BA lounge at PHL denies access to AA Elites / Premium Flyers
Jan 8, 2015, 9:28 pm
#91
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
I have OWS LT status from Qantas
I think that AC lounges ( and domestic lounges of US carriers in general ) are generally cruddy and could be greatly improved but afaik there is no min lounge benefit defined and even if there were no free drinks , would have trouble seeing that it failed to meet the requirements
I think that AC lounges ( and domestic lounges of US carriers in general ) are generally cruddy and could be greatly improved but afaik there is no min lounge benefit defined and even if there were no free drinks , would have trouble seeing that it failed to meet the requirements
Jan 8, 2015, 9:29 pm
#92
Join Date: Jan 2001
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The other airlines aren't relevant to OneWorld. The policy of AA has always been to compensate for the fact that it's clubs are below int'l biz class standard by giving out drink chits for premium booze...above well drinks. That should still be the policy. It's not complicated and otherwise obvious to most.
Jan 9, 2015, 3:16 pm
#93
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
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The other airlines aren't relevant to OneWorld. The policy of AA has always been to compensate for the fact that it's clubs are below int'l biz class standard by giving out drink chits for premium booze...above well drinks. That should still be the policy. It's not complicated and otherwise obvious to most.
This thread has gone WAY beyond the stated title topic.
Maybe its time to close it down so you can discuss the merits of the AC's free booze in regards to an non-existent OW "standard."
Jan 9, 2015, 11:38 pm
#94
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLT
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I think it's important to remember that ACs are domestic lounges. Go see JAL's domestic lounges and it may be grounding a bit for context. Despite having one of the BEST F lounges in OW - JALs domestic lounges are very much like ACs. Domestic lounges aren't expected to be that great anyway.
Also - ACs outside the US tend to be fairly nice and I'd say have a better food and drink selection than the ones in the US. The AC in NRT is actually a very nice lounge aesthetically and in a few places AA does have F lounges which have considerably better offerings than ACs - though still not to the level of JAL, CX, or BA.
Also - ACs outside the US tend to be fairly nice and I'd say have a better food and drink selection than the ones in the US. The AC in NRT is actually a very nice lounge aesthetically and in a few places AA does have F lounges which have considerably better offerings than ACs - though still not to the level of JAL, CX, or BA.
May 22, 2015, 2:24 pm
#96
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May 24, 2015, 3:21 am
#97
Join Date: Dec 2004
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May 24, 2015, 8:30 am
#98
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Curious: did she offer a reason for denial? E.g. "After 5:40" implies a departure of a flight that might empty the lounge. oneworld lounge agents can (and do) use the "capacity argument" to deny access. To wit:
OTOH, if she said something like "you need to be flying on BA or QR" that would be an exception to oneworld lounge access rules IMO worth complaining about.
- Some lounges may get busy at peak times, and access to them may be restricted as a result.
May 24, 2015, 8:33 am
#99
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This is like if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck.
The QF clubs are superior clubs, paid or not. The AA clubs don't meet the standard of an international business class lounge. They know it and that's why they provided the drink chits. Now, they seemto be ducking under cover and saying: sue me, because we are going to not provide reasonably reciprocal product or an international business class lounge experience, and we don't care. Shove it up ur whatsis. But thanks for providing a nicer biz class experience for our AA elite members.
Btw, most ppl on this board are not OW int'l elites, and don't qualify for drink chits, so I don't expect much empathy here. I have both, and one of the reasons I earned an int'l OW Sapphire status was for AC benefits, which should include customary int'l biz class benefits.
The QF clubs are superior clubs, paid or not. The AA clubs don't meet the standard of an international business class lounge. They know it and that's why they provided the drink chits. Now, they seemto be ducking under cover and saying: sue me, because we are going to not provide reasonably reciprocal product or an international business class lounge experience, and we don't care. Shove it up ur whatsis. But thanks for providing a nicer biz class experience for our AA elite members.
Btw, most ppl on this board are not OW int'l elites, and don't qualify for drink chits, so I don't expect much empathy here. I have both, and one of the reasons I earned an int'l OW Sapphire status was for AC benefits, which should include customary int'l biz class benefits.
May 24, 2015, 7:44 pm
#100
Join Date: Dec 2003
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BA 66 currently leaves at 6:10pm, and the lounge can get very busy before it leaves, especially if you arrive between around 4:30-5:00. Most folks head to the BA gate (A17, about a 5 min walk) by 5:30 for boarding. The BA lounge then gets busier a few hours later in advance of BA 68's 10pm departure.
May 24, 2015, 10:49 pm
#101
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BA 66 currently leaves at 6:10pm, and the lounge can get very busy before it leaves, especially if you arrive between around 4:30-5:00. Most folks head to the BA gate (A17, about a 5 min walk) by 5:30 for boarding. The BA lounge then gets busier a few hours later in advance of BA 68's 10pm departure.
- Some lounges may get busy at peak times, and access to them may be restricted as a result.
May 24, 2015, 11:19 pm
#102
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May 24, 2015, 11:24 pm
#103
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They have always offered me access at a later time (usually after the first flight's departure), and they don't run me out if my flight is seriously delayed and the lounge is starting to fill up again for the 22:00 departure. It's good to know that they're not trying (at least overtly) to sidestep oneworld procedures.
May 25, 2015, 8:41 am
#104
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A few lounges are notorious for doing this, and this is one of them.
Another used to be the HND International JAL First Lounge - for a long time, they routinely barred all oneworld Emeralds from using the lounge unless they were departing on JL metal. This has been resolved now.
They got into some trouble, I suspect, because rather than quote the capacity clause they told people to their face they needed to be departing on JL and AA didn't count. Oopsy! (They incurred some wrath and heat from non-Japanese Emeralds, some in AA F, who didn't know about "losing face" and unspoken behavioral rules about not becoming loud and obstreperous; I saw a couple of livid American pax doing so - we were darting on JL, so we're admitted.)
May 26, 2015, 2:39 am
#105
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Yes, she said it was a capacity issue. I got there five minutes after three and it was quite empty. I offered to leave by 4 but no go. I never did make it back at 540 to check if she'd let me in.