strichener

The last time I was through PHL leaving on the AA728 at 20:45, I had no issue in getting access to the lounge. I was only in for literally 10 mins to grab a quick drink after the rigours of trying to make my GE interview from a late incoming flight!!

KARFA

Well it was pretty full a few weeks ago when I was there so had you and even a small proportion of the rest of the AA passengers decided to avoid the poorer offering in the AC I suspect that it would be a poor result.

strichener

I wasn't actually avoiding the poorer offering in the AC, I was actually making my way to the flight, passed the BA Lounge and decided to nip in.

KARFA

I am sure you were, but most wouldn't be.

techie

Thanks, my friends think so too ^
They are not going to call security, because it would be embarrassing for them and because their argument is already a weak one. At most, they would huff and puff and roll their eyes and tut "he is one of those" under their breath. I can live with that.
It is a cynical world out there. Unless otherwise noted, if the only rule that BA are putting on their lounge is that it is subject to capacity and there are spare seats clearly available, I am going in. If BA are happy to shout from the rooftops about how certain tiers confer lounge access, I am only too happy to hold them to their word. BA want to attract customers to fly with them, but seems to not be a fan when those customers attain a tier that makes them eligible for access to the very lounge BA are using to attract other passengers as part of their service offering. Classic bait and switch.
I have transited PHL when flying on AA and BA numerous times in the past and will probably do so many times in the future. It is not my favourite airport -- due to experiences with immigration handling, but GE should take care of that going forward -- but combinations of scheduling and price do make it an attractive proposition at times when flying to/from my internal US destination that is not served by a non-stop UK service.

Personally, I never had issues with getting into BA's PHL lounge. And this includes during the hours preceding BA's flights. Maybe lucky, maybe not. However, I am still of the opinion that BAEC members whose tier allows them access to the lounge should not be treated as inferior to those who happen to be flying in a premium cabin on the day. Those AA road warriors and members of other OW FFPs? That is a different story. BA should put its FFP elites and premium pax first.

LBP2

They weren't saying anything about capacity last Friday. The reason a whole string of people (over a couple of hours) were refused entry was that 'the BA lounge is only available to international passengers'. Domestics have the use of the AA facilities.

paul4040

How does that square with your assertion that if the tier affords the benefit then by all means enter the "best" lounge? All OWE passengers have the benefit of getting into the PHL F lounge.

Globaliser

Do you normally make a habit of barging into other people's premises on the strength of your own belief that you're entitled to enter, even when the person whose premises they are tells you that you're not and refuses to let you in?

Since when did you become the final arbiter of these decisions? Who appointed you?

Non-NonRev

Surely, techie, you understand that the definition (interpetation) of "capacity" is wishy washy by intentional design?

I understand your objection on principle, but reality often differs from theory.

techie

They have, but I am not against BA prioritising members of its own FFP and premium cabin pax above those from other OW FFPs.
Do I normally make a habit of going for something I believe I am reasonably eligible for? Yes. Hasn't gotten me into any trouble so far.
Surely, Non-NonRev, you understand that definition and interpretation of anything are often not one and the same. If BA are going to stretch it in their favour, I will do my utmost to follow suit.

Look folks, we are going around in circles and are going to have to agree to disagree. As I previously said, I never had an issue with that specific lounge or, for that matter, been denied entry to any lounge I am eligible to enter. I wish others the same fortune in their travels.

dylanks

fwiw, I decided to try this out today. No issues in being accepted, though I'm not sure if they said yes because I'm GGL or if Gold would have sufficed. They did ask me where my flight was leaving from (right near the lounge).
uu
It perhaps helped that I arrived about 20 minutes after the first flight departed, and my flight departs more than an hour before the last BA flight.

I'm in the first area. It is a small lounge, though about 5-6X the size of PHX, and it has a first dining area. I'm not going to tempt fate and see if GGL gets access to first dining.

TravellerFrequently

I was warmly welcomed into the GF last week.

Enjoyed the snacks and champagne.

My AA flight departed before the second BA flight to LHR.

LBP2

They are ruthless in kicking people out (tho very politely) who aren't travelling First. I love the watching the range of reactions to this, funnily you can always tell the ones who are going to throw their toys out of the pram 😀

dylanks

They had the first dining section closed off or I might have been tempted to see if first dining was available for GGL/CCR. I realized after I left the lounge and walked by the BA aircraft that the second flight was a 788, hence no first dining at that hour.

themax

I travelled through PHL last night on an AA flight to SJU (001 ticket stock and AA flight number). I have BA Gold, but the BA Galleries Lounge at PHL refused me access because they said I was not travelling to an international destination. The Lounge was fairly quiet (I was not refused on capacity grounds). This is the first time I have been refused at this lounge. Have the rules changed?