Does AAdvantage come with Admirals Club?

AAdvantage is the American Airlines loyalty program. With this program, there are multiple ways to earn miles that can be redeemed for future flights, upgrades, and various other rewards. The AAdvantage program may seem a little complicated at first, due to the five unique tiers with different specific perks, but the different levels of the program provide great incentives for frequent flyers. Additionally, it’s important to note that the AAdvantage program does not immediately grant access to the Admirals Club—the luxury airport lounge still requires a membership or a day-pass.

Let’s take a closer look at how exactly AAdvantage members and others can gain access to the Admirals Club.

What is the Admirals Club?

The Admirals Club is American Airlines’s unique luxury airport lounge. There, you can find a wide range of amenities such as snacks, drinks, meals, and made-to-order specialties. Additionally, you’ll gain access to high-speed wi-fi that can help you get your work done as you travel. Some lounges even have shower suites available for use. It’s no wonder that many American Airlines flyers want to know how to gain access to the 50 lounges across the United States.

Gaining Admirals Club Access Through a Credit Card

A straightforward way to gain access to the Admirals Club is just by having the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card. With this card, not only do you automatically have access to all of the Admirals Club lounges, but you also rack up American Airlines miles for all of your purchases made with the card. More perks include a first checked bag free, a 50,000-mile sign-up bonus with $5,000 spent in the first three months, and 10,000 AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after $40,000 spent in yearly purchases.

Holding this card is a great idea for loyal American Airlines customers who want to maximize the different ways of building up AAdvantage miles and perks.

The Five Different AAdvantage Tiers

There are five different levels to the AAdvantage loyalty program—AAdvantage, AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, and AAdvantage Executive Platinum. AAdvantage is the most basic level, and the rewards for each respective tier get better and better. Members of any tier of the AAdvantage program have the ability to purchase an Admirals Club annual membership, with the Executive Platinum members paying the least for it.

If you are just starting to fly with American, you will start out at the AAdvantage level. In order to gain more elite status, you simply have to rack up Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) and Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) or Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs). EQMs are a specified fraction of the actual miles you fly in a trip, while EQDs are a specified fraction of the dollars you spend on a trip. EQSs are pretty much different unique flights. Let’s take a closer look at the four tiers that come after the basic AAdvantage status level. For the most updated information, always check American Airlines’s own website and policies.

AAdvantage Gold - This status typically requires 25,000 EQMs and $3,000 EQDs or 30 EQSs. At this level, you’ll have perks like 40% more EQMs per flight, a free checked bag, and a 24-hour upgrade window. Additionally, you can buy an individual Admirals Club membership for $625.

AAdvantage Platinum - This next level typically requires double that of the Gold level—50,000 EQMs and $6,000 EQDs or 60 EQSs. At this level, you’ll have 60% more EQMs per flight, two free checked bags, and a 48-hour window for upgrades. You can buy an individual Admirals Club membership for $600.

AAdvantage Platinum Pro - The Platinum Pro level usually requires 75,000 EQMs and $9,000 EQDs or 90 EQSs. At this tier, you’ll receive 80% more EQMs per flight as well as a 72-hour window for upgrades. You can buy an individual Admirals Club membership for $575.

AAdvantage Executive Platinum - The most elite membership status, or the Executive Platinum level, usually requires 100,000 EQMs and $15,000 EQDs or 120 EQSs. At this level, you actually receive 120% more EQMs per flight, 3 free checked bags, a 100-hour upgrade window, and other perks as well. You can buy an individual Admirals Club membership for the lowest price possible at $550.

Other Ways to Gain Admirals Club Access

There are other ways to gain access to the Admirals Club lounges as well. In fact, certain first-class or business level tickets can qualify for one-day access to the Admirals Club lounge. Additionally, some AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Platinum members will gain access to the lounges on select flights. Similarly, Oneworld Alliance Emerald and Sapphire members also qualify for lounge access on certain flights. Lastly, U.S. military personnel traveling in uniform with same-day flights can gain access to the Admirals Club.

Conclusion

The AAdvantage membership program is not synonymous with gaining access to the Admirals Club. However, both the AAdvantage loyalty program levels and the elite Admirals Club represent the high-level perks and rewards that American Airlines offer, so loyal American Airline flyers have many different ways to treat themselves.