dasurpha

I was trying to get to LPA VIP lounge Sala Galdós but was denied access as they allow BAEC only when flying with a BA ticket - I had an AY ticket.

The lady at the counter was very adamant and did say the BA rule for flying Oneworld does not apply at this airport - and now checking the Oneworld website lounge list it is stated exactly so.

• British Airways
• Iberia
• Royal Air Maroc
• Access for eligible customers traveling on these oneworld member airlines only.

Is this a rare exception or are we seeing more of these now post-covid?

sigma421

This is true. By the looks of it, Finnair doesn’t have a lounge arrangement at LPA. The ‘you can come in regardless the airline you’re flying with so long as it’s Oneworld’ principle only apples if the lounge is run by a Oneworld airline. If Iberia ran the lounge at LPA you would’ve been fine but since it’s a third-party lounge, you’re out of luck.

corporate-wage-slave

This is quite normal for contract lounge locations. It's actually easier to get lounge access now than say 15 years ago since airlines are more likely to coalesce the lounge arrangements. But clearly AY at LPA has a little way to go. LPA is expensive for lounges, BA were late to the game here.

dasurpha

AY did indeed have access to the lounge at LPA some years ago, but apparently it has become too expensive. I have been successfully accessing most contract lounges pre-covid with BA silver + AY ticket but then they are AY contracts like Aspire at AMS.

AirbusA350

The key here is “Access for eligible customers traveling on these oneworld member airlines only”. AY isn’t on that list and therefore irrespective of your BA status, you would not have been permitted into that lounge unless you had another separate arrangement in the form of Priority Pass, DragonPass etc. I presume in this instance when you mention having an “AY Ticket”, you are implying that you have a ticket for an AY operated flight. If not and you meant you had an AY ticket meaning a 105 stock ticket operated by BA or IB or AT (ie. The eligible operating airlines for this particular lounge) and you were denied access, then the adamance of the lounge agent would’ve been wrong. However, unfortunately for you it looks very much like the agent was applying rules correctly here.

stifle

If you were flying AY then you would not have access as AY has chosen not to pay for its passengers to use that lounge.

if you were flying BA you should have had access.

Who issued your ticket is not a relevant consideration.

bbriscoe34

Do you have priority pass at least? There is a PP lounge there.

Dave Noble

.delete - missed something

blurt91

And here, for example, is the OW lounge entry for DUB where AY passengers do have access

ranskis

Just checked in for my LPA HEL flight on Monday. On the boarding pass, lounge access is mentioned for 2 persons (Galdos VIP lounge). Flying C with AY platinum card. Might be something new from this season? The oneworld lounge finder does not list finnair as an eligible airline.

northeastflyer

Hi.

Was the OP's flight on BA Eurofyler? I'm not sure when they started operations, but I'm leaving LPA tomorrow in Business. I assume it's just classed as BA, considering they're the only BA flights apart from applicable codeshare. Lounge isn't mentioned on MMB, but who can trust that often.

I'm travelling economy on same flights soon with Silver Status. I've checked the OW database, that suggests access is fine with my card even in economy such as standard BA.

Thanks.

scottishpoet

the op was flying with finnair, not ba


ba euroflyer is ba so as ow sapphire you should have access to Sala Galdos Lounge.

If you were on an AY flight to Helsinki then no access

northeastflyer

Thanks. I did know it was Finnair at the start but my mind ran away with me. Good to know should be fine. It's probably one of the few outstation lounges I'd pay for if necessary after the very good refurb .

flyslow

Couple of years ago I was denied access in LPA, Silver, flying BA in ET. Dragon said lounge is for Gold only and wouldn't budge. Got in with PP.
Sent a complaint to BA later and got 'sorry but not sorry' reply. Something about third party lounges can set their own access rules and/or lounge being at capacity.
Have been through LPA twice after that and got in the lounge without issues.

bafan

Maybe the title of the thread should be ‘*Rightly denied access…’