Apr 30, 2016, 12:36 pm
Last edit by: Server
OCTOBER 2016 UPDATE
LAX-JFK TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS:
1. Same day turns possible on the E-jets and morning 738s.
2. Bonuses now based on fare paid.
3. As of OCTOBER 2016, best fares are now around $1000. Fare tends to rise a few hundred for 2 pax. Fares can also occasionally rise for no discernible reason, but the price spikes have thus far proven to be temporary. Fares have the trend to drop during the year. Keep checking for fares in the $700-$800 ranges for best possible pricing.
4. Airport hotels with shuttles - Crowne Plaza Panama Airport & Riande Aeropuerto. The CP is slightly closer; the Riande is slightly nicer. The CP shuttle leaves the hotel every :00 and :30 and runs 24 hours but they seem to leave a few minutes early as it had left when I went down at 4:00AM on the dot. Also, note UberX charges a US$14 surcharge on top of the ~US$2 fare. CP has poor sound isolation, I could hear my neighbors on both sides including talking, crying baby etc. Had to wear earplugs to sleep.
5. Lounges:
Please refer to this thread for more detailed and accurate information on lounge access in general: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1656378-help-desk-will-i-have-lounge-access-access-rules-2016-a.html
6. PTY Customs:
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
If you want the transcon bonus, enter the search with a connection in JFK. (e.g. LAX-JFK,JFK-MIA,MIA-PTY,PTY-JFK,JFK-SFO.) You can play around from there to get the best deal. Some of the better deals do not start and end in the same city (e.g. start in LAX, end in SFO may be cheaper than start/end in LAX).
Also, it's possible on the outbound portion to time it so you have no more than a 60-minute layover at JFK or MIA (though note that some of these flights aren't available on weekends). While yes, JFK is notorious for delays, this rarely applies for inbound red-eye flights. Also, note that AA 28 below is sometimes "hidden" if you're looking on Google Flights inside a much more expensive trip; that does not necessarily mean, however, that you can't get it for one of the trips under $1,000 (in other words, try it out to see).
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
Below is the shortest-possible outbound itinerary that has the LAX-JFK transcon on AA's A321T with flat-bed seats:
LAX-JFK on AA 28
10:45pm - 7:22am
JFK-MIA on AA 200
8:15am - 11:24am
(Note: AA has now switched all of the metal it used on this leg - on all JFK-MIA nonstops - to 757s instead of the 767s with international-style F & J seating.)***767 and 772 are back. Flight 200 is a 772**
MIA-PTY on AA 4434
12:33pm - 2:48pm
(Note: Even more distressingly, AA switched from using a 737 on this leg to an RJ, presumably because summer is off-peak season in Central America. The 6:05pm flight still uses a 737 if a full-size aircraft is a must.)
LAX-JFK TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS:
Recent fare rule inclusions, effective October 2016, now prevent any routing via JFK on the non-stop transcontinental A321T aircraft. Any future booking will demand a significantly higher fare to route on the non-stops via JFK. Unless the fare rules are modified and these clauses are removed (highly doubtful), the ability to fly on the transcons via JFK is a thing of the past.
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN LAX AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
AND
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN SFO AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
AND
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN SFO AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
1. Same day turns possible on the E-jets and morning 738s.
2. Bonuses now based on fare paid.
3. As of OCTOBER 2016, best fares are now around $1000. Fare tends to rise a few hundred for 2 pax. Fares can also occasionally rise for no discernible reason, but the price spikes have thus far proven to be temporary. Fares have the trend to drop during the year. Keep checking for fares in the $700-$800 ranges for best possible pricing.
4. Airport hotels with shuttles - Crowne Plaza Panama Airport & Riande Aeropuerto. The CP is slightly closer; the Riande is slightly nicer. The CP shuttle leaves the hotel every :00 and :30 and runs 24 hours but they seem to leave a few minutes early as it had left when I went down at 4:00AM on the dot. Also, note UberX charges a US$14 surcharge on top of the ~US$2 fare. CP has poor sound isolation, I could hear my neighbors on both sides including talking, crying baby etc. Had to wear earplugs to sleep.
5. Lounges:
Please refer to this thread for more detailed and accurate information on lounge access in general: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1656378-help-desk-will-i-have-lounge-access-access-rules-2016-a.html
LAX AIRPORT
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is simply departing/connecting/arriving at any point on same ticket to and from an eligible international destination. PTY is eligible and not excluded regardless of length.
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on class of service disregarding status, it is the international long haul clause that applies. Therefore, no "oneworld/QF lounge" access for non-elites for trips to and from PTY unless booking transcons since PTY is under 5 hours. BUT AA doesn't enforce this in their own lounges so Admirals Club access is expected.
AA GOLDs(RUBYs)/NON-ELITES
Admirals Club access is granted regardless of routing as AA does not enforce international long haul rule. However, the oneworld J lounge does for Golds(rubys)/non-elites as they are aware the PTY flights are under 5 hours. Booking transcon flights in J/F gains access to the OWJ/QFF lounges.
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Technically NONE (PTY under 5 hours therefore class of service rule applies) BUT AA still opens Admirals Club doors to all customers because they dont enforce the long-haul rule>
AA PLATINUMs
Platinums gain access to all AC/Business lounges regardless of routing due to flying to and from PTY. They gain access to First/Flagship lounges when traveling in F 3-class transcon
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + LAX oneworld J>
AA EXPs
EXPs have access to all lounges at all airports regardless of routing so long as they are traveling to and from PTY on the same itinerary (an international destination neither excluded from AA's list of ineligible regions nor limited by the flight length rule)
<EXPs Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in Y = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in J = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
NON-AA ONEWORLD ELITES
All sapphires and emeralds have some form of lounge access on any flight systemwide
<non-AA sapphires on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX>
<non-AA emeralds on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX + Flagship Lounge + QF F lounge LAX>
OTHER AIRPORTS
SFO - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
JFK - Admirals Club & Flagship Lounge for EXP/First 3-class/Emerald
MIA - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee), Oneworld Premium Lounge for EXP/First 3-Class/Emerald
PTY - No lounge access (Copa with PP, or for a fee, for 7am or later flights)
YVR - No lounge access (PP for a fee)
DFW - Admiral's Club (with F/C Dining for EXP/Emerald) (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is simply departing/connecting/arriving at any point on same ticket to and from an eligible international destination. PTY is eligible and not excluded regardless of length.
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on class of service disregarding status, it is the international long haul clause that applies. Therefore, no "oneworld/QF lounge" access for non-elites for trips to and from PTY unless booking transcons since PTY is under 5 hours. BUT AA doesn't enforce this in their own lounges so Admirals Club access is expected.
AA GOLDs(RUBYs)/NON-ELITES
Admirals Club access is granted regardless of routing as AA does not enforce international long haul rule. However, the oneworld J lounge does for Golds(rubys)/non-elites as they are aware the PTY flights are under 5 hours. Booking transcon flights in J/F gains access to the OWJ/QFF lounges.
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Technically NONE (PTY under 5 hours therefore class of service rule applies) BUT AA still opens Admirals Club doors to all customers because they dont enforce the long-haul rule>
AA PLATINUMs
Platinums gain access to all AC/Business lounges regardless of routing due to flying to and from PTY. They gain access to First/Flagship lounges when traveling in F 3-class transcon
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + LAX oneworld J>
AA EXPs
EXPs have access to all lounges at all airports regardless of routing so long as they are traveling to and from PTY on the same itinerary (an international destination neither excluded from AA's list of ineligible regions nor limited by the flight length rule)
<EXPs Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in Y = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in J = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
NON-AA ONEWORLD ELITES
All sapphires and emeralds have some form of lounge access on any flight systemwide
<non-AA sapphires on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX>
<non-AA emeralds on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX + Flagship Lounge + QF F lounge LAX>
OTHER AIRPORTS
SFO - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
JFK - Admirals Club & Flagship Lounge for EXP/First 3-class/Emerald
MIA - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee), Oneworld Premium Lounge for EXP/First 3-Class/Emerald
PTY - No lounge access (Copa with PP, or for a fee, for 7am or later flights)
YVR - No lounge access (PP for a fee)
DFW - Admiral's Club (with F/C Dining for EXP/Emerald) (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
6. PTY Customs:
Inbound to PTY -
Outbound to MIA -
7. Finding flights: - 12 noon - no lines reported
- 8PM Fri (5/27/16) - ~10 min line
Outbound to MIA -
- 4:40am - no lines reported
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
If you want the transcon bonus, enter the search with a connection in JFK. (e.g. LAX-JFK,JFK-MIA,MIA-PTY,PTY-JFK,JFK-SFO.) You can play around from there to get the best deal. Some of the better deals do not start and end in the same city (e.g. start in LAX, end in SFO may be cheaper than start/end in LAX).
Also, it's possible on the outbound portion to time it so you have no more than a 60-minute layover at JFK or MIA (though note that some of these flights aren't available on weekends). While yes, JFK is notorious for delays, this rarely applies for inbound red-eye flights. Also, note that AA 28 below is sometimes "hidden" if you're looking on Google Flights inside a much more expensive trip; that does not necessarily mean, however, that you can't get it for one of the trips under $1,000 (in other words, try it out to see).
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
Below is the shortest-possible outbound itinerary that has the LAX-JFK transcon on AA's A321T with flat-bed seats:
LAX-JFK on AA 28
10:45pm - 7:22am
JFK-MIA on AA 200
8:15am - 11:24am
(Note: AA has now switched all of the metal it used on this leg - on all JFK-MIA nonstops - to 757s instead of the 767s with international-style F & J seating.)***767 and 772 are back. Flight 200 is a 772**
MIA-PTY on AA 4434
12:33pm - 2:48pm
(Note: Even more distressingly, AA switched from using a 737 on this leg to an RJ, presumably because summer is off-peak season in Central America. The 6:05pm flight still uses a 737 if a full-size aircraft is a must.)
AA: LAX-JFK-MIA-PTY RT $702 in A/J 18.9K EQMs
Sep 28, 2016, 5:18 pm
#1816
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
hiima speaks the truth.
PTY is not considered international long-haul.
It's the "transcontinental" flight from LAX to JFK that is providing you the access to the OneWorld Lounge if you are in Business, or access to the Qantas Lounge if you are in First.
Even though you would normally be denied access to these lounges because your itinerary is totally on AA metal, the "transcon" flight is the key that opens the Lounge door.
Same can be said if you were flying on the 77W from LAX to MIA.
PTY is not considered international long-haul.
It's the "transcontinental" flight from LAX to JFK that is providing you the access to the OneWorld Lounge if you are in Business, or access to the Qantas Lounge if you are in First.
Even though you would normally be denied access to these lounges because your itinerary is totally on AA metal, the "transcon" flight is the key that opens the Lounge door.
Same can be said if you were flying on the 77W from LAX to MIA.
Sep 28, 2016, 5:29 pm
#1817
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 60
hiima speaks the truth.
PTY is not considered international long-haul.
It's the "transcontinental" flight from LAX to JFK that is providing you the access to the OneWorld Lounge if you are in Business, or access to the Qantas Lounge if you are in First.
Even though you would normally be denied access to these lounges because your itinerary is totally on AA metal, the "transcon" flight is the key that opens the Lounge door.
Same can be said if you were flying on the 77W from LAX to MIA.
PTY is not considered international long-haul.
It's the "transcontinental" flight from LAX to JFK that is providing you the access to the OneWorld Lounge if you are in Business, or access to the Qantas Lounge if you are in First.
Even though you would normally be denied access to these lounges because your itinerary is totally on AA metal, the "transcon" flight is the key that opens the Lounge door.
Same can be said if you were flying on the 77W from LAX to MIA.
Sep 28, 2016, 5:35 pm
#1818
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Australia / USA
Programs: AS 100K, UA 1K, VA Platinum, HA Platinum, QF Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 414
I do not see that anywhere in this wiki? Please link to it if I'm mistaken. The only part I see is "Qantas Business for non-EXP/Emerald [Denied QF J as PTY no longer international]".
Which says the Qantas First Class Lounge is NOT usable if you fly to PTY in business class due to it not being considered 'international' by that particular lounge. Again please link to whatever information might counter the wiki.
Which says the Qantas First Class Lounge is NOT usable if you fly to PTY in business class due to it not being considered 'international' by that particular lounge. Again please link to whatever information might counter the wiki.
Secondly, PTY is clearly not international long haul. Customers with no sapphire status (non-AA) should not have access to the lounge anyway. It already gets crowded enough and as a QF long-haul flyer, id hate to see this lounge get packed with people flying to PTY. You just cannot compare a PTY J ticket to BA J to LHR or QF J to SYD or CX J to HKG.
The AA lounges do provide lounge access for this destination. And as so fitting, they do provide a level of service that may be unacceptable for long-haul AA premium tickets, but perfectly acceptable for PTY flights. Even the Hawaii flights provide a better service in both hard and soft product and they don't even provide lounge access because they are domestic.
IF you do have sapphire non-AA status, then by all means you are entitled and should use the oneworld business lounge. If you have emerald non-AA status, then definitely take advantage of the QF First lounge next door because you deserve such access.
And if you are indeed flying transcontinental on a 3-class SELLING aircraft, then respective access is definitely warranted.
We are all getting such extreme value on this mileage run for the EQMs per dollar spent alone. I feel people are getting even more greedy and wanting to experience the very best while paying tremendously less than other people not starting and ending in LAX on these complex routings. Now if a person was flying MIA-PTY-MIA in business for the lowest possible price on offer of $1055 for just those two flights, then I honestly would fight for that lounge access instead. I paid only $810 to fly LAX-JFK-BOS-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-JFK-BOS-JFK-LAX. I went ahead and priced out how much a person would pay to fly on those individual segments in premium class and it totaled over five thousand dollars where the transcons and PTY flights cost considerably higher. Now granted no one books a series of one way segments, but to put into perspective the value of this run in comparison to what someone pays when flying from LAX to JFK alone, I think its an absolute steal!
I just don't see why people are complaining and demanding access to these lounges when traveling to PTY (APPROX. THREE HOUR TRAVEL TIME) on an extremely cheap premium ticket with some flights on E-jets where a cold meal is served. I pay $5000 minimum every month for QF long-haul business class to SYD on a FOURTEEN hour flight and that is deserving of such access. Good on the lounge staff for denying access and clarifying PTY as not "international."
Last edited by wanderlust4life; Sep 28, 2016 at 7:26 pm
Sep 28, 2016, 5:49 pm
#1819
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Australia / USA
Programs: AS 100K, UA 1K, VA Platinum, HA Platinum, QF Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 414
Sep 28, 2016, 7:23 pm
#1821
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Loud, dark, warm, lots of ethernet cables, and in some rack space.
Programs: AA:EXP
Posts: 369
Firstly, the wiki should be updated to state "Denied Oneworld J as PTY no longer international." Even though the oneworld J lounge is operated by Qantas behind the scenes which really is a joint operation by Cathay, British Airways, and QF, it confuses people. The Qantas First lounge is exclusively QF operated and branded. The oneworld J lounge is not a QF J lounge when comparing to actual QF J Lounges in Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, etc.
Secondly, PTY is clearly not international long haul. Customers with no sapphire status (non-AA) should not have access to the lounge anyway. It already gets crowded enough and as a QF long-haul flyer, id hate to see this lounge get packed with people flying to PTY. You just cannot compare a PTY J ticket to BA J to LHR or QF J to SYD or CX J to HKG.
The AA lounges do provide lounge access for this destination. And as so fitting, they do provide a level of service that may be unacceptable for long-haul AA premium tickets, but perfectly acceptable for PTY flights. Even the Hawaii flights provide a better service in both hard and soft product and they don't even provide lounge access because they are domestic.
IF you do have sapphire non-AA status, then by all means you are entitled and should use the oneworld business lounge. If you have emerald non-AA status, then definitely take advantage of the QF First lounge next door because you deserve such access.
And if you are indeed flying transcontinental on a 3-class SELLING aircraft, then respective access is definitely warranted.
We are all getting such extreme value on this mileage run for the EQMs per dollar spent alone. I feel people are getting even more greedy and wanting to experience the very best while paying tremendously less than other people not starting and ending in LAX on these complex routings. Now if a person was flying MIA-PTY-MIA in business for the lowest possible price on offer of $1055 for just those two flights, then I honestly would fight for that lounge access instead. I paid only $810 to fly LAX-JFK-BOS-JFK-MIA-PTY-JFK-BOS-JFK-LAX. I went ahead and priced out how much a person would pay to fly on those individual segments in premium class and it totaled over five thousand dollars where the transcons and PTY flights cost considerably higher. Now granted no one books a series of one way segments, but to put into perspective the value of this run in comparison to what someone pays when flying from LAX to JFK alone, I think its an absolute steal!
I just don't see why people are complaining and demanding access to these lounges when traveling to PTY on an extremely cheap premium ticket. I pay $5000 minimum every month for QF long-haul business class to SYD on a 14 hour flight and that is deserving of such access. Good on the lounge staff for denying access and clarifying PTY as not "international."
Secondly, PTY is clearly not international long haul. Customers with no sapphire status (non-AA) should not have access to the lounge anyway. It already gets crowded enough and as a QF long-haul flyer, id hate to see this lounge get packed with people flying to PTY. You just cannot compare a PTY J ticket to BA J to LHR or QF J to SYD or CX J to HKG.
The AA lounges do provide lounge access for this destination. And as so fitting, they do provide a level of service that may be unacceptable for long-haul AA premium tickets, but perfectly acceptable for PTY flights. Even the Hawaii flights provide a better service in both hard and soft product and they don't even provide lounge access because they are domestic.
IF you do have sapphire non-AA status, then by all means you are entitled and should use the oneworld business lounge. If you have emerald non-AA status, then definitely take advantage of the QF First lounge next door because you deserve such access.
And if you are indeed flying transcontinental on a 3-class SELLING aircraft, then respective access is definitely warranted.
We are all getting such extreme value on this mileage run for the EQMs per dollar spent alone. I feel people are getting even more greedy and wanting to experience the very best while paying tremendously less than other people not starting and ending in LAX on these complex routings. Now if a person was flying MIA-PTY-MIA in business for the lowest possible price on offer of $1055 for just those two flights, then I honestly would fight for that lounge access instead. I paid only $810 to fly LAX-JFK-BOS-JFK-MIA-PTY-JFK-BOS-JFK-LAX. I went ahead and priced out how much a person would pay to fly on those individual segments in premium class and it totaled over five thousand dollars where the transcons and PTY flights cost considerably higher. Now granted no one books a series of one way segments, but to put into perspective the value of this run in comparison to what someone pays when flying from LAX to JFK alone, I think its an absolute steal!
I just don't see why people are complaining and demanding access to these lounges when traveling to PTY on an extremely cheap premium ticket. I pay $5000 minimum every month for QF long-haul business class to SYD on a 14 hour flight and that is deserving of such access. Good on the lounge staff for denying access and clarifying PTY as not "international."
EXP = Admirals + Flagship + Qantas First
Plat (w/ Transcont) = Admirals + Flagship
Transcont ONLY = Admirals + Flagship
Plat (w/o Transcont) = Admirals
Non-Transcont = Admirals
Thus no one has access to the Oneworld J lounge UNLESS they have non-AA Sapphire status. Can everyone confirm this and I'll put it in the wiki to be more clear?
Sep 28, 2016, 7:40 pm
#1822
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Australia / USA
Programs: AS 100K, UA 1K, VA Platinum, HA Platinum, QF Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 414
I should probably edit the wiki to be more clear (slightly confusing for the multiple aspects).
EXP = Admirals + Flagship + Qantas First
Plat (w/ Transcont) = Admirals + Flagship
Transcont ONLY = Admirals + Flagship
Plat (w/o Transcont) = Admirals
Non-Transcont = Admirals
Thus no one has access to the Oneworld J lounge UNLESS they have non-AA Sapphire status. Can everyone confirm this and I'll put it in the wiki to be more clear?
EXP = Admirals + Flagship + Qantas First
Plat (w/ Transcont) = Admirals + Flagship
Transcont ONLY = Admirals + Flagship
Plat (w/o Transcont) = Admirals
Non-Transcont = Admirals
Thus no one has access to the Oneworld J lounge UNLESS they have non-AA Sapphire status. Can everyone confirm this and I'll put it in the wiki to be more clear?
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J (non-EXP) = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Transcon F (2-class) = Admirals Club>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) = Admirals Club (access based on PTY)>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in Y = Admirals + Flagship>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<Platinums/Golds/non-status on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals Club + LAX oneworld J>
<non-AA sapphires on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) AND non-transcon 2-class in Y/J = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX>
<non-AA emeralds on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) AND non-transcon 2-class in Y/J/F = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX + QF F lounge LAX>
The KEY to having access to ALL lounges regardless of route or cabin flown is non-AA emerald status. For example, holding BA Gold or QF Platinum/Platinum One, a passenger can access the QF F lounge for any oneworld flight whatsoever both domestic and international.
The KEY to having access to Admirals Clubs and J lounges regardless of route or cabin flown is non-AA sapphire status. For example, holding Air Berlin Gold or QF Gold, a passenger can access the oneworld J lounge for any oneworld flight whatsoever both domestic and international.
PTY is not longer than 5 hours. Therefore, oneworld lounge access based on MIA-PTY is not allowed in terms of holding a First/Business ticket (not taking into account transcontinental flights). Despite this, AA still grants Admirals Club access to its Business class passengers on international flights excluding Canada, Mexico [except Mexico City], the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Technically, even the AA website states "your access is determined by showing your boarding pass departing on an international flight marketed and operated by a oneworld carrier that is five hours or longer, or connecting to one on the same day or before 6 a.m. the following day. Yet, the lounge agents seem to still grant access for the 3 hour PTY flights. The oneworld website states: "First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
AA EXPs and Platinums departing (same-day/next day connecting before 6am) on an international flight from LAX will have access to lounges at all airports. However, the majority of these itineraries involve the MIA-PTY international segment to occur the next day after 6am. Despite this, AA still grants Admirals Club access to its Platinums and Flagship lounge access to its EXPs on international flights excluding Canada, Mexico [except Mexico City], the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Based on several reports, the "same day" or "before 6am the following day" rule isn't followed at the Admirals Clubs and people have gained access for a PTY flight that isn't scheduled until the following day in the afternoon.
When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is the departing clause that applies.
When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on cabin, it is the international long haul clause that applies.
Conclusion: AA's Admirals Clubs are not following the strict guidelines unlike the other oneworld lounges. If they did choose to enforce the 5 hour flight length rule and international departure same day or by 6 am next day, then the ONLY way for mileage runners to get lounge access would be to book a transcontinental segment in a premium cabin. I doubt the AC agents will suddenly enforce these clauses. Therefore, runners can expect to receive AC access or flagship access (EXP) when traveling to PTY.
When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is the departing clause that applies. AA EXPs and Platinums departing (same-day/next day connecting before 6am) on an international flight from LAX will have access to lounges at all airports. However, the majority of these itineraries involve the MIA-PTY international segment to occur the next day after 6am. Despite this, AA still grants Admirals Club access to its Platinums and Flagship lounge access to its EXPs on international flights excluding Canada, Mexico [except Mexico City], the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Based on several reports, the "same day" or "before 6am the following day" rule isn't followed at the Admirals Clubs and people have gained access for a PTY flight that isn't scheduled until the following day in the afternoon.
When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is the departing clause that applies.
When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on cabin, it is the international long haul clause that applies.
Conclusion: AA's Admirals Clubs are not following the strict guidelines unlike the other oneworld lounges. If they did choose to enforce the 5 hour flight length rule and international departure same day or by 6 am next day, then the ONLY way for mileage runners to get lounge access would be to book a transcontinental segment in a premium cabin. I doubt the AC agents will suddenly enforce these clauses. Therefore, runners can expect to receive AC access or flagship access (EXP) when traveling to PTY.
When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on cabin, it is the international long haul clause that applies.
Conclusion: AA's Admirals Clubs are not following the strict guidelines unlike the other oneworld lounges. If they did choose to enforce the 5 hour flight length rule and international departure same day or by 6 am next day, then the ONLY way for mileage runners to get lounge access would be to book a transcontinental segment in a premium cabin. I doubt the AC agents will suddenly enforce these clauses. Therefore, runners can expect to receive AC access or flagship access (EXP) when traveling to PTY.
Last edited by wanderlust4life; Oct 14, 2016 at 4:25 pm
Sep 29, 2016, 11:32 am
#1823
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Orange County, Ca
Programs: AA, DL
Posts: 17
Looking hard for a late Nov/early Dec. run for <$800 out of LA
Hi,
Newbee here as well and needing 14k+ miles to maintain Plat status. I don't seem to be able to find the run to PTY for <$1200 from early Nov through year end. Anybody care to share their finding on PTY run from LA in that time frame that is <$800? Thx.
Newbee here as well and needing 14k+ miles to maintain Plat status. I don't seem to be able to find the run to PTY for <$1200 from early Nov through year end. Anybody care to share their finding on PTY run from LA in that time frame that is <$800? Thx.
Sep 29, 2016, 12:09 pm
#1824
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: qantas, virgin
Posts: 16
The upside is I called AA and they offered Gold status when I start the points challenge. It's not a lot, but better than nothing.
Sep 29, 2016, 12:28 pm
#1826
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
Sep 29, 2016, 12:32 pm
#1827
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
12/12 UIO-MIA-DFW-LAX
$961.00, in Business, with lie flat seating on 767 and 777 on the return.
16,572 EQM
Sep 29, 2016, 3:22 pm
#1828
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Australia / USA
Programs: AS 100K, UA 1K, VA Platinum, HA Platinum, QF Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 414
It is tremendously important and valuable especially on mileage runs. And the quality and level of service of a particular lounge has a considerable impact on the travel experience. Normally, a trip would involve adequate layovers and direct nonstops whereas a mileage run is usually completed in the quickest time possible. Runners take as many flights as possible to maximize EQMs, as well as, securing seats on premium aircraft to enjoy a superior domestic hard product such as the transcon. My trip of LAX-JFK-BOS-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-JFK-BOS-JFK-LAX is 10 flight segments completed within 48-72 hours. I have minimal connections and short layovers. Therefore, lounges with showers and gourmet, healthy or wholesome options are vital. Also, having these ground services included in the fare is what makes these runs that much more worth it. IF I had to pay for meals at the airport or buy lounge access to take showers or find airport hotels, all those costs would add up and defeat the purpose of the run.
Granted the Admirals Clubs do not provide an extensive complimentary food offering, but at least most have shower facilities. The EXP benefit of having access to the Flagship lounges really helps with much more food options and nicer shower facilities in several airports.
Granted the Admirals Clubs do not provide an extensive complimentary food offering, but at least most have shower facilities. The EXP benefit of having access to the Flagship lounges really helps with much more food options and nicer shower facilities in several airports.
Sep 29, 2016, 3:24 pm
#1829
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Australia / USA
Programs: AS 100K, UA 1K, VA Platinum, HA Platinum, QF Gold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Gold
Posts: 414
So true!!! Great analogy! I think it will be interesting to see how the lounges size up once the AA lounges complete renovations. I don't have high hopes though. However, it'll have to be better than what it is now.
Sep 29, 2016, 3:28 pm
#1830
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
OW lounge isn't like EK F lounge aka A list celebrity, though. When the AC renovates, so, better than honey boo boo's mom? I think I'll gladly go in that.
Last edited by hiima; Sep 29, 2016 at 3:45 pm