Munich Senator Lounge access question
Jul 31, 2019, 9:34 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV
Programs: LH HON***,UA,BA.EK Gold,AV.
Posts: 11,637
Sad that LX being so cheap should put them in the situation for starters....
Jul 31, 2019, 9:41 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: London, Paris
Programs: LH HON, AF Platinum
Posts: 2,001
Jul 31, 2019, 9:49 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Stoke on Trent, UK (MAN ), BUE, BKK, DBV
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Yes but it’s the same for HON, when I became HON it was access for myself, spouse & children period, now it’s once they are 18 ...... cheap ..... how often are SEN or HON actually able to travel as a Family.... not very often IMO
Jul 31, 2019, 1:22 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BRU
Programs: LH HON**
Posts: 382
Lesson learned there - although to @chris63’s point:
Fully agree, but they could also consider a SEN-only lounge option. My impression is that SEN lounges are often filled to the brim with *G people from other programs. Why not make the Business lounges bigger and put the *G sign over there, then have a SEN lounge for SEN only and of course also First for HON+F.
Aug 2, 2019, 8:06 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: HAG
Programs: Der 5* FTL
Posts: 8,038
True, but I had not organized a family huddle beforehand, so she hadn’t been briefed about the possible age problem and just replied as it was. She’s still young enough to always state her true age when asked
Lesson learned there - although to @chris63’s point:
...indeed, next time we travel together will probably be at Xmas, it’s usually 2 or 3 times a year.
Fully agree, but they could also consider a SEN-only lounge option. My impression is that SEN lounges are often filled to the brim with *G people from other programs. Why not make the Business lounges bigger and put the *G sign over there, then have a SEN lounge for SEN only and of course also First for HON+F.
So far good - I don't know if there is enough SENs to justify the SEN lounges in their current state, and refitting lounge complexes to tip the balance would be expensive.
Maybe VIE could be used as a testbed? Maybe that was already planned?
But then I'm wondering about the refit of LX A lounges as that is quite recent. But maybe it's possible to resize relatively easily...
(PS: as a *G, I already started using VIE BIZ lounge instead of SEN. The catering is the same, views better in SEN maybe, but there is a lot more space in BIZ. It even had beer on tap, which wasn't present in SEN, last winter.)
Aug 2, 2019, 4:08 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,721
Many of the recently remodeled lounges, particularly at outstations, are combined, just think MXP, BOS etc.
Aug 3, 2019, 2:56 am
#22
Moderator: SAS
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: BLL & CPH & ZRH
Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)
Posts: 3,151
Fully agree, but they could also consider a SEN-only lounge option. My impression is that SEN lounges are often filled to the brim with *G people from other programs. Why not make the Business lounges bigger and put the *G sign over there, then have a SEN lounge for SEN only and of course also First for HON+F.
That has been noted previously and actually in VIE(IIRC) the *G sign is on Business lounge now. But they still let *G into SEN.
So far good - I don't know if there is enough SENs to justify the SEN lounges in their current state, and refitting lounge complexes to tip the balance would be expensive.
Maybe VIE could be used as a testbed? Maybe that was already planned?
But then I'm wondering about the refit of LX A lounges as that is quite recent. But maybe it's possible to resize relatively easily...
(PS: as a *G, I already started using VIE BIZ lounge instead of SEN. The catering is the same, views better in SEN maybe, but there is a lot more space in BIZ. It even had beer on tap, which wasn't present in SEN, last winter.)
So far good - I don't know if there is enough SENs to justify the SEN lounges in their current state, and refitting lounge complexes to tip the balance would be expensive.
Maybe VIE could be used as a testbed? Maybe that was already planned?
But then I'm wondering about the refit of LX A lounges as that is quite recent. But maybe it's possible to resize relatively easily...
(PS: as a *G, I already started using VIE BIZ lounge instead of SEN. The catering is the same, views better in SEN maybe, but there is a lot more space in BIZ. It even had beer on tap, which wasn't present in SEN, last winter.)
The same has happened in ZRH for the A lounges, the *G sign has been removed completly. I really hope that this is not the case especially after what we've been through with the LX A lounges. (At the very beginning the lounge rules stated no access for *G to the SEN lounges which was confirmed by Customer Relations, although de jure the actual (internal) rules still admits *G to the SEN lounge. There just aren't enough SEN to warrant SEN only lounges. (Although it is not sure if the new Sen Cafe in ZRH that will be located where the old F lounge was will be available only for SEN or also for *G.
I really hope they won't cut down access for *G, since *A wide this would be another pretty petty downgrade for *G. And I fear that other airlines would follow suit. (SAS cutting *G access to the SAS Gold lounge for example)
What's next? Removing priority Check-In for *G and only have it for their own elites? Removing the extra bags for *G on all fares?
Aug 3, 2019, 4:26 am
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK.
Programs: SQ LPPS, A3 *G, BA Silver aiming for Bronze
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Should the LH group cut SEN lounge access for other *Gs it will be just one more reason not to book with them and that list of reasons including mileage award levels is already pretty high. LH is far from as profitable as it should be and I'm someone who could fly with them far more than I do but they tend to be the last choice on the list because fares are relatively high and the service below standard in business on both long and short haul. The SEN lounges are a small compensation for the otherwise generally poor levels of product and service.
Equally my home airport is LHR, if *Gs did not get access to the SEN lounge the current complex would become untenable, the C lounge is routinely overcrowded already and just the slightest flight disruption results in standing room only.
Equally my home airport is LHR, if *Gs did not get access to the SEN lounge the current complex would become untenable, the C lounge is routinely overcrowded already and just the slightest flight disruption results in standing room only.
Aug 3, 2019, 5:19 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
G
Aug 3, 2019, 5:22 am
#25
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,721
From a business traveller’s perspective, I would find it challenging to say the least not to book with them though, especially on short/medium haul and considering their robust network. I could easily live without Swiss but I would have to seriously consider long distance train/car hire to get where I need to without the ‘Austro-Germans’
And I find the difference between the SEN and J lounges so small now that a denial of access to SEN lounges hardly justifies something as drastic as a change of alliance.
Aug 3, 2019, 5:42 am
#26
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
G
Aug 3, 2019, 6:08 am
#27
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BRU
Programs: LH HON**
Posts: 382
EBD’s on SK would perhaps love to have something different from EBG too. The only SK station I frequently use is ARN and I can’t say that the T5 Gold lounge impresses me the slightest. They could make a nicer section for EBD and Pandion (I am neither, so I wouldn’t benefit). Today, high status members on SK probably prefer to stay at Pontus in the Air courtesy of Amex, rather than sitting in the SK Gold lounge.
Aug 3, 2019, 10:14 am
#28
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK.
Programs: SQ LPPS, A3 *G, BA Silver aiming for Bronze
Posts: 1,506
Indeed. It’s FlyerTalk after all and ‘we’ (all of us, this is absolutely not referred to the poster I previously quoted and with whom, incidentally, I generally speaking agree!) often forget that not everyone lives of mileage runs or able to fly Heathrow to Stockholm via Istanbul & Athens just for the sake of it. Lufthansa has a great network, including the so-called ‘provinces’ and assuring all-year round services to most destinations, unlike SAS and other ‘leisure’ carriers (mostly serving capital cities and adjusting their schedules during summer months in order to send 321s to Dubrovnik & Zakinthos): this is absolutely crucial for people who have to travel for business reasons, when both frequencies and reliability come first and foremost.
G
I'm lucky, my base is LHR and little of my travel apart from a couple of joureys to MUC each year takes me to Germany. Almost all of it is beyond and I can avoid LH using LO - not much, SK - more, A3 - often, TK - regularly and TP occasionally for European travel. I only use LH when they are competitive on time, price and service and these days I find that less and less the case. I also use AF/KL a bit too and find them more than OK.
Aug 3, 2019, 2:14 pm
#29
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,161
Lufthansa gets 10$ more per pax from *A partners to allow their *G into the Senator Lounge. No change in the horizon...
Aug 4, 2019, 6:34 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: LH M&M, BA EC, DL SM
Posts: 5,721
