warakorn

Here is the story:

I was denied to the Iberia Lounge at Frankfurt Airport.
At that time I was holding a boarding pass for a same-day oneworld operated and marketed international flight in Business Class.

There is even a oneworld logo at the door.

The lounge dragon argued that this is the only IB lounge in the system, where the normal oneworld access rules do not apply. Even any oneworld status cards won't help either. I was advised to complain to my operating carrier.
Only passengers, who fly from a limited number of gates at FRA (a subset of D-gates) are allowed in.
Even BA J guests did not gain entry here. She said, there have to go to the BA lounge. Funny enough - there isn't even a BA lounge at FRA.

Well, I am aware that FRA has better lounges to offer. Nonetheless, it was a very embarrassing situation.
The lounge was very empty from my looks.

The oneworld website states that the IB lounge can be used by any oneworld carrier passenger - and is not restricted just to AB or IB pax.

warakorn

this seems to be a very normal thing, I'd guess.

LupineChemist

I don't know what to say other than write a formal complaint. Most of us here will mostly be IB passengers so not really have much to say on the matter.

ajeleonard

Ultimately what do you want us to say? No-one can force them to follow oneworld rules if they choose to flout them, it's all voluntary anyway

FlyerTalker688786

For BA flight, you must use JL or CX lounge which is far more superior than IB one.

IB lounge is for Schengen destination only.

swiss_global

Seems to be a mistake by the dragon. As per OW lounge database: "Access for eligible customers traveling on any oneworld member airline" (retrieved just now).

However, it looks like all Carriers have different arrangements (e.g. AB and AY, the two others serving Schengen destinations are using the AF lounge).

warakorn

Well, I was flying to a Schengen destination -> Madrid!
Still, the lounge dragon has denied me entry.

Of course -> what would have been interesting is to know whether this is a regular occurence that the IB lounge is denying access for eligible pax.

I've pointed this out to her (even the oneworld logo at the entrance). She replied that she cannot do anything about it. I should take it up with the operating airline.

LupineChemist

The LA flight is weird in that it's FRA-MAD but sort of a non-Schengen flight as you need to pass immigration control for that flight. Like I said, I agree they were wrong, but what do you actually want to do about it. I don't think they actually care enough about an edge case for a single flight that's a definite oddity in that respect.

And even then it's easy enough to call it a non-Schengen departure which is definitely true.

warakorn

Well, if the IB Lounge is only good for Schengen destinations (and only those which are not non-Schengen departures), then this exception should be properly published.

In my eyes, the problem could be that LA does not pay IB (or the operator of the lounge) the lounge fee.

The dragon told me that it's not just LA, but they also do not allow pax in, who depart on CX, JL, BA, QR, AA.

So, it's not about a single edge case.

They are plenty of pax who connect from AB to other oneworld airlines at FRA T2, hence, those are the pax who would run into the IB lounge - as most AB pax disembark into the gate area, where the IB lounge is located in.