You are correct, domestic first will not get you AC access.
Are you alone or do you have travel companions? Adults or kids?
At the beginning of your trip go to PIT Admirals Club and buy a day pass for $79. That will allow you 3 children under 18 to enter as well.
The pass works for 24 hours so your other layovers will be covered.
If you have other adults traveling with you, they will need their own day passes.
Have a good trip, PIT AC will not be crowded and LGA and DCA are new locations that are excellent.
The PIT lounge is super low key and I think rarely used. But very clean, well lit, well staffed and stocked. I have no issues at all as it's my home club.
I would take that $80 and buy two $40 meals in whatever restaurant you enjoy at LGA and DCA, unless you really enjoy hummus and Mac & cheese. AA lounges these days are pretty jammed everywhere so unless I’m really craving a kids rice crispy snack I find sitting at an empty gate as or more relaxing than the lounges. (CK and fly weekly)
I personally find lounges way more pleasant than gate areas. Especially quieter. Even a crowded (and not updated) lounge at CLT is better than the absolute hell that are the gate areas there.
Day passes are essentially lottery tickets.
When lounges are crowded, the lounge attendants will triage access.
Day pass holders will thus be the first on the list to be denied access.
I believe the club that activates a Day Pass is the one that can deny day passes. Once activated for 24h they aren't lowest on the totem pole any more. Maybe someone can confirm.
If that's true, starting at PIT should work great.
Correct, once a day pass is activated, it is good even if a lounge is space restricted. For example, I bought a day pass in Denver and they let me use it in Dallas despite those lounges being near capacity
Yes they are. I’ve been refused every single time I’ve tried to book one, and have had to buy the year twice. Now it’s way too expensive to buy the year for a single trip. (and then finding out that the return flight club is closed to anyone not executive platinum status like CDG)
See if there are day passes on eBay. I used to get them for $30–40 on there. Usually sold by people that get them as business perks or whatever and won’t use them. They’re getting harder to find on AA, but worth a shot to save you some money.
You’ll just need one pass for the 24 hour period.
LGA, I’d hang out at the big food court over the lounge. The lounge there is pretty and nice but meh. Go get some good food and watch the fountain.
DCA, I always just end up at the mexican place thats right near the gates and just grab a bite and chill at a table. The staff are pretty chill there most of the time.
You are correct, domestic first will not get you AC access. Are you alone or do you have travel companions? Adults or kids? At the beginning of your trip go to PIT Admirals Club and buy a day pass for $79. That will allow you 3 children under 18 to enter as well. The pass works for 24 hours so your other layovers will be covered. If you have other adults traveling with you, they will need their own day passes. Have a good trip, PIT AC will not be crowded and LGA and DCA are new locations that are excellent.
Travelling alone, thanks for the advice!
The PIT lounge is super low key and I think rarely used. But very clean, well lit, well staffed and stocked. I have no issues at all as it's my home club.
I believe you damn near could’ve driven to Boston by the time you do those layovers
Or Amtrak. That's a crazy path
Amtrak would be 12+ PIT-PHL-NYC-BOS
6 hours in lay overs, about 4 hours in the air, and then 1.5ish hours in boarding. Damn near the same 12 hours...
Driving 9:30 hours.
I would take that $80 and buy two $40 meals in whatever restaurant you enjoy at LGA and DCA, unless you really enjoy hummus and Mac & cheese. AA lounges these days are pretty jammed everywhere so unless I’m really craving a kids rice crispy snack I find sitting at an empty gate as or more relaxing than the lounges. (CK and fly weekly)
I personally find lounges way more pleasant than gate areas. Especially quieter. Even a crowded (and not updated) lounge at CLT is better than the absolute hell that are the gate areas there.
Their Mac and cheese is pretty delicious though!!
Day passes are essentially lottery tickets. When lounges are crowded, the lounge attendants will triage access. Day pass holders will thus be the first on the list to be denied access.
I believe the club that activates a Day Pass is the one that can deny day passes. Once activated for 24h they aren't lowest on the totem pole any more. Maybe someone can confirm. If that's true, starting at PIT should work great.
Correct, once a day pass is activated, it is good even if a lounge is space restricted. For example, I bought a day pass in Denver and they let me use it in Dallas despite those lounges being near capacity
Yes they are. I’ve been refused every single time I’ve tried to book one, and have had to buy the year twice. Now it’s way too expensive to buy the year for a single trip. (and then finding out that the return flight club is closed to anyone not executive platinum status like CDG)
See if there are day passes on eBay. I used to get them for $30–40 on there. Usually sold by people that get them as business perks or whatever and won’t use them. They’re getting harder to find on AA, but worth a shot to save you some money. You’ll just need one pass for the 24 hour period.
Just looked and I see two listings for AC day passes. Looks like both of them come in sets of two, however.
LGA, I’d hang out at the big food court over the lounge. The lounge there is pretty and nice but meh. Go get some good food and watch the fountain. DCA, I always just end up at the mexican place thats right near the gates and just grab a bite and chill at a table. The staff are pretty chill there most of the time.