Gaz

Denied lounge access today in IAH. I was flying AA IAH-ORD in F, as a BA GGL CCR member.

I'm not as up on rules as I used to be as I hardly ever try and get in 'non standard' lounges but I was facing a 3 hour delay on AA, and there's no AA lounge at the IAH A gates, so I decided to train to Terminal D and use the empty BA lounge (it had just opened for the day).

Female agent told me no, on the basis that I wasn't flying BA. I mentioned oneworld rules, and was told no, as I wasn't connecting to an international flight. Hang on I thought to myself... this isn't Skyteam, but she was adamant.

I asked, very nicely, to see a copy of the oneworld access rules, but instead she produced an old communication about the end of Anytime Access, which did indeed say access for Gold card holders traveling on other airlines was revoked. I attempted to explain this was something very different to the oneworld rules, but her mind was made up, helped by a male college who she asked, who agreed with her.

Of course, I could have stayed, argued further, pulled up the oneworld rules on my phone, but it's been so long since I've had to have these stupid arguments I hadn't prepared in advance, plus I wasn't quite sure I was right, AND it was getting quite embarrassing to be standing there arguing the toss as other people came in flashing their BA BPs (plus the agent had no interest in being wrong), so I did the walk of shame and went over to the KLM lounge opposite where my Priority Pass opened the doors in about ten seconds.

Who was right?

FlyerTalker6245

You were right - you are entitled to enter any oneworld lounge, departing on any oneworld flight with oneworld status.

Every oneworld airline I've travelled on has had staff who understand the rules, except BA.

Probably no point complaining either, nothing happens (maybe as a CCR card holder you may have more joy in this respect).

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

You were right.

Which lounge did you try the BA F lounge or the Club lounge ( just across the terminal path) as there are two (the BA F lounge opens slightly later than the Club lounge)

I would probably complain ( you might get some avios)

Regards

TBS

Gaz

I tried the Club. I would've tried the F too, but was annoyed enough by the first encounter, and am well settled in KLM now, so I'm going to write my complaint and be done with it.

Don't really care about Avois but some training for the IAH lounge staff would be a good idea for BA.

I care about the airline, have had great experiences flying LAX-LHR all year, and just feel it's such a shame they still produce these moments that make people want to cut up their GGL cards and send them back

ianwall

Could using a lounge in a different terminal to where you were flying from have been the issue?

corporate-wage-slave

The usual reason they don't allow AA travellers into the IAH lounge is capacity constraints, which is legit under the rules. So much so that at some lounges there is a carpet ban on non airline-type travellers (and I had a feeling IAH was one of those places). Having said that, on a Saturday mid August I can't see that being an issue, it's probably the only BA lounge which sees throughput decline during the school holidays.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

I would have thought not as all the terminals are connected airside by the train.

Only potential reason I could see is if it was a capacity issue ( ie expecting the lounge to be full of BA pax but it does not appear to be the case here)

When doing a KOA-LAX-IAH-LHR-BRU flight last year I arrived in IAH too early for the BA lounge to be open so used my priority pass for the KLM lounge ( it is not a bad lounge) before the BA Club lounge opened then the BA F lounge opening half an hour later

Regards

TBS

Gaz

That was certainly one of the jumbled reasons I got for the "no", and under Anytime Access, you did have to be flying from the same terminal.

I didn't think their was a terminal stipulation under the oneworld rules though.

Gaz

Capacity was also mentioned, but they'd just opened, there were only 2 other people in there, and I would have been gone within the hour.

If BA are choosing to blanket ban all members, including GGL/CCR from certain lounges due to 'capacity' even when the lounges are empty, that is a horrible look.

chris1979

I have had issued in IAD before as well. We arrived in BA F and connected to an AA domestic F flight a few hours later. Me as GGL and CCR, a friend who is Gold and another friend who is silver.

it took the lounge angel a few minutes of looking at her "lounge access flow chart" to figure out that we were allowed in (it was pretty obvious for me from a quick glance at it) and her initial stance was "you don't get access for an AA flight irrespective of class, of your inbound flight (I might accept that - though it goes against what happens with BA lounges in LHR) and BA status.

feels like an IAD training issue?

corporate-wage-slave

Or IAH for that matter!

(If it makes you feel better, I typed a whole paragraph about the wonderful lounge angels in DCA before the penny dropped.)

Often1

This cries out for an IT solution. Enter arrival class and carrier. Enter departure class and carrier. Enter BA or OW status as the case may be and out pops the passenger's entitlement as to entry and guests.

If the lounge is closed to non-BA due to status, there ought to be a polite sign which says so.

As to terminals, they are irrelevant at US airports. So long as you have a valid BP and ID, you may enter at any checkpoint (or move airside between terminals). The limited exceptions deal with sterile corridors between aircraft and CBP, but those are not exactly lounge or other amenity-heavy.

flyalways

Hi,

This is just BA being BA for lounge access. Their first response is usually to
say No unless it is clear cut ! For every denial you get at a BA lounge, you
should take a random guest into another BA lounge when possible :-)

F.A.

HIDDY

Seems to be a third party operated lounge also used by Qatar.

Maybe the operators can make the rules if you aren't flying BA especially if you're flying from another terminal.
Does AA not have a lounge at IAH?

corporate-wage-slave

Nope, no AA lounge. There are all sorts of places strangely missing lounges such as Las Vegas and Houston (and a few that have them where one would not expect them, e.g BDL, which is Hartford Springfield). And it is a BA operated facility, just they have a Qatar contract as well like PHL.