[Anonymous]

[stevescoots]

Some may have read my recent “review” of thier so called first/business product in my “one world round the world post”

Well, I am now sat in ORD and it gets worse! is that possible? well yes!

Lounge access. I am flying First with them Chicago to Philly and then onto LHR the next day. One would be right in assuming that in the real world, thats not AA world, that first and business class products come with lounge access, if available.

Not so! as I have just found out. If you are flying domestic AA even in thier “best class” you do not get lounge access unles you are:

an AA member above silver status
an Amex platinum holder
A BAEC gold member

I am neither of these and so left sitting by the gate for the next 3 hours, the PP lounge is in the next terminal, 15 mins and 2 security checks away. I checked at the customer service desk, they were unsure but said entry is the descretion of the lounge, I checked with thier first class lounge who apart from being quite condesending confirmed what the first lounge said.

AA, yours is without doubt the worst business/first product I have ever encountered, and i have flown almost all US , EU and Asia lines in these classes. You should be absolutly ashamed of what you offer customers, not that you would be. I for one welcome the day that you are pushed into full bankruptcy, your fleet is scrapped, they turn your lounges into toilets

rant over..at least until I get on the plane. it supposedly has wifi so I can fume at them from 35,000 ft!

[batraveller2]

That is standard for all american legacy carriers lounges (i.e. united / american) as you pay for an annual membership or alternatively I think you pay 50 bucks per visit.

BA silver members can get in all AA Admirals lounges and BA gold AA first class lounges.

[Potakas]

Yes, batraveller2 is correct, this is a common policy for the US airliners in order to force their members to buy the annual lounge access.

BAEC Silver gives you access.

[PatJordan]

Steve,

My wife and I had a similar experience in Newark last year.

We were going to Orlando with Continental in their “First” cabin, had Continental OnePass Gold cards…..and like you were not allowed into the lounge.

However, I spoke to a supervisor and found that my BMI Diamond Club Gold card allowed us into the lounge.

It must be a common policy with US carriers. Not that that makes it any less pleasant for us poor mortals!

Pat

[travelm0re]

I agree that this is the most ridiculous and stupid policy ever, and it is common to all the US legacy carriers.

What particularly annoys me though is after flying into the US on business/first I was unable to use the lounge on a stop over. I did not choose to have that stop over, it was the only routing AA could provide. The lounge desk told me as a result I had no rights to use the lounge, internationally yes and if I was leaving on an international flight yes, but not on the stop over. It made NO difference explaining that I really would have preferred a direct flight but AA did not offer it.

So even if you arrive in the US as a first or business customer and had lounge access on your departure from whatever country, you cannot continue to use lounges domestically.

I pay for my flights and fly business or first out of choice because I use the lounges. I contacted customer service at AA and Continental (as I had the same issue with them) and explained some basic economics. Would you prefer me to pay for the cheapest econo class ticket possible and then pay 50 to get lounge access or would you prefer I pay the very high price for business/first (despite US airlines having terrible old business and first class domestically). I walked them through the fact I could have got my ticket for 324 USD but spent 1385USD instead on a first class ticket. So 50 + 324 is pretty poor revenue compared the 1385.

The service reps at Continental kind of agreed and said they would put the comment to management, AA basically told me to piss off, its their policy!

I now choose airlines that have flights that either do not stop in the US, or have no local domestic stops on the way out or through, or have what they call transcontinental where some lounge access is granted for certain routes. Both AA and Continental generally do not see my business now.

[batraveller2]

I think in the UK we are just spoilt with the amazing BA lounges which provide far more than most other lounges and reward their frequent travellers (I personally would not want people to be able to buy passes for BA’s lounges as I think it devalues them).

[UKFly79]

Batraveller2 I could not agree more, we are generally quite spoilt with the level of ff lounges that BA provide across their large network.

Steve, I strongly sympathise with you about your experience of AA, I recently flew with them First Class domestic and if it wasn’t for my BAEC gold I would have been denied lounge access to the First “Flagship” lounge. Those with BAEC silver can get access to the Admirals Club lounges and would you believe it they make a charge for alcoholic drinks! In fairness to US carriers there are generally a variety of ways one can upgrade from economy with all sorts of promotions and incentives on offer, before and on the day…….. and in view of that I would imaine their lounges would get extremely crowded if all the upgrades made use of them. I have travelled many times on US carriers in domestic first class and seldom seen an empty seat up front.

It’s simply an issue of the way things are in the US! Particularly for AA which is a monster airline even compared to the likes of BA; I just sincerely hope that AA don’t start to drag BA down with them.

[stevescoots]

I wouldnt say we are spoilt in EU, I say we get what we pay for, obviously with AA u dont. I never had this before with united or conti etc.

furthermore the aircraft was absolutly discusting, filthy dirty. I used my hot towel to wipe down the armrest of years of grime. I took a couple of pics which I will sick up and send a link to

[MartynSinclair]

I wish that Americans travelling in Europe were treated in the same condescending manner that Europeans travelling in America are treated, especially where lounge access is concerned.

Can you imagine the uproar if any airport lounges in Europe charged an American for wifi access, let alone alcohol?

[batraveller2]

AA lounges no longer charge for tap beer, certain wine and well drinks. I understand united is the same. I do not think anyone can complain as US domestic flights are very cheap versus the UK. We are just lucky that BA exceeds them in in flight service and lounges, but BA is not the norm.

[stevescoots]

BA traveller,

sorry, you are incorrect, i used the AA lounge in LAX this week and you got one free drink voucher, everything else except house water was charged. Wifi was also charged unless AA member

[stevescoots]

this was the filthy condistion of the plane. the scratches are where i scraped the dirt off with my finger!

http://img534.imageshack.us/i/aaarmrest.jpg/

[UKFly79]

Hi Steve – quick question, I understand you used the LAX lounge earlier this week but were not allowed to use the lounge in Chicago, doesn’t seem AA apply their access policy consistently?

[batraveller2]

All tap beer and well drinks are free for unlimited amounts in all AA lounges. As a BA executive card holder you get two vouchers for premium liqueur, but I was told that you could go back and get more if required (Denver is a bit different as a joint BA / AA lounge). And that was in the LAX lounge as I had landed off BA and was connecting onto AA to Vegas. Must also say the AA lounge had amazing shower rooms, Nothing was too much trouble in the AA LAX lounge which had great views.

[Author]

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