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I'm flying Virgin and giving my velocity account pts, so will AB gold get in lounge?

I'm flying Virgin and giving my velocity account pts, so will AB gold get in lounge?

Old May 25, 2015, 2:09 am
  #1  
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I'm flying Virgin and giving my velocity account pts, so will AB gold get in lounge?

I'm flying from Melbourne to Brisbane on Thursday. I'm crediting my points to my Velocity account because I'm planning to put my accumulated points to a free flight soon.

I'm also topbonus gold with AB, which I've only just got via a status match.

My question is: can I get into the lounge using my AB gold card when I'm crediting my points to my Velocity (silver) card?

Thanks.
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Old May 27, 2015, 10:38 am
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Since you haven't received a reply from somebody who's done this I'll share my thoughts - being somebody in the same situation.

There are two main options to consider:

1. Record your VA number on the flight and show your AB Gold card to gain entry into the lounge.

2. Record your AB number on the flight, gain access to the lounge then change your FF details online once inside the lounge.

I plan to do the latter as once I have the printed boarding pass I will receive priority boarding as well. I'm not sure that if I show my boarding pass with VA red number on it and an AB Gold card will get me through the quick lane at the gate.

I'm travelling late June to Fiji. Let me know how you go if you travel before then.
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Old May 27, 2015, 5:08 pm
  #3  
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The answer is: they're happy to let you in even when your points are being directed to your velocity account. They never even mentioned it.
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Old May 28, 2015, 7:28 am
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Originally Posted by Adamc2013
The answer is: they're happy to let you in even when your points are being directed to your velocity account. They never even mentioned it.
Sorry, I should have added: they happily gave me priority boarding.
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Old Jun 28, 2015, 11:15 pm
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I used my AB Gold card for the first time last week for INTERNATIONAL travel.

No problems with priority checkin, boarding etc. They gave me an express card for outgoing immigration.

But they did not provide access to the Air New Zealand lounge. I was told this is because it is a contracted lounge not a Virgin Australia branded lounge. I think this is a bit petty on Virgin's behalf I presume their own status frequent flyers and Business Class passengers would have been provided access.

I was told it would be fine domestically in Virgin operated lounges.
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Old Jun 29, 2015, 2:09 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by sydunipete
But they did not provide access to the Air New Zealand lounge. I was told this is because it is a contracted lounge not a Virgin Australia branded lounge. I think this is a bit petty on Virgin's behalf I presume their own status frequent flyers and Business Class passengers would have been provided access.

This is not at all petty!

Air New Zealand and airberlin have absolutely no relationship whatsoever. Virgin Australia has negotiated lounge access for its own flyers - but they are not going to negotiate access on behalf of every other partner airline that may just happen to, occasionally, have one of their FFP members on an Virgin Australia service.

Whenever you visit a lounge using status, the airline whose status you show is billed for your visit. Now, Virgin Australia and airberlin grant reciprocal lounge access based on their common link via Etihad. However, Air New Zealand is entirely outside of that arrangement. Air New Zealand has no lounge access relationship with airberlin. So, while Virgin Australia has negotiated access for its own status fliers, and for its business-class customers, they can't make airberlin pay for you to visit that lounge. And no - they are not going to pay for you, because then where would it end?
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Old Jun 30, 2015, 9:42 pm
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Originally Posted by irishguy28
This is not at all petty!

Air New Zealand and airberlin have absolutely no relationship whatsoever. Virgin Australia has negotiated lounge access for its own flyers - but they are not going to negotiate access on behalf of every other partner airline that may just happen to, occasionally, have one of their FFP members on an Virgin Australia service.

Whenever you visit a lounge using status, the airline whose status you show is billed for your visit. Now, Virgin Australia and airberlin grant reciprocal lounge access based on their common link via Etihad. However, Air New Zealand is entirely outside of that arrangement. Air New Zealand has no lounge access relationship with airberlin. So, while Virgin Australia has negotiated access for its own status fliers, and for its business-class customers, they can't make airberlin pay for you to visit that lounge. And no - they are not going to pay for you, because then where would it end?
It's definitely a petty money issue. Try flying through SFO and visiting the SQ lounge at times when it is contracted by a million other airlines.

Furthermore, you bought a ticket marketed by VA. VA is making money off of your purchase, and should be entitling you to lounge access. But they don't want to pay for your lounge access if it's not outside their network because they want to keep more money. Unless you are a Velocity FFP elite, in which case they are making money off of you anyways.

Delta did the same things for Skyteam E+ members flying Delta. No contract lounge access for any fliers now in economy, no matter what status, only their own lounges or Skyteam lounges.
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Old Jul 1, 2015, 12:01 am
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Originally Posted by Adamc2013
I'm flying from Melbourne to Brisbane on Thursday. I'm crediting my points to my Velocity account because I'm planning to put my accumulated points to a free flight soon.

I'm also topbonus gold with AB, which I've only just got via a status match.

My question is: can I get into the lounge using my AB gold card when I'm crediting my points to my Velocity (silver) card?

Thanks.
Here's my experience using the AB Gold card on a non-OW flight:

Took FJ flight from AKL-NAN the flight was a co-share with QF, I got in the QF lounge no problem (even tho I redeem the flight with AS).

Took VA flight from NAN-SYD, and was given priority checked in and priority baggage tag. However, no lounge access in NAN. I am assuming I am only allow in VA lounge with AB gold, and there wasn't any in NAN.
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Old Jul 1, 2015, 12:42 am
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Originally Posted by Jma12
Here's my experience using the AB Gold card on a non-OW flight:

Took FJ flight from AKL-NAN the flight was a co-share with QF, I got in the QF lounge no problem (even tho I redeem the flight with AS).

Took VA flight from NAN-SYD, and was given priority checked in and priority baggage tag. However, no lounge access in NAN. I am assuming I am only allow in VA lounge with AB gold, and there wasn't any in NAN.
Correct. I don't believe there is a lounge in Nadi that even VA Gold customers can access on VA flights. So I had no expectation there.

But my (obviously wrong) assumption was that being AB Gold I would be entitled to the same benefits as a VA Gold member, which in Sydney would include the Air NZ lounge.

What happens when a VA Gold member travels through Berlin on an AB flight? Can they access the AF lounge (which is the lounge AB uses there)? If the same logic applies as in Sydney then the answer is no.
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 12:25 am
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Originally Posted by sydunipete
Correct. I don't believe there is a lounge in Nadi that even VA Gold customers can access on VA flights. So I had no expectation there.
There are Air New Zealand lounges in both Nadi and Rarotonga, but due current regulations. NZ/VA is not allowed to operated any in form of partnership to the Pacific Islands. Both NZ/VA have applied to this to be amended, which is yet to be approved.

NZ already has partnerships with TN,VF,FJ,SB if they had VA they pretty much would control 95% of the Pacific Islands.
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 9:58 am
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Originally Posted by sydunipete
Correct. I don't believe there is a lounge in Nadi that even VA Gold customers can access on VA flights. So I had no expectation there.

But my (obviously wrong) assumption was that being AB Gold I would be entitled to the same benefits as a VA Gold member, which in Sydney would include the Air NZ lounge.

What happens when a VA Gold member travels through Berlin on an AB flight? Can they access the AF lounge (which is the lounge AB uses there)? If the same logic applies as in Sydney then the answer is no.
You might not able to because VA Gold only have access to AB lounges. You can always ask when you check in, and they can give you a voucher to ebter the lounge.

By the way have fun in Fiji! I missed the sun there already!
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Old Jul 2, 2015, 7:38 pm
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Originally Posted by sydunipete
I used my AB Gold card for the first time last week for INTERNATIONAL travel.

No problems with priority checkin, boarding etc. They gave me an express card for outgoing immigration.

But they did not provide access to the Air New Zealand lounge. I was told this is because it is a contracted lounge not a Virgin Australia branded lounge. I think this is a bit petty on Virgin's behalf I presume their own status frequent flyers and Business Class passengers would have been provided access.

I was told it would be fine domestically in Virgin operated lounges.
Originally Posted by keitherson
It's definitely a petty money issue. Try flying through SFO and visiting the SQ lounge at times when it is contracted by a million other airlines.
I think both of you are premature in calling it petty without understanding who is paying for what.

When you access the lounge on the basis of elite status, the airline FFP whom you have elite status with pays for the lounge access.

sydunipete was attempting to enter an NZ lounge using airBerlin status. NZ and AB does not have an agreement on how NZ will get paid for the visit. Essentially sydunipete was asking for a free visit.
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Old Feb 24, 2016, 10:18 pm
  #13  
 
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I'm flying Virgin and giving my velocity account pts, so will AB gold get in lounge?

I flew recently some segments on VA beeing Airberlin Plat /OW Emerald.
Same problem in Akl, they could not even enter my number.
Syd-mel posted to my ab account but only bonus miles- no status miles.
Is that correct?
On my syd-nad flight same issue with the lounge, but i could enter with star gold and va ticket the air newzealand lounge- which i did not understand
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Old Feb 25, 2016, 7:19 am
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"Premium partnership"

It's worth remembering that your expectations seem to be that of an alliance, and not the partnership they have running currently. All of these benefits have to be explicitly stated, rather than implied or assumed.

I assumed, as a OWE (before I had EY status), that I would be allowed access to a lounge in AUH on AB (marketed & operated). On several occasions I was told to go fish. That is petty!
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Old Feb 25, 2016, 7:30 am
  #15  
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Originally Posted by flying_fozzy
I assumed, as a OWE (before I had EY status), that I would be allowed access to a lounge in AUH on AB (marketed & operated). On several occasions I was told to go fish. That is petty!
May I ask which lounge you tried, and which oneworld emerald status you have/had?

As AB contracts the Al Reem lounge there - which is not a oneworld lounge - any oneworld status other than in Topbonus would be meaningless.

Did you try accessing whichever lounge the airline you held status with contracts in AUH?

(If you held status with topbonus, and your flight was an Airberlin or Etihad flight with either an AB or EY flightcode, then you should have been welcomed into the Al Reem lounge. I have done this many times, back when I relied on my topbonus status, travelling on AB or EY tickets. Note that, in its home base, the Etihad lounges are off limit to all status customers (except for Etihad's top-tier Platinum level). The Etihad lounges in AUH require you to be travelling in First or Business Class and the only status that matters there is Etihad Guest Platinum. Etihad Gold and Silver status holders in Economy are directed to the Al Reem lounge, too).
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