[MartynSinclair]

So let me get this straight.

There is an alliance between AA and BA and One World, where executive card holders, at a certain levels, have access to each others lounges………except in the States, where AA are allowed to restrict use & benefits of their entire lounge network. Seems to be the usual one sided American deal!

The domestic/international discussion is a red herring.

[batraveller2]

If you are BA silver or gold, you can get into the AA lounges as long as you are flying on an AA flight regardless of class or whether it is international or domestic.

In joint BA / AA lounges (Denver), as a gold BA cardholder you are allowed access regardless of airline you are flying (they do not seem to enforce that it has to be the same terminal probably as they are all interlinked).

[RichHI1]

Martyn Sinclair: No, following Vinatge Krug’s comments, I clarified with One World.

AA, BA, QANTAS and other airlines belong to One World Alliance.

One World alliance policy is elite members have access to other One World member lounges.

Within One World, Member Airlines are allowed to apply local rules to their own members. AA do this and restrict lounge access to AAdvantage members on domestic flights.

I believe Qantas do or did do somehting similar (as they also have a large domestic network) and I believe BA used to or still do restrict access to T5/T4 as was Concorde Room for some Silver and Gold Members (though as AA EXP I never have a problem accessing irrespective of destination).

If you are a non AAdvantage One World Elite member (e.g. BAEC) you are entitled to have access to Admirals Club and or Flagship lounges (depending on One World level) as long as you are on a One World flight that day irrespective of destination. Different rules apply where the One World airline at that station (Airport or terminal) is sharing a lounge run by a non One World Member.

So AA members fare worse on Lounge access in AA lounges than BA, Qantas, JAL members etc.

The Domestic/International distinction is relevant to AAdvantage members and those like Steevescoots are trying to get lounge access on ticket class alone.

A Red Herring is an oversmoked fish that was sent to the far flung parts of the British Empire in the days before domestic refrigeration.
Pray God they don’t replace the peanuts in the lounges with Red Herrings because they have a longer shelf life…

As all alliances are moving away from airline lounges towards allliance lounges to save money, I suspect these differences will disapppear in International Gateways and smaller stations will have their lounges cut by the “bean counters”.

[MartynSinclair]

BA has 2 Concorde lounges for First class passengers. One at JFK and the other LHR. Both these lounge complexes ensure that all One World passengers (including AA passengers), have a haven to relax, eat, drink and surf the web, fully complimentary of course. We Brits are extremely hospitable.

Now going back to good old fashioned, American hosptiality and reciprocal lounge arrangements ……………………………………Americans have never had it so good in Europe…………..and most (not all of course, but most) of our aeroplanes are clean…………………..!

As usual, one rule for America and one for Europe!

[RichHI1]

Yep and the Brits do better out of it…

[stevescoots]

my original discussion has gone a bit off track:

BA, Qantas,finnair, etc: no matter what your status if you buy a business or F class ticket and they have a lounge you can use it, international or domestic

AA: if you are international you can. if you are domestic you cannot unless you are either transiting directly off or onto an international.

FF program status and lounge entry is not the issue with reciprocal arrangements that I have. Although I have almost 500K BA miles now I am blue as I dont fly with them enough but do with other OW carriers. as such I would not expect to be let into a lounge if flying econ, I knwo the rules. This is calling a product the same name when the elements are not

we say tomato. they say tomayto etc.

[SwissExPat]

I too had the recent misfortune to Fly AA in business from ZRH to JFK and then back via LHR (again with AA on the JFK to LHR leg but with BA onto ZRH)

Never again! Give me Club World aany day.

Many of the points are made in above postings.

The main thing I noticed was the very poor standard of the AA Lounge in JFK. I should have been concerned when I was given 2 Beverage vouchers on checking into the lounge. When I went to the Bar, I noticed that all the passengers at the bar were holding up Dollar bills (I now know that this was to catch the BarMan’s eye as in this $bill would be the ‘Tip’. I was aghast !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only having larger notes, I had no idea that I needed to keep some singles back so as to be able to tip the barman in the AA Lounge.

Returning to use the Galleries lounge at T5 on my stopover back to ZRH felt like a clensing experience.

The real problem here is that the BA website now offers these AA flights for sale ant it is not obvious unless you are clued in to the terminology as to who will operate the flight.

I will never make this mistake again and will canvas BA to suggest that they need to do a serious re-think on teaming up with AA at least in premium cabins.

I agree with Branson : ” BA – AA, no way”

[RichHI1]

I was flying on British from Lisbon to London with a Colleague who is a BA EC gold member and he was refused admission ot the lounge partly because although it claims to be a BA lounge it is in fact KLM Air France as BA shut theirs to save money and partly because BA are stopping BA Club Members from using their lounges if they are not flying BA. I found this interesting and wondered, given the unusually pro BA voice of this forum if any members had similar experience so I can advice my colleague? We quoted the rules but the French lady behind the desk was not interested.
I was smug with my Club Europe ticket and AA EXP card, yet I thought Lounge was a dump (though I am not interested in free booze which seems to be a pre-occupation for many.) I find alcohol and lfying leads to more dehydration and my energy levels go down.
As a simpel soul just give me windows to look out of, comfortable chairs and space.

[stevescoots]

I would say this forum is neutral as far as BA is concerned, there are a few very vocal voices for and the same against. I agree with you about the booze, i generally have a couple of drinks on long haul and lots of water! however if I am payng for a lounge in my ticket I expect not to have to pay for a few drinks in a lounge

[RichHI1]

Please do not think I am inferring anything negative by being pro or anti an airline, I simply thought this would be a good forum to ask about these changes as many posters are very frequent BA flyers with EC membership with a good understanding of the system and the rules and my colleague (who was flying to Amsterdam hence not BA) was rathe put out by the attitude and actions of what he took to be the BA Executive Club Lounge. Thanks

[Cantante]

Totally agree, American carriers are rubbish. I therefore have more miles on BA than any of the 3 or 4 US carriers I fly, even though I live in the US and half of my travel is in the US.

[MartynSinclair]

Ever since I read Steve’s report I have been totally turned off with the thought of flying American. This week I took AA 319, MCO-DFW and I have to confirm that the flight was perfect.

I was flying F to conect with BA 192 DFW-LHR. The aircraft was spotlessly clean, the seats were very comfortable row 3. Drinks and warm nuts were plentiful and here’s the special service.

Only one meal choice, a chicken salad with cheese. I tried the “was my veggie food” loaded, NO.

However the cabin crew managed to put together a salad which was as good as any airline has been able to present, this was after I politely declined any food.

After the food service, freshly baked chocolate chop cookies were brought around – really was a superb service.

Service was continuous, nothing was too much trouble, was this really the AA that has been slated on this thread.

Whether this was a one off or a new trend, I have to say that the service and flight was superb. On arrival at DFW, there was a terminal change and I was dreading another security search, but becasue we were an American internal flight, we were kept in a sterile and secure area so no security check.

Only down side was that there is no AA lounge in MCO and I should have used the AA lounge at Dallas as the BA lounge is somewhat small and smelly.

All in all the BA / AA combination was extremely pleasant on this occasion.

[RichHI1]

Flew AA JFK-LHR Tuesday. 1 hour early despite usual 20 minutes circling at LHR. Spotless plane, new pajamas and bedding. Food was very well cooked and tasty. IFE worked faultlessly. Flight attendants were all excellent. Boarding and check in were excellent though bags were a bit slower at T3 as we so early the terminal was very full with other flights from the MIddle East and Far East.
AA have just revamped their offering and it shows. Only downside Pirates of the Caribbean 4 is not as good a movie as the others 😉
Cannot remember the last flight I enjoyed so much, nothing to bitch about…

[MartynSinclair]

I don’t think that AA will be getting this families business again

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/01/travel/american-airlines-meal-lawsuit/index.html

[RichHI1]

Takes me back to the time Cathay gave me food poisoning and tried everything to deny it. Worst part was the guilt of holding a scarebus 340 full of pax on the plane at LhR until the paramedics were certain I did not have bird flu.
I think I would be cautious on catering from Spain anyway.

[Author]

Posts