I am at IAD right now. I am departing IAD in Y on UA to JFK (one class of service aircraft), connecting on the same paid ticket to first class on Swiss Air from JFK to Zurich.
Lounge Warden in the international first lounge absolutely refused me entry because I was "not departing IAD in international F on United or Lufthansa." I argued with her for ten minutes (her supervisor is "off" today--I asked) with no change in her position.
They wouldn't let me in the Red Carpet Club either based on my LX F boarding pass because it was not the international gateway. I had to show one of my non-UA Star Gold cards to get in.
If this were the case, why would there be reciprocal access to F Lounges? If you could only enter at the international gateway, you would just use the lounge for the carrier you were flying.
So with this mentality, if you don't have status in the Star Alliance but are flying another Star carrier other than UA (and LH), you can be a paid premium passenger, but you will receive no lounge access from United on a connecting flight. You havet to wait until you are at the international gateway.
I told the Matron in the F Lounge that this is exactly why I am flying LX to ZRH and not UA.
Last edited by Always Flyin; Nov 28, 2008 at 1:10 pm