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Why Didn't I Get Lounge Access When Flying First Class?

May 19, 2017
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4 min read
United Club LAX Review
Why Didn't I Get Lounge Access When Flying First Class?
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"Reader Questions" are answered three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — by TPG Senior Writer Julian Mark Kheel.

A lot of people assume that a first or business-class ticket automatically comes with lounge access at the airport. But that's not necessarily the case, as TPG reader Sharen told us in a Facebook message...

[pullquote source="TPG Reader Sharen"]So I was excited to fly first class on United, but it turns out it doesn’t give you access to their club when you’re flying domestically. Why?[/pullquote]

With airports getting more and more crowded as people take to the skies, an airline lounge or club is often a pleasant place to get away from all the hustle and bustle. However, as airlines improve their facilities to compete with each other and independent lounge networks such as Priority Pass and American Express' Centurion Lounges, the clubs themselves are also getting more crowded, and a premium-class ticket isn't always the ticket into the lounge.

So what exactly is required in order to get entry to one of the legacy airlines' lounges? Well, if you're flying United, a domestic first or business-class ticket alone won't do it... with one exception. Customers traveling in United Business on a p.s. Premium Service nonstop flight between New York/Newark (EWR) and either Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) are able to use United Clubs at their departure airports. But if you're flying domestically on United between any other cities with no international travel involved, even if you're in first or business class, you won't get lounge access without either elite status from a Star Alliance airline other than United, a United Club membership that you've purchased or gotten through the United MileagePlus Club Card, or a one-time day pass like the ones that come with the United MileagePlus Explorer Card.

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Unfortunately domestic premium-cabin tickets aren't enough to get into the Delta Sky Club, either.

Both American and Delta have lounge access rules that are very similar to United's. In Delta's case, the only domestic premium-class passengers that get access to Delta Sky Clubs are those flying on a nonstop transcontinental Delta One ticket between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles or San Francisco, Washington/Reagan (DCA) and Los Angeles, or Boston (BOS) and San Francisco starting on June 8, 2017. In all other cases, if your travel is entirely domestic even in first or business class, you'll need a Sky Club membership (Delta Diamonds get the option to select this as a Choice Benefit), elite status from a SkyTeam airline other than Delta, or access via a credit card such as the Platinum Card from American Express or the Delta Reserve card in order to access the lounges.

And for American, again, the only purely domestic premium-cabin tickets which grant Admirals Club access are American's A321T nonstop transcontinental service between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles or San Francisco, or premium-class tickets between Los Angeles and Miami (MIA). Otherwise, in order to access Admirals Clubs, you'll need either a membership, a one-day pass, Oneworld elite status from an airline other than American or membership from the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.

Now, if you're flying in a premium cabin internationally, that's a very different story. Most international first or business-class tickets will provide free access to the airline's corresponding lounge, and even international premium-cabin tickets on partner airlines in the same alliance can get you into an American, Delta or United lounge in many cases. Even if you have an entirely domestic connection to or from an international flight on the same day — such as a flight from Nashville (BNA) to Philadelphia (PHL) which then connects onward to London (LHR) a few hours later — you should be able to get into the lounge during your domestic leg based on your same-day international first or business-class ticket.

There are other ways to potentially get lounge access as well, but those are the basics when it comes to premium-cabin domestic tickets. It's a fairly confusing topic, so hopefully this explanation was helpful, Sharen, and thanks for the question. If you're a TPG reader with a question you'd like answered, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or send an email to info@thepointsguy.com.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.