cheapest way to get Oneworld lounge access?
 

I have the highest elite status in both the Star and Skyteam alliances, but I often fly coach internationally on Oneworld (thanks to AA and BA credit card offers). In the next 6 months, I'll fly more than 30,000 miles on Oneworld carriers (mostly LAN and AA) on free tickets, and I'll have my family with me on most of these trips. As we'll have several long layovers, we could really use some lounge access.

What would be the cheapest way to get this access? I once tried a status match on LAN, but they rejected me (I think because I couldn't show that I bought enough tickets on them, which is certainly true). Are there any other easy-to-get status matches? Or some promo that gets me a lounge membership cheap?

Thanks!

Shame about the "Free Tickets" - I assume they are awards?

You can earn Sapphire pretty easily with Qantas FF (although you do need to have 4 "Qantas" flights.) via Instant upgrade fares on AA.

Maybe you could check out the AA "Platinum Challenge", 10K EQP's on AA flight numbers and you'' have sapphire until March 2013. Costs $240 to enrol.

See here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...l#post11822023

The reply does not seem to match OP's situation at all. (Bolded word).

If the tickets are in premium classes, then lounge access will be included. If not, then I don't know any expedited methods to get status, especially status that would allow you to guest in others (your family.)

You might look at whether there are any Priority Pass lounges in your itinerary cities.

Try to get one person in the group on an award Business or First class ticket and hope they can "guest" the rest into the lounges.

Alas, I'll be travelling in coach and, since I'll mostly be travelling with my family, a program like priority pass that (to my recollection) only allows the passholder in won't work.

It seems like I need a lounge membership (perhaps temporary?) or an elite card, right? As I say, I've got the highest status in Star and Skyteam, so if any oneworld carrier is an easy match . . . .

Do you have an Amex Platinum card?

That's one you have to actually pay for, right? :) Not one of the churn cards. I have lots of churn cards, including AMEX, but nothing I've paid for.

What about a status match to a one world carrier? Most elite tiers grant lounge access.

Yes, and they won't forget to bill you the annual fee promptly. ;)
The only OW carriers matching status currently are CX and LA I think. CX will not match above SL/Ruby, even for SQ Solitaire PPS, so this is useless for OP unless he's planning on using his miles exclusively on areas served by CX lounges. Even if you already got rejected on the LA status match once before, if you have some future travel or revenue travel history to SCL/EZE and the like you should have a pretty good chance at getting a match to Sapphire imo. If you're flying domestic US or TATL there's no reason for LA to give you status. I've heard of BA matching a few people to Silver/Sapphire, but this is exceptional and pretty much only for people who BA knows will bring them lots of revenue.

You could buy AA Admirals Club membership, it's not cheap and the lounges mainly suck but they let in your entire immediate family as a policy unlike OW lounge access. They don't have that many locations and, but their presence in South America is impressive. Also, membership does not include access to OW lounges as US/CO/UA lounge memberships do for *A.

If you have a bit more money to spend, you can try the QF Qantas Club. The fees are exorbitant, especially now with the high Kangaroo dollar, but you will get access to QF (excellent), BA (good), AA (better than nothing) and QF-contracted lounges when flying on QF, BA, AA or JQ. You also get a few little perks flying QF.

Well, if the OP is willing to do an MR-type run for status on AA it might actually end up being cheaper/similar than buying QF Club membership and he would get RDMs as well as status and full OW Sapphire lounge access privileges. He only asked which was the cheapest way to get lounge access, not necessarily buying it outright. It all depends on how many people OP is travelling with. If it was just him + 1 any option would be fine, but most lounges frown on giving access to one person and 3+ guests and then his money spent would have been wasted.

The cheapest way tbh would probably be if you and your spouse both got Priority Pass and paid for your kid(s) to join you as guests.

Really? Wow I had no idea. That seems crazy, nol?

It's not sounding like there's a simple solution for me. I guess I'll try LAN again on a status match. I suppose I have nothing to lose. My problem is that I don't spend any REVENUE on LAN. I only fly them for free, or on "junk" fares like intra-country Chile bought in Chile or the occasional "mileage run" fare from the USA to LIM. At the moment, all my LAN rezzies are on free tickets.

If you have a few previous revenue LA flights to LIM in your AA (or whichever OW FFP you earn on) account, you should have a good shot at a status match. Mention that your future travel plans include increased travel to LIM/South America and that you are looking at booking some more flights in the near future and will do it with LA if you can get status. That's about as much as you can do in terms of trying to sway them to approve a match.

Thanks, as I said, I've got nothing to lose. Is there a special desk at LAN to plead for a status match, or do I just write to their LANpass service center?

According to the Status Match thread:
Disregard the comment about AA in the quote.

Isn't Malev Duna Club doing a status match? Or has that ended?