Originally Posted by
izzik
Both ANA and JAL have had very generous double elite points promotions last year. It's likely impossible to discern whether the high star alliance gold numbers are due to Super Flyers vs newly minted elites. ANA also had a status match campaign not too long ago as well.
Also, if the airline lounges are crowded then at least the airlines are benefiting from the additional revenue. Perhaps the real problem is that lounges are too small?
It is very easy to discern, as it is not a particularly new issue. It has been on going for years prior to the pandemic.
The overcrowding of the ANA lounges has been discussed for years, the intra Asia flights with 2/3 of the passengers going for priority boarding was not rare prepandemic. Especially Seoul Gimpo was notorious for that, you'd find 20 people in the diamond line for an ANA flight, and then all the other with various levels of priority boarding.