DrHalxx

You can have lounge access just by producing your card

pilotboy1985YYC

Hi Everyone, I see this wasn't a simple yes or no question I posted, lol.

Perhaps it was just poor agents. The flight was....

SJU-EWR-YHZ.

At check in in SJU the agent said I was *S, and I showed them the card and they looked at it, but said the card doesn't matter, all that matters is the fact I'm showing as *S. When she printed my boarding pass, it also says "Star Alliance Silver". So she proceeded to charge me for my bags. She told me I could take up the charge with my frequent flyer to get it reimbursed. She was adamant the card meant nothing to her.

When I tried to use the lounge in EWR, the same thing happened. They first seen star silver on my BP and said because I'm *S travelling in coach I don't get lounge access. I showed them the card but they said it doesn't matter. It looked like they might of swiped it or something, and says their system shows *S.

So I just gave up. It was a long day and I wasn't in the mood for a fight.

when I got home I got a pair of scissors and cut up my gold card.

NWIFlyer

It sounds like you got a set of particularly poor agents. At SJU this might be more understandable, because I imagine UA might well sub-contract there, but at a hub it's almost laughable - except I've had issues at UA Clubs before when they've asked all sorts of questions about where my Gold card comes from when really they should know, so it's not entirely a surprise.

Of course, the advice to ask your FFP for a refund of your baggage fees merely illustrates the level of competency - clearly it is UA who must refund your fees, although that might be a little more tricky now your Gold card is no more and you have no way of getting another one. Have you considered Sellotape?

Jma12

Can't you credit your miles to Aeroplan and then show them your Gold card to go to the lounge? Unless they swipe the card, there is no way for them to know that you had been downgrade to *S

flyer05

On the occasions I've handed lounge agents my Gold card with my boarding pass displaying non-A3 FFP number, they've always swiped it (presumably to check it was valid).

realgoose

If my boarding pass correctly shows A3*G, why do some lounges ask to see my card? So far my response has been to get the card out of my bag as slowly as possible. Should I refuse and ask that a supervisor be called to force them to follow the rule that the boarding pass is enough?

NWIFlyer

I wouldn't if I were you. Lounge agents can be particularly helpful in the event of IrOps, so keeping them onside is usually a good plan ...

They probably want to see (and swipe) the card to save them entering the data manually - this may not be information that's contained in the ticket barcode. This ensures the lounge gets paid by someone depending on the exact arrangements.

All you're doing, frankly, is holding up your own entry into the lounge. At UA Clubs, that might be a wise given the horrors that lie within. At an SQ lounge outside SIN, I'd want to be in and eating and drinking as soon as possible.

irishguy28

Because it is a reasonable request and one that they are well within their rights to make; as a savvy traveller, you should always carry your card with you, and even hand it over with the boarding pass to pre-empt such queries (as I always do).

You only have to look around the various airline fora here to see that lounge agents often make mistakes and deny access to lounges, or check-in agents deny status privileges, so carrying your valid status card with you whenever you expect to interact with airline staff is effectively an "insurance policy" to ensure you get what you are entitled to.

Unfortunately, perhaps, when travelling with a lesser-known card/status, such as Aegean [I am sure I'm not the only one to have been met with puzzled looks in the US when handing over the card, and questions like "what airline is *this*?", etc] then you are even more likely to be asked.

If you want to impede your progress or dent your chances of having these privileges extended to you, then don't carry your card.

If you want to annoy airline staff (which is never a good idea) then you can refuse their validly-made, reasonable requests - but beware of the consequences to yourself!

Azreal

I too have been downgraded.

My ticket shows *S when my Card says *G until January 24. Thankfully I had my card with me. Otherwise the Air Canada agent wouldn't have let me into the lounge.

I might as well get used to it!

Azreal

aadrian83

Flew out from CDG to HKG via PEK. No issue asking for Priority Baggage by flashing the "expired" A3 card. I put my miles on my LH *S.

Had no issue using my A3 to access the Business Lounge at PEK. The agent took the card and typed in things. Didn't say a word, let me and my guest in, no problem.

I had prepared a printout of their lounge rules, but didn't need to use it.

Forgot to mention that I was using Air China.

NWIFlyer

aadrian83, welcome to Flyertalk and particularly the A3 forum - and thank you for such an informative first post. Hopefully you'll stick around and provide us with many more over time!

warakorn

If a three-class (Y, C, F) is operating a domestic flight within China, FIRST CLASS passengers are seated into the physical C-seats.

rix

I'm in the same situation with my account downgraded to *Silver but my plastic *Gold card valid til mid Jan 2016.

I have entered the following lounges in the past week with a guest without any difficulty. Each time I was flying economy, with my LH miles&more *Silver appearing on the boarding passes.

• BRU (Brussels Airlines The Loft - Schengen terminal)
  Friendly and smiling agent swiped my card, scanned our 2 boarding passes and welcomed us into the lounge
  
• CPH (*Gold lounge upstairs)
  Took about 1 minute of typing my name and A3 member number into the computer and off we went to enjoy the lounge.
  
• OTP Bucharest (Mastercard contract lounge)
  Employee wrote down my card number and boarding pass details on an "invitation form". She did not even look at my guest's boarding pass.

KLouis

Βγάζω απ' τη μύγα ξίγκι μέχρι την τελευταία στιγμή or, in English, to skin a flint till the very last moment.

rix

hmm not quite, since the 25k miles in my A3 account will probably go unused - it's unlikely that I visit Greece in the next couple of years and can't even burn them on some miles shop product