MHLHR

I should add the following as PERCHE seems not to believe the information in my earlier post. This is the email from the Il Milione club:

Buongiorno,
in merito alla sua richiesta siamo ad informarla che, come evidenziato nel sito IL MILIONE, l'edizione 2017 scade il 31/01/2018 questo per poter effettuare il lancio della nuova card IL MILIONE che nascerŕ il primo di febbraio 2018.
Per poter ottenere la card IL MILIONE erano necessari 25 punti volo e non 13 come attualmente č possibile, questo perché la card ha una durata inferiore.
Ulteriori notizie sulla nuova card sarŕ possibile ottenerle solo verso la fine dell'anno o primi del 2018.

Cordiali saluti.


Segreteria Il Milione
Tel.+39. 049-8791209
Fax +39. 041-2606299

Perche

I just talked to the Segreteria Il Millione using the number you provided, and he clarified the picture. First, let me say Clubs change access rules all the time. American Airlines changed its access rules to the Flagship Lounge a few months ago.

It also changed its status acquisition rules. Before you could obtain EXP status and have lounge access during overseas travel after flying 100 segments, but now you need 120 segments. It also added a spend requirement. Even if you flew the required 100,000 miles or 120 segments, you now need to spend at least $12,000 on tickets in the last 12 months. Despite raising the bar, they reduced the number of system wide upgrades from 8 to 4. Whether or not you get upgraded no longer depends on the date you bought the ticket and your status, it depends on your status and who spent the most money on AA tickets in the past year. The highest spender jumps to the head of the upgrade list. Very few people are happy with the way FF programs are changing, but they do change.

According to the Segreteria Club Il Millione, which again is not an airline club, it's a Marco Polo airport club, with the remodeling of the entire airport and its lounge they are updating the program, and they are giving more advance notice than most airline programs would give. The new program goes into effect in February, 2018, at which time it appears you will only be able to buy into the club with cash, or by accruing points by flying out of Venice. Just as American Airlines increased the number of required segments from 100 per calendar year to 120, the amount of points will probably be 25.

He explained that since the current club membership will be replaced by the new club card in February 2018, they are making it extremely easy to obtain the current card because it will expire in only 5 months, so you only need 13 points, shop $250, or pay 125 euros, basically the price of two day passes to an Admirals Club.

It is completely normal for airlines to change their elite qualifying status and club access requirements. Starting February 2018 you can pay to join Club Il Millione if you don't have the status to get in. The only option for those who do not have status that allows them entry will be to purchase a day pass, or purchase the annual membership. That's pretty standard.

It seems that you do not have airline status that would grant you access to the Marco Polo Lounge. Through January 31 you can gain access using cash, shopping, or by having 13 points.

"Buongiorno,
in merito alla sua richiesta siamo ad informarla che, come evidenziato nel sito IL MILIONE, l'edizione 2017 scade il 31/01/2018 questo per poter effettuare il lancio della nuova card IL MILIONE che nascerŕ il primo di febbraio 2018.
Per poter ottenere la card IL MILIONE erano necessari 25 punti volo e non 13 come attualmente č possibile, questo perché la card ha una durata inferiore.
Ulteriori notizie sulla nuova card sarŕ possibile ottenerle solo verso la fine dell'anno o primi del 2018."

"Good day.
In regard to your request we are informing you that, as it says on the Il Millione website, the 2017 program ends on January 31, 2018 so that we can launch a new Il Millione card that starts on February 1, 2018. To obtain the new card it will require 25 flying points, not the 13 that you can do now. The 13 is a reduced number because the current card will only be of use for 5 more months. Final notice about the new card requirements will be released late this year or early 2018."

Be happy that you are not having to cope with the changes in programs at US based airlines such as American, Delta, and United, all of which have devalued their programs and made them more costly. If you have status, meaning OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald, nothing will change at the Marco Polo Lounge.

PWMTrav

I don't really see what the issue is. A brand new remodeled lounge cutting its agreement with Priority Pass isn't uncommon. Not admitting based on status is fine too - it's the airport's lounge, if airlines want to contract for their elites to get in, I'm sure they can but they obviously haven't. Having it cost 125 or 200 euro or whatever also doesn't make it a scam. They're telling you the price and the term, and you're either a buyer or not. I don't think it's valid to trash a lounge just because they don't align with your own methods to access other lounges and/or you don't see value in the price of buying in.

KLouis

Well, FT is full of posts of (mostly new) members complaining (often "loudly") about rules of lounges, airlines, FF programs, etc. which don't fit their expectations. This is, to a large extent, due to the anonymity provided by FT and the bad example given by many of us. The Italy forum is one of the most benign ones, but I'm still waiting to read a post from somebody who didn't like a restaurant or a place specifically suggested by one of the oltimers...

MHLHR

Dear All,

We are in Europe here and I am not aware of a single other example of a European lounge operator (that has ONE lounge in ONE airport) that charges this way. I doubt that it is a viable business model in Europe and that many people will pay some 200 EUR a year to have access to only one lounge.

The situation is not comparable to US or other lounge cards, which give access to multiple lounges. And it is a different market where people regularly pay for lounge access.

In Europe that has never been the business model of lounges and they have generally entered into deals with the airlines and the lounge card operators. Here Marco Polo has just been greedy and the airlines have refused to renew (or limited access significantly) and lounge card companies (PP, Angel etc) have not renewed at all. The greed has then extended to individual memberships with the price offering that is not likely to be acceptable (+200 EUR for ONE lounge) and a number of flights that is not practically reachable as qualification flights must be in same year as use of card -- so good luck flying 17 flights out of VCE and getting more than say 6-8 months of card in return.

Now if you all like it that way and want to pay +200 EUR for a year per airport your fly to or from that is fine, but that is not how things normally work in Europe and I doubt it will work for VCE. And my basic gripe remains that you cannot as they do on their website sell an "annual" card for 5 months. That is simply misleading advertising.

Finally, no need to diss people for expressing reservations about a commercial model and concerns about misleading advertising.

Regards

MHLHR

To respond to this - what is a scam is to sell a product as "annual" and then to give a card for five months. Now I don't care as I registered with flights so did not pay 125 EUR, but had I paid, I would not be happy. And if you ask the lounge personnel, there are lots of people who are not happy. I am there pretty much every week and this lounge program is the subject of a lot of skirmishes at the reception and a lot of complaints.

But let's see if they keep it this way.

PWMTrav

They disclosed the terms to you - it's not a scam. It also doesn't matter whether people are happy about it or not. If business tails off, they'll either make some changes or close.

Nobody is contradicting any of the above, other than the misleading bit - it isn't misleading. You're posting here with a very specific understanding of the access terms, which suggests you haven't been misled at all, you just don't like what you're hearing. It's fine to be disappointed, but it's coming off as entitlement. You can either buy in or earn in under the new model, or you can choose not to.

I happen to agree that it's steep for a single lounge in a single airport, but I'm not posting about how it's a scam or that I can't get in with my status/PP card any longer. I simply won't go to this lounge because the terms don't work for me. To me, 95% of airport lounges are extremely overrated in the first place, particularly those situated in a modern terminal.

PWMTrav

I hear you. I don't like half the crap going on either - my solution has been to just give up on specific loyalty programs and just buy exactly what I want (or stay home). No picking an airline because I'm this close to status. No picking a hotel chain based on what minimal elite benefits still exist. It's better to tune out the noise, budget for what you want, and go. Lounges were the first to go for me - they mostly suck, but I think we tell ourselves they're good because we're sinking so much into loyalty or cards that get us there.

I'm not sure if I count in that oldtimer category or not, but I 100% want to hear about it if someone comes back from a place I recommended and didn't like it!

I will say that the places generally recommended in this forum by the small group of regulars is usually very good. The only criticism I can really levy is that we (and I'm including myself in this) tend to hit the same places over and over, so we tend to stay conservative in that regard. I think that's fine because most people coming here are planning their first/second trip to Italy, and those places will all be new to them.

Perche

I still think you are missing the point by your statement about "ONE lounge in ONE airport." The Marco Polo Lounge in Venice is part of a chain of over 650 OneWorld airport lounges. The way that probably 98% of people enter, as I did a little over 3 weeks ago, is with status. I showed my boarding card that shows OneWorld Emerald. They smiled and waved me in, and I went and had a glass of prosecco.

I've been OneWorld Emerald since 2005, mostly by international travel to Venice, and never had a problem entering the lounge. The only time I made a complaint was that once it was too crowded during the remodeling, and the staff gave me a guest pass to use the less crowded Etihad lounge down the hall.

You get in if you are traveling in Business or First class on American, British, Qatar, Finnair, and Iberia (I don't know about Air Berlin anymore since they went bankrupt), OR you are OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald. It's that simple.

If you don't like the Marco Polo Lounge, there are other lounges, such as Etihad. if you have status with Etihad, or buy a first or business class ticket on their airline, you get in.

If you don't have status or a business or first class ticket on a OneWorld airline or Etihad, you can get in if you have status or a business of first class ticket with a member of Star Alliance, meaning United Airlines, Aegean, Air Canada, Asiana, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, LOT (Polish Airlines), Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airline, Swiss Airline, TAP (Portugal), and Turkish Airline.

If you don't have status or a business or first class ticket with One World, Etihad, or Star Alliance, you still have options.

Right next door to the Marco Polo Lounge is the Tintoretto Lounge. You can get in if you have a business of first class ticket, or status with a member of Sky Team, meaning Alitalia, Delta, Air France, Aeroflot, Air Europa, China Airlines, Czech Airlines, KLM, Middle East Airline, Viet Nam Airline, Aerolinea Argentina, China Eastern, Kenya Airways, Saudia, Xiamen Airlines, Aeromexico, China Southern, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, and Tarom.

Almost everybody gets into a lounge by frequent flier status, or by purchasing a business or first class ticket. I am a member of the Admirals Club by virtue of paying a $450 per year credit card fee, but that won't get me into the Marco Polo Lounge at VCE. I get in because of my OneWorld emerald status.

I have not purchased a Club Il Millione card, which is an airport card, not a lounge card. It gives you a parking spot, discount meals and clothing when shopping at the airport, none of which I need, and Fast Track and access to the Marco Polo Lounge, which I already have due to frequent flier status.

If you don't want to purchase the Club Il Millione card, just obtain status with any of the big three alliances, or pay the day pass fee, which costs the same or less than a day pass to any other lounge in the world. If you fly as much as you say you do, you must have status with one of the Alliances that will get you into one of the lounges.

Please stop confusing an airport card like Club Il Millione, with the Marco Polo Lounge. Joining the Marco Polo airport Club Il Millione is not going to get you a discount shopping at an airport store in Berlin, a parking spot at JFK, or access to the lounge at in Rome. Club Il Millione is a Marco Polo airport card, not a lounge access card.

The Marco Polo Lounge has nothing to do with it, so there is no reason for you to label the lounge that you apparently have never been allowed into as a scam.

JMN57

Access issues aside, I was in the Marco Polo Lounge Saturday and it was quite nice (OW Sapphire access).

One thing my wife and I both commented on was the presence of an outside terrace accessible from the lounge. Pretty rare to be able to step outside for some air after security.

If using the lounge, realize that Passport control is AFTER the lounge so plan time accordingly.

PWMTrav

Does the lounge give you a fast track line for passport control and security? I remember saving a ton of time when we had to fly out of BLQ earlier this year. We were going to skip the lounge entirely until the agent checking us in told us to at least use it for the fast track line.

JMN57

The lounge is after security but before passport control. I don't think there's a FastTrack line for passport control. In fact, I don't remember seeing a FastTrack lane for security as I went through the security line all the way to the left (I think for US airlines).

Perche

These are separate things. If you don't have a boarding pass you will have to go to a ticket counter and show your passport. This is not passport control or security. You then go to the security line based upon your status or what class of service you are flying in, First/Business, OneWorld Sapphire, Emerald, etc, which determines whether you go to Fast Track or the regular line. They will ask for your passport, but this is not passport control.

It is security where they might open your luggage, frisk you, make you take off your belt, etc. If you are elite/business/first, you can go to the Fast Track line which is almost never long in Venice, but it is still security, where you have to show ID, put your luggage through the X-ray machine, empty your pocket, and get asked stupid questions. This will be the second time you will have shown your passport, at baggage check-in (if you carry baggage) or didn't have a boarding pass, and at security.

Then you can go to the lounge. They will announce your flight and you go to the gates, and then even though security has already checked your passport, now you go through passport control. Passport control in Italy usually means someone gives you the evil eye and asks where you are going, if they can find the time to stop chatting at the officer working next to them. You tell them and they slide the passport back under the window and don't stamp it. In Venice it's usually just before the gate, or a section of just a couple of gates.

If you don't already have your boarding pass and have to get in line at the check in counter to get it, you will be showing your passport three times; at check-in; at security; and at passport control just before boarding the plane.

As for the Fast Track line, it's pretty heavily policed by an agent. If you have a boarding pass that grants Fast Track access, you will save 20 minutes or more. As stated upthread, most people get into the lounge based on status. Buying the one day Club Il Millione pass will get you into the Fast Track line as part of the benefits you obtain for the 50 euros or so for the day pass, or if you buy the 5 month pass for 120 euros, until the new program is unveiled next February.

There isn't a Fast Track Line for passport control. That's just for security. Passport control is usually not bad. Check in is what is a mess, so make sure you have already downloaded your boarding pass onto your phone, which you must do at least 24 hours before boarding, because it's not allowed within 24 hours of departure. Unlike LHR, Fast Track Security in Venice is generally quite a bit faster than regular security. From the time I walk through the doors of the airport with boarding pass on phone, with access to Fast Track, I'm usually in the lounge in 10-15 minutes.

Passport control can be aggravating, it just depends on the line you are in, because some people seem to cause a problem. But they won't strand you. Passport control is for a specific gate, or a few gates leaving from a certain area, not for the whole airport. Thus, it's small. Unless there's a problem they get everyone through and don't close the doors of the flight because people are stuck 20 yards away in the passport line. If passport control is running behind they'll just wave 15 people through without checking their passport. The only time I've had a problem was traveling with someone who liked to be fashionably late, and instead of boarding at the gate we had to take a bus to the plane, and we almost missed the last bus.

VCE is a nice airport.

PWMTrav

Italian passport control is often hilarious and infuriating at the same time. Earlier this year we flew to FCO. The 3 of us were behind maybe 4 people in the EU lane. A whole plane load of tourists filled the queue in the non-EU lane. Problem is, only one agent was working the EU side, and he wasn't fast. The entire non-EU lane was empty before the people in front of us got to the officer, and all of the Italian seniors in front of us were letting this guy have it for the wait, understaffing, not moving agents from the non-EU to the EU lane, etc.

Cant wait until my daughter is old enough to use the electronic gates.

infoguy

What would the process be like to visit the new lounge (or a different lounge) when flying Easyjet to London? Am I correct that the cost is 40EUR per person?