AA non rev lounges being closed?

[eolesen]

The decision to prohibit employees from belonging to the club came from CR himself -- he wanted the club to be invitation-only, and that's how it was for the first many years of their existence.

Having a pilot out of uniform easing up to the bar for a drink wasn't the image he wanted to portray.

When I was flying every other week on domestic tickets, when the wifi was for members only, and airports didn't have anywhere to plug in a phone or a laptop, the $350/year was easier to justify.

Things have changed... The clubs are often over-crowded, most airports now have plugs in the main areas, and I'd rather take that $350 and spend it on my mobile hotspot & a beer or three at a Chili's or some other sit-down restaurant in the concourse...

 

[737823]

You just cant resist right?

Can you?

Josh

 

[Black Magic]

US doesn't provide these for their employees right? US is also the airline that charges F/As to bid for their lines at home, so now that AA is under the US umbrella this likely the first of many changes "enhancements" we can look forward to.

Josh

"Enhancements" indeed....the spin never stops at US!

 

[nycbusdriver]

https://wings.usairways.com/uswings/travel/012414_Travel_updates.pdf

 
Thanks....I didn't dream that.  Nor, am I losing my mind.  Well....maybe not.

 

[flyer63]

Employees can buy club membership and use it anytime, previously at US you had to also be on a paid ticket.

Untrue, you did not have to be on a paid ticket. I bought a us envoy club 90 day membership for 2 trips to Europe. Got to use the club and the recip club in LHR for shower on arrival in LHR.

 

[RJcasualty]

Sounds like he was pulling your leg.   I doubt very much that PHX Sky Harbor is asking anyone to pay $10,000 per square foot for terminal space.   Terminal 4 contains 3.9 million square feet of space - you do the math.   
 
Yes, airport real estate is expensive - just nowhere near as expensive as that vendor led you to believe.   What was he selling?  Cocaine?   Meth?   What could you possibly sell in a 100 square foot space that would generate over a million dollars a year just for rent expense?    Not to mention the cost of whatever he was selling, his employees and all the other expenses of running a business.    

Has anyone thought what these poor terminal vendors will do when AAL reverts to 3 banks at the hubs?  A crush of business during the 3 compacted rush hours, and death in between. Not only that, the crush will be such that many travellers either wont have the connection time or the inclination to wait in a long line to make a purchase. 

 

[eolesen]

I don't know what planet you're from, but there's no way any large hub can go to three banks.

Some do operate with a minimum of 5 banks if they're omni-directional (0700/1000/1300/1700/2000), but if you go to directional (more common), it's going to be closer to 8 if not more. You'll also still have markets with hourly flights that are off-bank.