KLouis

Hah! You can burn them on any *A member...

DrHalxx

you can book other star alliance redemption tickets

KLouis

Thanks for translating.

krasnoludek

Flying out today on United EWR->MUC->GRZ. When checking in on United, I saw that it listed my A3 status as S. I knew I didn't make the requalification for G by Nov 24, but I was sure that G status would last till the end of January (like pretty much every other FF). Reading this thread has been mighty helpful, especially Irishguy28's links to the operating procedures.

Now, my situation has an interesting wrinkle. My A3 *G card actually says it expires 12/16. that's because I requalified for G back under the old format where you get G for 1.5-2 years. This was right before A3 changed its policy and so about a month after I got the gold card that expired 12/16, I got a new message saying I had "qualified" for gold and they sent another card with a 01/24/16. Needless to say, I kept (and have repeatedly used) the one with the 12/16 expiration.

I'm curious if for the rest of January I'll have any difficulty using the A3 *G card, and if, after January when I'll be the odd duck even among A3 people, I will still be able to use the card. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I'm flying Business out of EWR today (got a good deal!) so that already gets me all the *G privileges.

VancityKid

I didn't requalify for Gold and flew UA ORD-YVR on Silver about 2 weeks ago. I had pay for my bag and was in a hurry so didn't really bother with the lounge. Now, I just checked in for my return trip and UA is showing I'm *G! Maybe A3 corrected the issue and made the *G valid up to the card expiration date?

realgoose

N.B. irishguy28 I find it contradictory to argue that airline personnel should follow the Star Alliance rules and then argue that it is reasonable for airline personnel to not follow the Star Alliance rules.

NWIFlyer makes a very reasonable argument. Being nice to everyone can reap benefits in many ways.

I've never had UA ask for our card. They've always accepted our boarding passes. We have not flown with UA since spring 2015, so recent experience is lacking.

This discussion may be becoming moot. My recent experiences were that we gained access to lounges with no requests for the card. Our LH boarding passes were scanned coming and going at Senator lounges in FRA. Once I could see the screen which said "Entry Permitted". Same thing at the A3 lounge in ATH, they scanned and welcomed us in.

Some of the contract lounges may need a card because they don't have the same access to boarding pass data. Given the delays we've seen in sending new cards the last two years, we are unlikely to have the current card for several months every year. Hopefully the virtual card in the A3 app will be accepted if A3 sticks to a November expiration date on the physical cards.

One option for A3 is to produce and send new cards when a member reaches renewal status. For example, my wife and I are likely to re-qualify after our summer trip to Greece by September of each year. If they release our cards for October production and shipping, we might have our cards in Florida by sometime in December.

collegeidol

As of yesterday, I am still using my A3 Gold Card and gained access into various lounges around the globe. (YYZ trans border/Int'l MLL; HND ANA: HKG SQ and TPE BR) Yes, the boarding pass shows *S and while the lounge staff are getting ready to kick me out, then I show them the A3 Gold card which expires in Jan 2016. They are fine and with a few something to key in their system, I am on my way into the lounge. So make sure you had the card with you and show it out to avoid trouble!!

krasnoludek

Back from a 3-leg trip that consisted of two itineraries. Had my A3 *G card that expires 12/16, even though I'm listed as *S on A3's site.

* Got into the UA lounge at EWR because my first ticket was P. No need to check status.
* Got into LH lounge at MUC showing my card. LH agent typed something into her computer and I was clear. I also went up later to ask them to assign my seats for my next set of flights (I had never gotten the LH code from UA) and they put me into E+ on the transatlantic flight, no problem.
* Next leg, a few days later, I checked a bag free and got into OS lounge at GRZ showing my card. Again, a little typing into the computer and I was set.
* Got into the LH lounge at FRA showing my card -- no typing even necessary.
* Final leg, a few days later and on a new itinerary. Tried to check a bag free with UA at SEA. Check-in agent was super confused by the discrepancy and wanted to be helpful, but also didn't feel comfortable just accepting my bag. She even called up a superior, who seems to have told her they need to go with what's listed in the computer. I considered bringing up the Star Alliance operational rules that irishguy28 had linked, but I was already running the risk of missing my flight because of the time the check-in agent had spent on inquiries, and I knew that in this case my employer would cover the charge.
* Had too short of a connection at IAD to try the UA lounge there.

So, it seems like LH, OS have no issues honoring the card. But both I and a previous poster have had issues with UA honoring it.

Jma12

Just used my card at the AC lounge in YYZ. I used my Lifemiles (AV) to book a Y class flight to YVR, the BP did not show my A3 number. The agent asked me if I want it on my BP and I said yes, then she let me in

aadrian83

This may no longer be relevant in, let's say, 2 days? But from my return flight with Air China from HKG to CDG via PEK:

- Checked in at HK Airport Express City Check In. I checked only 1 bag. I showed my A3*G card and asked for the Priority Baggage tag. They complied with no issue. Had A3 on HKG PEK leg but LH*S on PEK CDG leg (forgot to change and didn't realize until when I reached the airport). At this point, I noticed that my HKG PEK BP showed A3*G. I went online to Aegean App and it showed A3*S. Strange stuff...

- Changed my mind and decided to check in also my hand carry luggage as my 2nd item (courtesy of A3*G). The lady looked confused and called her colleague. They typed in quite a few thing in the computer and muttered "system error" to each other. At this point, I requested them to also change my HKG PEK to also use LH*S. The ladies told me, if I want to check in the 2nd luggage, at the very least, the 1st outbound leg HKG PEK must be using the A3. Even when the system showed A3*S, they would allow me to check it in as my card is still valid. So I agreed to this and got it checked in. They issued me a new BP for HKG PEK, and this time, it showed A3*S. Another strange stuff...

- At PEK, went to the lounge. The lady looked at the LH*S on my PEK CDG BP and said something in Chinese. I showed her my expiring A3*G card and told her I don't speak Chinese. She took it and typed it some stuff in her computer, and told me "welcome" and smiled. No issue here.

- OOT, but I got a free upgrade to Biz on this PEK CDG leg. The plane was overbooked. Not sure if my expiring A3*G or my LH*S had anything to do with it, but, happy ending

Jma12

My BP on AC only show A3*S, but I got in the lounge with my expired card

todd-r

I'm in same situation and put this to the test this weekend.
Used 1/24/16 card on 1/22 for priority check in, bag tag and lounge. Boarding pass had other non A3, non Gold status on it. Agents at check in and lounge accepted no problem (as they should since the A3 card was not expired.
Used the 12/2016 card on return flight, 1/25. Check in agent applied priority tag after polite prompting and lounge dude swiped my card, got green light and before sending me on my way asked if I wanted him to update boarding pass with my A3 number. My reply was, "No, but thanks for checking."

So, it appears if you are one of us with a 12/2016 expiry dated card that you can use it until end if this year. Of course, YMMV.

jerry_greece

Well, I guess that is the reason that the expiry dates of the new cards coincide with the qualification date, so as to avoid having people with no status to use the extra benefits.

NWIFlyer

FT does not have a moral compass, of course, and if I believed it would work without recrimination I think I'd probably do the same thing.

I suspect the YMMV part might extend to entering A3 lounges - that might well lead to confiscation of the card!

It reminds me of some friends of mine who would, on occasion, go and watch football matches at Cambridge United (who play in The Football League in England). A friend of theirs was the secretary at Cambridge, and he used to lend them his complimentary season tickets so they could get free entry. The secretary left mid-way through the season, and was supposed to hand the tickets back - except he "accidentally" failed to do so. For a while this didn't get noticed, until one day my friends took one chance too many - and were challenged as to why they had these tickets, were refused entry and had them unceremoniously taken away!

Eventually this will catch up - so enjoy it while you can, but be prepared for a reasonably humiliating end .

krasnoludek

Except that we earned those cards fair and square. A3 had a system for qualifying for gold. We qualified for gold under those terms, which gave us gold until 12/16. Then later A3 changed the requirements for qualifying for gold. Fine. I should deal with that when my status expires. But A3 also did something more: they curtailed the gold status that was earned under the previous rules to a shorter term of validity. That's the only reason we have these cards that expire 12/16 -- that was the actual expiry date that had been earned until A3 changed it arbitrarily.

A3, of course, has the right to do this because the terms of FF programs basically let the airlines change the terms at a moment's notice. The customers have no rights or recourse in this contract.

But when it finally does "catch up", it won't be a "humiliating" end. I'm not the one with the deception -- it's A3 who deceived by cutting short existing Gold statuses. The honorable thing to do would have been to let those Gold members keep their status until it expired, grandfathering them into the new rules. But instead they give less than year's notice for "renewing" status that wasn't close to expiring.