ST Lounge access on DL-operated VS-marketed flight?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
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ST Lounge access on DL-operated VS-marketed flight?
I was wondering: in a few months I have a Delta-operated flight from LHR to JFK. The flight, however is marketed (booked through) Virgin. I am now wondering if I can get lounge access with my FB-Gold?
The Skyteam website says the following:
Seems pretty solid. Does anyone have any experience with a similar situation?
The Skyteam website says the following:
SkyTeam Elite Plus members, regardless of their travel class, are allowed access to a SkyTeam lounge at a particular airport if traveling on or connecting to/from a same-day international flight operated by a SkyTeam member airline. Simply present your same-day ticket for an international SkyTeam airline flight and a valid Elite Plus membership card.
#3
#4
Original Poster
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Thanks guys for answering! You leave me a little confused, however. Is any of you speaking out of experience? @Goldorak: If you're right, that would mean that the information at the Skyteam-website is incorrect (or unclear at least). Right?
#5
Moderator, Hilton Honors
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If the flight is marketed by non-Skyteam airline it is not a Sky Team flight. The website seems accurate to me because it is only about Sky Team flights.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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I don't speak by personal experience in this particular case (VS/DL/FB) but by experience and knowledge of the Skyteam rules. As you purchased your ticket through VS, it's not anymore a Skyteam flight. But I agree that the website wording is confusing because they use the word "operating". So you might want to fight a bit by showing them a printout of the website, but I'm not optimistic at all.
#7
Moderator, SkyTeam and Germany
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Hmm, IMO you'll check in at LHR at the DL counter for a DL operated flight. So you'll get a DL BP most probably with a DL flight number instead of your booked VS codeshare flight number. Thus IMO the chances for lounge access are quite good.
#8
Original Poster
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In order for SkyTeam Elite Plus members to access this lounge, they must be traveling in BusinessElite or Business Class and will no longer be allowed access if traveling in Economy Class. *RB 2/2
It would be very strange if this were true, wouldn't it? What sense does it still make to have ST Elite Plus if they take away Lounge access in certain skyteam lounges?
#9
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: FB Platinum for Life
Posts: 1,019
AFAIK, DL/VS flights LHR-JFK now depart from LHR/T3. This is entirely separate from LHR/T4, so there is no opportunity to access the SkyTeam lounge in T4. In T3, I assume Delta use the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse - and as that is not a 'Skyteam' lounge, and Delta no longer give third party lounge access to even their own Elite Plus, I doubt that the OP will get in...
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Thanks for the info! I tweeted to @DeltaAssist with the question and got a very unexpected answer:
It would be very strange if this were true, wouldn't it? What sense does it still make to have ST Elite Plus if they take away Lounge access in certain skyteam lounges?
It would be very strange if this were true, wouldn't it? What sense does it still make to have ST Elite Plus if they take away Lounge access in certain skyteam lounges?
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: C2w
Programs: FB Gold, CC Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 49
AFAIK, DL/VS flights LHR-JFK now depart from LHR/T3. This is entirely separate from LHR/T4, so there is no opportunity to access the SkyTeam lounge in T4. In T3, I assume Delta use the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse - and as that is not a 'Skyteam' lounge, and Delta no longer give third party lounge access to even their own Elite Plus, I doubt that the OP will get in...
In my experience in case of code-shares , DL BP consistently displays primarily the marketing carrier code (i.e. the code-share) and secondarily the operating carrier code. But even if it was showing the DL (operating) code, the problem will occur at the lounge entrance when the BP will be scanned.
If your flight departs from T4, this answer is wrong because it's a Skyteam lounge. If from T3, then this answer is unfortunately right
If your flight departs from T4, this answer is wrong because it's a Skyteam lounge. If from T3, then this answer is unfortunately right
Thanks everyone for your contributions!