Now that UA has restricted lounge access where the airport only has a partner lounge (non *G lounge or third party lounge like GVK at BOM) to business class customers only, I wonder how AI will be interpreting this. Until now AI has given access to *G status customers travelling on economy to lounges in India. I had a very good lounge experience at BLR, just 2 weeks ago, travelling from BLR to BOM on AI domestic.

At least DEL has LH and AI lounges still to use. If AI restricts access similar to UA, I can understand as they are losing money.

Shhh. I don’t think anybody else in the *A network has made any changes YET.

Yet another reason why UA is the worst airlines ever (and yes I know DL has done this years ago). Not only did they introduce this awful policy after doing stupid things like allowing elite members to bring 6 guests to their lounges... they’ve also forced *A to change their rules... now others might follow suit soon.

AI has stopped opening lounges of their own in outstations and prefers to use contract lounges wherever possible. So far they recognize *G very nicely. I don't see any reason why they would change that.

agreed....i don't think i've even used an ai lounge at any place besides del, jfk & lhr....i don't even think they have the lhr lounge anymore....

This is a very recent change that UA made to stop *Gs from entering contract lounges and is already enforced in BOM & DEL.

They also forced *A to change their *G lounge access policy from "all *G's in Y have to be given contract lounge access" to "all *Gs in Y may be given lounge access to contract lounges".

None of the other *A partners has followed suit as yet... but I suspect LH might be next to do this and AI at some point too.

TP & SK also deny *G in Y access to contract lounges, so UA's move is nothing new. The so called 'change' to *A rules is also not that significant. The bloggers are just blowing this up. If a *A carrier didn't want to pay for contract lounge access for *Gs, it was within their right.

AI only has their own lounge in DEL and JFK T4, the rest is all *A partners or local contract. Curiously in many airports where they could use the *A lounge facilities (VIE, ORD T5, EWR B, BKK, etc) they have contracted with others.

It is probably cheaper for AI to use the contract lounge vs *A lounge. UA also does this at Singapore. In fact it is one of the few contract lounges that *Gold economy customers travelling on United at Singapore can still use.

Also strange that AI does not have it own lounge at LHR where it has lot more flights and I recall It had a lounge of its own at LHR, but it has a lounge at JFK where it has only one daily flight and may the 3 times a week BOM JFK flight.

For AI in JFK it’s not a frequency problem. It’s the availability of lounges near Gates A4/A5 that’s the issue. Except for EY there is no other lounge near T4 - A gates.

They keep that lounge open for 3-4 hours a day. So they’re not even trying to service other *A flights. Which is typical AI.

JFK T4 also has the Swiss lounge that would be accessible for *A.

They had a lounge in LHR, but after moving to T2 they use the AC/UA/SQ/LH lounges there. I guess common sense prevailed.

I would assume there was some babu flying frequently from JFK who didn’t want to do the long walk from the LX lounge which is near the B gates.

But responding to OP’s comment - JFK was probably for non-availability of lounges near AI gates, vs. LHR where there are plenty of *A lounges available.

Good question, can the AI business class customer use the Polaris lounge in Newark? The Virgin Clubhouse (Newark) does not open till 12pm and the AI flight departs Newark @ 11:45 am.. I think the BE flyer can access any Star Alliance lounge long as they have a business class boarding pass.

Yes any *A J/F pax can access a Polaris lounge.

Here’s the way to do it. Check in with AI in Terminal B. Then take the AirTrain to Terminal C. Once in C - you will have to clear security to access the Polaris lounge. Tell TSA you’re visiting the lounge and they will let you through no problem.

After you’re done lounging, take the shuttle from C Gate 70 or so (I think) to B. I’ve forgotten which section of B the shuttle drops you off at (it’s probably B2). You might have to clear security again to reach the AI gate (B3). Of course if you need to clear security at B - taking the AirTrain would be the same. You can also go to the LH or SAS lounges in B - but they’re no where near as good as Polaris and you’ll have to clear security twice as well (perhaps shorter lines though).

On 4 separate occasions in the past 2 weeks, I was always granted access to the contract lounges in BOM and HYD as a United *G traveling in economy. In each case, my UA number was in my reservation, and invitation cards were provided at checkin automatically, I never had to ask.

1. BOM - TK ticket - arrived from IST, had a connecting AI flight to JGA (same ticket). Given an invite card to the GVK Lounge (Domestic) during checkin with AI
2. BOM - AI ticket BOM-HYD - Given invite card to the GVK Lounge (Domestic) during checkin with AI
3. HYD - AI ticket HYD-BOM. Despite being a wholly-domestic flight, it had an international flight number, thus departed from international gate at HYD. Given an invite card to the Plaza Premium Lounge on the international side during checkin with AI
4. BOM - TK ticket BOM-IST - Given invite card to the GVK East Lounge (International) during checkin with TK.