AlwaysFlyStar

With One World, their top elites get F lounge access, so they are not comparable to *G, and the LH and SK 'better' lounges are really more just a way to separate the crowds than anything else.
Also, I notice that you left out several large airlines that do the opposite.
United, Air Canada, Singapore. They all have business class lounges that are better than the lounges for *G in Y. And Delta is doing the same. So I would say that your argument that there is some universal rule that status trumps class of travel is inaccurate.

Additionally, if we are looking only at the Star Alliance options, if *G lounge is the 'better' lounge, usually the lounges are nearly identical, but when the business lounge is the better lounge, usually there is a massive difference. So I would say that tells you the real priority...

powergean

World is changing ,everything is faster, more and more people traveling, of course lounges are more busy. Is not a restaurant, and for sure not a office to work, like 10 years ago. Maybe sam long haul transit airports keeping sam place for thes, but no reason for that in Athens, for the 98% of the people. I dont understand , when people coming to the airport 3 hours earlier because of the lounge and sitting on a chear for 2 hours. Of course the lounge will be ,,zoo” .

nk15

I am mostly flying OneWorld these days, but I don't think there is any doubt that the LH group Senator lounges are better or more exclusive than their business class lounges... United Polaris Club is open to long haul international J/F flights only (in lieu of international first class). Delta is building a premiere lounge now, not open yet.

Even according to your argument, only long haul international F (or J, especially for airlines without long haul international F) will trump status, not short haul J.

KLouis

Yes, there is space in Spata. (or, to be precise, was at the time they were building it), but this was not just simple land, it was prime agricultural land that was providing people with income. More space for the airport would have meant much, much, much more dough to pay the owners. At any rate, it is not a matter of "space" but that of a design (of the building). May I remind you that the satellite which was there from the beginning was not functioning for many years simply because there was no need for it at the time. The big travel boom one sees presently is the result of the end (is it really?) of the C-19 pandemic, and this could definitely not be forecasted 30 years ago. As for stupidity, if true, then this is a different kind of "pandemic" that hits the earth. If you don't believe me, read what you wrote in your post further down:
At any rate, the airport in Athens is now almost entirely in the hands of a Canadian fund plus a few more shareholders. I hope they'll think of a way out (I personally doubt it) but unless they "add a floor" (it this techically feasible?), I doubt that anything will change soon...

Chr04

Guys it's a matter of available space. The non schengen lounge was a cage. The airport built the extension, Aegean has a huge excellent lounge there. The same will happen with the Schengen lounge when space will be available.
you talk about business travelling in the same time the majority use zoom teams teleconference and all these new things from covid.

nk15

Maybe they will add a satellite building/terminal at some point, as a way of expanding, at some point, if that's even an option.

AlwaysFlyStar

More exclusive? Sure, technically. Better? Umm, depends. In some airports, I find the business lounges are actually bigger and have more facilities. In ZRH, in Schengen, the business lounges had the showers, for instance. (I am not sure if this is the same post-renovation, as I haven't travelled LX much in the past few years) But I don't know many people who would say that the Senator Lounges are a significant improvement over the Business lounges. Especially in the past few years.

You are leaving out Singapore Airlines. You are also excluding EVA and Thai. (which I forgot to mention) EVA has better lounge for business, and Thai gives business access to the spa.

So it is not only long-haul business. It is very common for airlines to prioritise business class (even short-haul) passengers over status customers. Some airlines, like Aegean, tend to treat them relatively equally, and others prioritise status over class of travel. To act as though there is some universal rule that status trumps class of travel is just not realistic.

​​​​​​​Status is clearly important to many airlines, including Aegean, but so are passengers willing to pay business class fares. Different airlines have different priorities and, to date, it is clear that Aegean has not made a big distinction between class and status, and I haven't seen any indication that they will start doing so imminently. The closest they have come is during the lounge closure when they sent business class to the contract lounge while giving gold members the 10 EUR vouchers, but I imagine that is because the contract lounge was too small for all people, and they advertise business class as including lounge access, so it is easiest to do that, and the 10 EUR voucher was a goodwill gesture that was not strictly necessary, but a very kind way to show that gold customers in economy were still being appreciated despite the inability to accommodate them in a lounge.

Harper50505

My goodness, please do tell us which Senator lounges you have found post covid that are better than the business lounges. There used to be a marginal difference but post covid there is no difference at all, they have been reduced to less than the business lounge standard was and as for more exclusive, I think not. Several times recently I've settled in the business lounge because the Senator lounge was standing room only.

Perhaps stick to oneworld?

nk15

I am sticking to One World, which is a better alliance overall. From *A I only fly A3 and occasionally another airline only in J, when I get a bargain fare.

In all fairness, I was at the LH J lounge at LHR T2 recently and I was impressed, three hot dishes for lunch, and not too crowed, not bad at all...

:D!

I've never been sure what the difference is between the senator side and the rest of the LH lounge at LHR T2. Food looks to be the same, just a bit more space

Harper50505

The offering is now identical in both. Which is better really does depend on whether one or the other is busier when you arrive. I've been going to the Plaza Premium or hoping for a B gate departure!

Knobbgb

I was there a month ago and I didn't check the Business lounge food selection, but in the past, the Senator lounge had a slightly better food selection. Nothing major - just a few extras (5 or 6 hot breakfast items instead or 3 or 4, for example). I was quite happy in the T2 Senator lounge anyway (09:00 to 11:30) on a weekday morning - it was empty when I arrived and there were free seats the whole time I was there.

eshroom

Go into most LH lounges in FRA during peak times and it's a zoo, same applies for many lounges of many airlines. I think A3 do just fine. Although I usually use the LH lounge in ATH for the better food and although tiny, I find it a bit quieter in the afternoons.

nk15

All reviews I have read online (pre/during/"post" pandemic) and my own pre-pandemic experience concur with this assessment.

KLouis

I thought this thread was supposed to deal with Aegean's "new" Schengen lounge in ATH. Instead it's been innundated by posts writing about the differences between LH's Senator and Business lounges. Good paradigm of chaining according to Proust's involuntary memory notion!