beep88

Canadian Diners card rejected at these lounges:

HND (international), FUK(domestic)

Nothing to agrue about. Their system rejected it. End of story. Cash admission is 1080 yen.

You can complain to Diners Club instead. But nothing will happen.

sdsearch

Update on AMS Aspire Lounge 41 (non-Schengen):

On my return flight day, Thu 21 Apr morning, they did let me in with my Diners Club card. I took a quick look around the lounge, and they had pretty nice breakfast food offerings. I then went to the KLM lounge (access through my business class ticket on Delta), and the food looked fairly comparable (though the spread was a bit bigger in the KLM lounge, which is gigantic by comparison to the Aspire lounge).

They scanned my Diners Club US (MC) card and had me sign on a card machine for access. (There was no charge; I was by myself.)

WannabeSE

Canadian Diners Club card rejected in HEL Finnair Lounge. Spent some time at the @Home lounge instead.

muji

I've had this same experience at various lounges (certain non-Diners Club lounges where one guest is allowed in for free).
When I've told the attendant that I'm allowed one guest for free, they've always immediately told me
that they can't say for sure if that is the case, and suggest that I consult with the issuer of the lounge pass.

Houminer

Has anyone use the Plaza Premium Lounge in LHR?
Does the 18 pound entry fee for diners club also include a shower?

sofasurfer

I've used it in the past with my (Canadian) work DC and not been charged. showers are good. Ordering breakfast an be slow (and I think they just tend to reheat cooked items, there is room to improve - unless they have done so in the last few months).

I believe that PP just added T5 sofitel as some kind of arrivals lounge. May be worth checking out.

mia

The fee is for an additional guest, not the cardholder.

Orange County Commuter

Has anyone used the lounge at SDQ (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) Flying out of there later this year and wondered how it was. I will have to pay for my traveling companion so that was a consideration.

Thanks!

beep88

Canadian card accepted at Haneda Domestic Terminal 2 (ANA) !

6 months ago it was rejected at 3 different Japanese airports.

deckleff

In fairness, you weren't missing much. As a frequent traveller through AMS to both Schengen and non-Schengen destinations, I can tell you that the two relevant DC lounges are pretty ordinary (pros: decent range of beverages - beer, wines, spirits, mixers, soft drinks, tea and coffee, cons: not much else going for them). Definitely better than no lounge, obviously, but still nothing to write home about.

deckleff

On my way to Australia from the Netherlands via the UAE and Malaysia. Thought I'd share my experiences thus far with my fellow DC International lounge enthusiasts.

AMS - Aspire Lounge (no. 41, terminal 2, airside)
Spent roughly 2 hours here which is always more than enough. The lounge is basic, with a simple selection of self-service snacks and drinks (beer, wines, spirits, mixers, soft drinks and tea/coffee). The place is clean and quite comfortable and, unlike its Schengen departures counterpart (lounge 26), has some nice views across the tarmac.

DXB
Marhaba lounge (terminal 3, airside)
Got turned away - apparently they're no longer accepting German, French or Benelux issued DC cards. Anybody else experienced this? I think I will try my luck again on the way home - I realised that while my card is technically German-issued, it is actually issued by the Austrian DC Bank AG which issues cards in both Germany and Austria. Let's see if they let me in on an "Austrian" DC.

Feeling disappointed and not looking forward to 3 hours sitting at the gate or paying for extortionately priced airport drinks for the first time since getting the DC card earlier this year, we whipped out the DC app to see if there was an alternative. Lo and behold, terminal 3 is also home to the:

Ahlan Business Class Lounge (terminal 3, airside)
This lounge is as lovely as it is hard to find. To address the second point first, you have to head up a flight of stairs which leads you to a tapas bar. As far as I can tell, the lounge is part of the tapas bar. Food is self service and the fantastic, both in terms of quality and range. Drinks can be ordered from the bar, however it was difficult to know what was included for lounge patrons given that there was no drinks menu for lounge guests (that I could find). In the end I swallowed my pride and asked the waitress what drinks were available for the lounge. I was rewarded with some very ordinary Sauvignon Blanc, some lovely sparkling wine, some pretty decent coffees and a couple of bottles of Perrier sparkling water. Being so well tucked away, this lounge has an exceptionally intimate atmosphere. The decor is lovely and - best of all - the place was almost completely empty.

KUL
After Dubai, it was on to Kuala Lumpur, where we had 4 hour layover before a flight to Penang. Both flights arrived/departed from the KLIA terminal (rather than the separate KLIA2 terminal which principally services low cost carriers). We arrived at the Satellite building which is home to the DC Plaza Premium Lounge. Foolishly, we walked right on past, boarded the inter-building train and went through transit immigration into the domestic departures section of the terminal. MISTAKE! There is no DC lounge in the domestic departures area. Fellow travellers - do not make my mistake. If transiting at KUL for a domestic flight also departing from the KLIA terminal, don't hope for a lounge after transit immigration. Next time I will try my luck at the Plaza Premium Lounge at the satellite building and hope that they'll let me in with a boarding pass for a domestic transfer.

That's it for now. I will provide updates on the Plaza Premium lounge(s) at KLIA2 as well as the satellite building at KLIA which I will pass through on my way back to the Netherlands in a couple of weeks. I will also let you know how I go getting into the Marhaba lounge at DXB with my "Austrian" DC card and, if successful, let you know how it stacks up against the Ahlan Business Lounge.

deckleff out

Edit: we wanted to try the new high speed ETS rail service to get from Penang to KL, but unfortunately all of the services were booked out. In the end we booked some last minute flights, giving us a chance to check out:

Plaza Premium Lounge, Penang Intl Airport (domestic departures)

After reading quite a few horror reviews, we were a little hesitant. Turns out it's really not that bad.

The Penang Domestic Plaza Premium is a small, simple lounge with a small buffet of fruits, yoghurts and cakes and a limited menu of made-to-order dishes. We had a garden salad, fish and chips and a mushroom soup with a tiny chicken pie. The food was okay, but by no means anything special (especially not if you're vegetarian). The drinks were limited to non-alcoholic beverages, although I did notice a sign which indicated that you could buy beers.

The seating was comfortable enough and overall the lounge was clean and quiet. There could have been more power points though.

All in all, no regrets, certainly better than everything the rest of the airport has to offer. I probably wouldn't pay to go there though.

smith80678

I did. It is quite roomy with nice interior. Food selection is very poor. Cereal, stale sandwiches and chips. Coffee machine, one PC. Basic drinks.

Orange County Commuter

Thanks!

brenrox

Have they changed their policy with the Emperor Lounge in AKL? It used to be only 1 complimentary access every 12 months, but there is no mention of this on the lounge website now?

Nevsky

The Dubai International Hotel First Class Lounge in Concourse D of Terminal 1 is fabulous. One of the great lounges in the world. Buffet and made to order food that is superb. Excellent champagne. The Business Class Lounge is almost as good. What is special about the first class lounge is that Priority Pass is not accepted, but Diners Club is.