FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - elite plus on skyteam flight not allowed into KLM lounge (Wien / Vienna)
Old Feb 5, 2011, 4:14 am
  #13  
PaxCGN
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: CGN
Programs: LH Sen, AF/KL gold, AB platinum, BA silver, HHonors diamond, SPG gold, ...
Posts: 280
again and again: lounge access problem most annoying

Always again one of the most annoying problems:
You count on using the lounge during transit or after a hectic day to link up with your office, get some work done and get some light refreshment.
And you've made some extra efforts, taken weird connections, squeezed in uncomfortable flights just to get or maintain your status to have the right to do so, even if at the time you want to use it you are on a cheaper flight with another airline.
And then some badly informed doorwoman (or man) stops you from getting in or the regulations of your frequent flyer program are useless.
Happened to me with almost every airline and alliance.
Worst case are those codeshare flights not clearly defined in the frequent flier programes rules, like IB not letting me into lounge at BCN with BA-gold on an IB flight operated by IB-daughter Clickair, CX not granting access to lounge at PVG on CX-flight operated by CX-daughter KA (by that time KA's entry into oneworld had already been announced). Same also happened on *A and Skyteam codeshare flights.
And the LH-group has regretfully decided to kick those clients, that fill their planes continuosly (SEN) out of their lounges if not on a *A flight just at that moment. What a reward! That's even worse than the double control of boarding card AND SEN-card at Munich since LH assumes that all their best customers are impostors and forgerers!

What surprises me is that this happened to you at the VIE-lounge used by Skyteam. You were really unlucky! I even put up with having to fly with AF (and that can really be a punishment on European routes or on transfer at CDG) to renew my AF gold only in order to be able to use the lounges at VIE and ZRH when on an AB flight (doesn't work in CGN or BCN though). And I always was lucky enough to get access. Same can said about BA lounges at DUS and TXL with many thanks!
So by trying to make it harder for me to fly AB, LH is forcing me to fly Oneworld and Skyteam for requalification
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