Originally Posted by
elitetraveler
You hit the nail on the head IMO --- the alliances, status miles on partner airlines, lounge access no matter your class of service were all developed in a different time period.
Today the cost of providing somebody who flies Y domestic US 70 times a year lounge access at LHR and other points means BA has to water down its product for its true top spenders. The same goes for other airlines. Recently UA increased the cost of redemptions on partners; LX/LH have reduced partner availability for premium cabins. I see the alliances continuing but with altered lounge access rules - i.e. - QR at T4 LHR.
The working/living conditions in for the economically challenged in any country are irrelevant to Versace, Prada or BA in terms of offering a product that meets the expectations of paying customers.
If BA and others agree to certain rules, then it is OK for Air Botswana top tier elite to use the lounges. To preserve access to its own premium members , perhaps BA needs to have another level that cannot be matched to any other airline.
I see "democrization" of the lounges as is being done in BOM's new terminal. ALL airline lonuges share a common facility under one roof. It will be interesting to see which way it goes.
Airlines will be able to save a lot by this concept. The lines which do not want this may stay away from an alliance as does EK.