Originally Posted by
franklin_m
I think you're missing it. I used the airline club as a metaphor.
I buy a membership with the airline for the privilege of being able to join the specific club at the airport near my home. I also have to pay additional money to join that specific club at my airport. The club at the airport near my house offers PB&J sandwiches, juice boxes, bean bag chairs, and porta potties. My sister, who lives somewhere else, pays that same amount to the same airline for the privilege of joining the local club at the airport near her home. That local club offers air conditioned spaces, massage chairs, hot sandwiches, variety of beverages, and private bathrooms with showers. We both pay the same to the airline for the privilege of joining the local club, but there's a vast difference in the amenities at those local clubs.
As I said, the strongest reason for joining the AMA is for the privilege of then being able to pay to join the local club. The problem is those clubs have vastly different amenities. And just because there's fewer amenities, doesn't mean lower price. I wonder if there's even statistical correlation. I doubt it, but could be wrong. Point is, there should be some base level amenities regardless of club ... as that's the strongest selling point for the AMA "gatekeeper" membership fee.
Dues vary from local club to local club. Clubs typically have a very open and transparent budgeting process and members know exactly how their dues relate to the amenities they enjoy. Clubs can spend as much or as little as the membership desires to make their club what they want it to be. The AMA membership has nothing to do with local club operations so I have zero expectations about what the AMA "stamp of approval" might mean when it comes to club amenities. In truth, the only thing the AMA is providing (and this is provided consistently) is insurance. Of course, the AMA is also now providing FRIA application support.
None of this compares even remotely to buying into a national franchise, like an airline club, where I am buying the service directly from the airline and the airline itself is responsible for the operation of the facility at each airport to deliver that service. I am not buying a club membership from the AMA. I am buying the club membership from the local club and the local club requires me to be an AMA member in order to have insurance.
Of course, none of this has anything to do with the topic of the thread
