American Express AA lounge access and milage programs

[Hawaiidan]

Just a heads up....American and US Air announced today than effective in March, they will no longer grant lounge access to American Express prem. card holders.

The stated the only cards honored would be AA Citi bank cards

 

SO if your plans are to make a connection of hang at the club... be sure you have the right card

 

Lots of changes coming to all airline frequent flyer programs Starting in Feb and continuing through June UAL, Delta, AA, Southwest, and many others will be raising the miles needed for free flights. Some will see increases of 60 to100% in certain markets Hawaii will go to 45,000 miles coach

 

So contact your program because they will not contact you till after the change

[RJB]

Does not make me happy, but in August the American lounge in Chicago was just plain lousy. Charged for everything but water. It is no great loss but just someplace quiet to sit. :(:(

[ChatKat in Ca.]

We just used the lounge in Miami on the way home from our Oceania crossing. Funny, they didn't care about my American Aavantage card as they did my Amex. The lounge was noisy and busy - it was quieter to wait at the gate. Other than the coffee - the selection of anything else was non existent.

[Noxequifans]

The lounges have been getting busier and busier ... Not surprised of efforts to thin them a bit. The JFK Delta lounge charges for food more than basic snack items.

 

We plan to eat at The Palm which has a location there before our next flight.

[RachelG]

Does not make me happy, but in August the American lounge in Chicago was just plain lousy. Charged for everything but water. It is no great loss but just someplace quiet to sit. :(:

For the record, this is not correct. They do not charge for soft drinks, the house wine, coffee, tea, and house beer. There are basic snacks available at all times for no charge (mini muffins, cookies, snack mix, veggies with dip in the evening, cheese cubes). My husband and I travel on AA all time and are admirals club members. Most recently yesterday.

[JimandStan]

Does not make me happy, but in August the American lounge in Chicago was just plain lousy. Charged for everything but water. It is no great loss but just someplace quiet to sit. :(:

For the record, this is not correct. They do not charge for soft drinks, the house wine, coffee, tea, and house beer. There are basic snacks available at all times for no charge (mini muffins, cookies, snack mix, veggies with dip in the evening, cheese cubes). My husband and I travel on AA all time and are admirals club members. Most recently yesterday.

 

Sorry Rachel, but you obviously haven't been through JFK recently, or used the Admirals Club Lounge there.

It is horrific.

Badly supplied, badly served and just plain run down and dirty.

AA would do better to close it down completely, than to continue the embarrassment.

[billy.qc]

I applied for a CCard and along with travel points it offers 1yr free Priority Lounge Pass membership. What do you know about those lounges ex: LAX.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I applied for a CCard and along with travel points it offers 1yr free Priority Lounge Pass membership. What do you know about those lounges ex: LAX.

 

We have used a few Priority lounges and they were nice. The problem is in larger airports where their lounge may not be in the same terminal as your gate.

[RachelG]

 

Sorry Rachel, but you obviously haven't been through JFK recently, or used the Admirals Club Lounge there.

It is horrific.

Badly supplied, badly served and just plain run down and dirty.

AA would do better to close it down completely, than to continue the embarrassment.

 

Haven't been through JFK in the past year, but have been to plenty of the other admirals clubs, including Chicago, multiple times this year.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

i went to two different lounges in Miami - and in Los Angeles; They had very little - Coffee, only one kind of tea, there were no cookies, just apples; Alcoholic drinks were served at a bar that was full with only one bartender. Most food was off of a menu that was more expensive than the airport restaurant.

[The A Train]

J and S..............ditto for Miami.

 

Free computers incapable of accessing my Optonline account. Glasses, cups, plates at computers for two hours not removed. Same at adjacent table to where we sat.

 

Mens room backed up 3 deep....two stalls and ONE urinal for seating capacity of over 200!

 

The pits! Imagine if you spent 50 bucks pp!

[PRWeezer]

The lounges have been getting busier and busier ... Not surprised of efforts to thin them a bit. The JFK Delta lounge charges for food more than basic snack items.

 

We plan to eat at The Palm which has a location there before our next flight.

 

We had a lengthy layover at JFK on the way to a recent Med cruise and spent most of that time at the DL Sky Club (T4). Compared to other Sky Clubs, it was huge with lots of different areas to spread out the crowd. The outdoor Sky Deck was a nice place to pass the time with great plane spotting (there's also a Sky Deck at ATL, F/International terminal). I believe JFK is the only place in their network that offers food for purchase. We had a sandwich and it was good...we would have ventured out to the terminal for food, but had a great spot on a sofa on the Sky Deck on a sunny day and didn't want to leave. :) Lots of people were buying food, perhaps this will be rolled out to other clubs? (Since almost all of our travel is on DL I can't make a comparison to amenities, food offerings, etc. in other airline clubs.)

 

I agree, in general, the clubs are over crowded. DL has downgraded their complimentary beverage options, but they do still have complimentary beer, wine & spirit offerings, as well as 'premium' options for purchase. Another factor that may thin the crowds eventually.

 

We use a Plat AMEX for Sky Club access...I don't see DL discontinuing that partnership any time soon.

[hrprof]

Take a look at yesterday's WSJ for an interesting article on the upgrading of lounges serving international flyers in bus class and first class. Also Amex is building a group of airport lounges for use by Platinum and Centurion members - check their web site.

[PaulMCO]

Take a look at yesterday's WSJ for an interesting article on the upgrading of lounges serving international flyers in bus class and first class. Also Amex is building a group of airport lounges for use by Platinum and Centurion members - check their web site.

 

 

Yes but few and far between..

 

The bad thing about Priority Pass is that it allows only the cardholder in for free. Guests are charged $26 pp. US clubs are also few and there are exceptions (like "cards issued by financial institutions are excluded"-- no UA Club access).

 

Fortunately with 2mm+ on Delta and UA- I have lifetime UA Club and Sky Club access.

[Hawaiidan]

The bigger point of my post is that starting in Feb to June , 2014 airlines will be increasing the miles needed for flights by as much as 60 to 100% on some routes.

United regular non saver coach to Hawaii goes to 45,000 Feb 1, one way!

That's 5000 more than current first class !!!

 

Delta just announced that it will reduce the amount of mileage one can earn on some fares and on partners. Like if your a Delta guy, and fly Korean airlines after March... you get NO mileage. This reduction of special fares could very well mean a Delta flight which was on a contract fare from Oceania might not be eligible for any miles !

[Mjflowers]

Just wait until the airlines start raising prices by more than 10 bucks a pop, three times a year. They will, you know. With A/A & US Air merging it is a sure bet that will be the next move.

Miles will be worth less and less. Love the loyalty to their frequent flyers.

One day miles will be worth nada!:o

[JimandStan]

One day miles will be worth nada

 

My tax accountant tells me that the bigger threat to these Loyalty Programs is apt to be the closing of the loopholes on what is considered to be Imputed Income.

 

Imputed Income is the addition of the value of non-cash benefits or compensation to ones taxable income.

 

Use your miles while Ye May

[hrprof]

Re Priority Pass - my wife also has Platinum AE, so entry is not a problem - bought a lifetime pass for Eastern Ionosphere Club way back for $300 - still good today for United Club!

[critterchick]

 

Sorry Rachel, but you obviously haven't been through JFK recently, or used the Admirals Club Lounge there.

It is horrific.

Badly supplied, badly served and just plain run down and dirty.

AA would do better to close it down completely, than to continue the embarrassment.

 

There are two ACs at JFK, and I have found that the one near the far (from security) gates is one of the better ones I've visited. I visited there a couple of weeks ago and had no issues with cleanliness or service. I'm not sure what you mean by supplies, but the snack offerings were the same as the other US clubs, which is not much to write home about. I haven't been to the one closer in.

[frugaltravel]

 

My tax accountant tells me that the bigger threat to these Loyalty Programs is apt to be the closing of the loopholes on what is considered to be Imputed Income.

 

 

Imputed Income is the addition of the value of non-cash benefits or compensation to ones taxable income.

 

Use your miles while Ye May

 

Your tax accountant is speculating. It has been talked about for years, but nothing has ever been done. I seriously doubt anything will be done in the foreseeable future, but that is also speculating.

[jagoffee]

Does not make me happy, but in August the American lounge in Chicago was just plain lousy. Charged for everything but water. It is no great loss but just someplace quiet to sit. :(:(

 

Does not make me happy, but in August the American lounge in Chicago was just plain lousy. Charged for everything but water. It is no great loss but just someplace quiet to sit. :(:

For the record, this is not correct. They do not charge for soft drinks, the house wine, coffee, tea, and house beer. There are basic snacks available at all times for no charge (mini muffins, cookies, snack mix, veggies with dip in the evening, cheese cubes). My husband and I travel on AA all time and are admirals club members. Most recently yesterday.

 

Does make you wonder what lounge RJB actually visited. In addition to what you mentioned they have a list of standard mixed drinks for no charge. I actually think the main Admiral's Club at ORD is really nice and I enjoy it frequently.

[FlyerTalker]

Your tax accountant is speculating. It has been talked about for years, but nothing has ever been done. I seriously doubt anything will be done in the foreseeable future, but that is also speculating.

IMO, the IRS will be too busy trying to assess Obamacare penalties to go after FF miles. Then again, who know what parts of that law will or will not be enforced by our ad hoc government. So your guess is as good as mine or as that tax accountant.

[kenish]

IMO, the IRS will be too busy trying to assess Obamacare penalties to go after FF miles. Then again, who know what parts of that law will or will not be enforced by our ad hoc government. So your guess is as good as mine or as that tax accountant.

 

IIRC, the last IRS attempt to tax miles was about 20 years ago. It would put an accounting burden on either the airlines or employers, many of them Fortune 500 corporations. Their lobbyists made sure the idea got a quick smackdown.

 

Here's a recent case where miles were considered taxable by Citibank: http://business.time.com/2012/01/30/citi-customers-learn-bonus-airline-miles-have-a-high-price/ But Amex considers them nontaxable!

 

Even more convoluted, the disclaimers for FF programs all state that miles have no value and the airline can alter or eliminate them entirely. But accounting regulations require airlines to carry unclaimed miles as a liability on their P&L statements...so they *do* have value in that context!

Edited December 22, 2013 by kenish