Originally Posted by
ckpeter
It is my understanding too that evip upgrade entails business class travel, therefore also lounge access.
gemac, I am a little confused. Can you clarify? I am only looking to evip upgrade his outbound flight. Let's say he is routing ORD-LAX-NRT-BKK, I would assume that he has lounge access at ORD and LAX, since he is traveling in business class. What I really want clarification on is at NRT, where his onward NRT-BKK will be in JAL coach, and it would be nice to know if he can get at least AC access there.
Actually, you remind me of another question: Shouldn't he have access to all the oneworld lounges (NRT and LAX)? Since he is, by evip, a business class traveler, I would imagine that the oneworld lounge access policy grants him access, regardless of his lack of status at that point.
He would definitely have AC access at NRT. I have, in fact, done this at NRT when still gold, on an eVIP upgraded LAX-NRT with onward coach travel on JL. No problem at all, and a shower feels really good after a long flight.
As others have responded, the oneworld site is much vaguer on the subject of class-of-service access to the lounges of other carriers than it is on the subject of status access, where it is crystal clear. The NRT AC is my favorite in the entire system - new, spacious, well appointed, lots of food and drink. The other oneworld lounges might be better, I don't know, but probably not by very much.
At LAX, he will arrive and depart T4. I am unaware of any other oneworld lounges in T4, so he would have to go landside to TBIT. Not sure I would do that for another oneworld lounge, especially given the iffy nature of getting in. You mentioned a possibility of overnighting in LA. If he intends to overnight at LAX, be aware that all the lounges close from around midnight to around 5 or 6 A.M. Priceline works great on hotels at LAX.