Press release error - Zurich arrival lounge NOT accessible for non-Swiss *G

newflyer530 , Apr 26, 2012 11:46 am

I arrived with LX 15 from JFK in economy today and tried to use the new Zurich arrival lounge with my non-MM *G status, and I was told by the lounge warden that there has never been something like granting access to the arrival lounge for non-Swiss M&M *G.

Thought the info would be useful for some here, and the OP of the original thread please correct the content so that people don't get misled.

NewbieRunner , Apr 26, 2012 12:30 pm

Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)

I just checked www.swiss.com and found this.

Passengers eligible to access the Arrival Lounge appear to be:

Quote:
First Class SWISS & Lufthansa
Business Class SWISS & Lufthansa
HON Circle
Senator : only SWISS Senators
Frequent Traveller : only SWISS Frequent Travellers

So it looks like SEN and FTL without the SWISS logo on their card cannot access the Arrival Lounge if travelling in Y.

f4freeJunior , Apr 26, 2012 3:48 pm

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8900/4.6.1.168 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/130)

Surely this is a mistake. They couldn't care less about a LX or LH branded care provided it's a FTL or higher.

behuman , Apr 26, 2012 7:44 pm

Looks like they are taking the overcrowding risk seriously, but the differentiation of LX and LH Senators is a little bit over the top. Will LX Senators soon face some kind of discrimination at ports of our big powerful neighbor

?

Giving Senator statuts back some exclusivity is a good thing and given that Senator lounges are also designated *alliance F lounges I think it is time to push back *alliance goid members to the business class lounges. We know how cheap it can be to become *alliance gold in our days and this contributes to the overcrowding of the Senator lounges.

Manx Flyer , Apr 27, 2012 4:11 am

Doesn't this mean access for all FTL or SEN travelling on inbound Swiss flights, rather than Swiss FTL / SEN on all flights? Or maybe I just want to read it that way?

Whereas the departure lounges are for people departing on LH flights as well as LX, and include *G.

NewbieRunner , Apr 27, 2012 4:51 am

Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)

It sounds odd but this is what the table currently says.

Code:

Access

First Class SWISS          SWISS First, Senator & Business, 
& Lufthansa 	           SWISS Lounge D Senator & 
                           Business, Arrival Lounge
 
First Class Star Alliance  SWISS Senator & Business Lounge, 
                           SWISS Lounge D Senantor & Business

Business Class SWISS &     SWISS Business, Lounge D
Lufthansa 	           Business und Arrival Lounge

Business Class Star Alliance SWISS Business, Lounge D Business

HON Circle 	           SWISS First, Senator, 
                           Business, Lounge D Senator, Lounge D 
                           Business and Arrival Lounge

Senator             	   Business, Lounge D Senator, Lounge D  
                           Business.
                           Arrival Lounge: only SWISS Senators

Frequent Traveller 	   SWISS Business & Lounge D Business.
                           Arrival Lounge: only SWISS Frequent 
                           Travellers

Star Alliance Gold member  SWISS Senator & Business Lounge

ZKOKA , Apr 27, 2012 2:16 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewbieRunner

It sounds odd but this is what the table currently says.

Couldn't you just move your address to Switzerland before entering to lounge and move it back to your real country of residence once you're in?

Upon entering you would technically be a SWISS Senator. Quite a weird rule indeed.

CRJ , Apr 28, 2012 6:30 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewbieRunner

I just checked www.swiss.com and found this.

Passengers eligible to access the Arrival Lounge appear to be:

So it looks like SEN and FTL without the SWISS logo on their card cannot access the Arrival Lounge if travelling in Y.

Senator Card branded LH works just fine for Y pax at new ZRH arrival lounge...

The denial of admission to non-MM *G seems due to lack of similar reciprocity on *A systemwide arrival lounges of other carriers. Certainly SAA doesn't welcome LX *G pax into their SAA arrival lounge at JNB. I guess opening it up would result in some "losers" on the reciprocity as not all carriers/destinations offer the facilities anyway...

NewbieRunner , Apr 28, 2012 7:16 am

Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRJ

Senator Card branded LH works just fine for Y pax at new ZRH arrival lounge...

Thanks for the confirmation. So the vaguely worded rules mean SENs and FTLs arriving on LH (shorthaul) in Y are not eligible to access the Arrival Lounge? What about shorthaul LX?

I have posted questions in the SWISS Lurker thread to ask for clarification. Hopefully we will get a definitive answer soon.

#10

will2288 , Apr 29, 2012 2:16 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZKOKA

Couldn't you just move your address to Switzerland before entering to lounge and move it back to your real country of residence once you're in? Upon entering you would technically be a SWISS Senator. Quite a weird rule indeed.

I don't think it is the country that you are from that matters.

A Swiss Senator is just a FF that has earned the status by flying LX. They could be from any country.

#11

more4less , Apr 29, 2012 2:24 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by will2288

A Swiss Senator is just a FF that has earned the status by flying LX. They could be from any country.

Hi,

I do not think this is correct.
You get one or other logo depending in the country where you are based.
I live in Spain and have a LH logo although 80% of my miles(some years even more than that) are accrued by flying LX.

Edit: this was actually commented in another thread a few months ago.

#12

YuropFlyer , Apr 30, 2012 3:42 am

Is the "Arrival Lounge" now strictly for Arriving Pax only, or will LX SEN also be allowed to use it when departing on *A flights?

#13

more4less , Apr 30, 2012 3:45 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by YuropFlyer

Is the "Arrival Lounge" now strictly for Arriving Pax only, or will LX SEN also be allowed to use it when departing on *A flights?

Hi YuropFlyer,

You mean transit pax or pax originating in ZRH? In this 2nd case, would not make more sense to use the SEN lounge?

#14

YuropFlyer , Apr 30, 2012 3:56 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by more4less

Hi YuropFlyer,

You mean transit pax or pax originating in ZRH? In this 2nd case, would not make more sense to use the SEN lounge?

Pax originating in ZRH. I know that the SEN lounge is probably a better choice, but I want to try out the new arrival lounge for the "experience" if possible (And my next couple flights will always be arriving late in ZRH, so the Arrival lounge won't be open when I arrive, only when departing)

#15

Roger , May 1, 2012 7:59 am

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Given that there sems to be confusion between Swiss (= national) Senators and SWISS (= airline) Senators

, let me throw something else on to the sauna stove.

Priority Pass members could use the old arrivals lounge. The current PP directory shows:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Priority Pass

Lounge: SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES ARRIVAL LOUNGE

Location: Landside - the Lounge is located after Customs in Arrivals Hall 2.

Swiss.com shows:

Quote:

Originally Posted by swiss.com

Location
Arrival hall 2, next to customs. Access also granted from Arrival 1.

Are these one and the same?

If so, it seems curious that Priority Pass would give me access as a Swiss national with a mere LH-branded Senator card that may or may not qualify.

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