Originally Posted by
ung1
Qatar not only gives Silvers lounge access across the network, but also 2 one time credits a year to use at the DOH lounge.
Etihad gives lounge access across the network as well.
I shouldn't even compare with any other programs because these two are the main competition to EK in the region.
Cathay offers lounge access to it's Silver members, Malaysian has a paid for program, as does Air France.
Anyway, while EK may have a competitive edge for Silvers, it certainly doesn't for Golds. What's more, since there's nothing above Gold, you need to compare with BA Gold which gets you anytime F lounge access!
Good points, except for CX Silver and BA Gold.
While CX Silver may give you CX lounge access, it is also much more difficult to earn, given MPC's measly earn rates. Much more difficult that Skywards Silver.
BA Gold isn't really a valid comparison as it takes a LOT of premium flying to get to the needed TPs. Even BA Silver is more difficult to get to. Truth is, BA doesn't really have an equivalent "25k" tier (No OWR equivalent).
You're right about EY and QR, but neither of those airlines has anywhere near the capacity as EK. In terms of pax and capacity comparisons, you have to look at the Euros and large Alliance carriers.
With regard to paid for lounge access, this is of course completely separate than tier-based access, but can also cause congestion. If you ever visit the DFW D ACs during peak international departure time, it looks about the same as EK's DXB J lounge. I am all in favor of killing paid AC memberships, but that will never happen, as it's a strong revenue source for AA.