skywardhunter

What we may be seeing is in fact EK setting up to bundle lounge access with Y fares during the purchase process as an upsell (Add lounge access for just $100 more and enjoy complimentary food and drinks during your stay in DXB.) It's basic product unbundling which has worked in other industries to increase revenues.

Forrest Bump

The hard truth is the pricing is correct and not excessive.
EK is still perceived as an "aspirational" brand and, whether it is a businessman or honeymooner, forking out the 100/200$ doesn't look like a big deal.

Ironically things like these go in the opposite direction of the exclusivity aura EK try hard to paint.

HB7

+1

DYKWIA

No it's not. Upper Class is the Virgin equivalent of business class.

steveben53

Will end up like the ServisAir pay on entry lounges at LHR and LGW

DYKWIA

I'd like to see how this pans out. I really doubt many of EKs "core" passengers will be up for paying $100 for lounge access.

Most people will be transitting at DXB, with 2-3 hours between flights. By the time they've got through security, they may have 60-90 minutes in the lounge. Hardly worth it.

I see it being aimed at Golds & Silvers travelling from DXB with colleagues.

I'd wager than it a years time, there will be no noticeable difference in the lounges,

rumbataz

I agree with this. I'd class myself as a 'core' passenger - I buy the cheapest ticket that I can afford and have to save up for that for several months just to be able to afford the 500GBP or so to travel on EK Y.

100USD is not an insignificant amount for me so lounge access isn't something I'd be considering all that often on my homeward-bound trip from DXB.

I don't think the J'ers and F'ers need worry too much that the common people might litter their lounges.

RichL

I've got confused then I thought the question was what other airlines allow paid access to their premium lounges.

subject2load

No : the question was more specific.

The question was whether any other airline, anywhere in the world, offers the facility of paid access to a lounge which was hitherto restricted purely to its pax travelling on a First Class ticket or holding high level status (eg Gold or above) within an alliance.

This is very different from so-called 'Premium lounges'. For example, Finnair call one (and maybe more than one) of their HEL lounges a Premium Lounge - but the airline doesn't actually operate a First cabin (but they DO allow paid access to said lounge, albeit with certain restrictions & caveats)

Still not sure if my original question has received a definitive answer as yet.

Wtravel

Fully agree. And in my experience even the (informal) benefit you refer to is handled in a vey opaque manner.

Wtravel

I may not agree with it, but from EK's perspective it makes sense: target people who already have lounge access and want to take guests along, and the few stupid enough to pay up given the alternatives for that kind of cash. That way you can get away with such elevated pricing and still generate some bottom line revenue (since the fixed cost base remains the same, with variable costs increasing only marginally, if at all) while ensuring that lounge occupancy should not increase much. What worries me more is what other ideas they are going to come up with in their quest for revenue but then again, options to EK and transiting DXB have gotten much better in the past few years, so that should hopefully keep things pretty much in line with the market if they don't want to risk pax switching to other carriers...

eternaltransit

I recall one of your previous posts lamenting that the EK of the past that tried to innovate had disappeared...

I suppose, they are back to innovating, in a way

eternaltransit

That definitely chimes with Tim Clark's previous interviews where unbundling of the chauffeur drive etc. was raised.

subject2load

Ha ha, indeed !

"In a way" - yes.

I happen to think that 'innovations' are very often like 'enhancements' (as euphemistically described over on the BA forum.....) : some are far less desirable than others ......

avcritic

First unbundle ground experience(lounge,chauffeur drive,advanced seat selection, priority boarding, priority baggage...) if that doesn't generate enough revenue start unbundling in-flight experience. J gets just flat bed, for everything else keep the card handy.