nk15

deleted

johnirvine

This thread is primarily about 'A3 and their ridiculous fares....'. Reporting what seats I got today on OS for free is therefore highly relevant since all the victims who continue flying A3 have to pay for upfront seats and even more for exit row seats. It is not popular to say it here but LH Group is currently offering a far better and more cost-effective service than Aegean. I can assure you that two FFP codes can be entered on the LH system - I have played this game of swapping around FFP numbers on LH.com for a long time and am not a FFP novice. Last year, I earned and used more than 500,000 miles. Recently, M&M refused to retrospectively credit me with miles on two K class OS sectors which I flew using my A3*G card.

hugolover

You're never entering two FFP codes though. They are not simultaneously in the booking. FQTV and FQTS is long dead but as you point out, it doesn't matter its dead as you are still able to get into a lounge using A3*G and credit your cheap K and L fares to M&M. The suggestion by other members to leave it and then retroclaim is easier. Plus, you won't be on the pursers PIL as a "premium" A3*G member.

If what you say is true, come back and show is your bookings with TWO numbers entered as FQTV and FQTS. If however, you mean you can change number, then you can do it for as many times as there are Star carriers. The LH system will let you swap it as many times as you like. You get into the lounge, every time, because the system reads the barcode of the BP. In other words, I could issue a BP with an A3*G entered at the time of completing OLCI and the LH BP showing "Priority" then I could change it 26 times via LH.com or via the desk and the original barcode would still let you in because it is encoded that way. The system the LH staff use does an offline read of the BP. It doesn't check the Star database every single time someone enters a lounge. Unless the staff pull up the booking on an Altea terminal, they will not see the 26 lines of changing FQTV.

M&M regularly fails to credit members who are even SEN and HON because its "already credited". That's nothing new. Their IT is crap.

In the same sentence did you point out that you got a free seat in the preferred zone (which is not the exit row btw) you then said the exit row is free of charge. It was reasonable to point out that the preferred zone, which is a Star Gold, SEN and HON privilege is not the same as the exit row, which is free for everyone at OLCI. Btw, the second exit row on an A320 is charged as standard ASR.

The seat blocking is highly complex on LH. An A3*G does not have the same PCV as SEN or HON and anyway, Altea will by default, fill the cabin on a narrow body 2-2 and then start allocating middle seats plus weight and balance. It makes sense that way. In other words, what is often reported as seat blocking, is actually just the seating logic.

LTN Phobia

I can vouch for that comment, being an LH SEN & A3 Gold.

I keep my A3 status for OA flights as well as for lower-price redemption for some combinations, and LH for F redemption on LH/LX but also because some fares work out better being credited to M&M than M&B even after taking into account the difference in burn rate. (By the way, I'm a "real" A3/OA flyer, rather than 'there just for easy status'.)

Product-wise, while I have gripes about insufficient food quantity on A3 domestic flights in J (esp. compared to TK), I still think they are more than decent in terms of soft products. Which other airlines in Europe give you hot meals in Y on short sectors like OTP-ATH, or have an espresso machine on most short haul jets?

I'd say, if a frequent flyer programme or an airline doesn't suit your needs, the best option is to vote with your feet and use another carrier/programme.

In terms of A3 fares, I generally find them pretty reasonable! I'm used to paying €600-700 for return 45 minute flights in J elsewhere though.

nk15

Is that per segment, or per month? Is it a timeshare?

So, who pays for the lounge, we never learned for sure, still a mystery....?

tmac100

And the discussion of angels dancing continues.

FWIW, next time in MCT, I will pay for anyone's lounge access into the WY lounge! Anyone! BUT, since I know that reciprocity is rewarding, that individual with paid-for WY access can pay for me. 😉

There! Question answered 🤔

A serious offer - PM me if interested, or if you'd prefer accessing the Prime Lounge instead.....

LTN Phobia

Per return, i.e. two segments.

As for who pays for the lounge, I've no idea of the context but I did pay for entry into a lounge once some years ago somewhere - I think it was IST - because it was cheaper than data roaming and there was no public Wifi but there was wifi in the lounge.

Or if it's about which carrier pays for lounge access (e.g. "when flying LH in Y and you are A3 Gold, who pays for your lounge access"), I've no idea about Star Alliance arrangement. If it's anything like OW, it can be a combination both the operating carrier and the one whose credential you are using.

jerry_greece

When the requalification requirements were applied, an A3 contact told me that one of the reasons that they enforced the 12K + 4 segements (or 24K) was that they were seeing "charges" for lounge access in all over the world. I quote "charges", because as someone else said, airlines do not actually pay each other but they try to counterbalance these.

nk15

You guys went crazy gorging on the soup and the cheese cubes in the United lounges, you couldn't help yourselves, did you?

jerry_greece

AND the maple syrup at the MLL lounges across Canada to be honest...

headingwest

Don't forget the chocolate chip cookies!