bmi diamond club - Arrivals lounge access policy

The following information was copied out of bmi website:
London Heathrow Arrivals Lounge
- Terminal 1, outside customs hall on main level

On the day access by invitation only for customers flying into Heathrow on bmi arrivals from Eastern Europe, Middle East (inc Saudi Arabia), Africa, Asia (open 0500-1400).

* Diamond Club Gold card members - no guest
* bmi Business Class passengers - no guest
* Star Alliance Gold card holders - plus 1 guest
* Star Alliance 1st passengers - plus 1 guest

Why does BD*G can't bring a guest into the arrivals lounge while other *Gs can?
Is this a mistake or they just like other*Gs more than BD*Gs?
And why does BD allow other*Gs to enter into the LHR arrivals lounge while other *A partners does not allow BD*G into their arrivals lounges?

BD Gold IS Star Gold. As such, no issue.

Not so. There is no requirement for *A members to treat their own card holders in the same was as guest card holders.

Look at what they do in the USA with lounges. We go in; their own members don't unless travelling inernationally.

Anyway, this is an arrivals lounge - policies are quite different to departures lounges.

Not so. There is no requirement for *A members to treat their own card holders in the same was as guest card holders.

Look at what they do in the USA with lounges. We go in; their own members don't unless travelling inernationally.

Anyway, this is an arrivals lounge - policies are quite different to departures lounges.

Indeed.

I was of the thought that there is no Star Alliance requirement for Star Alliance carriers to provide coach-flying Star Golds with access to arrivals lounges where they exist and are operated by a Star Alliance carrier. That, however, at first may seem to be a bit presumptuous on my part given how one may read the following
http://www.staralliance.com/en/benefits/frequent-flyer/gold-silver-status/ :

Star Alliance Gold Benefits

.......

Airport Lounge Access - available worldwide for you and a friend4 when you travel with any Star Alliance member airline, regardless of your class of travel.


----
4 .Guests must enter with eligible Star Alliance Gold customer and must depart on a Star Alliance airline, though not necessarily on the same flight.

While it seems from the above that Star Golds' guests must be departing on a Star Alliance flight to access airport lounges, there is nothing in the above language that distinguishes between arrivals and departure lounges or even between "Star Gold"-designated lounges and non-"Star Gold"-designated lounges operated by Star Alliance airlines; nor is there any mention of the Star Gold member having to depart on a Star Alliance flight from that airport.

Given what I've observed in practice, it seems like that Star Alliance website page needs to update the language above in order to reflect what is current practice. Fortunately, on the same website there is this http://www.staralliance.com/en/benefits/lounges/lounge-access-policy/

Star Alliance Gold Customers Travelling in Any Class: Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned lounges with the Star Alliance Gold logo at the entrance.

* Customer must present a valid frequent flyer programme Star Alliance Gold level card
* Customer must also present a boarding card for a same day Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport
* Customer is entitled to one guest
* United and US Airways Star Alliance Gold customers may only access the Red Carpet Club and US Airways Clubs within the U.S. when travelling in conjunction with a Star Alliance international flight.


That's a far more accurate representation of Star Alliance practice.

BD doesn't need to provide even other airlines' Star Golds with arrivals lounge access unless perhaps those customers are departing from the airport with the arrivals lounge and that arrivals lounge happens to have the "Star Gold" logo.

This kind of BD policy of being more friendly toward other airlines' Star Golds than its own Star Golds is probably rooted in the following: BD being able to charge in some way for other Star Alliance carriers' Star Golds and their guests using BD's lounges while that cannot happen with BD's own Star Golds and their guests accessing BD's lounges.

Treating one's own Star Golds worse than other airline's Star Golds in this regard is allowed indeed. Whether it's good business or customer service, that's another thing.

Looking further on that page, perhaps there is less and less need to retain Star Gold status when lounge access to all Star Alliance business class lounges is available for a fee.

Given this:

Paid Lounge Membership Customers: Eligible Paid Lounge Membership Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned Business Class lounges.

* Eligible Paid Lounge Membership Customers include United Airlines Red Carpet Club, US Airways Club - Star Alliance Upgrade and Air Canada Maple Leaf Club – Worldwide
* Customer must present a valid eligible paid lounge membership card
* Customer must also present a boarding card for a same day Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport.
* Customer is entitled to one guest


there might be some more people choosing to acquire paid lounge membership via AC, CO, UA or US and settling for * Silver.