AA Lounges

[HandyAndy]

Folks,

I have just completed a HKG-LAX-MIA trip and though I would seek your comments on the lounge situation in LAX. It may be the same at other ports, but LAX was my latest experience.

The trip from HKG to LAX in F was magnificent.

After arrival in LAX, I had about 3 hours before my connection with AA to MIA and this also meant having to change terminals. Not a big problem as the walk is short but anyone with a family and/or many bags might think otherwise.

The queues (lines) for security were horrendous and it took me a full hour to get through. We all need to allow a mimimum of 1 - 1.5 hours for security alone in LAX (plus walking from International Terminal to Terminal 4 and check-in).

After security I was invited to the AA lounge. This was the biggest disappointment. It fails miserably compared to HKG and the product offered by CX. There was a pay bar (!) and very little in terms of snacks. Fortunately there was complimentary coffee. The lounge itself is OK in terms of design but what is offered to CX customers is not OK. One of the most important things is free internet connection as in The Wing or The Pier in HKG. This is not available in LAX. One needs to pay an online fee to get any access. There are 2 or 3 PC's there with a connection but this is of no use for connecting to one's own e-mail systems. I don't use webmail.

Overall, the lounge experience was unsatisfactory. I know very well the USA carriers are not as profitable as Asian carriers but they must make an effort to provide the same level of service given to American Airlines customers using the CX facilities in HKG! If I was an AA FF, I would be embarrassed at what is provided to other OneWorld partners and I refer really to CX.

The flight from LAX to MIA (domestic F) was surprisingly good. It can't be compared really to loghaul internal J, but it was a really good effort. They did take far too long to board the pax (longer than a full 744 in HKG) and we left late but the flight itself was very good. This may have been due to many pax bringing on everything including the kitchen sink.

HA

[Globaliser]

After security I was invited to the AA lounge. This was the biggest disappointment. It fails miserably compared to HKG and the product offered by CX. ... Overall, the lounge experience was unsatisfactory.It will probably be little consolation to you to know that the Admirals Club at T4 (which sounds like where you were) is one of the better ones in the AA system, because much of its cost was paid by QF as part of their part-move into T4 from the TBIT.

For that matter, if you want to see truly shocking lounges at a major international hub in the Western world, try the ones in the TBIT. They're so bad that as part of the lounge improvement scheme that's about to get under way, the first step is to shut the whole lot.

Unfortunately, if you're used to the Wing and the Pier at HKG, there are actually few lounges in the entire world that can really compete, and you're liable to disappointment everywhere. One of the significant improvements in my HKG experience was becoming able to access the CX lounges there when flying BA and QF rather than being stuck with the BA/QF joint lounge (which is acceptable, but nothing special).

[CherokeeDriver]

Handy Andy. 'tis the reason why my company stopped using AA and went back to BA. The "lounge" at JFK is a joke. On AA we normally "bought" busienss class and get a first class upgrade one way to the USA. You can only imagine everyones surprise to be given 2 vouchers for drinks in the JFK lounge and everything thereafter had to be paid for! Heaven forbid - giving people who have paid £3500 for a ticket a 3rd bottle of water or glass of Coke! By my reckoning their little $1 tight fist has problably lost them over $2m in revenue from our firm alone. Real Men of Genius..... This Bud Lights for you......

[HandyAndy]

It's true that the HKG lounges probably beat the pants off everything else. Globaliser, it was T4 at LAX. They could do good things with that lounge but it is probably money. The amusing thing was that in the AA inflight mag, they offer a day pass to their lounges at US$50!!
CherokeeDriver - it's strange that the accountants can't see beyond the edge of theit calculators.

It would be interesting to know how these reciprocal arrangements work in regard to lounges. I mean, do AA charge CX or BA/QF for their customers using the AA lounges and vv? If so, I wonder if it is 1 for 1. There must be some other way of doing it as the playing field is so unlevel.

[FormerFlyer]

AA lounge in MIA sounded just as dreadful as the LAX & JFK experiences above.

Just not worth the bother.

cheers ;)
FF

[HandyAndy]

FF, I'll be looking at the AA lounge in MIA next Wednesday on my way back!

Mind you, talking of U.S. airports, Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is a very nice airport with terminal-wide free wireless internet. No lounge as it is not deemed big enough. Was there last year (couldn't get a seat to FLL this time so had to use MIA).

[BOFH]

Globaliser,

do you infer that the QF lounge in LAX is as disappointing as HandyAndy found it? I am considering trespassing there soon.

I'm also interested in the HKG lounges for BA passengers. I've only ever been at the new airport's lounges on One World.

It's true that the HKG lounges probably beat the pants off everything else
The BA/QF ones sure did at Kai Tak!!!

BOFH

[Globaliser]

do you infer that the QF lounge in LAX is as disappointing as HandyAndy found it? I am considering trespassing there soon.I've not been to LAX since the new AA/QF lounge opened in T4 so I have no personal experience. Reports that I've read suggest that it's much better than the lounges in the TBIT. But that's not saying much. I'm sure that it would be a comedown for anyone used to the CX lounges at Chek Lap Kok, but I imagine that it's probably of an acceptable standard compared to the run of airline lounges generally around the world.

So the first question will be which terminal would you be using at LAX? This page (http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/atTheAirport/airportGuide/lax) from the QF website will explain all, but basically QF's SYD and JFK flights depart from T4 with the others still at the TBIT, which is a ****hole - or at least it was the last time I was there, and I haven't heard any different since.

I know that QF FFs who have lounge access via FF status or via QF Club membership should get complimentary drinks vouchers when they enter the lounge, which takes away some of the sting of the pay bar. I assume that the same would apply to other OW hgher tier FFs. I don't know the score for those simply flying QF premium classes.I'm also interested in the HKG lounges for BA passengers. I've only ever been at the new airport's lounges on One World.If you have lounge access via OW higher tier status, CX's lounges (the Wing and the Pier) are available to you via OW agreements and these are significantly better than the BA/QF lounge. Great showers, a noodle bar, etc - and cabanas in the first class section if you're entitled to go in there. CX is reported to cheerfully admit those flying BA premium classes even if they don't have sufficient OW status, so it's worth trying. CX does not call BA and QF flights in the lounges, so you do have to keep an eye on the time.

At worst, the BA/QF lounge is perfectly acceptable although, as I say, it's nothing special.

I'm just wondering whether you actually mean that you've been to HKG on OW before, as the only OW lounges there are the BA/QF lounge and the CX lounges, AFAIK.

[WHBM]

The dreadful pay bars in AA's Admiral Clubs are only compounded by the attitude of the bar staff if you don't proffer the expected tip on top of the cost of the drink as well. Inevitably, Miami is the worst for this. Incidentally they do not pay their bar staff (except in some cities like San Francisco where stricter minimum wage laws apply), they are expected to live off their tips.

The whole US airline attitude to drinks is surprising. Now they have gone to charging for them inflight as well. I put it down to the "bible-belt" attitudes held at their HQ's which sees any free drink as Work of the Devil.

[HandyAndy]

Well folks, I returned from MIA last week to Asia. Took the AA flight from MIA to LAX and there was no AA lounge in the terminal at all! Fortunately, I spotted the BA Terraces lounge and walked in and showed my CX Emerald card. I was thankful that they admitted me without query. A very nice lounge indeed with plenty of snacks, drinks and a good airport view. Nice one BA.