Originally Posted by
Koru Flyer
Passengers using status but say in Y where they could not access the lounge are charged back to the airline that provided the status. A good example is the QF F lounge in SYD, where QF has a children enters for free policy, but some airlines such as QR and CX do not so as a OWE travelling on QF your family can enter, but if on QR or CX they cannot as those airlines will not pick up the bill.
Not sure the QF-F example supports the Y pax lounge is paid by status airline? OW rules is OWE can guest 1, and the operator CX/QR must pay this, but QF will not be paid extra by CX/QR if they let in a second guest. Operator pays. QF children enters free policy is for QF operated flights only, and for pax of any OW status? But not for QF members accessing other OW lounges? Sounds like operator pays?
To OP: one consideration is how much an airline's lounge can profit from pax traveller on another OW airlines. Perhaps this is why BA T5 J/F lounges don't compare well to other OW lounges, only BA/IB (same company) uses T5 so there's no profiteering...