LewDog

Greetings BA board,

[TL;dr version: Confirming that we have CCR access when taking AA F JFK-LHR, connecting to BA J LHR-GVA same day.]

Long-time reader, first-time poster (here.) Wondering if you can give me a quick hand.

A few years ago, my wife and I flew AA F from JFK to LHR, connecting to NCE on BA in Club Europe. This was after the AA/BA/IB JV began.

I studied the lounge access policies prior to departure, and believed that we were entitled to access the Concorde Room at LHR while awaiting our onward flight to NCE, by virtue of our same-day long haul F flight on AA.

Indeed, we were immediately admitted via the unmarked door. A short while later, after checking my bags and showering, I asked one of the attendants where the best place in the lounge would be to get a bite to eat. He inquired as to our travel and told us that we didn't belong in the CCR/F lounge, and instead shuffled us off to the Business lounge.

My wife wanted to let it go, but I spoke to another representative in the Business lounge who was extremely apologetic and agreed that indeed, per the handbook, we did have CCR access. She called her colleague who shooed us away (who was not even remotely apologetic, but rather blamed poor training on BA's part, but that's another story) and we returned to the land of the horse lamps.

The purpose of my post all these years later is that we will soon be taking a similar journey - JFK-LHR on AA F, followed by LHR-GVA in CE, and would like to enjoy the CCR while we await our onward trip. In the intervening years, multiple AA folks have assured me that my understanding of the lounge access policy is correct, and the BA and oneworld sites would seem to concur. But I ask the experts here: am I right? And if so, what would be the best way to politely insist that we do have access, should we encounter a similar challenge? Is there a handbook page I can direct the attendant to, or a hotline I can call?

Many thanks in advance,
Lewis