Many thanks for all your posts - learned a lot from them.
Incidentally I did get into the lounge at VCE as I 'found it myself' and saw the Star Alliance Gold sign on the door [amongst others], so thought I'd chance it...the lounge keeper [what is the correct title for them?!] happily let me in; In fact she said that the bmi cards were her favourite in terms of 'style', so I was on to a winner there!
[It is the 'Marco Polo Lounge' - up the escalators after security; May be useful info for other *A Gold members in the future (also, the bar is not self service - there is a lovely person who will mix your drinks for you). Thanks a lot to all of you who took your time to look up the VCE lounge; I am sorry I did not say in my original posting that I managed to get in; It was the inconsistency of what I was told at check-in that had baffled me].
I entirely agree that LH should rightly look after its Senators, especially if the lounges are small and over-crowded - they deserve priority for their loyalty to the brand.
Thank you once again - I think I will continue giving the *A a chance.
[This message has been edited by WKS (edited 03-17-2003).]