefore able to use the Flagship Lounge at his originating airport. The ethics of this approach aside, the reason it works is that you do not have to be at your international departure point to use it, as long as you're on an international itinerary on that day.

AA may allow you into the lounge as an AA member on arrival, but it is not an entitlement. Try getting into a BA one on arrival at Heathrow.

When going BOS-ORD-LHR , as an AA member you are entitled access at BOS since you are travelling internationally the same day. A OW Emerald member , other than an AA one, would be allowed access just travelling BOS-ORD regardless.

A careful reading will show that it is only at an airport where you are departing from. Again, try getting into a BA one at JFK if you are actually travelling out of EWR. No chance.

From the One World web site

Access to airline lounges

"The oneworld alliance airlines provide over 340 lounges across the globe. If you are a top-tier member of one of our frequent flyer programs, you will have access to our lounges prior to departure.

At peak periods, access to certain lounges may be restricted due to capacity constraints. Access is available on the day of departure when your next onward flight is with a oneworld member airline. Access may not apply at a limited number of third-party-operated lounges. "

I think that that is fairly specific on the matter.

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave Noble (edited 05-09-2002).]

We have multiple sources of information, each apparently official, contradicting each other. From AA's EXP Membership Guide, p. 22:

"Your Emerald symbol on your AAdvantage Executive Platinum card is your key to added comfort and luxury when you travel internationally [defined in footnote] with any of our oneworld airlines. On the day of your oneworld flight, you will be welcome at more than 340 exclusive airline lounges in the oneworld network..."

No mention anywhere, including parts I didn't bother retyping, of access being limited to airports from which your international flights, or any other flights, depart.

Since different versions of the rules say different things, I'd suggest finding a set of rules you like and carrying a copy. For me, that's the set quoted above.

I think this point has been sufficiently belabored. I don't plan to post on it any more. I also plan to continue to use Flagship Lounges on arrival as I have consistently in the past. If anyone else doesn't want to join me there - it's his or her loss. (I must confess to never having tried to use a BA lounge, or any other lounge, at JFK while planning to fly out of EWR. No lounge, with the possible exception of a transplanted version of CX Wings from Hong Kong, is nice enough to get me to go to JFK if I don't have to.)

just one follow-up question on this...I forgot to ask - but can "I bring a friend" if they are travelling with me (but do not have any standing with OW)?

thanks again
p.s. shame there isn't a list of the lounges - wonder what the secret is?

"(I must confess to never having tried to use a BA lounge, or any other lounge, at JFK while planning to fly out of EWR. No lounge, with the possible exception of a transplanted version of CX Wings from Hong Kong, is nice enough to get me to go to JFK if I don't have to.)"

I don't doubt that you have managed to get into AA lounges on arrival and it is possible that it is a benefit that AA extends to its members. I would bet money that you wouldn't get into QF/BA or CX departure lounges on arrival nor into one at another airport. Try it at LHR one day, their 1st lounge is much micer than the AA FL.

Dave

1 guest is permitted.

You could check each OW airlines list of lounges. AA lists theirs, QF lists location of Qantas Clubs, hidden on BAs site is a list of theirs and I guess that CX et al list theirs

Dave