Originally Posted by
Himeno
It seems to be a mix of both. Such as lounge access, it seems to be that operating airline pays based on class of service, and if you access a higher lounge based on status, the FFP pays.
eg
QF EMB flying JL J going to at CX F lounge, QF pays.
BA EMB flying CX F going to JL F lounge, CX pays.
My understanding is that this is how *A works. For OW, the operating airline always pays the lounge fee. When I was a CX SPH member flying AA Y going to the BA lounge at BWI, I remember the lounge complained about not having the payment scheme set up with AA, the only other OW carrier at BWI. If BA were supposed to get money from the airline I have status with, I'd assume the BWI lounge need to have the scheme in place with every single OW carrier.