Denied lounge access
 

Flying CE BEG-LHR-EDI on Sunday on a redemption (I know, I know...)

I believed I was entitled to lounge access at LHR by virtue of having flown in on CE, but the lounge dragon said "No, that's only if you're connecting from a long-haul flight".

Was she right? I can't find the details on BA, but here on FT the advice is:

If I've been shortchanged, I'll be mightily peeved. Lounge access for the wait at LHR was a significant consideration in booking CE.

Yes you were entitled to the lounge.

Bad Lounge Dragon. I'd be very, very peeved.

As Tim says you should have been allowed in. I always carry the relevant page from the Oneworld Website if travelling with the family just in case I run into this problem.

Thanks for the swift reply LHR Tim.

There isn't an emoticon for 'mightily peeved', but :mad: is a good start.

I will now go and whinge to BA on the phone. Is it unreasonable for me to say "Right, you bunch of oiks. You will give me a voucher which entitles me to lounge access at a time and airport of my choosing, or you will refund a significant number of miles. You will not argue."?

That seems to be a problem that is increasingly common. I had a very peeved call from my mother a few months ago who was travelling HKG-LHR-EDI in business, albeit on CX but booked through BA, who had been refused entry to the lounge at LHR. I think in that case the dragons eventually relented, but not without a fight, and only after it became clear that the EDI flight was delayed by two hours. But one shouldn't really need to argue.

I doubt you'll get a lounge voucher (I don't even think they do them). Best you'll get is a sorry-we-failed-to-meet-your-expectations-please-fly-us-again fob off. If you're lucky, maybe a few miles.

Interesting I have learnt something today.

However if BA were wanting to reduce the number of people in the lounges - surely this is one perk which would get the chop?

It's very generous really, particularly if someone was travelling with no status as in effect it is almost like having 'arrivals lounge' access. However I do understand the person has to have an onwards flight, however LHR-EDI for example, can be had rather cheaply at around £60 return off peak.....

For those who are Silver/Gold I guess this perk is invisible anyway if connecting on in Economy/Domestic.

As I said I always carry the relevant page from the Oneworld website - BUT is there actually anything on the BA Website about this rule. I tried to look for it once but gave up........

It's not simply up to BA to drop this - they're obliged to offer this under the terms of their OW membership, I think.

As edi-traveller says - I get the feeling it is something BA don't like to encourage which in some ways I guess is understandable.

Since it was a CE redemption I'd have thought it'd book into UK Business on the LHR-EDI leg, thereby entitling lounge access.

Hmm. Unless I'm misreading something, the Dragon was right:

http://www.oneworld.com/ow/ffp/loung...lass-of-travel

Maybe I should hold off the lawsuit for a mo.

Is that an updated version of what you printed out, edi-traveller?

What an extraordinary view. The fact that you can buy a return LHR-EDI for £60 is neither here nor there. If BA provide through ticketing, then they should do it properly, and include the perks associated to the ticket class booked. It is not the fault of the traveller that BA's domestic service lacks a business cabin, into which they would have been booked for the domestic leg of the journey had it existed.

I don't think it's particularly generous, since domestics are one class. Unless you are saying only statused or full fare pax should get lounge access? If I spend £200 on an I class CE, I don't then expect to have to buy my EDI-LON connection for £300-400 to get lounge access :rolleyes:

Not all of us have the option of driving to London to catch our flights ;)

I think it's only the longhaul obligation that comes under OW...

...because these are BA's own rules:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...5&postcount=42

which we're talking about here. This is over and above what OW says. Though, frankly, I agree with flyclub...I don't want my lounges over-crowded with those Regional Riff-Raff. If you can't have the decency to live in London... ;)