Shareholder

She was correct. Even with an Amex Plat card you shouldn't have gotten access because this is not an Admirals Club (even if it gave special access to AC members).

Also note that QR uses the BA lounge in the mornings for its flight, but despite the OW sign, does not permit any other OW elites to use the lounge.

sfoflyer12

I'm reading some absolutely ridiculous comments on this thread.

The OP was not ticketed on a BA flight.
The OP was not flying on a BA flight.
The OP had NO relationship with BA.

The OP has NO standing to sue BA in small claims court for anything, they did not contract with OP for anything.

Pa was on a US flight -> US has a deal with oneworld -> oneworld has a deal with BA.

The posters proper route is to complain to US which can then complain to oneworld / BA. If US wants to sue, try and kick BA out of oneworld they can. If US wants to compensate THEIR pax for the partners failure to deliver service they can.

The oneworld lounge access is CLEARLY been subject to a very large loophole for a very long time. If the lounge "may become busy" access may be denied.

Is this a shame? Yes. Does it undermine the value of oneworld membership? Yes.

What to do? If US won't force BA to open access, then *US* is the one that you paid money to and let you down.

Go fly BA directly. They take ownership of their own lounge experiences, and I've had good experiences in BA lounges and CCR's vs domestic and other lounges. They've banned admirals club members. Their lounges (except in LHR) are usually not too crowded.

WoodyWindy

It sounds like PHL is ripe to be the recipient of an AA Flagship Lounge. Maybe not as nice a spread as BA Sleeper food service, but a better experience than the standard AC...

PUCCI GALORE

Maybe I am missing something. The OP stated that he was rebooked to US so I am assuming the there was not another BA flight that night with First, or at all?. The reason that I ask this is that surely the Lounge closes when the last BA flight has left? Why would they keep it open?

I'm puzzled.

bryand83

I would love to see the old Envoy lounge turned into an AA Flagship lounge and I think it has the bones to be as good as LAX or JFK if they wanted to spend the money. Not sure what they would do with the surly woman who works the bar at the lounge at the moment but I am sure they could find a home for her. Perhaps she could work the desk at the BA lounge?

CMTinPHL

+1! I thought it was just me. Was in there about 3 weeks ago heading to LHR. She was pretty bad. The older gentlemen with white hair who works afternoons at B/C is much nicer.

GB

I used the lounge recently for my QR flight. It was like an old, dark funeral home. Depressing, bare, pathetic food and no outlets. I stayed for a few minutes and found the gate area preferable to this lounge.

Shareholder

Hardly if neither DFW nor MIA have Flagship lounges. Definitely not PHL since neither AA nor US fly 3-cabin wide bodies with F cabins from there.

Clipper110A

REF. BA PHL 'dragon '
While I am often the first to state that US commercial aviation customer service and overall experience is Third World.....She probably sits there day after day for hours dealing with pax after pax not flying BA with pretty jewelry of their FF card trying to get into a small lounge so they can 'sample' what is in there. At the same time, the lounge is small and BAs priorities are to its own premuim travellers. She is basically referring a policy conflict for (i have been there), a very cramped lounge.

Majuki

I think it would help if that lounge weren't such a fish bowl. Practically everybody who walks by the lounge peers in through the windows.

Also, did they ever fix the issue with the intercom? The overhead speakers in the lounge would emit a static type of sound every 20-30 seconds, which was annoying.

bryand83

Even if not sure flagship lounge MIA has the oneworld premium lounge which would be a welcome addition to PHL. Plus ORD will no longer have F international service once the 772 retrofit is complete so the only F service out of that terminal will be JAL which would put them in a similar situation to PHL vis a vis BA.

nologic

This is just a blatant violation by BA of OW policy. Just like they have done in MIA, although that may have lessened the and I have been both admitted to and turned away from the F and C lounges in MIA as a OW Emerald and Sapphire. The "excuse" they use is "overcrowding" which allows them to deny OW guests, but they can't use that every day, for every flight, at every hour. It's not always overcrowded.

I think someone could bring a claim against BA for violating its OW obligations. May need to be creative, but I think there's leeway. Or bring it against US, and/or US and BA combined. Let BA defend and its cost of defense far exceeds its cost of booze. Might as well join in QR. I am not a fan of lawsuits, but these non-OW practices are getting out of control. Then, there's the new AA policy that foreign OW members are denied premium drink chits. That's just as bad if not worse.

nologic

Same with the QR sign showing OW Emerald and Sapphire ovals, but they won't even let BA Golds in, if they aren't flying QR. Rubbish.

flyinghighinthesky

I wish more airlines would reduce members of American based frequent flyer programs hogging the lounges. I saw ba take this stance in mxp twice last year & have to say I agree with it.

Dave Noble

When it is used as a QR lounge, there is no access unless travelling on QR

The One World lounge details states

The lounge is open during the morning exclusively for the use of QR customers.