Lounge Access Value
 

Interesting times.

Just pricing up some more UK-Oz trips, looking at Y at the moment.

The quote this time, via the EK website, looked high so I did a quick last minute.com search and found that, for my dates, Singapore, Virgin Australia, Ethiad, Qantas (???) and BA (BA FFS) are all cheaper.

How things have changed. When I started flying EK early last year they were thereabouts the cheapest.

What EK does offer me as a gold (and I guess Ethiad too if I get a status match - in process) is lounge access in the UK, DXB and BNE.

The best price difference at the moment is £432 (Virgin Australia via Ethiad) and these are social trips paid for by me.

And this begs the question...what is lounge access worth to you?

Probably most important is what it is worth to you ;)

Any benefit of time in the lounge may well be rather undone by the long Y flights. £400 plus buys a lot of good meals in Oz - I might be inclined to find a quiet corner of a bar in the airport , spend £20 on drink and snacks of my choice and enjoy the balance in Oz.

Priority Pass or similar paid lounge access might be worth considering? (And cost less than £400+)

In J or F, I'd probably pay the extra £400. No way in Y.

Fly QF and use your EK gold?

ISTBC, but at LHR I think that will not get you into the EK lounge as the flight is on QF metal.

The saga continues.

I appreciate that if I fly on QF metal I have to use their lounges (whether the flight has an EK number or not).

If I book via QF but fly Y on EK metal (it is quite a bit cheaper to do it that way at the moment) does that mean that as a Skywards gold I get access to say the EK lounges at Heathrow and Brisbane?

I know I have EK lounge access in DXB, simply as a gold flying onward either with EK or QF.

Thanks.

I have a Diners Club credit card. For the cost of $A90 per year card fee I get access to Diners Club lounges around the world (Check the Website for a list). They have lounges in most major UK airports and in Dubai. Its probably the cheapest access to lounges you can get.

In Dubai there is the first class lounge between gates 112 and 114 (Terminal 1) and the Marahaba Lounges that provide paid access. These cost between 60 and 120 Dirhams paying at the reception. The first class lounge is very good standard of facilities, food and drink and great if you are not flying Emirates and leaving from Terminal 1.