AA Admirals Club drink vouchers for a guest?

[Timba-Jet]

Hello FFyers

Reading past threads I've learned QC members get 'free' drink vouchers (usually 2) when accessing AA Admiral club, and it is customary to tip the barman $1 for your free drink.

If guesting my friend who is a NB into the lounge, will AA issue my guest with vouchers or just me?

I'll be taking off on my first every DONE5 next week with a number of flights on AA, so will be interesting to see how AA stack up against QF for both lounge & inflight service .

Cheers

 

[drewbles]

Hello FFyers

Reading past threads I've learned QC members get 'free' drink vouchers (usually 2) when accessing AA Admiral club, and it is customary to tip the barman $1 for your free drink.

If guesting my friend who is a NB into the lounge, will AA issue my guest with vouchers or just me?

I'll be taking off on my first every DONE5 next week with a number of flights on AA, so will be interesting to see how AA stack up against QF for both lounge & inflight service .

Cheers

You can go back and request further vouchers from the AAngels at the front desk in the AC's. Just go back and get more as you need them (they shouldn't mind if which of you ask).

Remember to tip the bar staff ($1/drink is usually acceptable).

 

[JohnK]

On my recent RTW my father (not even a QF member) was also receiving drink vouchers when I was guesting him into the lounges in the USA.

Keep forgetting to tip them $1 for my free drink....

 

[Lendav Orav]

With a guest I used to always get 4 vouchers (2 each). They seem to just give 2 now. First time it happened (SJU), I queried it and got a very rude reply. The guy was so nasty he even looked up the rules and printed them out and made a dramatic show of the fact that he should actually have only given me 1 i.e. the guest is not actually entitled to ANY. Almost the most humiliating service I've ever had from AA (got a better one but that's a whole other story). So now with a guest I just smile and take the two. The only time I've ever gotten more vouchers was because of a delay. Will have to try that one though. Tipping: usually yeah, except in the QF/AA lounge in LAX T4 when I was still gold. It's QF so why should I?

 

[drewbles]

With a guest I used to always get 4 vouchers (2 each). They seem to just give 2 now. First time it happened (SJU), I queried it and got a very rude reply. The guy was so nasty he even looked up the rules and printed them out and made a dramatic show of the fact that he should actually have only given me 1 i.e. the guest is not actually entitled to ANY. Almost the most humiliating service I've ever had from AA (got a better one but that's a whole other story). So now with a guest I just smile and take the two. The only time I've ever gotten more vouchers was because of a delay. Will have to try that one though. Tipping: usually yeah, except in the QF/AA lounge in LAX T4 when I was still gold. It's QF so why should I?

You are well within your rights to ask for more vouchers. Take what you're given though, and go back when you require more and ask politely. I've never been declined at any lounge i've asked for except for a jovial "don't have too many sir, we don't want to roll you onto the aircraft!" with a bright smile, laugh, and two more chits (Drink vouchers are coined 'drink chits') handed to me (this was LAX T4).

As I mentioned, to save any problems, the QP member should just ask for them as required. I've not been to SJU so I can't comment, but never in a dozen or so other lounges have I ever had the issue.

 

[hayden]

I've had the same experiences on AA as above - no issues at all obtaining more vouchers, infact I think everytime they have said make sure we go back and get more from them when we were ready.

Vouchers were also handed to guests..

 

[Anna]

First time it happened (SJU), I queried it and got a very rude reply. The guy was so nasty

Interesting. I have also had very rude service at SJU Admiral's Club, not to do with drink vouchers though. In fact it was so rude I wrote to AA about it, and got a very apologetic reply.

 

[Lendav Orav]

Interesting. I have also had very rude service at SJU Admiral's Club, not to do with drink vouchers though. In fact it was so rude I wrote to AA about it, and got a very apologetic reply.

Yeah I wrote the guy's name down and everything but then never bothered to complain. Blood out of a stone and all that... but thanks everyone for the tips on getting more chits! To think how many $9(!) glasses of wine I've needlessly paid for!

 

[straitman]

It's QF so why should I?

Do you really expect an answer to that question :?:

 

[Lendav Orav]

Do you really expect an answer to that question :?:

it WAS a rhetorical question. but what do you mean? what I was saying is that, if I'm in a QF (joint or otherwise) lounge, I don't think I should have to pay for drinks (or tips), that's all. I will tip in a purely AA lounge because it's their turf and their culture but if there's QF on the door then forget it but that's just me

 

[QF WP]

Each to their own

As both Lounges are in the USA, the barstaff in both Lounges are lowly paid and rely on tips to eke out a decent living. I have no trouble tipping.

 

[Lendav Orav]

Each to their own

As both Lounges are in the USA, the barstaff in both Lounges are lowly paid and rely on tips to eke out a decent living. I have no trouble tipping.

good point. But I think it's disgraceful that even in a lounge the staff aren't paid enough to get by (then again we're assuming that but I think you're right as if the locals are tipping then you can bet the airline is paying the bare minimum). In a bar OK, but you would think that it wouldn't be up to top-tier FFs to subsidize the salaries of lounge staff. Imagine having to tip the front desk staff for example. But that's the good old USofA.

 

[Timba-Jet]

OK then, I will accept whatever number of drink vouchers they give my guest and I at reception, and then go back for more if needed.

Thanks everyone

 

[notzac]

I guess it's a case of "when in Rome.." - I agree that hospo staff should be paid a reasonable wage, but in the US that doesn't happen.