SAS Lounge Options Amsterdam (AMS)
Apr 20, 2022, 9:04 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Probably not too far away from wherever you are
Programs: SAS EBD, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, United MileagePlus Silver, AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 173
FYI on Star Alliance lounge in AMS & Aspire Lounge
At the airport in Amsterdam and I thought that I would make use of the Star Alliance lounge. It's a lovely space.
The lounge is closed sadly, but they point most Star Alliance Gold card members to the Aspire Lounge next door.
Guess which is the only Star Alliance partner with Star Alliance Gold members that aren't allowed to use the Aspire Lounge because the airline refused to sign the agreement to allow them to use the lounge? Here is a hint...the airline code is SK
. This is according to the lounge agent.
At this point, no one should be surprised that SAS is so anti-customer that they won't even temporarily sign an agreement that their alliance partners have due to the closed lounge situation. But it is disappointing nonetheless. At this point, what I am surprised at is that the Star Alliance hasn't asked SAS to leave the alliance since they don't even seem interested in doing what their alliance partners consider to be the bare minimum.
The silver lining if you have a Priority Pass membership is that Aspire accepts that. So I got into the lounge in the end. But it's the principle that the stinginess of SAS seems to know no lower bounds.
The lounge is closed sadly, but they point most Star Alliance Gold card members to the Aspire Lounge next door.
Guess which is the only Star Alliance partner with Star Alliance Gold members that aren't allowed to use the Aspire Lounge because the airline refused to sign the agreement to allow them to use the lounge? Here is a hint...the airline code is SK
. This is according to the lounge agent.At this point, no one should be surprised that SAS is so anti-customer that they won't even temporarily sign an agreement that their alliance partners have due to the closed lounge situation. But it is disappointing nonetheless. At this point, what I am surprised at is that the Star Alliance hasn't asked SAS to leave the alliance since they don't even seem interested in doing what their alliance partners consider to be the bare minimum.
The silver lining if you have a Priority Pass membership is that Aspire accepts that. So I got into the lounge in the end. But it's the principle that the stinginess of SAS seems to know no lower bounds.
Apr 20, 2022, 9:40 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Oslo, Norway
Programs: SK Diamond *G
Posts: 42
Guess which is the only Star Alliance partner with Star Alliance Gold members that aren't allowed to use the Aspire Lounge because the airline refused to sign the agreement to allow them to use the lounge? Here is a hint...the airline code is SK . This is according to the lounge agent.
. This is according to the lounge agent.- Austrian
- LOT
- Swiss
- TAP
- Lufthansa
- SAS
Apr 20, 2022, 9:44 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Probably not too far away from wherever you are
Programs: SAS EBD, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, United MileagePlus Silver, AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 173
As far as I can see, "the only airline" with flights from Amsterdam Schipol that is not listed at https://www.staralliance.com/en/lounge-finder is:
- Austrian
- LOT
- Swiss
- TAP
- Lufthansa
- SAS
Apr 20, 2022, 5:54 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Denmark
Programs: EBD (*G) & Delta Gold Medallion (STE+)
Posts: 158
May 27, 2022, 2:04 am
#7
Join Date: May 2008
Location: ARN
Posts: 3,472
Guess which is the only Star Alliance partner with Star Alliance Gold members that aren't allowed to use the Aspire Lounge because the airline refused to sign the agreement to allow them to use the lounge? Here is a hint...the airline code is SK . This is according to the lounge agent.
. This is according to the lounge agent.
May 29, 2022, 2:41 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Probably not too far away from wherever you are
Programs: SAS EBD, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, United MileagePlus Silver, AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 173
I just noticed this thread. When reading your comments, i get the impression that you think that it's the type of gold card which determines your access. Which is not correct. It's the airline that you're flying with that signs the contract and which determines your access. So, if you're flying Air Canada with a SAS gold card, you get access. But if you're flying SAS with a Miles and More gold card, you don't get access.
Having flown the AMS route a few times now (most recently 10 days ago), the larger issue is that with the *A lounge being closed, this lounge now often gets overcrowded with the few *A airlines that are allowed to use it. Combined with all of the other lounge programmes allowed to access it, they often have to turn people away during rush hours. I had a 50/50 entry success rate on four attempts.
Hopefully the proper *A lounge opens soon and this becomes a non-issue again 😊
May 29, 2022, 11:44 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: EuroBonus Diamond, Delta Skymiles 360, BAEC LTG, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 2,828
Mind that SK moved to the B-gates at AMS which is a significant walk from the StarAlliance lounge. It was better when they used C-gates but that is no longer the case it seems.
Jun 1, 2022, 5:04 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: EuroBonus Diamond, Delta Skymiles 360, BAEC LTG, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 2,828
AMS with SkyPriority is pretty swift despite the coach queues, I can't speak for *A since it uses a different security. The worst thing currently is passport control since AMS does not operate priority queues for passport control so you either waste a lot of time there or jump the queue when you're getting last minute and the security staff will put you in the front.
Jun 1, 2022, 6:19 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2022
Programs: EBG
Posts: 8
Thrice in the recent weeks I have talked to the agent at the entrance to the Aspire lounge, and they insist that it is the airline owning FF program which decides upon admittance. That is why I was denied entry while flying on LX, LH, OS with EBG status. SAS customer service confirmed that in a way, saying that indeed they did not sign agreement with Aspire, and therefore I did not get access. Moreover, they stated that no such contract will be signed in the future. Basically we have to wait until the SA lounge reopens.
Re queues at AMS: much better last week, but people say it might get worse again, so difficult to predict
Re queues at AMS: much better last week, but people say it might get worse again, so difficult to predict
Jun 1, 2022, 6:25 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,980
Thrice in the recent weeks I have talked to the agent at the entrance to the Aspire lounge, and they insist that it is the airline owning FF program which decides upon admittance. That is why I was denied entry while flying on LX, LH, OS with EBG status. SAS customer service confirmed that in a way, saying that indeed they did not sign agreement with Aspire, and therefore I did not get access. Moreover, they stated that no such contract will be signed in the future. Basically we have to wait until the SA lounge reopens.
Re queues at AMS: much better last week, but people say it might get worse again, so difficult to predict
Re queues at AMS: much better last week, but people say it might get worse again, so difficult to predict
Jun 1, 2022, 6:29 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2022
Programs: EBG
Posts: 8
I would reiterate: SAS has got the same description of the situation from me by mail and confirmed specifically that I have no access to the Aspire lounge no matter which SA airline I am flying, since they have no contract with it. You may well be right, but I am quoting the SK...