GoldCircle

It's just occurred to me that we do to have a master thread for all matters related to United Airlines.

EI has just expanded its codeshare agreement with UA and finally put a lounge agreement in place!


Source

So... the lounge is going to be rammed in the mornings now...

irishguy28

We do to have, indeed.

And this (together with your jetblue thread earlier) makes EI starting west coast services look that little bit more remote.

stifle

What on earth is a BusinessFirst?

soy

UA (formerly CO's) name for their business class. CO did not have First, unlike UA and AA, so they tried to work first into the name for their highest service.

As long as it is limited to businessfirst pax, then it only means an extra 32 pax in the lounge (2x16). If UA also issue lounge passes to their *G's, it will be bedlam

colmc

They certainly did when using the DAA lounge.

bd95

What if you've used an Elite upgrade on the TATL leg? Does that bestow lounge access on the onward economy sector on United metal?

(A bit academic as I have *G also, just interested)

IrishOnePass

Checked this out and access to Aer Lingus lounge is only for BusinessFirst passengers and NOT their elite customers who have access to Lounges. These passengers will continue to use the DAA Lounge in T2.

antichef

... a very pleasant service! I have done a few BFS-EWR returns when it was a CO service and they were excellent. Sadly missing the bmi redemptions!

MBDublin

So anyone know how will this work in practice. Will my business class boarding pass get me access to the United lounge when I transfer in ORD next week or will I need to get a lounge pass at a check in desk in either ORD or DUB.

MBDublin

To answer my own question I presented the Dub-Ord J boarding pass at the lounge and this was scanned to gain entry. I wonder what the chances of getting this arrangment extended to allow entry for GC members when connecting from a Y transaltlantic flight are?

stifle

Two hopes, Bob Hope and no hope!

irishguy28

Indeed - seeing as Aer Lingus don't admit United status customers to the Gold Circle lounge [only those travelling in Business get access - it has nothing to do with United status] it would be odd if United admitted Aer Lingus status customers over in ORD, or anywhere else!!!

PlasticWig

I bought a Aer Lingus business class return ticket SEA-ORD-DUB-ORD-SEA in early 2013 with the understanding I could use both the United Lounge in SEA and ORD and the Aer Lingus lounge in Dublin, in both directions. The flights are codeshares, and the airlines jointly announced earlier this year that lounge access was available for all connecting EI business class passengers in ORD and most other United Lounges across the US. No problems in SEA and DUB,and the EI (AF) lounge in ORD on the way to Dublin. But when I arrived at ORD today on EI 123 from Dublin,with a connecting flight to SEA on the same itin., he United Lounge staff in T2 said my status was not sufficient to get access. They gave me about 100 reasons why not, mentioning new Star Alliance rules, different rules at different airports, and other nonsense. Finally the agent showed me the EI-UA policy as it was entered on her computer - she was focused on a line at the end which said "No arrival access", which she interpreted to mean that anyone arriving from Dublin could not get access, regardless of their itinerary. But in the sentence before (which she was ignoring for some reason) it said connecting business class passengers were allowed access. I suggested that the line she was stuck on must refer to passengers terminating at ORD who may want to use the lounge. Finally after much attitude and snarkiness they allowed me in and agreed that I was correct. So as of today, passengers with EI Business class tickets and ongoing Premier Class UA tickets have access to the United Lounge in ORD. ANyone needing backup can refer to this:
http://corporate.aerlingus.com/media...,22321,en.html

GoldCircle

By strange coincidence, I had exactly the same conversation yesterday, in ORD on my way to SEA. I had the same chapter and verse read to me by a difficult and unyielding lady.

I had the EI email release in my wallet and showed it to her; she said an EI piece of paper was no concern of hers. I begged to differ in that there was a codeshare in operation, and pointed out the interpretation that you also pointed out and asked her to reconsider her position more maturely. Her colleague voiced the opinion that I was correct, the other lady was having none of it.

I told her it was immaterial, at this stage, as she was obviously not going to let me in, despite being presented with all the information she needed, so I handed her a *G card. She then refused me entry on the basis that my onward flighted although operated by UA, was coded EI. I presented her an EI card and she refused.

I then asked her about *A rules regarding 'metal' counting... not the code... she was very waspish by now.

A supervisor was hovering by now, so I asked her politely to scan my boarding cards on her reader, which she had failed to do previously - and suddenly her face dropped as the system grated me entry.

Moral of the story: as the lady to scan your EI J boarding pass in conjunction with your onward BP on UA and the gates will open.

starflyergold

Ah yes, the "charming" UA lounge dragons, always a pleasure. No amount of advertising the "friendly skies" can change their attitude it seems.