seawolf

I say complain to both airlines.

Often1

It has nothing to do with the fact that US has its own lounge. US advertises that it is a member of OW and sells seats on the basis that its OW elites get the privileges advertised for OW elites.

Despite the fact that the specific lounge in question is operated by someone other than US, e.g. BA, it is US which makes the representation.

Will anything come of this? Nyet. BA doesn't give a hoot, US isn't going to follow through and DOT has stayed out of elite hype because there are enough issues out in the world.

dlandz

I got the same excuse almost 3 weeks ago. It looked completely empty but she claimed based on flights that all 80 would be taken by BA passengers shortly and that the US Air lounge seats 400 and should use that

I think we all need to complain. It was very frustrating

ubernostrum

1. Find out BA's flight schedule in/out of PHL.
2. Get some folks to try to get in at various times ahead of/after a BA flight.
3. Try to get denials in writing, and either way with name of employee issuing the denial, preferably a supervisor/manager.
4. If it turns out that "peak time" is 24/7, start having fun with stuff like small-claims court to recover appropriate damages.

Microwave

Went head and retitled the thread slightly to clarify the exact situation encountered by the OP.

~Moderator

skunker

Small-claims court seems a little excessive, no?
As noted on the oneworld site the BA lounge is not open all day, but the hours listed are not correct. Now that QR uses the lounge it is open in the morning for use by QR passengers heading to DOH.
http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-a...ungeaccess/PHL

Speedracer2

Just move on guys. BA can do whateber they want. No legal action or other stunt will change how it is.

vasantn

And you know this how?

Shareholder

The PHL lounge is pretty small and if BA has a flight going out I can see why they'd restrict access to their own customers on that flight. With several US lounges, and particularly the very nice Envoy lounge for international flights, not sure why OP would want to use the BA lounge. I've used it during the day when it was primarily used by AA members (pre-US merger) and was not impressed.

pgppetch

I have been refused entry to Galleries lounges in both these AA hubs when flying AA internationally as sapphire and emerald OneWorld. They redirect me to the admiral's club and when I persist they claim the lounge is too busy. Ba does not care about the fee they would collect for admitting another OW member's passenger into their lounge. They only care about keeping their lounge pleasant for their passengers, particularly the real revenue premium cabin passengers.
On the OW site, in lounge info, there is a disclaimer that if a lounge is very busy access can be denied-that is what BA seems to use to keep other airlines' passengers from accessing under OW elite rules. Let's face it, if they did not redirect AA an US elites to our own airlines' clubrooms in these cities, we would fill their Galleries Lounges to enjoy a more premium business class like lounge rather than a membership club being passed off as a premium lounge.
It does irritate me that Executive Club Golds can access our clubs in North america with no restriction that the ticket be international when we are kept out of their North am clubs though.

Phudnik

The A-West lounge hasn't been an Envoy lounge for some time. It is now an ordinary US lounge, albeit one that is bigger and has nice views of the tarmac.

My experience is that the food and drink is slightly better and more varied in the BA lounge than in the A-West US club, but probably not by enough to warrant raising a stink over access.

pinkcat

I am on the receiving end of this benefit, its a quirk of the system and I can see how it would irritate the heck out of NA flyers
I thought there was lounge access for F pax for some of the transcons, admittedly none of them depart PHL.
Having frequented the PHL BA lounges for years, I found that it did get crowded when AA shared it and it does get full in the evenings. I have used the AA "basement" in A East (flying AA F) and I wasnt keen, next time I fly AA or US out of PHL I will give the lounge a miss and have a full size soda in the terminal in sympathy to the AA non AC members doing the same thing!

akelkar

Yea, I'll second this. Better snacks, better liquor, and a nicer atmosphere.

I guess I'd try to get in right as it opens and if denied access, I'd suck it up and just head over to the ex-Envoy lounge. It's huge, which is nice

Wollstonecraft

This happened to me a few months ago right before US officially joined OW. There was a prominent AA sign out front, but the lounge dragon said she would let me in (I was flying US J, but trying to get in with my Amex Plat) as a one-time exception. It took a lot of begging, however.

I think it is just the culture of the people who work there to refuse access to the lounge, especially with the US lounges nearby. Unless whoever their local manager is changes the culture, it likely will not change no matter what we do.

I will say I did not like it as the lounge was small and cramped.

Speedracer2

Don't know for a fact, but looking at it logically rather than through a sue happy lens. Access to a lounge is more of a privilege than a right. I'm not aware of any contractual obligations requiring BA to let in someone that happened to have flown a lot on another airline. And even if there is some implied contract through marketing literature or similar, I'm sure BA's lawyers have crafted legal disclaimers somewhere allowing them to refuse access to (or throw out anyone) they want for any or no reason whatsoever.