LPA Sala Galdos lounge not available to BA

Old Apr 25, 2019, 11:54 am
  #16  
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Today I've emailed Aena who own the lounge. According to the oneworld alliance website, oneworld sapphire and emerald members should gain access as long as using a oneworld carrier. I've also read that Iberia closed their previously used lounge and now use this one only.

Here's a URL for the oneworld website. I can't figure out how to add a link on here!

https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=LPA

Surely this confirms that at least oneworld sapphire and emerald tiers get access.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 11:56 am
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Yes I agree it does confirm it, but if you got declined there's obviously some miscommunication, maybe best to print out something to show at the lounge then?
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 12:21 pm
  #18  
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Originally Posted by northeastflyer
Today I've emailed Aena who own the lounge. According to the oneworld alliance website, oneworld sapphire and emerald members should gain access as long as using a oneworld carrier. I've also read that Iberia closed their previously used lounge and now use this one only.

Here's a URL for the oneworld website. I can't figure out how to add a link on here!

https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges?location=LPA

Surely this confirms that at least oneworld sapphire and emerald tiers get access.
Not necessarily. As you reported, BA's contract expired and BA passengers are receiving hospitality vouchers in lieu of lounge access. This may be just an interim measure while the contract is being renegotiated but on the other hand, it could be a permanent change. The oneworld lounge page may not be entirely up to date
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 12:28 pm
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This sort of thing has happened before, the Stansted lounge went out of bounds for a few weeks while contracts were reworded, and vouchers given out instead. Broadly speaking BA generally will provide lounges unless the cost gets silly, they've gone past the stage of being somewhat selective about lounge availability, which happened 3 years ago. My hunch is that this is temporary.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 12:30 pm
  #20  
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My guess is there may be some LGW-LPA flights sometime and this issue maybe resolved.
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Old Apr 25, 2019, 5:54 pm
  #21  
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Below is the reply from Aena. They are only allowing Iberia pax in....?

"I am sorry to tell you that from last March on, we were unfortunately told that BA have no more access into the lounge Sala vip Galds at Gran Canaria Airport. Taking a look at oneworld website, you will see that the only airline valid to get access is Iberia Airlines (London Gatwick, for example, includes BA, Cathay Pacific and Iberia Airlines, and LHR only American Airlines, as you can see by clicking the links).

Since we were very happy to have BA passengers in the lounge, we hope that one agreement will be signed back in the future. Meanwhile, you can keep having access by holding the cards PriorityPass, DinersClub, LoungeKey, LoungeClub, DragonPass or even by buying tickets at the front-office (29,85 adults and 13,75 children between 6 and 10 years old, 0-6 are free of charge). JoiningAena Club Cliente and buying passes thru it, you can also get 20% discount"
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Old Apr 26, 2019, 5:12 pm
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A professional answer from Aena I would say.

The issue is the Oneworld website is confusing in that eligibility is not either Class of travel Access OR Airline, it is Class of Travel Access AND Airline. They should reword it.
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Old May 1, 2019, 9:45 am
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Is there any update on this? I see that BA have announced a number of new lounges for summer routes today but it doesnt mention LPA. Manage my booking for a trip in a weeks time says I have access to Sala Galdos but the Oneworld website says its for Iberia only.
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Old May 1, 2019, 10:19 am
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If I were you I would contact BA before you go to be sure and to avoid any confusion or embarrassment at the lounge as there is obviously crossed wires somewhere, surely the app should be up to date by now?
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Old May 1, 2019, 10:28 am
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Originally Posted by paulaf
If I were you I would contact BA before you go to be sure and to avoid any confusion or embarrassment at the lounge as there is obviously crossed wires somewhere, surely the app should be up to date by now?
Im checking in luggage so will ask at the desk. I guess if they give me a voucher I know theres no lounge access! I have no confidence in the app / website being up to date really.
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Old May 1, 2019, 10:29 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by paulaf
If I were you I would contact BA before you go to be sure and to avoid any confusion or embarrassment at the lounge as there is obviously crossed wires somewhere, surely the app should be up to date by now?
I'm not sure that would help, at least in my experience. This has all the signs of the contract going through the negotiation process, as seen elsewhere, and anyone using LPA will find out at check-in more accurately than anywhere else whether access has been agreed. This normally takes weeks / low number of months. If agreement has been reached the lounge will have a vested interest in letting passengers use their facilities, since otherwise they don't get paid. The mood music on lounges changed about a year ago, with a bias to having lounge access, rather than a bias to "let's see if it's worth the effort" which kept places like KRK off the lounges list for ages.
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Old May 1, 2019, 10:41 am
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LPA is probably not worth the lounge investment for BA. I would suggest this is a reward J ticketing route mainly rather than a serious route. Could you not book Iberia J if you are desperate to use a lounge?
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Old May 1, 2019, 10:42 am
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I'm not sure that would help, at least in my experience. This has all the signs of the contract going through the negotiation process, as seen elsewhere, and anyone using LPA will find out at check-in more accurately than anywhere else whether access has been agreed. This normally takes weeks / low number of months. If agreement has been reached the lounge will have a vested interest in letting passengers use their facilities, since otherwise they don't get paid. The mood music on lounges changed about a year ago, with a bias to having lounge access, rather than a bias to "let's see if it's worth the effort" which kept places like KRK off the lounges list for ages.
i just wonder if this one is no longer worth the effort with only one BA flight per week these days. Im there in just over a week so will report back unless anyone beats me to it with an update.
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Old May 1, 2019, 10:47 am
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It is a common situation as stated above.
I used to fly to Seville (SVQ) and IB had access to the AENA lounge while BA did not have, according the the AENA employee in the counter the lounge did not meet BA's expectations...

My thinking was... you leave me in the corridor at SVQ airport flying in CE because the lounge does not meet expectation?? Silly while IB people can get in, at least you get something.
I luckily have my priority pass so I got in.

Last time I went to Seville (like 2 weeks ago), I saw BA and IB have access again to the AENA lounge.
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Old May 1, 2019, 10:49 am
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Originally Posted by kaizenflying
LPA is probably not worth the lounge investment for BA. I would suggest this is a reward J ticketing route mainly rather than a serious money making route.
Id imagine the limited reward availability gets snapped up. This route can be seriously expensive in J and my trip there this week has 8 rows of CE there and 12 rows coming back, so I suspect it washes its face.

The daily summer operated by Iberia Express flights from T5 are not running this year so its only once a week with BA.

i would have thought this would be a good Gatwick route, and they almost launched that a couple of years ago but then cancelled the route before it even started operating, much to my annoyance at the time as I was ticketed on it.
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