Does Qantas Club membership allow you to access Admirals Club lounges when flying AA internationally i.

Does Qantas Club membership allow you to access Admirals Club lounges when flying AA internationally i.e LHR or GIG? or is access only for US domestic flying? Thanks

QF Club members can access the AA lounge at LHR but only if travelling on a QF or EK flight.

Domestically there are only lounges in LAX, DFW, JFK and HNL and access appears to be only if travelling on a QF or Jetstar flight number.

AA does allow you to purchase day access for about $50USD

I fear Colin is incorrect. As a Qantas Club member you are eligible to access Admirals Club lounges within and without the United States, when flying with AA.

Therefore when flying from LHR or GIG on an AA flight, you are able to access the Admirals Club lounge at LHR Terminal 3 and the Admirals Club lounge at GIG Terminal 2 (this is a temporary lounge while AA is building a new lounge). 

While the Qantas and American Airlines website does not make it clear, it is the convention that access is granted when you are flying on AA operated and marketed flights (please feel free to correct me on this).

The Qantas Club arrangement with AA is reciprocal. Consequently an Admirals Club member is able to access a Qantas operated lounge when flying on Qantas operated flights (The AA website limits it to "operated" and not "marketed"). This relationship also pre-dates the severing of the QF/BA ties and the QF/EK alliance. The only exception post 31 March is that as a Qantas Club member flying on EK metal, you are now able to access the Admirals Club lounge at LHR. In fact you have no choice but the Admirals Club Lounge - Qantas does not operate its own lounge at LHR!

John from AUSBT did a good review on the Admirals lounge at LHR. Highlights include the reliable high-speed internet but on the flip side, the food options are a bit pedestrian, when comparing to Qantas' own international on-shore lounges.

TRB: Sorry, you are incorrect. The OW website states the following (please note the exceptions):

• Emerald tier frequent flyers can use First Class, Business Class or frequent flyer lounges.
• Sapphire tier frequent flyers are welcome in Business Class* or frequent flyer lounges. (*does not include Qantas Domestic Business Lounges)
• Emerald and Sapphire members may invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest must also be travelling on a flight operated and marketed by a oneworld carrier.
• You must be prepared to show your boarding pass and frequent flyer membership card, with oneworld Emerald or Sapphire tier status, to access a lounge.

The following exceptions apply:

1. American Airlines and Qantas offer programmes enabling customers to pay to gain access to their lounges. These programmes are not part of the oneworld agreement, and members of these programmes are not entitled to access lounges under the oneworld agreement.
2. American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, cannot access American Airlines lounges when travelling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. For more information, visit,

KG you are right. The Admirals Club and Qantas Club arrangement exist outside the framework of the Oneworld alliance lounge access policy.

I have described the access to the QF and AA lounges for Admirals Club and Qantas Club members respectively.

Therefore the information is not inconsistent.

TRB: Not sure if I get your point but as a QF clubmember the (flying economy class) the only lounge you have access to in the US are DFW, LAX and JFK and this is only if you are flying out on a QF or JQ flightnumber. So you will never gain access when waving your club card when flying from say DFW to MIA. Even high status AA flyers do not have access, you need to have a Admirals club membership.

The QF website states very clear which International lounges you have access to as a Clubmember.

The OW benefit is a fantastic perk for OW members (not being AA FF) as per agreement you will always gain access when Emerald or Saphire (even gets you a drink chit for premium beverages), whereas even when flying F class domestically you would not get access to the lounge without status. In the US the lounges of airlines are strictly paid for membership (or you can gain access when holding certain credit cards).

KG, let me deal with the queries as you have raised it. Responses in blue:

QF club member the (flying economy class) the only lounge you have access to in the US are DFW, LAX and JFK and this is only if you are flying out on a QF or JQ flight number. So you will never gain access when waving your club card when flying from say DFW to MIA. Even high status AA flyers do not have access; you need to have a Admirals club membership.

As a Qantas Club member flying QF in economy from DFW, LAX or JFK, the lounges you can use are as stipulated on the Qantas website; namely, DFW: Gideon Toal Management Service Lounge (Not Admirals club lounge), LAX: Qantas Business Lounge at TBIT (Not Admirals Club Lounge) and JFK: Terrace Lounge (Not Admirals club lounge).

But as a Qantas Club member flying on AA in economy you can also use the following lounges; DFW: Admirals Club Lounge in Terminal A,B,C&D. LAX: Admirals Club Lounge in Terminal 4. JFK: Admirals Club lounge in Terminal 8 Domestic and Terminal 8 International.

So for your example of DFW/MIA, if you’re a Qantas Club member travelling on AA metal, you should be able to access the Admirals Club lounge in one of the 4 DFW terminals. Personally, I have been granted access to the Admirals Club Lounge at LAX Terminal 4 as well as MIA (can’t remember which terminal) as a Qantas Club member flying in economy on AA. So your assertion is factually inaccurate. 

The QF website states very clear which International lounges you have access to as a Club member.

You are right. The QF website does state clearly, which lounge one is able to use when flying on Qantas as a Qantas Club member. The QF website also adds that, “In addition to Qantas Club lounges, you can relax in American Airlines® Admirals Club lounges in other locations. For applicable lounge locations please visit…”

Unfortunately the QF website has failed to include conditions for access to the Admirals Club lounges. A previous version of the QF website indicates that access to Admirals Club as a Qantas Club member is conditional on the passenger flying with AA.

 The OW benefit is a fantastic perk for OW members (not being AA FF) as per agreement you will always gain access when Emerald or Saphire (even gets you a drink chit for premium beverages), whereas even when flying F class domestically you would not get access to the lounge without status. In the US the lounges of airlines are strictly paid for membership (or you can gain access when holding certain credit cards).

You are right there. But may I ask the relevance of this statement in relation to bodez’s initial query, “Does Qantas Club membership allow you to access Admirals Club lounges when flying AA internationally i.e LHR or GIG? or is access only for US domestic flying?”

Now one can infer from the question that the intended passenger is a Qantas Club member flying in economy on an American Airlines international sector. This inference negates the need to assess the onewold Sapphire or Emerald implications. If the question had been, “Does QFF Gold/Platinum allow you to access Admirals Club lounges when flying AA international…” then is it warranted to consider the oneworld factor.

But I take your point about the perks being limited for AA Business and First class passengers with respect to Admirals Club access when flying domestically. Thankfully for bodez, he/she will not be impacted by this because a Qantas Club membership when flying AA is as good as an Admirals Club membership. So even if he/she was flying AA in First or Economy on a domestic sector he/she can gain access to the Admirals Lounge (access to the international Admirals Club lounges is a given as indicated in previous post).

Yikes! Sorry for being long winded! :(

Than I stand corrected! Interesting statement on the Oneworld website however which clearly excludes paid memberships....

When flying US domestic  you can only gain access to Admirals Clubs (anywhere in the US) when holding relevant OneWorld status and flying on an AA flight (or on an International flight later that day) as part of the OW benefits for higher tier members (e.g. OW Emerald status, equivalent to QF Platinum or OW Saphire status, equivalent to QF Gold).

Referring to QF Club membership it is stated on the OW website that:

• American Airlines and Qantas offer programmes enabling customers to pay to gain access to their lounges. These programmes are not part of the oneworld agreement, and members of these programmes are not entitled to access lounges under the oneworld agreement.

If your flying AA or QF and have Q Club membership you have lounge access to the Admirals Club.

I flew throught out North America last yeah with AA (and AA flight numbers) and my QF club was accepted.

The agreement exists out side the oneworld partnership just like the old deal with BA and the new one with Emirates. 

I concur with Michael. I have used my Q Club membership to gain access to the Boston Admirals Club when flying AA to LAX. Although after visiting a few Admirals Clubs you're better off finding a Dunkin Donuts. They leave a lot to be desired. 

Thanks for info TRB. i hoped this was the case! 

No worries bodez. Do let us know of your experience after your trip!

Does having a Admirals Club Membership allow access to the Qantas Club??, ive thought about just purchasing a Admirals Membership instead of Q Club, to save some money.