Stil

Out if curiosity, how many ways are there to get in to a MLL with out being a FF?

canadiancow

The photo we're all discussing was YYZ INT.

Okay, maybe I should have said "Europe" instead of "LH Group", but:

UA: Polaris Lounge
SQ: I don't know the names, but J is better than *G

Listing OW airlines is a bit of a red herring because their third tier (OWE) has an explicit entitlement to F lounges, which has no *A equivalent.

But the only thing that matters:
AC: Signature Suite

AC has already decided that J is more important than *G when it comes to lounges.

Stil

Not really BA First class lounge is the Corcorde room.
Which means that the First lounge is reserved to their top tier elites and the Gallaries lounge is for J pax. I'm not counting LH group HON,s in the equation either ,which also has access to the LH first terminal.
Edit: there is no access to OW elites in the Corcorde room based on FF status.
BA has 3 lounges:
The concorde room
The first class lounge
The Galleries lounge

Croptop

According to AC's website, 5 that wouldn't require frequent flying (to varying degrees):

• Purchase a Signature Class, Business Class or Premium Rouge ticket
• Buy an MLL membership
• Have an appropriate credit card
• Purchase a day pass (currently suspended according to their FAQ)
• Receive a gift pass from an Elite

Stil

Wow, then it is really getting bad.

FlY2XS

Remember too that Elites can gift passes or offer gift status for a trip (which would include lounge access) to non FF.
I would use different terms, namely Non-elites versus not FF. Many people especially this year may not be FF but have been gifted elite status due to various programmes.

Croptop

Good point. That one wasn't listed on the "Qualifying Customers" FAQ on the AC website but I've updated my post.

work2fly

AA, UA, BA, AF, SQ, QR, LX and LH (off the top of my head) all offer their very best lounges, generally, based on class of service and not FF status.

Those offering the best lounges based on FF status are outliers.

Stil

It was about European lounges and if you count "real" F you are partly right.

AF: La Premier Lounge (terminal) is only available for F passengers on AF or Flying Blue elites in J paying an entrance fee of 500€ if my memory doesn't fail me.

LH/LX/OS: First terminal and lounges are available for LH/LX F pax. And Miles and More HON members. There is also a possibility for LH elites to pay their way in to the OS HON lounge in VIE. I think it is 150€ and is nothing like the LX ZRH F lounge or the LH FRA first terminal

BA: Concorde room is for BA F pax and Executive club members that accrue 5000 tier points (again on memory) they get the concord room card.

If its J pax versus top tiers you are wrong. J pax comes out short.

Regarding the others you are right. QR being the best example I know of with their dreadfull OW elite lounges in DOH, which is light years behind the Al Safwa and Al Mourjan lounges.

theranj

I will say the smoked salmon and eggs were nice...omlette a little dry. We ended up delayed 3 hours and a plane change since the was a mechanical issue...new plane was a 330 and me and my son lost our eups - wife and daughter were booked business and stayed up front​​​​​​​ at least. 10 people were dropped from the flight and coming in tomorrow​​​​​​​

FlY2XS

Regardless of which is better, you have to be offering lounge access for paying business. I don't know the breakdown of a given cabin for status versus non, but know quite a few people who always fly business for longer haul and pick the airline which best suits their travel plans unless price is a gross outlier. Lacking a lounge would be a nonstarter for them and I doubt there is any airline looking to disappoint paying business passengers.
I find myself wondering as we are hopefully coming out the pandemic whether airlines would consider their loyal base or uncommitted travellers as more valuable to appeal to and if they might tweak their rules as a result.

When did we talk about the effects of gifted status and rollovers - would that have been 18months ago? At the time, some of us were concerned that lounges would get busy. Last passed through YVR domestic Monday 7th in the afternoon and it was close to full. DW and I bagged the only pair of adjacent seats we could see. I don't think March break was a factor there and I don't see things getting more open as flight volumes hopefully start picking up. I think that line ups will soon become the new normal again, despite allowing full capacity.

canadiancow

I think one of the bigger issues is the wide range of people who have entry now.

In 2020, I gifted 50K status when it became clear that none of the other select benefits were going to be useful that year. In January (?) 2021 I gifted 75K status because that was a COVID promotion for actually flying in 2020. These people still have that status through to next January.

Then there were all the promos to get a one-level upgrade in status. No status to 25K gets a few passes. 25K to 35K gets unlimited DOM/TB access for themself. 35K to 50K gets unlimited access for themselves, their "family", and a guest.

And then there was the unprecedented status match program they ran (with rampant fraud), giving even more people access.

***

Also, before COVID, access with a credit card wasn't nearly as common. There were also no status passes, that entitle the entire PNR to MLL access.

Everything above *** will resolve itself by next February, assuming nothing horrible happens.

But if there is a line, they really need to decide who they want to prioritize.

At check-in, it's SE, then J + *G, then other people eligible for priority (at airports that split it into the three different priority check-in lines).
For lounges, it's J (SS), then *G (Cafe, INT MLL), then credit cards (temporary (I think?) Cafe, plus all MLLs) and status passes (all MLLs), then other eligible people (35K, MLL passes).

Do you really want to tell a J pax flying YOW-YYZ-HND that yes, you can use the SS in YYZ because you're so valuable, but here in YOW there's a bunch of 35Ks and FOTSGs with MLL passes who were here first ?

If lines are the new normal, they need some kind of prioritization mechanism.

Another option is to keep it at 90% capacity so that "zone 1" can enter as soon as they show up. But then that needs clear labeling so the J pax knows they don't need to stand in line. "Boarding gates" would be much simpler, and I think just two signs/lines would be sufficient. Zone 1, and zones 2+. I believe the only people beyond 2 would be MLL passes. Throw anything operated by another airline in zone 2.

guanin2999

The meat is a lie:


This is today, Mar. 19th at lunch..

Short hair Francis

I've been late with these photos.
Can't remember the last time we've seen a LGA report on this thread.

LGA MLL visit in March.





LGA Breakfast Menu





Egg in a Bag


Strawberry Yogurt Parfait



The LGA Fruit Cup

edmond00

does any one had a issue that only can order the breakfast but can not order the lunch and dinner?