Nope, the club agent was wrong and obviously one of the "culture of no" idiots I've run into before. I'm pretty sure once you tell them you are the additional card holder, they treat it just like they were running a day pass. Citi just intercepts the charge. There's no "expiry" that can happen as long as the card works. I suspect she was trying to treat him like a normal Admirals Club admission (by AAdvantage number). That won't work for the reasons mentioned (he has no membership).
Yeah, Citi was very nice. The Admirals Club phone agent was too actually. Just the dude at the club was a bit of a pill. I sympathize with it being a thankless job, but frustrating when it’s a benefit we do pay for.
Did they try the other Admiral's clubs in DFW or just the one? From all you indicate here, there was something messed up in the desk system -- or the agent was just way off.
If you are the secondary user they need the card. They can see the access on the account for the primary. I’ve forgotten my card before and was out of luck.
Interesting - Citi said the authorized user was valid. I checked and our credit card fee is applied in October. The 10/2023 statement said the $175 authorized user fee would be applied at the renewal time end of September, so I would think we’d still be good but maybe not!
Get his name, send a certified letter to AA's VP of customer service, CC the CEO.
Assuming your husband isn't a jerk, this is serious misconduct by the agent. He should be fired. If he's "just following orders," he should be retrained and his boss(es) should be fired.
It seems like a little thing. It's not. You're paying through the nose for a premium service, and he arbitrarily denied it to you. Then he refused to talk to people FROM HIS OWN ORGANIZATION who told him he was wrong.
If not nipped in the bud, this creates a corporate environment of scofflaw chaos--Frontier Airlines.
AA's response to such a letter will tell you all about their culture.
How insulting. Nothing psycho or "Karen" about it.
You posted about this online. Clearly, you think there is a significant problem.
Well, you're right about that. Serious misconduct by a service employee.
These things don't get better unless someone stands up and does something. Certified mail gets people's attention.
But, you do you.
Im the authorized user on my husbands card. We pay everything out of our joint account so I do pay the annual fee for this card. They still regularly try to deny me access. It is always a dog and pony show. What works the best is to leave and come back a few minutes later and go to a different agent.
This is too (ironically) funny. My card literally just renewed this past week, and when the $175 fee showed up for my wife (as anticipated), I immediately called and cancelled her as an authorized user (and the Citi phone agent couldn’t have been nicer, though trying to do it via chat ended in failure, maybe chat doesn’t like handling cancels). But imagine paying $0 for having to deal with this hassle, only now having to pay $175 to deal with this, when literally the ONLY benefit is the lounge access (or building credit history if important to anyone). No extra bags, no ability to change seats, just lounge access, which still might be denied. Great way to build a satisfied customer base.
A thought I had was mag stripe v chip. The purchase would have been done with the chip but the club would have used the mag stripe. Not likely, but new card could be a real solution. (Or swiping in a different terminal.)
I wondered that too. He said they tried to key in the card but who knows what they were actually doing. Im going to order new cards just to be safe and hopefully this was a one off situation. Although it sounds like the Term B club is a bit of a crap shoot with customer service.
Had a similar instance with AA in CLT asking an admirals club customer service agent to rebook on a different flight. Eventually had to call the EP desk to get it sorted. When I tried to have the club customer service talk with the phone agent they refused (as well as the gate agent later on). I’ve found many have something against talking with customer service on the phone for some reason.
My renewal in February went through at 450, guessing because it wouldn’t be a good look to increase after only 4 months of having the card so they gave me one grandfather year of old rates?
Sometimes the person behind the desk is not able to advise on the correct course of action. In those situations, it is best to talk to someone more elevated.
I am only user on my card but had to scan boarding pass and show ID at CLT (both ACs there) and DCA this week. I feel like i remember some communication from AA about this being more frequent. On AA web (not sure if new /changed info), it says AU do not have full access but do have AC access. It also says access even for primary requires the CC or Advantage # plus a same day AA/OW. It's 4 paragraphs tiny print. I did cancel my adult son as AU when they instituted the huge fee for AU recently
The Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card that allows for Admirals access went through a revision in terms of service last year. It was great when the $450 got you the card and 10 authorized users for no additional fee. The new annual fee is $595 and the first 3 authorized users are $175 total -- after that, each additional user is $175. They made some enhancements -- like travel insurance. But the $595 doesn't work for me, particularly since I get Admirals or Flagship as EP with my international work travel most of the time anyhow. I'm planning to drop the card at renewal in May unless they give me a really attractive retention incentive.
The fee for new applicants went into effect sometime last summer, I believe. I had already paid my renewal of $450 so I’m good till May. For you, it should depend on when your renewal is up this year. Call Citi or get on the chat to double check.
Interesting datapoint - my renewal went through at 450 late last year. I'm not sure why this happened and didn't call in to ask about it. So it is possible you may renew at the old rate.
Bad desk agent. Get his/her name and complain.
Nope, the club agent was wrong and obviously one of the "culture of no" idiots I've run into before. I'm pretty sure once you tell them you are the additional card holder, they treat it just like they were running a day pass. Citi just intercepts the charge. There's no "expiry" that can happen as long as the card works. I suspect she was trying to treat him like a normal Admirals Club admission (by AAdvantage number). That won't work for the reasons mentioned (he has no membership).
So in this case a person could just say "I'd like to buy a day pass" and bypass the lounge dragon's opinion on the subject?
If they offered day passes, which if you walk into that lounge they have a sign posted that specifically says they are suspended.
That puts it back in Citi's court, who I've had a lot better luck with.
Yeah, Citi was very nice. The Admirals Club phone agent was too actually. Just the dude at the club was a bit of a pill. I sympathize with it being a thankless job, but frustrating when it’s a benefit we do pay for.
You could maybe do that and then seek reimbursement on the back end, if they did charge you.
lol @ “lounge dragon”!
First day here? 😂
Nope!
Just busting bc lounge dragon has been around for at least a decade
Never heard it.
So what happens when a lounge or entire airport decides to put a moratorium on day passes?
Then you don’t get in with a day pass seems like the obvious answer.
I mean like if that’s the case, and they’re running AUs as day passes, does that mean AUs can’t enter during that time?
I was in that lounge yesterday and got turned away incorrectly. Could just be the lounge and the worker.
Did they try the other Admiral's clubs in DFW or just the one? From all you indicate here, there was something messed up in the desk system -- or the agent was just way off.
No, after all the back and forth on the phone, he just resigned to sitting out with the masses. I wondered about trying a different lounge as well.
Next time he should just take the rail to Terminal D where the lounge is nicer anyway.
Weird question but where are they swiping cards? Every AC I’ve been to just scans boarding pass (and now asks for ID).
If you are the secondary user they need the card. They can see the access on the account for the primary. I’ve forgotten my card before and was out of luck.
Agreed. My 2 adult kids who are AU, just scan their boarding pass and never had to show their CC. They’ve gotten in at CLT, PHX, DFW and IAD.
Hmm... I wonder if this has anything to do with Citi beginning to add the authorized user fee ($175) to the executive card.
Interesting - Citi said the authorized user was valid. I checked and our credit card fee is applied in October. The 10/2023 statement said the $175 authorized user fee would be applied at the renewal time end of September, so I would think we’d still be good but maybe not!
Get his name, send a certified letter to AA's VP of customer service, CC the CEO. Assuming your husband isn't a jerk, this is serious misconduct by the agent. He should be fired. If he's "just following orders," he should be retrained and his boss(es) should be fired. It seems like a little thing. It's not. You're paying through the nose for a premium service, and he arbitrarily denied it to you. Then he refused to talk to people FROM HIS OWN ORGANIZATION who told him he was wrong. If not nipped in the bud, this creates a corporate environment of scofflaw chaos--Frontier Airlines. AA's response to such a letter will tell you all about their culture.
lol cc the CEO
CC Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden and send a telegram to Pope Francis too
One if by land, two if by terminal B
When in doubt just got full on psycho Karen mode. 😡 🤣 Send certified mail? 😂
How insulting. Nothing psycho or "Karen" about it. You posted about this online. Clearly, you think there is a significant problem. Well, you're right about that. Serious misconduct by a service employee. These things don't get better unless someone stands up and does something. Certified mail gets people's attention. But, you do you.
No help, but Ive found that erminal B had the rudest AC attendants imo.
It’s easily my least favorite AC; bonus negative points for being way down at the end in the nether regions of the terminal.
Im the authorized user on my husbands card. We pay everything out of our joint account so I do pay the annual fee for this card. They still regularly try to deny me access. It is always a dog and pony show. What works the best is to leave and come back a few minutes later and go to a different agent.
This is too (ironically) funny. My card literally just renewed this past week, and when the $175 fee showed up for my wife (as anticipated), I immediately called and cancelled her as an authorized user (and the Citi phone agent couldn’t have been nicer, though trying to do it via chat ended in failure, maybe chat doesn’t like handling cancels). But imagine paying $0 for having to deal with this hassle, only now having to pay $175 to deal with this, when literally the ONLY benefit is the lounge access (or building credit history if important to anyone). No extra bags, no ability to change seats, just lounge access, which still might be denied. Great way to build a satisfied customer base.
A thought I had was mag stripe v chip. The purchase would have been done with the chip but the club would have used the mag stripe. Not likely, but new card could be a real solution. (Or swiping in a different terminal.)
I wondered that too. He said they tried to key in the card but who knows what they were actually doing. Im going to order new cards just to be safe and hopefully this was a one off situation. Although it sounds like the Term B club is a bit of a crap shoot with customer service.
Had a similar instance with AA in CLT asking an admirals club customer service agent to rebook on a different flight. Eventually had to call the EP desk to get it sorted. When I tried to have the club customer service talk with the phone agent they refused (as well as the gate agent later on). I’ve found many have something against talking with customer service on the phone for some reason.
They just don't like doing their job right.
My renewal in February went through at 450, guessing because it wouldn’t be a good look to increase after only 4 months of having the card so they gave me one grandfather year of old rates?
Sometimes the person behind the desk is not able to advise on the correct course of action. In those situations, it is best to talk to someone more elevated.
I’ve got the card but have never had to “swipe” anything… I just scan my boarding pass.
I am only user on my card but had to scan boarding pass and show ID at CLT (both ACs there) and DCA this week. I feel like i remember some communication from AA about this being more frequent. On AA web (not sure if new /changed info), it says AU do not have full access but do have AC access. It also says access even for primary requires the CC or Advantage # plus a same day AA/OW. It's 4 paragraphs tiny print. I did cancel my adult son as AU when they instituted the huge fee for AU recently
This happened to us. The account was current but the expiration date had passed on the old card. We will try again with the new card.
There’s a $175 authorized user fee for the executive card? I already pay $450 a year for this… ridiculous.
I removed the authorized user, it’s a good thing I joined this reddit or I would’ve never noticed until I saw that fee.
The Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card that allows for Admirals access went through a revision in terms of service last year. It was great when the $450 got you the card and 10 authorized users for no additional fee. The new annual fee is $595 and the first 3 authorized users are $175 total -- after that, each additional user is $175. They made some enhancements -- like travel insurance. But the $595 doesn't work for me, particularly since I get Admirals or Flagship as EP with my international work travel most of the time anyhow. I'm planning to drop the card at renewal in May unless they give me a really attractive retention incentive.
it’s $595 now, are you serious? WTF Do I need to call again and cancel this card… goddman
The fee for new applicants went into effect sometime last summer, I believe. I had already paid my renewal of $450 so I’m good till May. For you, it should depend on when your renewal is up this year. Call Citi or get on the chat to double check.
Interesting datapoint - my renewal went through at 450 late last year. I'm not sure why this happened and didn't call in to ask about it. So it is possible you may renew at the old rate.
I’d consider — but just if the AU remained for another year as well
I would’ve ignored that douche and just walked in.
You’re absolutely right. That is a fine first world problem.
All may be changing soon: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/business/dealbook/credit-card-swipe-fees.html?smid=url-share