Do you really mean that you were allowed in the Flagship lounge in Miami when flying only domestic sectors?

I was allowed in the Flagship lounge (where I met Ozzie thanks to my gaudy yellow FlyerTalk luggage tag) early this month on arriving in first on a 3 class flight from LAX. The following morning, I again used it before boarding my flight to SXM in biz. It is my understanding that flying the premium first class transcon flights entitles any of us to use the Flagship Lounge.

"Do you really mean that you were allowed in the Flagship lounge in Miami when flying only domestic sectors?"

As a Qf Platinum ( or anyone with a Emerald status card from a carrier other than AA ) there is entitlement to use AAs Flagship lounges when travelling on any OW flight. It is only AA which puts restrictions in place on its own members in order to try and scam them for a few hundred dollars in AC membership fees.

Dave

Yes, yes. We all know you don't like AA.

But we're talking about Flagship Lounges here. AA doesn't sell a membership card for FL access, so your argument doesn't apply.

Plato90s,

From Dave Noble's answer I cannot infer whether Dave likes/dislikes AA. Yet, what he states in this thread is absolutely correct, one may like it or not.

All OW Top Elite Customers EMERALD (but AA's) -and QF Platinum is an example, are in fact allowed entrance to any OW FIRST class Lounge, whenever their next flight is aboard a OW service.

It's usually a shock for the average ExecPlatinum AAdvantage member to find out that other OW Top Elite Customers are allowed entrance to their preferred Airline First Class Lounge whenever they fly any AA route while AA best customers are kept outside, unless they choose to pay a membership and given entrance only to the Business Class Lounge.

[This message has been edited by pb9997 (edited 09-19-2002).]

Whether I like or dislike AA is not really relevant to the validity of my answer and the argument does apply

I see no reason why AA ( and UA over on the Star side ) inhibit lounge access to their premium members other than as a attempt to get extra money out of them for lounge memberships. All other OW sapphire members get business ( Admirals Club with AA ) lounge access and all other OW Emerald Members are entitled to 1st ( Flagship Lounge with AA ) lounge access REGARDLESS of itinery as long as their departing flight is on a OW carrier.

If AA had not put that the "international only" restriction in place for free lounge access, then AA EXP members would be entitled to Flagship Lounge access on domestic flights just like all other OW Emerald members rather than be limited to paid AC access .

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave Noble (edited 09-20-2002).]

As much as I agree with you Dave, I don't think it is AA's choice .... isn't there a law in the US requiring them to charge ?

I believe there is some law requiring that they allow people to pay to join, I wasn't aware that they couldn't give it out compliementary to people. If they had to charge to meet the law, they could just charge $1 since they are obviously allowed differential charging ( compare costs between regular, gold, platinum, exp )

Dave

I guess Delta shouldnt give out CRC membership with Plat if there were a law.

Christian

Yes Dave, that must be what I was thinking of. I think all the clubs were originally for FFs only, but then when the law was introduced requiring them to allow people to pay, most of the US airlines just made everyone pay.

The only lounge membership AA sells is for the Admiral's Club. AC members don't have access to the FL.

Since AA can't collect revenue by selling memberships to the FL, how is your original argument (that AA is trying to "scam" us for membership fees) relevant?

As for non-AA oneWorld Emerald access, it's a simple extrapolation. Free FC lounge access when outside your home nation.

The fact that no other oneWorld member has a domestic network worth speaking of is the only thing confusing you. Since they don't have many domestic flights, other oneWorld carriers don't bother with the distinction. The spirit of the rule is clear to me.

This is a ludicrous statement - Qantas serves around 70 destinations in Australia. BA serves 39 destinations in the UK.

If non AA emerald passengers such as Qantas are allowed FL access during domestic only flights, what is the policy for AA EXP passengers domiciled outside USA.

After checking the QF route map for Australia, it appears the vast majority of those routes are served by partners, not QF. Out of some 20 domestic routes from Sydney, only 1/3rd of them are QF.

AA serves 46 destinations in the NE US alone.

Destination * frequency = total # of flights.

AA >>> BA+QF combined

AA doesn't serve as many location as other airlines, but it does carry more pax than any other airline.

Plato90s,

You're stretching definitions too much.

AA considers domestic what is not domestic. Let's take a look : US + Canada + Mexico + Caribbean. We're well beyond borders.

This way BA/IB should annex all Europe and perhaps the North of Africa to act accordingly. Had these European Careers do this one could at least argue they're within the EEC, where there may be freedom for citizens of Portugal/Spain to go all the way to Germany/Italy. At least in Europe there's only one Currency !

But if no arguments are needed then QF should annex New Zealand and perhaps the Southeast of Asia ?

Your argument is too flimsy. AA charges because AA wants to and North Americans accept.

And by the way Lounges worldwide, except the North Americans have a nice atmosphere with food and drinks being offered. We all know that though most of the US AA Lounges are nicely decorated they offer basically water, coffee and soft beverages.

Sometimes it's better not to dig up a topic.

[This message has been edited by pb9997 (edited 09-20-2002).]