Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners) - Gate pass in NYC?

My wife and 2 kids will be coming to the states and then flying back to DE in February. I (unfortunately) will be left behind in NYC. Will it be possible for me to get a gate pass and then wait with them to depart in the SEN lounge at either EWR or JFK? Anybody ever done this?

Thanks in advance.

Since your wife will be with your kids, most likely not.

However, you could buy a fully refundable ticket, check in without any baggage, then decide to cancel and not to fly + get a full refund.

CO prints passes for President's Club members to go airside w/out a boarding pass at EWR. So a practice like this is certainly allowed at EWR. If you are SEN perhaps LH can print you a pass for access to the SK lounge, given that you have unrestricted club access. Or perhaps SK can print you a pass?

There are two kinds of travellers to the US, either they are US citizens or they are considered to be suspected terrorists.
Assuming you are part of the second group I would strongly suggest to forget about the idea accompanying your wife into the lounge.
Especially RCS's idea could get you directly into jail. You are entering the golden territory of the USofA the legal way having a paper or electronic I 95 and you are leaving the US by checking in and returning your I 95 to the check-in agent (now done electronically).
Coming back from the lounge simply means that you are entering the sacred land illegally. You might avoid Gitmo, but there are some places alike on US soil, which I am sure you would not really appreciate. It would also mean a pretty long separation from your family.

If you are a US citizen I suggest that you enquire with the port authority of NYC.

There are two kinds of travellers to the US, either they are US citizens or they are considered to be suspected terrorists.
Assuming you are part of the second group I would strongly suggest to forget about the idea accompanying your wife into the lounge.
Especially RCS's idea could get you directly into jail. You are entering the golden territory of the USofA the legal way having a paper or electronic I 95 and you are leaving the US by checking in and returning your I 95 to the check-in agent (now done electronically).
Coming back from the lounge simply means that you are entering the sacred land illegally. You might avoid Gitmo, but there are some places alike on US soil, which I am sure you would not really appreciate. It would also mean a pretty long separation from your family.

If you are a US citizen I suggest that you enquire with the port authority of NYC.

This information is filled with so much incorrect information that I actually have a hard time to decide where I should start.

1) Buying a ticket and not boarding certainly does not get anyone into jail, US citizen or not - assuming you do not overstay the period allowed if you are not a US citizen or legal permanent resident.
2) It's an I-94, not an I-95.
3) You only leave the United States once the aircraft has been cleared for departure. In other words, when the jetway is pulled back from the aircraft. Until then, you are still considered as being on US soil legally. Heck, by your reasoning, anybody misconnecting would be subject to the alleged treatment by the respective US authorities :rolleyes:

Simply do OLCI, and then call the airline prior to departure and tell them you did not make it + cancel your flight. Easy, safe, secure and a complete non-issue. Happens to many business travellers quite often. And they also don't go to jail or Gitmo.

This information is filled with so much incorrect information that I actually have a hard time to decide where I should start.

1) Buying a ticket and not boarding certainly does not get anyone into jail, US citizen or not - assuming you do not overstay the period allowed if you are not a US citizen or legal permanent resident.
2) It's an I-94, not an I-95.
3) You only leave the United States once the aircraft has been cleared for departure. In other words, when the jetway is pulled back from the aircraft. Until then, you are still considered as being on US soil legally. Heck, by your reasoning, anybody misconnecting would be subject to the alleged treatment by the respective US authorities :rolleyes:

Simply do OLCI, and then call the airline prior to departure and tell them you did not make it + cancel your flight. Easy, safe, secure and a complete non-issue. Happens to many business travellers quite often. And they also don't go to jail or Gitmo.


Well, we are all US Citizens (I can now say this without flinching, after 20 January). So, hopefully, Gitmo isn't in the cards.

Thanks for the advice.

Definitely no problem, at least with CO at EWR. I am not US citizen and have done this both in terminal A and C. So TSA knows about this, you just have to get a gate pass from any airline leaving from B that has a lounge there. Maybe send an email to the LH EWR station manager and ask?

Definitely no problem, at least with CO at EWR. I am not US citizen and have done this both in terminal A and C. So TSA knows about this, you just have to get a gate pass from any airline leaving from B that has a lounge there. Maybe send an email to the LH EWR station manager and ask?

at ewr I had problems/ was denied two times in a row when my mother was departing they did not allow me go with her near gates. Was told due to security reasons it was not possible by LH station manager though they did escrot her to the lounge and then to the aircraft...i really think that EWR LH staff has problems, I find JFK much more pleasant, flexible and professional

at JFK I was able to get the gate pass only when my mother was booked in C /F, in economy they pretty much dont care and was never able to get the gate pass...why it was like this I have no idea

The LH station manager should be able to help (...if he wants)

3) You only leave the United States once the aircraft has been cleared for departure. In other words, when the jetway is pulled back from the aircraft. Until then, you are still considered as being on US soil legally.

Not strictly accurate. You only leave the United States after exiting US air space. The classical example is that if someone committs an offence against a US citizen onboard e.g. a German plane in US airspace the US authorities are explicitly (article 4 of the Tokyo Convention) allowed to take measures to e.g. force the plane to land.

What you refer to is the timing of when the acta iure imperii are transferred to the aircraft's commander. Still, technically speaking, that's not when the jetway is pulled back but when all doors of the craft are closed as from that moment on the plane is considered to be "in flight" (article 5, paragraph 2 of the Tokyo Convention).

The LH station manager should be able to help (...if he wants)

Any idea how I contact them ahead of time?

Any idea how I contact them ahead of time?

Does anybody still have the old Lufthansa timetable books on hand? (yellow, used to be available at the airports or on the plane in the bulkhead)

They always had the contacts of each LH station in the back, maybe somebody can look it up. I didn't find that much on the internet but lh.com says this:

Lufthansa Flughafenbüro: USA
Name Newark Liberty International Airport New York - Newark International
Flughafen New York - Newark International
Stadt New York
Postleitzahl 07114
Straße, Hausnummer Terminal B Newark, NJ 07114
Telefon 800 399 LUFT (5838)
Öffnungszeiten
Daily 14:00 - 21:00

Does anybody still have the old Lufthansa timetable books on hand? (yellow, used to be available at the airports or on the plane in the bulkhead)

They always had the contacts of each LH station in the back, maybe somebody can look it up. I didn't find that much on the internet but lh.com says this:



I'm flying from FRA-JFK on Wednesday, I'll grab a timetable. Thanks for the tip!

RCS,

you are right it is called an I 94 ( now in electronic form ).

I am sorry to correct you in one respect. If you turn in your I 94 at check-in you are de iure declaring that you are intending to leave the United States. Collecting your I 94 allows the check-in agent to print your boarding pass. I don't know what happens if you do not have the I 94 slip anymore. The I 94's now go systematically back to the authorities and are matched with your entry data.
Only a valid BP with photo ID gets you through security into the sterile area.
If you reenter you are as a foreigner entering in the US illegally. I agree that this is possible in both ORD and JFK.

2 years ago our ac went tech during pre flight checks and we all had to deplane and go through immigration again after filling out the forms ( white/green I 94 and customs declaration ).

Many moons ago the INS did not match entries and departures. Thus forgetting to collect/turn in the BP's did not have consequences in most cases. In fact the travel regulations in my company specifically spell out that the employees has to make sure that he turns the I 94 in.
Now they see the exact border crossing dates on screen. The INS agent at ORD lately told me after scanning my passport: "Wow, you have been here last week".

I'm flying from FRA-JFK on Wednesday, I'll grab a timetable. Thanks for the tip!
I picked up a copy of a printed worldwide timetable out of curiosity on a flight today. There is indeed a section at the end listing contacts and airport information, but unfortunately under New York (JFK & EWR) they only list phone numbers for reservation, sales and telephone check-in.

I am sorry to correct you in one respect. If you turn in your I 94 at check-in you are de iure declaring that you are intending to leave the United States. Collecting your I 94 allows the check-in agent to print your boarding pass. I don't know what happens if you do not have the I 94 slip anymore. The I 94's now go systematically back to the authorities and are matched with your entry data.
Only a valid BP with photo ID gets you through security into the sterile area.
If you reenter you are as a foreigner entering in the US illegally. I agree that this is possible in both ORD and JFK.

Definetely not. As long as you do not actually depart on a flight, you do not leave the country. What you portray would be a perfect solution to overstay your visa / visa waiver :D

What's matched is if you are on the final manifest. If not, you did not leave the country.

2 years ago our ac went tech during pre flight checks and we all had to deplane and go through immigration again after filling out the forms ( white/green I 94 and customs declaration ).

That's airport-specific. The general rule (as posted above by me) is that once the aircraft has been cleared for departure & the jetway has been pulled back, it has departed the US for INS/CBP purposes. I know it is that way in NYC as well as ATL. Another poster said otherwise, and I have already experienced it otherwise (SFO, UA plane on the active runway for take-off, then going tech).

Many moons ago the INS did not match entries and departures. Thus forgetting to collect/turn in the BP's did not have consequences in most cases. In fact the travel regulations in my company specifically spell out that the employees has to make sure that he turns the I 94 in.
Now they see the exact border crossing dates on screen. The INS agent at ORD lately told me after scanning my passport: "Wow, you have been here last week".

You certainly do not collect/turn in the BPs to the INS ;)

The process with the I-94s has changed due to most of the stuff now being electronic, but the exact border crossing dates have been visible to the INS agents for a long time. The departures not as complete as now (thanks to the electronic process), but certainly all arrivals (as well as the entry/visa category used).

The LH station manager should be able to help (...if he wants)

EWR has a very clear policy on this, it is even noted in the respective internal reference:

** LOUNGES ARE FOR DEPARTING LH409/403/413/485 PAX ONLY **

I highly doubt the LH station manager will override this, since the lounge used (SK) is a contract lounge, not a LH-owned and operated lounge.

Collecting your I 94 allows the check-in agent to print your boarding pass.

The I-94 were collected at the gate... not at check-in.

Do you remember the kiosks near gates that allowe to "check out from the US" and having receipt ? That could be done just by entering departure zone and without having I-94 collected by the airline.

Rgds
Tomek

You certainly do not collect/turn in the BPs to the INS ;)



Especially since the INS hasn't existed for several years now. You turn in the I-94 to CBP (well, you turn it in to the airline, who then turns it over to CBP).