MAD Lounge?
 

Hi Folks,
I'm in MAD now departing tomorrow for EWR. Is there a lounge that I can use. I'm Platinum and Pres Club but traveling economy. The CO web site is confusing and shows two lounges with the same name and one is for BF only and the other ST+ & BF.

Thanks!

You can try, but don't get your hopes up. I too am Plat with Lifetime PC membership, but on recent trips to BCN & MAD had no luck getting into any of the clubs while travelling solo on a coach fare. Others have posted that it depends on who is manning the door, so it's always worth a try. You can even bring a copy of the PC page that shows you should be allowed entry, but that didn't work for me in any of the instances. :(

The problem I believe with MAD is that this is an Airport Lounge, it is not run by any Skyteam partner, so they may not know of or care about the Skyteam Lounge agreement. I would smile and hope for the best. Hope it works out for you.

Thanks. Can't hurt to try and I'll hope for the best. I'll try asking the agent at check in and see what they have to say. I know at some airports the agents give you a pass or put a sticker on your boarding pass.

Thanks again!

Hi qlabdad, sorry for the confusion on our online lounge locations page. As you noted, we're currently listing two lounges in Madrid (MAD) when there should only be one. We'll get this updated, but in the mean time, here's the correct information:

1. Airport VIP Lounge. This lounge may be accessed by our departing BusinessFirst customers.

The second lounge location, which we list as valid for SkyTeam Elite Plus members, was originally shown as an Air France lounge, which was incorrect. Air France now contracts with an airport-operated lounge in Madrid for their own customers in lieu of operating their own.

Unfortunately, this means that you would not have lounge access with either your Presidents Club or SkyTeam Elite Plus credentials. Nonetheless, have a great trip.

Hi CO Insider,
Thanks for chiming in. The AF site doesn't list a lounge in MAD. Did I misunderstand your reply or is there an AF lounge in MAD and it's just not listed on the AF site? I got the impression there were two lounges?

Thanks again!

Thanks qlabdad. We just double-checked and you're absolutely right. Air France no longer has a lounge in Madrid. I've edited my original post.

But AirFrance does have a lounge in BCN, where despite what was stated on my copy of the PC page showing STElite members had access, they still refused me entry :mad:

BF Lounge in Madrid?
 

Traveling on Monday 11/29 from MAD-EWR. Does anyone have any lounge recommendations before Departure? The PC website listed two contract lounges, a Turkish CIP Lounge, and the Spanair VIP Lounge.

The TK lounge and Sala Cibeles are the same thing as far as I know. TK uses the CIbeles as their contract lounge in the non-Schengen area of T1. If you look at the TK website they list it as AENA (Spanish airport authority) and they run the Sala cibeles.

The Spanair lounge is a bit away from the CO gates and is in the Schengen area.

I used the Spanair lounge as a Y-pax a couple months ago. Its really really far away from CO/US/DL gates. (felt almost like one mile).

I think there is some "VIP lounge" for BusinessFirst pax. This is apparently closer to CO gates. Star Gold are n:rolleyes:t allowed in this VIP lounge.

CO departure lounge
 

As a Star Gold when you check in at the CO BF/Elite counter in T1, they should give you a pass/voucher to enter the Cibeles lounge which is upstairs after security.

Thanks all for the responses. The Spanair lounge does seem rather far away based on some of the Terminal Maps I have looked at and reinforced by the comments above. I guess we will be trying the Cibeles Lounge!

I used the Spanair lounge in Sept. as a *Gold. It's nothing to write home about: it's like most european carriers "non-hub" lounges: drinks, snacks (chips, olives and cookies), no wi-fi, and a smoker's lounge. It does have a killer view of the tarmac. It's not near the CO gates at all.

See you Monday, We will be in the Cibeles Lounge! I will have a FT tag on for sure and am still 50/50 on whether we will fly in J or not.