yuppie

We are flying in about a week Pdx-Rome and Envoy upgrades just became available....we are both gold but it looks iffy that we'll get automatically upgraded on the Pdx-Phl portion as there are only 3 seats left...my question is, is it worth $300 and 30k miles each to do the upgrade?? Haven't flown Envoy on US...only Bus. and First on Qantas and American. We currently are seated together on the side where there are only 2 seats close to the front if that makes a difference???

Also, we belong to the US Club Lounge, are we entitled to use a lounge in Barcelona on our return flight?? Is the Phl Envoy lounge the same as the US Club Lounge?? We have a flight on Iberia from Venice to Mallorca with a 2 hour layover in BCN, would we be able to access any club lounge there or in Venice? And a flight on SpanAir from Mallorca to BCN...not sure if there's even a club at PMI but if so is there a lounge that is reciprocle???

Thanks in advance for all of your help!!

kudzu

Re Envoy upgrades $300/30k miles ... it's a long flight - go for it!

As US/StarAlliance Gold, you can generally use any airport lounge abroad displaying the StarAlliance logo on the door. The PHL Envoy lounge is only for departing Envoy pax/*A Gold members on int'l itinerary - as Gold, you can still use the Envoy lounge even if you don't upgrade to Envoy.

GotCalcio4

I'd take the upgrades for sure. If available, you'd be confirmed in F on the PDX-PHL segment, as well, so you wouldn't have to worry about playing upgrade roulette.

The Envoy lounge is a wonderful facility operated for international business class customers, and those who have *G status regardless of the class they are flying, meaning you would have access to it even if you were in Y. However, it is a departure lounge, and only accessible on the US -> Europe portion of your journey, not the return. Also, it is NOT the same as a US club. The club membership only entitles you access to the 17 US clubs in the system as well as designated *A lounges (available in LHR, LAX, NGO, and CDG: http://www.staralliance.com/en/benefits/lounges/).

As a *G, you'd have access to any *A carrier's lounges, provided that you're flying internationally (which you are) on any *A carrier that day. I'm thinking you should be able to access any SpanAir lounge so long as you're flying them on that day. Be sure to bring your physical Dividend Miles Gold card, as they will definitely ask to see it (regardless of what is printed on your boarding pass).

yuppie

Great info....and you're right, I should go ahead and do the upgrade!!!

Thanks for clarifying the Club info, I'm assuming since our layover in BCN is between two Iberia flights that they won't allow us usage of the SpanAir lounge?? Unfortunately it also looks like there's no lounge in Venice or Mallorca but we will definately utilize PHL Envoy and BCN and PHL on our return! Thanks again!!!!

kudzu

You're correct. As a Star Gold, you're allowed access to a Star lounge abroad only when flying a Star carrier.

As a US Club member too, you have to show same-day Boarding Pass on a Star carrier to enter a Star Alliance lounge.

awaflyboy

This link is a great little lounger access guide from the star alliance.

travellerK

There IS a louinge in PMI when flying on Spanair PMI-BCN (I've used as *G on Y), despite not being documented. I think its called Sala Formentor (or somethong like that).

PHL

There is a departure lounge in VCE that's shared, and departing US Envoy customers have access to it, as well as other premium class passengers on other airlines. But if you're making an intra-europe trip from VCE to BCN, then it's doubtful.

And, I will re-emphasize the Envoy upgrade. $300 + 30K is not a bad deal considering the length of the trip. You can also requests seats in row 1 (fully flat) if they are available. They are sometimes blocked, so you may need to call, as I did just yesterday when I had a confirmed Envoy ticket but no seats were assignable on an A330-300 trip. It just took a call and they unblocked seat 1A for me....

yuppie

Thanks so much for all of the info!!! Called US yesterday to do the upgrade and unfortunately the PDX-PHL wasn't avail, just the PHL-BCN, I didn't bite (yet) as there are seats avail "for sale" on the 1st leg so I'm hoping that they open up in the next few days! Apparently it was the flight that goes through PHX that had the upgrades avail all the way through...now I'm thinking it may have been worth the 3am wake up call I'll keep an eye at PMI for the lounge and also at VCE, wishing I had booked with SpanAir now!

geo1005

Forget PDX to PHL... Get the upgrade from PHL to BCN before it's gone!

LAX

Can't OP be waitlisted for the PDX-PHL segment when requesting the upgrade?

LAX

ronin

Is there an arrival and or departure lounge available to Envoy passengers in Barcelona? The US Air nor the Star Alliance websites is very specific. Thank you.

GotCalcio4

The SpanAir Sala VIP closed earlier this year with the demise of JK. US may have a contract lounge for departing Envoy pax.