Other European Frequent Flyer Programs - Accessing IB lounge after flight?

Hi

I will be flying MIA-MAD on AA and wanted to know if there is a possibility to access any of the IB lounges after arrival. I am currently PLAT with AA so that qualifies me for access. Are there any lounges outside of security or are they all inside?

Also, I will be taking a connecting flight on Spanair about 4 hrs later. Is it possible to get into an IB lounge once I pass security for the connecting flight?

Thanks

Hi

I will be flying MIA-MAD on AA and wanted to know if there is a possibility to access any of the IB lounges after arrival. I am currently PLAT with AA so that qualifies me for access. Are there any lounges outside of security or are they all inside?

Also, I will be taking a connecting flight on Spanair about 4 hrs later. Is it possible to get into an IB lounge once I pass security for the connecting flight?

Thanks

Firstly, all IB lounges at MAD are airside.

I can't recall the exact procedure you will experience as a non-schengen and non-EU-customs-zone arrival. Also, I'm not clear where you are flying onto and if you are hoping to remain 'in transit' at MAD or planning to go landside to connect.

Secondly, keep in mind that accessing a IB departure lounge upon arrival will almost certainly not be permitted, even if you can physically reach it - which I don't expect you will be able to. Lounge access is on departure.

I'm not an AA person, but I doubt PLAT (is that Sapphire or Emerald?) gives you access to other OW airlines lounges - when your flight is _not_ OW.
[BA gives its own Golds (which isOW Emerald level) access to their own BA branded lounges regardless of carrier, but all other lounge access for BA card holders needs to be OW flights, so unless there is some reciprocal arrangement between IB and AA for their members - but I'm not ever sure if IB offer their own members access on nonOW flights.]

Regarding physical access to an IB lounge in advance of your Spanair flight, IB uses Terminal 4 at MAD, which is a long distance from the other terminals where you will find Spanair. As a result you will be sadly no where near any IB lounges - but again I sadly doubt you'd qualify for access.

Do you have any *A status?

Sorry I can't be more positive....

but 4 hours is not too long, especially if you are rechecking baggage and moving from T4 to T123.

Are there any lounges outside of security or are they all inside?


There is a Priority Pass "Business Center" landside in terminal 4 if you're a member (not sure if you can pay on entrance as well). It's located in the departures area, next to check-in desks for the Puente Aéreo. Not as nice as the IB lounges but showers, wifi and limited range of beverages available.

AFAIK, it's only open weekdays.

Thank you David-A and Latitude40

David-A -- Plat members are considered Shappire. You are right about access not being granted to members flying on another carrier that is not OW but in this case I am arriving on a OW carrier and I thought that an arrivals lounge would be available.

I will have to clear Immigrations & Customs because I am connecting to Frankfurt and MAD will be the first point of entry into a Schengen country. That leaves me with Spanair's VIP lounge in T2 as the only option.

No status with *A and as a matter of fact I have burned all my UA miles with an upcoming trip on LH F from FRA-TLV.

You are right about access not being granted to members flying on another carrier that is not OW but in this case I am arriving on a OW carrier and I thought that an arrivals lounge would be available.

Ah sorry - I thought you were talking about the IB lounges for departures.

I'll admit I don't know if IB has an arivals lounge, but add that arrivials lounges are outside the scope of the OW agreements I believe, as such you would need to be covered by an agreement between AA and IB.

I will have to clear Immigrations & Customs because I am connecting to Frankfurt and MAD will be the first point of entry into a Schengen country.

You will definanly need to go through Imigration, however it normally is posisble to check you luggage through to your final destination even if it is a connection to an EU-customs-territory internal flight [your luggage is usually collected from a separate belt/area at the final destination and you customs clear there].

However as the two airlines are not in the same alliance, it is probably unlikely they will agree to interline.

That being said, in the US they are much more flexible with things like that than in Europe, AA might be able to interline with Spanair.

I would certainly ask regardless... but it would probably help if you were on the same ticket.

[T4 in particular has been designed such that people are regularly crossing imigration controls while remaining in the secure airside area, you move between different parts of the terminals, or as you board or exit the flight.]

That leaves me with Spanair's VIP lounge in T2 as the only option.

There will be some Priorty Pass / paid entry options at 123 I expect.

an upcoming trip on LH F

If you've got that to look forward to you are not allowed to complain about anything!

If you've got that to look forward to you are not allowed to complain about anything!

It makes everything bearable. :p