dimitriyremerov

I've been repeatedly turned down at AVS lounge in Tunis airport trying to get access to it because Alitalia is on the list of accepted airlines. I was flying C on an AF flight and I'm also a Skyteam Elite Plus member (Flying Blue Gold).
Now, there is another lounge which is significantly worse which does serve AF and other SkyTeam members, however, I felt I had the right to choose any lounge I want as long as a SkyTeam airline present on the list. Alitalia also says that I would have access: https://www.alitalia.com/en_us/fly-a...cess-mode.html
I believe it's "common lounge" column, and both SkyTeam Business class and SkyTeam Elite Plus rows say that I should have access.
The dragon was insisting that this is only for Alitalia flights.
1. Who is right?
2.1. If the dragon is, how can one explain that both Alitalia page and Air France rules contradict with this?
2.2. If I am, how can I get a some kind of confirmation of this for the future times in other airports? Should I complain? If yes, who to?

MarLim

brunos

You are flying AF and FB Gold (or some non-AZ ST FFP). AF uses the Privilege lounge (I believe run by Tunisair).
You are not flying AZ nor a member of their program.
Both AF and AZ are using third-party lounges. It seems that AZ has an agreement with AVS to use its lounge, but there is no reason that it extends to AF pax or FB G members, or any non-AZ elite Plus.
I don't know what AZ refers to when they use "common lounge" in your link. It could apply to the lounge of a ST partner. For example AZ Freccia AlataPlus have access to AF lounges in Paris when flying ST. But that does not apply to most third-party lounges unless they have a specific agreement with ST. This is not the case of the AVS lounge you mention.

Goldorak

Indeed, as explained by Brunos, the rule OP is quoting is when there are several Skyteam airlines lounges in the same airport/terminal (e.g. in JFKT1 you have lounges by AF, AZ and KE) and you can go to anyone. Note that there are some exceptions to this rule as one airline can decide to restrict access to other partner airline passengers in case of capacity constraints at certain times. But this rule does not apply when airlines are using a contract lounge.
So in TUN, an AF pax flying J or being FB Elite+ does not have access to the contract lounge used by AZ. I know that the TU lounge used by AF in TUN is an absolute crap, but unfortunately you have to live with that and it's still better than the regular waiting area.

Andy82

I think there are more exceptions to access than simple capacity constraints. In MXP, for example, AZ has a very exclusive lounge called Casa Alitalia in the non-schengen area which serves exceptionally good italian food (for a lounge) and it's definitely worth visiting. If you're not flying AZ / got an AZ ticket / be an AZ FF the dragons will not grant access, with no exception. There are only 2 long haul flights from MXP by AZ (to JFK and NRT), one or two DL flights depending on the season, and probably a few SU/ME/SV flights that I'm not sure if they have AZ codeshare or can be sold by AZ, so it's very unlikely that the lounge is crowded (actually the lounge can be accessed also by Etihad partner airlines, but I'm not sure if Etihad still flies to MXP).
In more than one case, when I was flying DL (and I'm FB Plat, so Elite Plus) they bumped me out because the lounge was 'exclusive'. Note that that's the only ST Airline lounge in the terminal - all the other lounges used by ST airlines, including DL, are contract lounges - and at least the one used by DL is quite horrible for food

I'm pretty sure things are going to change now that Etihad partnership is 'fading out', and probably these exceptionally good lounges might be closed if LH takes over AZ.

irishguy28

They don't contradict. Skyteam doesn't operate "open doors" as some of the other alliances may. There may be times when exceptions are made - whether knowingly or accidentally - but there should not be cases where BOTH the Air France and the Alitalia lounge options are open to you, where these are different, particularly when either/both is a third-party lounge.

If you depart an airport on an AZ flight, the AZ lounge is provided for your use. If you depart an airport on an AF flight, the AF lounge is provided for your use. If these are not the same lounge, you should not then assume that you have access to both.