Lounge access for Emerald card holders
 

Does anyone know the precise rules of reciprocal access to the OW Lounges.

I recently flew from HGK to BKK on TG, connecting on QF from BKK to SYD in F, and wanted to use the Wing, on the grounds that I flew on the same day with a OW carrier, and had the emerald level with IB. CX refused access, claiming that it has to be on the same day with an OW carrier from the airport where the lounge is used. True or false?

Thanks

I have a little oneworld booklet called "Transfer Guide", which I got a couple of years ago...dunno if they have a newer version of it...but in this guide it does say "At peak periods, access to certain lounges may be restricted due to capacity constraints. Access is available on the day of departure when your next onward flight is with a oneworld member airline.."...so I guess CX is probably right...

"Maybe restricted due to capàcity constraints" : Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ! Who decides ? I am the mercy of the check in staff. Next onward flight is with OW member airline. In my case the next flight was not,but the next ONWARD flight was.

I guess the WING is far too nice to let in guys from Iberia !

I have got a Star Alliance Gold from Varig. Equivalent to a OW Sapphire /Emerald, as in Star Alliance the upper worldwide level is Star Alliance Gold.

Usually outside my own continent I am always more than welcome to use Star Alliance lounges though sometimes I am not using *A fligts. I like being welcomed with a warm smile from the staff when I show them my *A Gold card.

From my experience OW is much more strict.

I think Star used to have a similar rule, that if you have a same-day F ticket, you have access to "all lounges from point of origin to final destination"...but if you have a C ticket, it says "Business Class customers will be given lounge access by providing a boarding pass for the segments to be flown"...don't know if there's a subtle difference in there...but they did use these different phrases to describe...anyway, I don't seem to be able to find these phrases again anywhere now...

just curious, Zorro, if you were planning to go to The Wing, why didn't you take CX instead of TG in the first place from HKG-BKK ? I think CX has very good frequency too on this route ? or, even just HKG-SYD direct on CX (maybe you need to be in BKK) ?

I think CX is usually pretty good in bending the rules a little bit at The Wing, e.g. letting extra guests in...however, if CX lets you in, QF would need to pay...I doubt in your case QF would agree to pay CX anything if according to their rules you really need to be on an oneworld flight departing from HKG...

I suggest, if you are in a similar situation next time, go to the QF counter and ask for a lounge invitation, since you are flying with them...if QF gives it to you, great, that means QF agrees to pay and you can get into The Wing just with the invitation, no question at all...otherwise, it's more a problem with QF, and not CX, not willing to pay this little extra even though you are taking an F flight with them that day...

I got one too and it had a copyright of like 1999 in LAX AA Admirlas club, so there probably is not a newer version.

CX did not bar me from the Wing in Feb. when I connected from a UA flight from JFK and then onwards on CX to TPE. Never have I been denied access there.

Sorry, no idea how to edit these posts. The following 2 paras were from tedhl, afterwards my response

just curious, Zorro, if you were planning to go to The Wing, why didn't you take CX instead of TG in the first place from HKG-BKK ? I think CX has very good frequency too on this route ? or, even just HKG-SYD direct on CX (maybe you need to be in BKK) ?

I think CX is usually pretty good in bending the rules a little bit at The Wing, e.g. letting extra guests in...however, if CX lets you in, QF would need to pay...I doubt in your case QF would agree to pay CX anything if according to their rules you really need to be on an oneworld flight departing from HKG...

I flew TG because it gave the best connection, about 1h 20 min in BKK between flights. CX would have been 2 hours earlier or one hour later, which would not have given me enough time either for my meetings in HKG, or missing my connection in BKK.

The reason for flying through BKK instaed of going direct is the price. BA/QF charge 99,000 Baht for First BKK/SYD return, and TG is about 12,000 Baht in J return BKK-HKG. BKK-HKG-SYD-BKK fully flexible in F comes to 150,000 Baht.

The argument about QF having to pay CX raises an interesting question: Is the carrier responsible, or the issuer of the Emerald Card ? I then should have been admitted as QF F Pax, even with no membership at all, or as Y Pax, with the emerald card ?



[This message has been edited by Zorro (edited 05-17-2001).]

as far as I understand, it does not matter which airline you are an elite with...it's the airline that you are flying who pays...so, being a F/J passenger on the flight or an emerald/sapphire with any oneworld carriers determines your lounge access eligibility...but it is always the carrier you are flying that day (or, probably to be more exact, the next onward flight http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) who pays...

so, your 2nd question is not really that relevant in their accounting...although I am not too sure about codeshares...whether the "operating" airline or the "marketing" airline pays...

[This message has been edited by tedhl (edited 05-17-2001).]

don't know rules, but have always been allowed access to lounges w/ ongoing ticket & exp status, even on discounted coach. i suspect that that with a ticket on a non partner, one would not get access. seems reasonable to me.

how do i keep ffom posting dupes?

[This message has been edited by clacko (edited 05-18-2001).]

officially you should not be able to use the Wing, unless as they said, they were loopholes or they do it by discretion (cx always follow the book)