You can access Admirals Club lounges if you fly first or business class on certain international, transcontinental and domestic routes. Those flying on American Airlines and on Oneworld partner airlines are eligible.

On American Airlines, a domestic "First Class" ticket does not automatically grant you access to the Admirals Club lounge. This is a common point of confusion for travelers. In the U.S. airline industry, domestic first class is considered a "premium cabin" for seating and meals, but it is not a "lounge-eligible" fare. To enter the lounge on a domestic flight, you generally need to have an Admirals Club membership, hold a specific high-end credit card (like the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard), or have qualifying "Platinum" or higher elite status on an international itinerary. However, there is a major exception: if you are flying in "Flagship First" or "Flagship Business" on transcontinental routes (such as New York JFK to Los Angeles LAX or San Francisco SFO), your ticket does include access to both the Admirals Club and the much more exclusive Flagship Lounge. For international travel, a First or Business Class ticket to Europe, Asia, Australia, or South America will almost always include lounge access as part of the fare. If you are strictly flying a short domestic hop from Dallas to Chicago in First Class, you will likely be waiting at the gate unless you have another qualifying membership.