When traveling with American Airlines, passengers have the option to visit an Admirals Club lounge at the airport. It’s important to note that, for domestic flights, a ticket alone will not grant access to the club, regardless of the class of service. Unlike lounges in networks such as Priority Pass, Admirals Club locations have specific access requirements. Therefore, there are only a few ways for American Airlines passengers to gain entry to these lounges.
Purchase a membership
You can purchase a membership to the Admirals Club, which allows the member and two guests to access the club with a boarding pass for same-day travel on a flight marketed or operated by American or any oneworld® carrier.
The membership price depends on your American AAdvantage status level, with individual prices for new members ranging from $750 to $850.
You can also use AAdvantage miles to pay for a membership at a value of 1 cent per point ($850 = 85,000 miles).
Get a Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
For a $595 annual fee, you can get the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard which includes a “complimentary” Admirals Club membership. If you were going to pay for an Admirals Club membership anyway, it makes sense to get the credit card instead, because the annual fee is lower than the membership fee.
Buy a one-day pass
One-day passes to the American Airlines Admirals Club lounges cost either $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles. You have to show a boarding pass for same-day travel on any departing or arriving flight that is marketed or operated by American or marketed and operated by any oneworld® airline.
The one-day pass is good for 24 hours from the time of activation and can be used at the departure, connecting and arriving airport lounges.
Qualifying first & business tickets
Includes customers in first or business class on a qualifying departing or arriving international, transcontinental, or other domestic flight marketed and operated by American, a oneworld® airline, or marketed by Aer Lingus and operated by American.
While this seems to say domestic first gets lounge access, it’s only specific transcontinental and flights to Hawaii ticketed as Flagship First.
Qualifying AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro and AAdvantage Platinum members on international flights
Includes customers on qualifying departing or arriving international flights marketed and operated by American, an oneworld airline, or marketed by Aer Lingus and operated by American (regardless of cabin).
Non-AAdvantage oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members
This is an interesting quirk in the program where oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members who earned status with a program other than AAdvantage have access to Admirals Clubs on all departing or arriving flights marketed and operated by American or an oneworld airline (regardless of cabin.)
The exception to this rule is Alaska Mileage Plan MVP Gold 100K, 75K and MVP Gold members, who only get lounge access on qualifying international flights and transcontinental flights marketed as Flagship.
Final thought
While having a Priority Pass card might not get you into these lounges, there are several other ways to gain entry. A day pass might make sense for a one-off use, but otherwise, you’d be better off getting the Citi AA Executive card than paying for a membership.
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