sidhome

Hi,
I am flying from JFK to Qatar and booked a business class lite fare through Qatar (though my flight is actually on AA) . I know i wont have lounge access in Doha but do i still get AA lounge access in JFK

Thanks

Schwann

Yes you would.

AirbusA350

Unless you have oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status, I don’t believe you will be permitted lounge access with a QR 157 P class ticket. Based on the oneworld lounge access policy, it appears AY’s Business Light and QR’s Business Lite tickets are excluded from access based on cabin. However if you do have Sapphire or Emerald status, you will be permitted into oneworld lounges globally except in Doha where you’ll only be permitted into the Gold or Platinum lounges based on your status but not Al Mourjan.

Whilst @Schwann generally provides some excellent advice, I’m not sure they’re correct here. I’m happy to be corrected if indeed I’ve misinterpreted things. However, despite being an AA operated sector from JFK, the underlying ticket is a QR 157 P class ticket, presumably with a QR codeshare also. Therefore, this would still not be eligible for lounge access without the passenger either paying for access or having status.

This exclusion is detailed in the following link: https://www.oneworld.com/airport-lounges

See this link which answers the specific query about codeshare flights also: https://www.qatarairways.com/tradeportal/en/NewFareFamilies.html

Schwann

Apologies if I've got it wrong!

_kurt

That is how the rules read. But, I can’t recall seeing any stories of someone who was in an AA international business cabin being denied access to an AA lounge regardless of codeshare or fare type. I thought class-of-service based lounge access was up to the operating carrier in OneWorld? Hopefully we can get some first-hand reports!

AirbusA350

Yes it is usually, except on AY’s Light and QR’s Lite fares which has been explicitly mentioned on oneworld’s website as an exclusion (in the absence of Sapphire and above status) just like how BA’s HBO fares aren’t eligible for status based extra allowance. However, broadly speaking, it isn’t solely based on operating carrier alone when it comes to lounge access across oneworld. For example, unless a specific lounge access agreement is in place, a non-oneworld marketed but oneworld operated flight may not necessarily be eligible for lounge access either in certain scenarios.

Coming back to OP’s scenario, whether AA’s systems are sophisticated enough to detect the Lite ticket is a different matter, however at least according to publicly available information - both oneworld policy as well as QR’s ticket T&Cs policy, it does appear that OP wouldn’t be permitted access assuming they don’t have status on top.