Cathay Pacific Asia Miles - LHR lounge - open to BA / OW pax?

Is the new Cathay Pacific Lounge open to BA pax travelling in J / F to MIA from LHR T3?
What about Gold / Silver Card holders?

for j and f pax it would depend on what ba decides to do, keep paying aa for their lounge use or switch to cx.
as a gold or silver member you will be able to use the lounge per OW rules, just like when the ba lounge used to be open it t3 ow sapphire and emerald members could use that as well

Here's the official word on lounge entry criteria from the CX press release:


First Class Lounge is open to the following:
First Class passengers of all oneworld alliance airlines
The Marco Polo Club Diamond Card members when travelling on Cathay Pacific flights
Cargo Clan Elite members
All Emerald status members of oneworld alliance airlines Frequent Flyer Programmes when the next onward flight is with a oneworld member airline.

Business Class Lounge is open to:
Business Class passengers of all oneworld alliance airlines.
The Marco Polo Club Diamond Card members when travelling with other carriers
The Marco Polo Club Gold and Silver Card members when travelling on Cathay Pacific flights
The Marco Polo Club Gold Card members when travelling Cathay long haul in any class into Hong Kong with same day connection to mainland China on any carrier
Cargo Clan Elite members
All Sapphire status members of oneworld alliance airlines Frequent Flyer Programmes when the next onward flight is with a oneworld members airline.

***

No word on opening hours though.

Here's the official word on lounge entry criteria from the CX press release:


First Class Lounge is open to the following:
First Class passengers of all oneworld alliance airlines
The Marco Polo Club Diamond Card members when travelling on Cathay Pacific flights
Cargo Clan Elite members
All Emerald status members of oneworld alliance airlines Frequent Flyer Programmes when the next onward flight is with a oneworld member airline.

Business Class Lounge is open to:
Business Class passengers of all oneworld alliance airlines.
The Marco Polo Club Diamond Card members when travelling with other carriers
The Marco Polo Club Gold and Silver Card members when travelling on Cathay Pacific flights
The Marco Polo Club Gold Card members when travelling Cathay long haul in any class into Hong Kong with same day connection to mainland China on any carrier
Cargo Clan Elite members
All Sapphire status members of oneworld alliance airlines Frequent Flyer Programmes when the next onward flight is with a oneworld members airline.

***

No word on opening hours though.


I have to give kudos to CX for being not only true to the OW status access rules (unlike some other airlines and particular lounges) but also going beyond those (ie F pax of all OW airlines even without status).

B-HXB, thanks for the info. I predict the AC and FL will be very empty when word of this gets in the AA community. It will cost AA a fair bit of money too.

I am sure this quesiton has been brought up, but where is the CX lounge in relation to the AA Flagship lounge?

I am sure this quesiton has been brought up, but where is the CX lounge in relation to the AA Flagship lounge?

I don't see it on www.baa.co.uk, but from other postings it would appear to be across from Gate 2, which would mean that when you emerge from the shopping area of T3, you would take a left (instead of taking a right toward AA's AC and FL). Can anyone confirm these coordinates?

I have to give kudos to CX for being not only true to the OW status access rules (unlike some other airlines and particular lounges) but also going beyond those (ie F pax of all OW airlines even without status).

From my experience, it has always been the case that "F pax of all OW airlines even without status" get access to the F lounge of a OW carrier other than that they are flying. However, sadly, it is the uninformed "OW status concious" lounge agents and arrogant FTers with high "status" who interpret "using another OW carrier's lounge" as being something that is restricted to those with the appropriate "status".

There are basically TWO ways to gain entry to a OW lounge of a carrier that you are not flying. One is BY STATUS, and the other is BY CLASS. Most FTers seems to get entry BY STATUS.

Also, if you look at AA's Airport Lounge Admit Policy at http://www.aa.com/content/travelInformation/airportAmenities/admiralsClubArticles/admitPolicies.jhtml

it states that:

oneworld™

oneworld benefits are available to qualifying passengers and eligible guests on scheduled flights that are both operated and marketed by a oneworld member airline. Eligible passengers have access to either the Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge (where available) on the day of their departure. oneworld passengers qualify based on either class of service or frequent flyer status as shown below:

(From the chart, if I am flying CX ex-LHR in FIRST CLASS and have NO STATUS, I should still be able to access AA's Flagship Lounge [same goes for AA passengers with NO STATUS who fly ex-LHR, they can use the CX F lounge according to CX's press release])

I guess the only way for lounge agents to understand this policy is for them to meet more NON-STATUS First Class passengers (however, the main problem is that most first class passengers already have Emerald status and First Class passengers with NO STATUS seem to be those who don't fly as often and don't care about Oneworld benefits, so they use the lounge of th OW carrier they are flying and don't even try to access another OW carrier's lounge. This in turn leads to the lounge agents being ignorant) flying other OW carriers.

And the only way for FTers to learn about this policy is to have them experience what it is like to have NO STATUS and fly on a paid First Class ticket.

CX, I understand is considering restricting access to other non-CX passengers when CX flights are operating due to the limited size of the London lounge. CX passengers fought long and hard to get their own lounge back after the last one was closed in the late 90s and were relegated to the AAdmirals Club after that. Many people were not happy, me included.

So it would be fair to keep CX passengers amongst themselves just prior to any CX flight. We don't want the CX lounge to literally turn into an "AAmerican" lounge just because AA's passengers can't stand their own lounge and that el cheapo AA won't beautify or improve its facilities.

Please note on the Oneworld pages:

Access to airline lounges

The oneworld alliance airlines provide over 400 lounges across the globe. If you are a top-tier member of one of our frequent flyer programs, you will have access to our lounges prior to departure.

At peak periods, access to certain lounges may be restricted due to capacity constraints. Access is available on the day of departure when your next onward flight is with a oneworld member airline. Access may not apply at a limited number of third-party-operated lounges.

This is within Oneworld guidelines.

CX, I understand is considering restricting access to other non-CX passengers when CX flights are operating due to the limited size of the London lounge. CX passengers fought long and hard to get their own lounge back after the last one was closed in the late 90s and were relegated to the AAdmirals Club after that. Many people were not happy, me included.

So it would be fair to keep CX passengers amongst themselves just prior to any CX flight. We don't want the CX lounge to literally turn into an "AAmerican" lounge just because AA's passengers can't stand their own lounge and that el cheapo AA won't beautify or improve its facilities..

Ok, point taken regarding AA and its need to upgrade its First Class Lounge, but what about those of us flying LHR-MIA on BA 207/209 who have been shafted by being stuck in T3...any pity on us? :D

Ok, point taken regarding AA and its need to upgrade its First Class Lounge, but what about those of us flying LHR-MIA on BA 207/209 who have been shafted by being stuck in T3...any pity on us? :D

All I can say is TOUGH LUCK! hahaha

BA and AA have being extremely arrogant and strict on its Lounge usage by other Oneworld carriers (evident from the MIA post on the AA board!)

Therefore I really think CX shoudl restrict the access to CX pax and MPOs!!!

Just use the AA's lounge or don't fly to MIA..

I never understand why BA routes the MIA flights to T3?

BA keeps a flight in every terminal at LHR in order to be represented on the airline board for each terminal (I wonder if they will continue to do this after T5 opens?). The MIA flight was picked as having the fewest connections from other BA flights and maybe having a low yield (don't know about that). My own experience with AA and BA is that they are very welcoming of Emeralds, with the following exceptions: BA at their US lounges, and AA prior to mid-2003 when they did not educate the staff about the OW rules -- this is now fixed 100% by AA. Most of the time airport security keeps pax out of the "wrong" lounge in any case, the airlines get a free ride.

BA keeps a flight in every terminal at LHR in order to be represented on the airline board for each terminal (I wonder if they will continue to do this after T5 opens?). The MIA flight was picked as having the fewest connections from other BA flights and maybe having a low yield (don't know about that). My own experience with AA and BA is that they are very welcoming of Emeralds, with the following exceptions: BA at their US lounges, and AA prior to mid-2003 when they did not educate the staff about the OW rules -- this is now fixed 100% by AA. Most of the time airport security keeps pax out of the "wrong" lounge in any case, the airlines get a free ride.

I can understand why BA restrict AA people from using their lounge (the lack snack and drinks in AC will just attract all the AA pax to the BA lounge).

My own experience with AA and BA is that they are very welcoming of Emeralds, with the following exceptions: BA at their US lounges, and AA prior to mid-2003 when they did not educate the staff about the OW rules -- this is now fixed 100% by AA.

I can confirm this following a recent trip to the US. Was welcomed into the flagship lounges in ORD and LAX even though I had my wife and baby daughter with me.

BA and AA have being extremely arrogant and strict on its Lounge usage by other Oneworld carriers (evident from the MIA post on the AA board!)
Actually, if you really had read the posts, it was only AA members accessing the BA lounge in MIA. QF and CX cardholders didn't have issues.

Anyhow, if CX limits access to the new LHR lounge during peak hours, I would understand.

Do we have any specifics about the new LHR CX lounge? Pics?