Skywards Silver Lounge Access
 

I am Skywards Silver and flew DXB-MAA on Y 2 days back. Asked the chap at checkin about the silver lounge status. He said that lounge is closed, and I will get a 1000 mile bonus because of this.

However, he said I could access the regular business class lounge for 1000 miles (not sure if these are the same 1000 bonus miles, or another 1000 over and above that).

I was late for my flight and had to do some shopping, so didn't have time to check it out. Any idea if this is standard/common policy? I was taking an afternoon flight when it's relatively quiet at DXB - maybe they wouldn't allow this during the midnight/early morning peak hours? This policy sounds fair, but of course I don't know if the J lounges can withstand the additional influx of us Silver hoi polloi!

The earlier thread on this subject is closed, so had to start a new one.

Interesting.....anyone any ideas if this is true? I really dont want the 1000 points I've been given as so called compensation - prefer the lounge access!
Any mods any ideas about this?
Thanks!

News to me. We are going to EGHQ tomorrow morning, I will ask.

Thanks Zol - much appreciated - though I cant see it being for real somehow!

I agree, seems a bit illogical to do and only for 1,000 miles as well.

Makes no sense - they gave us 1000 for lack of lounge access then they offer us the T3 main lounge access for 1000? What would be the point of that? Does not make sense at all. Grateful if you could ask what they are up to Zol, thanks!

We asked today at the airport. No such thing.

It has been a few years since I flew as Silver, but I would value lounge access at a lot more than 1000 miles, has the standard dropped that much?

This is what was stated to me - could be a discretionary policy. Of course most of us value lounge access at over 1000 miles, but this is the amount EK has deemed to be reasonable compensation to Silver members for denying us the privilege. If you are flying at an 'easy' hour at DXB when lounges are reasonably free, EK could keep us slightly less miffed by offering alternate lounge access in T3 or T1 to Silver members in lieu of the miles.

Most posters here are probably Gold+, but Gold status is increasingly difficult to get on EK flying exclusively Y (I make 7-8 MAA-Europe RTs/year), with the saver fares and all. And if you fly J/F, you get most status benefits anyway. I suspect there are a lot of Y flying silvers like me who value the Silver privileges and choose EK for that reason. One benefit, the op-up, is becoming increasingly infrequent recently. Take away lounge access (I will not consider doing the midnight transits at DXB zoo without it), and I'd much rather fly 9W - which I'm doing next week.

I would think more likely that someone has got the "wrong end of the stick".

I guess that the access to the lounge for silvers was established before the A380s and their myriad premium passengers came on the scene. In which case, with the increasing pressure from all those passengers and more as the A380 fleet expands, it will be interesting to see whether such access is still permitted for silvers after the refurbishment of the T1 lounge has been completed.

And I write as a silver, at the moment, with no axe to grind either way for I shall still be flying from the UK to OZ on EK, as long as the price is right (because it is my money I am spending...damn it!!!).

As far as I know, there is every intention to re-instate the Silver lounge access policy, as soon as the old Gate 122 lounge has been renovated...it seems the sensible and fair thing to do given that a) competitors offer the same benefit and b) once C3 is open, technically EK should have the capacity.

We now have A380s with 90 premium seats is no excuse for EK to take away this benefit in the long run. If the number of premium passengers as a percentage of total passengers has increased, then yes, but if sheer volumes have gone up, they need to keep up their resources (you don't see them saying oh we have too many planes, we'll fly each one with fewer pilots or cabin crew).

Hmmm this one wont go away will it?

The rocket engineer that came that came up with 1000 miles for no lounge needs to be sacked.

The rest of us must rally with the silvers on this, it is not fair.

When will it be open again?
Do you value silvers?

I am gold but hate to see battlers getting hard done by.

But why? Surely it is the airlines (in this case, EK's) prerogative to take anything away. It is certainly within the terms and conditions of the program rules (ie Skywards).

As far as I can gather, EK are not saying that they are removing lounge access permanently, they're saying they need to renovate the lounge. As soon as its done, lounge access will be restored.

All the program regulars know of the strain on the current lounge infrastructure in Dubai (and there are equally as many pissed of Golds, quite rightly so, who have had guest access removed) but it is what it is.

Allowing Silvers into the existing J lounge wont work - because of capacity. I'm assuming EK dont want to pay for 3rd party access for Silvers (ie to a 3rd party lounge in DXB) but in the long run, perhaps they should have done so to appease everyone and to maintain some sort of goodwill.

You are right, it is Emirates prerogative to withdraw services, (subject to terms and conditions, and any laws in any country they do business regarding fair trading).

It is also my prerogative to chose who I fly with.

I think it is fair also to make my views on why I choose or choose not to fly with any airline aware to the airlines so they can improve services.

I think I am also right in assuming that comments FT do feed back to Emirates.

As for why my next flight is with Emirates it certainly not for the benefits of the Skywards membership, more to do with convenience and price.

I have now lost my Silver statues but had I been I think I certainly would very annoyed to turn up at DXB to find no lounge access particularly if had I known in advance I may have chosen to fly with another airline, probably another route.