lounge access if TATL in J, intraeurope in Y?
Jan 17, 2014, 3:55 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA, AA, BA
Posts: 162
lounge access if TATL in J, intraeurope in Y?
My wife and I are going to rome via LHR in may on AA136 in J, but the BA flight to rome is only available in coach. This is an award ticket. A couple of questions:
1. Will they place us in the "paid for" cabin if seats are available (business).
2. I think we have to go from terminal T3-T5, so will we have access to a lounge in T5 due to the next flight being coach?
3. Is it worth it to get a 1.5 hour later flight for a business LHR-FCO? We then wouldnt get in until 1130pm.
thanks for the help, 1st time to LHR.
tim
1. Will they place us in the "paid for" cabin if seats are available (business).
2. I think we have to go from terminal T3-T5, so will we have access to a lounge in T5 due to the next flight being coach?
3. Is it worth it to get a 1.5 hour later flight for a business LHR-FCO? We then wouldnt get in until 1130pm.
thanks for the help, 1st time to LHR.
tim
Jan 17, 2014, 4:03 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
1 Not automatically - you will have to monitor availability and if you find it, call them
2 No - unless you have OW status (Sapphire or Emerald)
3 Depends. The business class seats on BA in Europe are exactly the same as economy with the middle seat blocked out. This would, however, give you access to lounge and might make your connection less stressful (if tight).
2 No - unless you have OW status (Sapphire or Emerald)
3 Depends. The business class seats on BA in Europe are exactly the same as economy with the middle seat blocked out. This would, however, give you access to lounge and might make your connection less stressful (if tight).
Jan 17, 2014, 4:05 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: AA Plat, AA 1MM, HHonors DIA
Posts: 53
I disagreee on #2. I can't guarantee that the BA lounge dragons will follow the rules but according to the OneWorld webiste:
You may want to print that page if the T5 lounge agent doesn't want to admit you. Also, note that there are two Galleries lounges in T5, just incase you get a particularly surly dragon on the first try.
Connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights:
- First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
- Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
- You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.
- First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
- Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
- You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.
Jan 17, 2014, 4:08 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,342
You definitely SHOULD get lounge access in LHR. I wouldn't know if the dragons deny those connecting from int'l J since I have status, but the oneworld rules clearly allow for access in your case.
Also for future reference, this is the thread for lounge access queries.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ess-rules.html
It can be found with search terms "lounge access".
Also for future reference, this is the thread for lounge access queries.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ess-rules.html
It can be found with search terms "lounge access".
Jan 17, 2014, 4:09 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
I disagreee on #2. I can't guarantee that the BA lounge dragons will follow the rules but according to the OneWorld webiste:
You may want to print that page if the T5 lounge agent doesn't want to admit you. Also, note that there are two Galleries lounges in T5, just incase you get a particularly surly dragon on the first try.
You may want to print that page if the T5 lounge agent doesn't want to admit you. Also, note that there are two Galleries lounges in T5, just incase you get a particularly surly dragon on the first try.
Jan 17, 2014, 4:23 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: AA Plat, AA 1MM, HHonors DIA
Posts: 53
Just to add. I shouldn't be so negative about the BA lounge employees. They almost always get the rules right but when they are wrong it can be ... difficult to attempt to (politely) correct them.
An aside, I once watched a Galleries Agent confiscate and unceremoniously cut up a BA Gold card that had expired. It was like watching a public castration.
An aside, I once watched a Galleries Agent confiscate and unceremoniously cut up a BA Gold card that had expired. It was like watching a public castration.
Jan 17, 2014, 4:43 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA, AA, BA
Posts: 162
Thanks for all the help and the oneworld website info. My first question I meant was, at LHR, will they put us inJ on the domestic portion at the airport if seats are available, because it is a J award? I don't think standby is the right word...
tim
tim
Jan 17, 2014, 4:50 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM
Posts: 2,080
Was your award ticket issued by AA? If so, I think it may be difficult for BA airport staff to make a change like that. AA would have to do any reticketing, and that would depend on award availability. I'm not sure BA airport staff will even be able to see that you're on a business class award. They may only see that you're booked in coach on a ticket issued by AA.
Jan 17, 2014, 4:57 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: AA Plat, AA 1MM, HHonors DIA
Posts: 53
I think Ready2Go is correct that the BA staff won't know that you booked a business award an the short-haul flight.
If you log onto AA.com and look at your receipt, what booking code is listed for the Rome flight? If it says Y then BA surely won't know.
If you log onto AA.com and look at your receipt, what booking code is listed for the Rome flight? If it says Y then BA surely won't know.
Jan 17, 2014, 5:08 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA, AA, BA
Posts: 162
yeah, the booking code is X on the BA flight LHR-FCO. Is there a AA customer service counter in T3 that could put me on a "standby" type list or only if a award seat is available?
The bigger issue is it sounds like we should have access to the BA lounge in T5 with our 3.5 hour layover.
tim
The bigger issue is it sounds like we should have access to the BA lounge in T5 with our 3.5 hour layover.
tim
Jan 17, 2014, 5:27 pm
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: LAX/SNA
Programs: AA, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,887
yeah, the booking code is X on the BA flight LHR-FCO. Is there a AA customer service counter in T3 that could put me on a "standby" type list or only if a award seat is available?
The bigger issue is it sounds like we should have access to the BA lounge in T5 with our 3.5 hour layover.
tim
The bigger issue is it sounds like we should have access to the BA lounge in T5 with our 3.5 hour layover.
tim
Jan 17, 2014, 8:47 pm
#12
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
IMO, cutting up an expired card someone is using to attempt lounge access or other perk is just the right thing to do. 
You will have access to either of the two Galleries Business lounges in T-5. Now - as to getting those seats in Club Europe instead of World Traveller, there's not a marked difference (and IMO not worth 1.5 hours wait and getting into FCO late at night). At its best, you'll have 33" legroom like this:
We'll merge this into the Lounge Help Desk thread. /Moderator
You will have access to either of the two Galleries Business lounges in T-5. Now - as to getting those seats in Club Europe instead of World Traveller, there's not a marked difference (and IMO not worth 1.5 hours wait and getting into FCO late at night). At its best, you'll have 33" legroom like this:
We'll merge this into the Lounge Help Desk thread. /Moderator