Originally Posted by
SEA1K4EVR
If you're in C you should be able to use the UA RCC's. Very unlikely you will be able to use the LH lounge because EI is a UA partner and not a *G airline.
No idea about MAD.
What you wrote makes perfect sense. However, the EI flight is not treated as an EI flight for purposes of United Airlines. You board the aircraft from the United gates and the boarding pass you get to board the aircraft is a United boarding pass.
Please see this portion of an e-mail I received from United's management -
"Thank you for your continued loyalty as a valued 1K member. All of us at United and Mileage Plus appreciate your business.
Effective March 28, 2010: UA-marketed / EI-operated flights between Washington Dulles and Madrid, Spain - UA #4963 IAD-MAD and UA #4962 MAD-IAD - will be treated as United-operated flights:
* Members receive the same benefits as if the aircraft was operated by United.
* Accrual the same as United.
* Fare Bonus: - flights earn an additional 50% EQM / EQS bonus for paid tickets in First (F, A) Business (C, D, Z) and unrestricted Economy (Y, B) Classes.
* Elite Qualification: the same as United.
* Elite Bonus: the same as United.
* Upgrades: - Mileage upgrade awards and Systemwide upgrades are valid (and electronic) for UA #4963 IAD-MAD and UA #4962 MAD-IAD.
These are the only 2 flights which qualify for the same benefits as a true United flight. If your flight(s) are different than listed above, your flight(s) will not qualify for the same benefits.
I appreciate this opportunity to be of assistance and look forward to serving you again.
Regards,"
Based on the above, on my upcoming flight, I intend to use the LH lounge at IAD and present my United boarding pass just I have done in the past when I had a long layover at IAD using United flights (or LH).
I could be wrong but since all the paperwork related to the flight says it is United while the actual airplane is painted EI, why would LH lounge care or even know about the technicality?
As the letter from United says, "Members receive the same benefits as if the aircraft was operated by United."
Some of the benefits include the use of LH lounge while at IAD.
If I have a problem using the LH lounge, I will post it here.
Cheers,
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