I and my wife travelled first class from LHR to Miami and were connecting to MSY by AA in first class. I am EXP and we walked into the Flagship lounge at Miami. On showing my credentials the receptionist refused me entry saying that I travelled by BA and hence need to have a BA issued oneworld emerald card. She refused to accept my AA EXP card. I had to get the supervisor who correctly interpreted the rules and allowed us entry. It took 40 minutes after a long flight. The receptionist was unapologetic and said that we are welcome to go elsewhere. This is my worst experience of two years as an EXP. Whom do I complain to?

Miami doesnt seem to be a friendly place. There was a similar problem complained about in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum71/HTML/011417.html with access to the Miami Lounges.

Dave


[This message has been edited by Dave Noble (edited 09-10-2002).]

Contrast this to LHR where I had my wife and two brothers with me - we were all on VIPOW's from Y and she half heartedly told us that we should go to the A club and I look sheepish and she let us in. She did recognize me from my solo F travels, but still this was a nice accommodation that was not required. I would not have been in the least offended if she had limited me to one guest - MIA has never been at the top of my list.

Since you were all travelling in Business class, you were all entitled to access to the lounge by virtue of this.

Dave

Yes I could use the A Club, but how did a biz ticket qualify us for the Flagship lounge?

[This message has been edited by B Watson (edited 09-10-2002).]

In my experience, as a plain AA EXP without AAdmirals Club membership, you are not entitled to use the Flagship lounge if you are not travelling on the next flight in International premium class with them. Coming in on BA does not count. Yes, you would need an Oneworld Emerald card from another partner in order to access the Flagship lounge if you are flying domestic.

" Yes I could use the A Club, but how did a biz ticket qualify us for the Flagship lounge?"

I misunderstood what you posted. I didnt realise that you meant that you went to the Flagship Lounge but the Admirals Club. Rereading it now, I see.

Seems like they were just being civilised unlike how some of the AA lounges in the US, ime, can be.

Was it a quiet day in there perchance?

Dave

When lounges in the US have been trying to not let me in with a platinum Qantas card (Emerald), the mantra that they spiel is that you have to have to be connecting to or from an international flight. Given that all Emeralds other than AA ones are entitled regardless, I have assumed that this was the AA rule and so the person should have been entitled to access when connecting in from an international flight with BA in the same way that a domestic F ticket allows access when it is part of a business/first international journey that day.

The wording on the AA website does also lend itself towards this interpretation where it says "access on the day of travel to the airline lounges of all the oneworld alliance carriers when traveling internationally (excluding Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean)". A domestic portion of an international journey would fit this wording quite aptly


Dave

Guy Betsy,

With all due respect I completely disagree from your understanding of the rules.

This passenger is travelling international using OneWorld Carriers and the next flight is with a OneWorld Carrier.

Per AA rules, once the passenger is an AAdvantage member, Europe is considered International so all the above aplies.

As a Platinum AAdvantage member the Passenger is entitled to any OW Business Class Lounge of his choice, esp. AA-Admirals Club and as a Exec.Platinum AAdvantage member the passenger is entitled to any OW First Class Lounge of his choice, esp AA-Flagship.

These rules are published in brochures, websites and in the AA system. For reference on what codes to have the AA reps look in their system please refer to the thread below.

For further and detailed information on the confusion and mess AA staff is when the subject is access to Lounges please read
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum71/HTML/007011.html

It boils down to the fact that it took days for AA management to realize their error and their poor knowledge of the rules. Probably there still is poor knowledge in the System.

What really disapoints me is the fact that some AA reps (some of them senior) keep claiming to not know the rules of their own company but gladly offer their services to enroll ourselves as members of the Admirals Club, paying a membership.

Personally I've never more been hassled with these shameful situations. Were I in this passenger shoes I'd certainly write to Customer Service, at least to get them aware.

It happens on the BA side as well. I got to MIA VERY early for MIA-MAD, expecting a ticketing nightmare which actually took 20 minutes to complete. So, not exactly impressed with the MIA FL I decided to check out the BA Terraces lounge. The receptionist ABSOLUTELY did not want to let me in. Her comment upon seeing my ticket and EXP card was, "Are you flying BA today? I can't find your ticket/boarding pass... sorry but you'll need to go to the AA lounge, this is for BA passengers only."

When I explained the benefit we all know so well she sighed, pulled out the plastic OneWorld cards, and looked through them while telephoning a supervisor. I saw the tier/status rules on the back of the last page and pointed it out to her, she turned it over to find exactly what I'd told her was true, but STILL made me wait while she checked . Eventually she waved me over to the right hand side entrance. The entrance to the left was closed and rather dark. I got the impression that it was the F lounge but only the J lounge was open at the moment and she didn't want to bother opening the other side for a 'lowly' AA passenger. For the record, I much preferred the BA lounge to even the AA FL.

And to think that I still get turned away when they see my Gold (Sapphire) Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Card because they think that the 2 letter code for Cathay is "CP"!

I have to keep pointing it out to them as they type in "CP". Once I was yelled at by the Admirals Club agent (I think it was in LAX) that she knew what she was doing and I better not 'stick' my neck over the desk as it's a 'security issue'!

" 'stick' my neck over the desk as it's a 'security issue'"

Ahh...American Airlines new stock phrase to enable them to make journeys as unpleasant as possible and a great encouragement to avoid them.

Dave

CP=Canadi>n, no? Indeed, a former OneWorld partner, think THAT is why you're getting so much flack?

I've always enjoyed the Miami flagship lounge ... never had any trouble with access on my QF Platinum card, even when flying domestic. I've found the staff there to be fantastic - ?? Maybe I've just been lucky !

of course. since your emerald card is not from AA