Originally Posted by
atakam
Seems that you experience a different OW than many of us here. Unfortunately for you, I have to inform you that I mainly fly C or F (full fare), sometimes D. Intra-asia usually Y (full). And in my experience (intercontinental F - LH FRA-EZE/LX ZRH-GRU or Transpac on UA F) the total experience is much smoother in *A than OW. OW 1st carrier doesn't care if you have a 2nd segment with other carrier connecting. For example, if you fly LA/IB (SCL-MAD-LHR) and arrive late (misconnect to LHR), IB will not issue you a BP on the following IB because it is LA fault. And from there if you know MAD and IB staff you can guess the nightmare starts. The same situation will not happen if you fly EZE-FRA-CPH (LH/SK). Actually, I get the new BP handed at the jetway and go directly to the new flight. Of course in the first case IB will not release the bags and you will get them (if you are lucky the next day, if not bags lost). On *A my experience is that they care about bags arriving with you.
Firstly I am not sure how you can compare a J IB experience with an LH F experience as again you are comparing apples with oranges. In my experience especially on QF/BA/CX connections, I have not usually had an issue with a misconnect, nor have I had that many issues with IB although I will agree with you that the ground experience with IB is it's weakest point. I suspect if you misconnect with a carrier like MS you would have a similar experience if not worse.
I will however agree that *A in some areas in respect to service and ticketing does consequently feel a little more integrated.
Originally Posted by
atakam
If you go for the full F experience from Southamerica to Europe, for example GRU-LHR-CPH (BA) or GRU-FRA-CPH (LH), I can recornfim that LH HON or LH FCL are far superior than the Concorde Room. Also at arrival in LHR you just walk (or at best get guided to the lounge), in FRA LH drives you to the lounge on a MB S-class or a Porsche Cayenne. No walking, no lines, VIP treatment.
The car experience is good, but I don't feel it makes the lounges the best and again I should remind you that the LH HON lounge in only available for LH/LX/OS pax flying in F or HONs. A UA 1K flying in F on UA out of FRA won't have access to the lounge.
Overall I actually rate the QF lounges in SYD/MEL as better lounges than the LH HON lounge in FRA (which all partners have access to whether flying in F or the pax has Emerald status). The only better part of the LH FRA experience is the car which to be fair you need, especially as FRA as possibly the worst experience of all gateways in Europe, even CDG. Even LHR has improved dramatically over the past 12-18 months since some of the modernisation improvements have come through.
I still however believe that lounge product wise, OW far exceeds *A and OW lounges feel more integrated in respect to access handling.
Originally Posted by
atakam
I could go on and on with examples. Anyway, good for you that you really like OW over *A. Maybe you should try to fly premium fares (not classes) and then come back.
Cut the arrogance for a moment as you are not the only one who flies premium fares and classes.
Originally Posted by
atakam
As Sagy said above, I can't agree more than: "Overall OW seems more like a bunch of stores that share a parking lot than an alliance in which all members are working together."
As
Sagy has been an Emerald for 5 minutes, I don't think we can really compare your experience to his.
Originally Posted by
atakam
OW way to go to catch *A (Btw the BA/AA TATL issue is a burden to the consumer and OW clearly doesn't deliver what flyers want. In this respect, *A seems to have a better team delivering more solid solutions).
Go and speak to your congressman then and complain as it is largely the Americans who have so far said no to AA/BA ATI (I am of course assuming your an American based in Japan so if this is not correct, ignore this paragraph). Sadly as I am not an American citizen, I don't really think they would be terribly interested in listening to what I had to say about the issue.
Finally I should state that equally I don't think Star Alliance is worse than OneWorld. I just feel that there is not this great huge gulf between the two of them. I regularly fly both but some of the areas you described above I completely disagree with. Nothing more and nothing less.