Fancy airport lounges/clubs American Airlines etc...
 

Wifey and I are going to try to get back to Garmisch this winter for a week or so after Christmas, but my budget's pretty thin. That means crappy flights with long layovers. One that would work ideally time- and price-wise would leave us for 9 hours (overnight) at London Heathrow, and suffice it to say I am not an "Admiral's Club" member. There's no USO at Heathrow either. Has anyone figured out the "secret handshake" to get in the highbrow lounges? Or is said community accessible only via the $50 one-day membership fee? Any AA pilots on here who'd like to pull a string or two for us? :grin:

Admiral's Club cost varies between $300 and $450 per year for an individual depending on your AAdvantage membership status - Gold, Platnium or Exec Platinum. If you have enough frequent flyer miles, you can also purchase a membership that way.

http://www.aa.com/content/travelInformation/airportAmenities/admiralsClubArticles/becomingAMember.jhtml

Can't you just get like a local Motel 6 or something for the night?

Use your military ID.

Honestly

or get an Amex Platinum

Can you fly into Frankfurt instead of Heathrow?

Yes, Amex Platinum + Continental Airlines = free food and drink during full day HNL --> LAX --> HOU --> MCO "flight from hell." :D

I'm a member of the United's Red Carpet Club, and they allow members to bring in two guests.

I'd hang out near the Admiral Club entrance and hit up someone to let you gain entry as their guest.

Thanks for all the advice, folks. Frankfurt's not an option for financial reasons (though it would have been nice, as I have a friend at K-town who I'd like to see). Hanging out near the club and hoping someone might "guest" us in is an interesting thought, or we might just look for a 24-hour restaurant and hope they'll let us occupy a booth for a few hours. Too bad there's no USO at Heathrow; those places are a Godsend. Howi, do you think the military ID would work any magic on the folks at the Admiral's Club across the pond? I hate pulling that one... maybe if I'd been over in the sandbox or on some semblance of a hardship tour I'd be more inclined to lay claim to a favor or two.

Thanks for all the tips, nevertheless. Hope we can find something to do for several hours!

Unofficially they have allowed it but they have officially announced that they are allowing service members on leave or traveling on orders for R&R or deployment.

Thanks; we'll see how tired we are and how accommodating the rest of LHR might be before I try doing that. Seems like the guys who've actually seen the ***** firsthand ought to have dibs rather than a stateside weekend warrior like myself, but it's really nice to hear that they're allowing servicemen/women this perk.

We're actually heading to Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, the AFRC in Garmisch. Check out the web site at edelweisslodgeandresort.com. They have R&R packages for folks on leave from OIF, Afghanistan, etc... pretty nice packages for people who have spent some time in some pretty crappy places. I am impressed with the facilities -- this is our second trip there. VERY nice accommodations and service.

Thanks again!