I'm at 99,098 points, almost all of which were accumulated in the last 3 months and almost all in Y, so I'm interested in making my trip upcoming trip from BOS to JNB as comfortable as possible. I tried begging to be pushed over ahead of the trip, but was rebuffed. I was told I could be put in the queue for an eVIP upgrade for ORD-LHR that was not immediately available, but I'm not hopeful.
I wasn't thrilled by the idea of back-to-back red-eyes with a long daytime layover in LHR, but the daytime BOS-LHR flights are gone for the season. So, I'm flying through ORD:
BOS-ORD AA1715
ORD-LHR AA0090
Flying a B fare, I will have qualified EXP on that first flight. Sadly, AA 90 leaves ORD at 8:45 and the customer service folk don't get to work until 9 -- so I have no option to call in to get my flight posted and status updated before I depart. They'll be closed again before I have a chance to call from LHR. My next flight is to JNB at 6pm the next day.
Questions:
- Assuming AA1715 posts some time in the wee hours, will my new status be reflected on my boarding pass when I check in for the BA flight to JNB? Or, will I need to have someone in the US talk to AA while I'm on the road?
- Assuming I get my status updated... My observation is that the BA business lounge dragons have been pretty good about honoring one's status as printed on the boarding pass lately. Is that true of the first lounges? No matter what happens, I won't have an EXP card in my hand.
I was told I could be put in the queue for an eVIP upgrade for ORD-LHR that was not immediately available, but I'm not hopeful.
Interesting that they would let you waitlist you for SWU when you don't have any in you account (at least that's what I inferred from your post). I have a number of international legs booked for next year which I intend to submit SWU upgrade requests for. However, I won't have SWUs that expire 2/14 until I requalify next week. It would have been nice to have the extra three-month headstart in the waitlist for those flights!
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If I felt EXP would make that much of a difference to my trip, I'd book the lowest priced round trip I could to earn 1,000 EQP and be done with it. (Note - a short segment had better not earn 0.5 EQP from the fare class...)
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Don't know when you're going, but if you want to ensure you've got exp benefits all the way, maybe you could do a quick flight beforehand to push you over the edge?
The other thing to be aware of is that your status may not be updated in your reservation - you may have to get it manually updated, not only on the way there, but also on the way back. In my experience, if you can show the dragons you're exp on the website, and demonstrate that it changed yesterday, then they'll let you in.
But yes, it's probable that you will have to do that/get someone to call to get status updated in your reservation.
And yes, as long as you can show the dragons you're an EXP, then they'll let you in - no card needed. A backup plan is to go on the meetup thread and see if anyone can guest you in to the F lounge - it's way better than galleries.
If you are flying on a B fare, just use miles to upgrade, only 15,000 (and no co-pay) and you can get on the waitlist now (or if there is C inventory now, your upgrade will clear).
The difference between the F/J lounges is not that big a deal, in my humble opinion. If your flight for SA leaves from the B or C gates, there won't even be an F lounge there...
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... If your flight for SA leaves from the B or C gates, there won't even be an F lounge there...
Good point. There is a high high high percentage chance that the JNB flights will depart from the B or C gates as that is where BA tends to park most of the long haul aircraft.
I'll have enough time on the ground to take advantage of the lounge in the main terminal before heading to B or C on the outbound flight. On the way back, I'll have more than 4 hours ... plenty of time to enter the country and take advantage of my new status in the arrival lounge with a massage.
Having Mrs. Sinanju call in and have CS update my records seems to be the way forward.
I'll have enough time on the ground to take advantage of the lounge in the main terminal before heading to B or C on the outbound flight. On the way back, I'll have more than 4 hours ... plenty of time to enter the country and take advantage of my new status in the arrival lounge with a massage.
I believe that for access to the BA arrivals lounge as an EXP, you need to be ARRIVING on a BA lounghaul flight, not leaving. The AA arrivals lounge doesn't have a spa.
Quote:
Gold Executive Club members who have arrived on a British Airways longhaul flight. Due to capacity restrictions, guests.will not be permitted to use these lounges.
- Assuming I get my status updated... My observation is that the BA business lounge dragons have been pretty good about honoring one's status as printed on the boarding pass lately. Is that true of the first lounges? No matter what happens, I won't have an EXP card in my hand.
- Anything else to consider?
I have rarely been asked for my EXP card at the BA F lounges. The last two years, never. I go to the entrance, BA dragon scans my boarding pass, green light comes on the machine, I'm in. (regardless of what class or whether I'm flying BA or AA).
in terms of comfort, I don't see much difference between the First and Club World lounges in LHR.
Both the First and Club World lounges in Terminal 5 A seem to be equally crowded. I am not a fancy drinker and I am happy enough with the booze and wine offerings in the Club World lounges. The F lounge has a more varied buffet though.
Interestingly, I kind of prefer the Club World lounge in Terminal 5B to the F lounge in the main terminal. The 5B lounge is much calmer, and much much less crowded. Love it.
I believe that for access to the BA arrivals lounge as an EXP, you need to be ARRIVING on a BA lounghaul flight, not leaving. The AA arrivals lounge doesn't have a spa.
Interestingly, I kind of prefer the Club World lounge in Terminal 5B to the F lounge in the main terminal. The 5B lounge is much calmer, and much much less crowded. Love it.
Catering in the B lounge rather sucks. I'd rather be out at C with the free access to Starbucks they provide to make up for the lack of a lounge.
Programs: AA EXP 3.0MM, BAEC, UA MP (virtually nil), Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, Hertz Gold, GlobalEntry/TSA TT
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JDiver
If I felt EXP would make that much of a difference to my trip, I'd book the lowest priced round trip I could to earn 1,000 EQP and be done with it. (Note - a short segment had better not earn 0.5 EQP from the fare class...)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billgrates3
Quote:
Originally Posted by JDiver
If I felt EXP would make that much of a difference to my trip, I'd book the lowest priced round trip I could to earn 1,000 EQP and be done with it. (Note - a short segment had better not earn 0.5 EQP from the fare class...)
