DBoy

I tried to enter the Premium Plaza Lounge in SIN last week and was told my DC card wasn't supported. A few days later I called CS and after talking to a supervisor, I'm still confused.

She cleared up that there are two types of cards, Carte Blanche (maybe also called Corporate ?) and Professional (also Personal ?). I have the Personal, so I didn't get lounge access in SIN. She then said that I would get access in some lounges, and to check the website. I told her that the website says to "Check with my card issuer" which is her. She agreed that the website isn't clear and that she would pass it up to her superiors.

I barely use my DC (and I'm thinking of closing it), so I don't follow the perks closely. Does my Personal ($95/yr) card get me into any of the DC airport lounges? Rather than call CS, I should have just posted here for the experts.

mia

Carte Blanche is a higher-annual-fee version of Diners Club, issued by Citi in the United States. Both Diners and Carte Blanche are available as Professional (formerly called Personal) cards, and as Corporate cards.

Diners Club Professional cards do offer access to most of the lounges listed here...

http://dinersclub.com/en/DCIHome/airport.jhtml

Did she say that entry required a Corporate card, or a Carte Blanche card, or ... ? It wouldn't surprise me if there were lounges offered only to Corportae carholders because it appears Corporate accounts are Diners' primary business now, the Professional accounts are a holdover.

tsastor

I suspect that this has something to do with US issued Diners Club cards that are actually Master Cards. With my SEB issued personal DC card I have never had an issue entering any DC lounges listed on that website.

Spent_All_My_Miles

I just had a 26 (!) minute phone call with DC, simply to get info about their various lounges in the Gulf.

This was extraordinarily frustrating.

I called a few hours ago, and was told that the computer with the international lounge info was updating, so they couldn't pull anything and suggested I call back.

When I called back, the call went like this:
- ... I am looking to see if I have access to several Diners Club lounges. The first is Bahrain
- [After a pause while he pulled that up]
- Is this in the US
- No. Bahrain
- What country is that
- Bahrain is a country
- Can you spell it
- B-A-H-R-A-I-N

The rep managed to mispronounce almost every proper noun in the conversation. After a while he transfered me to someone else, maybe a supervisor, who also had to put me on hold.

For calibration, I also asked about Singapore.


I was told a few facts, neither of which I entirely believe:
- The type of DC card is irrelevant
- DC has no access to any lounges in Singapore. When I mentioned the web site, they said that it is out of date.
- No other lounges apparently have been dropped recently. "There were a bunch after 9/11" nearly 8 years ago (!)

Both the rep and the agent seemed to have any explanation for why every lounge on the web site says to contain them regarding lounge access policies.

I had not used this feature in a number of years -- there are few enough of them, and I usually have other lounge access so I don't take advantage of them on the few occasions when I have DC lounge acccess.
There are lounges in DXB, AUH, KWI, and BAH -- I am going to bring printouts, and if I can't get it I will fire off some nastygrams to DC.

DXB is supposed a 24-hour lounge, so at the margin DC lounge access will factor into several decisions about which flight to take and how long of a layover I am willing to have.

Cloud Lounger

when trying to gain entry to the Amber Lounge in SVO and was told that because my Diners card started with "55" (Canada) that I wasn't eligible for lounge access.

Shareholder

I've never had any such problems though often must explain the conflict with the Mastercard logo and the Diners Club one. This applies in Europe and South America, so can't speak for other parts of the world.

Spent_All_My_Miles

A few days ago, I was able to access the lounge in Bahrain with my US-issued DC.

Yesterday, I was turned away at the Kuwait lounge -- was told something similar to what the SVO passenger was told, that because mine didn't start with a real DC number they wouldn't let me in. They said that this policy has been in effect since March. Meanwhile, the DC website says nothing about 37xx vs. 55xx cards and lounge access.

bjerregaard

I have never had problems with my Scandinavian Diners. Maybe you should contact Discover Financial Services, instead of Diners CS in NA (Citi?). It must be in the interest of Discover to know about this problem.
BTW it was Discover who made a press release that the lounges in Singapore were now open for Diners members, ½ year ago?
"DC has no access to any lounges in Singapore. When I mentioned the web site, they said that it is out of date". What a joke, I think it was opdated with Singapore and Mexico one or two month ago.
It seems that NA CS doesn't have any clue of what they are talking about.

kpc

Any recent experiences in accessing the Singapore DC lounges? I have an Australian issued DC (starting with 3647), and will be passing through Sin shortly, and was wondering if I will have any problems accessing the lounge

edcba

Australian DC cards work well at Heathrow Terminal 3 lounge. Haven't tried the Singapore lounge.

thebobmc

Lounge access seems to be an ongoing source of confusion. And it appears that DC Customer Service is less than completely knowledgable on the subject.

Would there be any point in having a thread ( perhaps as a sticky ) where FTers could report their successes ( or failures ) at accessing lounges using their DC card ?

LuvKLM

Same here.
Was denied access to both SVO lounges - been told "this card number is not valid for access"

The only place I EVER had luck was Prague airport

kpc

My parents were told that they were entitled (with an Australian issued DC) to use the lounge ONCE per year. The lounge is landside in terminal 3, and airside in terminal 2. Apart from the showers, they found the lounge not overtly exciting; there was free tea/ coffee and soft drink. You had to pay for alcoholic drinks. Limited choice but sufficient food if you were very hungry.

Bacai

After read all of the posts above, I did not see even one person to defend DC.
The entry conditions don't have anything to say for sure that one can get in:


Singapore:
Entry Conditions: Valid Diners Club card

Austria, Japan, Spain and many more:
Entry Conditions: Conditions of entry to any Diners Club Airport Lounge may change from time to time, subject to policies and procedures imposed by airport security.

My conclusion is that I would stay away from DC.
One looks stupid when get denied access. I hate this confrontation, it ruins your vacation.

globetrotter94941

Here is the web site with the details of the available airports that are accessible: http://www.dinersclub.com/en/DCIHome/airport.jhtml

I have been using the Dubai Airport Lounge for many years as I believe it is the best one at the Dubai Airport Airport. In fact I never use the *A lounge as it is too crowded and not nearly as comfortable as this first class lounge near gate 113.It operates as the First Class Lounge for several Middle Eastern bassed airlines as well and frankly is one of the main reasons I have maintained my USA issued DC card. I have also accessed the lounge in Abu Dhabi without any difficulty. I am sorry I did not see this OP a few months ago as I would have set the record straight for other FT.