[stevescoots]

the headphones are mine, the stains and gatorade…who knows!

http://img857.imageshack.us/i/img2011043000039.jpg/

yum yum

http://img585.imageshack.us/i/img2011043000040

[batraveller2]

For avoidance of dount confirming free drinks and AA are very generous to BA customers with providing additional vouchers for top shelf liquor (certainly at LAX).

http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/airportAmenities/AdmiralsClub.jsp

[stevescoots]

UKFly,

thats correct and i did point this out to them in ORD…no real response. I landed in LAX from HKG on Cathay then transiting onto San Diego so maybe they treated that as an extension of my international flight, even tho bags were not checked through

BA traveller, As I put in my main post the AA lounge was very nice in LAX, but that was thier drinks policy , and food was just some nuts, no sandwiches etc

[UKFly79]

I hate to say it but my experience at LAX last week was excellent. Arrived of an AA flight and on to LHR later that evening. Used the departure lounge on the strength of my boarding card for the flight just complete (as LAX terminal was an “open terminal”) staff were very helpful when I showed my gold card……. And yes the showers were great

[PatJordan]

UKFly79, US lounges don’t have an issue with access for long haul flights: it is donestic flight access which causes the problems.

As I and other posters note it is amazing that the airlines own FF card won’t let you in, but a card from another carrier (in the same alliance) is accepted.

Best thing to do is be prepared before you go, and have all FF cards ready…just in case.

Pat

[MartynSinclair]

I think its again about service level expectations. Especially in the large hubs, the lounge staff are gum chewing, employees, working off a company handbook that allows no room for “discretion”. They mostly sit behind large desks, playing on the internet or their mobile phones. They talk of a club atmosphere, but CLUB = MEMBERSHIP = FEE, whereas we in Europe consider them LOUNGES, which means = BEING INVITED = COMPLIMENTARY (i.e. you dont go into a friends lounge and be charged!!).

As you see in some hotels, lobby areas are slowly being changed, espcially at executive check in levels where staff do not sit behind the barrier of a ‘desk’.

Our American cousins have a lot to learn from us welcoming Brits. We may be spoilt by the European, esepcially the BA lounge complex at T5, but I only wish the Americans fully appreciated extremely poor service levels us Europeans get fromn their so called areas of hospitality!

[stevescoots]

It is amusing that, as Brits in general we have a label for terrible service where as in the the US is touted as always service with a smile and good mannered. Its not the case in the airline business. I am the first to land in LHR and start complianing about sullen staff and terrible service. But as I am mostly flying to and from Asia I must be spoilt!

I meant what I said about not using AA again, last night I changed my routing back to LHR which was scheduled on AA and moved it over to BA instead.

[UKFly79]

Glad you changed your flight, I avoid AA like the plague on international sectors. I do wonder how may poor souls book on BA.com and make the fatal error of clicking one of those now available AA sectors…… Possibly even arriving at the wrong terminal to check in.

Safe journey home Steve.

[VintageKrug]

Quote=MartynSinclair “friends lounges” [sic]

I am pleased to say none of my friends (even those with correctly applied possessive apostrophes) have “lounges”.

[Bullfrog]

Steve, I empathise with you in declaring AA a ‘no go zone’.

Your reason may be over lounge access.

Over a number of years, I have seen the quality of service decline on AA Premier cabins to such an extent that I consider their domestic ‘premier’ cabin a ‘full service economy cabin’ of yester year. I dread to think what their current Y cabin must be like.

It is on this basis that I am shocked at BA’s link with AA. I fear BA is heading in the same downward spiral. What a pity ! BA had a product & service which could have made it a world leader.

Alas, BA is in the process of losing its edge.

[MartynSinclair]

Aha, Le Krug is back to his normal self – wonderful.

I hope you enjoyed your holiday and were able to lounge about, perhaps on a chez lounge.

Happy days

[batraveller2]

I think it is unfair to say BA is losing its edge. It has excellent lounges throughout its network which beats any airline. The newclubworld seat is great and the service on board is good. In my view BA is still my preferred airline – though I tend to fly domestically and North America and so cannot comment on other routes. Apart from some new mixed fleet flights, I cannot crticise BA’s products and have always found them to be flexible, and with changing domestic flights (except LHR) but you cannot expect that as it is just a bonus when it happens.

AA is a different market and AA domestic fares are cheap and I have always found their flights to be ok. But AA lounges have always been very friendly and nothing too much trouble.

[VintageKrug]

After years of letting me down with cancelled flights and menopausal cabin crew with significant psychological issues I avoid crAApy Airlines where possible.

The lounges are acceptable if you don’t expect too much for free; the paid for bar and food is acceptable once you get over having to actually pay for it – it’s better than the slop they serve on board in F.

However, food, lounge facilities and service aside AA does have a very competent website, great network, a terrific FF scheme and the domestically the seats are generally better than those found on longer European sectors.

[RBrown9]

Well, I think that all of us folks living outside of America have been “spoilt” rotten. I personally consider it my right when flying Business or First class to receive lounge access and would be outraged if I did not! It is part of the service and one of the more valuable parts.

I cannot think of any country (other than the USA) where J & F pax are not automatically granted access to the lounges. In fact, some airlines adopting the opposite model. For example, Emirates only allows First Class pax to access its First Class lounge with Business Class pax and Gold Frequent Flyers having access to the Business Class lounge. Another lounge is made available for Frequent Flyers with Silver Status.

It surely makes their First & Business Class products of significantly less value (to me anyway). Like a luxury hotel that does not allow guests to access the basic facilities (like the bar or the swimming pool!).

[MartynSinclair]

RBrown9 – you hit the nail on the head – just becasue its branded F, does not mean that it comes anywhere near European F standards.

First class on the majority of US carriers, except the dedicated coast to coast services is generally nothing more the premium economy (European standard) and that’s being generous.

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