ah, ok. More widespread than I, or SAS aparatchiks at MAN thought. I'm using my mobile and can't search the thread.

Vote with your wallet if you can, any of the Lufthansa group airlines will give you lounge access with a Star gold card at MAN.

Turkish and TAP, too, in the terminal they share with SAS.

I read the article by the airline's floppy blonde CCO on board the flight. Ever so slightly disingenuous, he says they aren't closing any SAS lounges: which of course is true, as far as it goes.

But he IS, of course, closing access to a wide network of third party lounges.

I guess we'll never know the cost/benefit results of the move. I guess the FB CCO has worked out that although the Manchesters on his network support routes to SAS hubs, there's little direct competition - so we are stuck with SAS or a lengthy detour.

To be honest I found the last few Ask Eivind issues rather insulting and arrogant, especially the January issue. (where he tells the customers it is their fault they didn't think on buying a bag in time on their HBO-fare). Funny enough that issue has been removed from the website:

https://scandinaviantraveler.com/en/tag/ask-eivind

In the beginning when they started the Ask Eivind series he tried to say: We are doing great thing! Now, he is saying: We are cutting service, get along with it and don't complain.

+1. The article concerning the contract lounges was ace, though: basically we are annoying the vast majority (if not all of them) of our G/D frequent flyers just for the sake of revamping a couple of lounges (ARN, EWR, OSL), hence rewarding those flying out of the airports in question... There couldn't be better reason, Eivind - we entirely understand ^ :rolleyes:

G

Lounge access is one of key factors when selecting carriers for me. Less lounges, less times I will pick SK.

March experience from PRG (supposed to be discontinued as of 1 Feb 2017): Indifferent SAS Plus / *G check-in staff with no idea about lounge access, nor with any effort to provide information. Screens at lounge entrance showing SAS logo, boarding pass scanned, entry permitted. Interesting, but of course, no complaints about it. :-)

Report from GVA: Fast track still works for EBG/EBD - AND Plus-travellers without status. Plus also still have lounge acces.

The fast track saved several of us 50-55 minutes last week.

Yday saw SAS Plus pax denied access in MIA (Avianca *A lounge). Lady at the front desk said LH Plus pax aren't allowed either. Not sure if this helped :)

In the US Plus pax never had any access to lounges except for SK's own lounges. And actually at LH you can AFAIK buy access for 25€ per person and lounge visit. But maybe that is then another lounge in MIA.

I think, GVA works because it is a GOLD TRACK, official *A benefit.

I've just been having a chat with one of the lounge dragons here at Birmingham (flying good-old Lufty today) and she told me that there's still a significant flow as a result of people who are not yet aware of the changes and go to the lounge regardless, allegedly many get quite upset as well when they are shown the way out (God knows what's the point in getting upset with the dragons at a contracted lounge but hey...).

G

Any recent experience with access to Plaza Premium lounge at HKG when in Plus (but no elite FFP status to access UA, TG or SQ lounges) on SK964 to ARN?

I’m not so sure that it is a *A Gold fast track. At least I don’t remember having seen any Gold-sign.

Anyway, I posted because SAS itself seems to think it is not a Star-facility. Fast track at GVA was exterminated in this document: https://classic.sas.se/upload/pdf/Lo...Track-2017.pdf
– where it is called third party service.

Some times et is good, that SAS not always do what it promises....

acording to staralliance website, it is.