SE Denied UA Lounge Access in IAH on Domestic Ticket
 

First time ever happened yesterday. It is in the Star Alliance Terms. Have done it at least fifty times. Today I presented my Canadian passport and domestic boarding pass and I guess they just assumed I was transferring. I guess I have been lucky to have lots of access and never was questioned.

Did you have your card? If yes - why didnt you flash it. If no - tough.

You should have access if you had your card. Complain to UA - they'll send you a couple hundred $ in compensation.

Question: was your ticket credited to AC? Or where you crediting the miles to UA?

If you were crediting to AC and you had your AP number on file, plus your SE card they probably shouldn't have denied it.

I've never had a problem getting into a UC with just my boarding pass that read AC*G.

I agree. Send an email to UA and you'll probably get some reasonable compensation.

What difference does that make? Show your SE card, and you're in. :confused:

Doesn't need to be an SE card, but you can be denied if you don't have a *Gold card, which is OP's case is S100K.

OP said he presented his Canadian passport and domestic boarding pass. If the BP credited to UA then that would be why he was denied. The card should help fix this of course.

IC Expert definitely definitely doesn't understand Star Alliance program then!

To Clarify
 

Yesterday: Presented IAH to SAT boarding pass, no international connections that day. Had Aeroplan number on boarding passed. No Card, Denied Entry.

Today: Presented SAT to IAH boarding pass, no international connections that day, had Aeroplan number of boarding pass. No Card, Allowed Entry.

Today: Presented IAH to SAT boarding pass, no international connections that day, had Aeroplan number on boarding pass. No Card, Allowed Entry.

You don't really have a case to complain then. Unless it's an MLL where they can verify your status, you need the card. Yes, some lounges will let you in based on your boarding pass, but *Alliance rules state that a card is required for entry.

Actually, *A rules state that a BP with AC*G is all you need for entry :p

Do not Star Alliance rules say that if Star Alliance Gold, and if such passenger wants to get access to a lounge outside of airline to which one has such status, one has to present the card.

This is no different with UA based domestic flights, even if Mileage Plus Star Alliance Gold members would be denied access to UA lounges for pure domestic flights (even if sitting in the premium cabin), unless they had separate paid lounge access, or lounge access through other means?

To Really Clarify
 

The *A rule is simple. You may be required to produce a card showing *G status. If you do not, you may be denied entry. End of story.

In example one, you were asked to produce a card, you did not and you were denied entry. In examples two and three you were not asked to produce the card and were admitted.

Moral: Carry your card and produce it when asked,

For all you know, a UA customer may have just complained to the receptionist that some MLL had denied him access to a lounge and you were the object of some payback. Or you got a stickler. Or the receptionist recently got dinged for admitting someone she thought was *G on AC and turned out not to be and AC would not reimburse UA for the UC use.

*A rules also say *G should board with F, but you don't see that happening on Eewnited :p

SE Denied UA Lounge Access in IAH on Domestic Ticket
 

For the record. They were not concerned with the lack of card. It was being super elite with domestic only Interiray.