Question: Flying Business Class. Does AC still Allow Contract Lounge Access?
Feb 18, 2020, 4:56 am
#1
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Flying Business Class. Does AC still Allow Contract Lounge Access?
If anyone hasn't heard yet, United stopped allowing access for Star Alliance Gold members if they are not flying Business Class. My head still hurts trying to figure out all of the combinations of yes and no's. I will be flying from LAX -> YYZ -> CDG -> YYZ -> LAX. At CDG, AC has a Maple Leaf Lounge which based on the reviews, isn't that great. But it does look like the American Airlines Admirals Club, which has a much better review, in the same terminal is also a Star Alliance contract lounge. Will I be able to access Admirals Club with my Business Class boarding pass? Or with my Star Alliance Gold Status with Mileage Plus?
Feb 18, 2020, 5:15 am
#2
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No you will not. The AA lounge is a contract lounge for Ethiopian Airlines. You would have to be flying with them to access it.
To clarify the change UA made - where UA offers a contract lounge, they generally now only permit UA J pax to access. *G flying UA O and UA Y class cannot access these lounges.
*A airline operated lounges are not considered contract lounges.
To clarify the change UA made - where UA offers a contract lounge, they generally now only permit UA J pax to access. *G flying UA O and UA Y class cannot access these lounges.
*A airline operated lounges are not considered contract lounges.
Feb 18, 2020, 5:22 am
#3
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Your AC boarding pass will only give you access to the MLL or *A lounges although in a different terminal. There is no point for AC to pay for a contract lounge since they have their own at that airport.
Feb 18, 2020, 6:46 am
#4
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You're flying one of the few intercontinental itineraries that don't start or end in Canada that have an MLL at every airport.
AC contracts other lounges when they don't have their own or a reasonable partner option. You'll have lounge access everywhere, but it will be *A lounges.
AC contracts other lounges when they don't have their own or a reasonable partner option. You'll have lounge access everywhere, but it will be *A lounges.
Feb 18, 2020, 10:51 am
#5
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Contract Lounges
Contract Lounges
At airports where neither a Star Alliance branded lounge nor a Star Alliance member carrier offers a lounge, third party lounges are contracted by some of our member airlines. As a Star Alliance Gold customer travelling on a Star Alliance member airlines operated flight from such airports, you may have access to these third party contract lounges. Please refer to the Lounge Finder to identify which lounges you may have access to, according to the policy of each airline*.
*Check the current policy of the airline with which you are travelling.
In order to gain access to such lounges:
Paid Lounge Membership Customers are not entitled to use contract lounges.
*Check the current policy of the airline with which you are travelling.
In order to gain access to such lounges:
- You will need to show your boarding pass for a flight operated by the Star Alliance member airline that has contracted that lounge.
- If your boarding pass does not show the Star Alliance Gold indicator, you will need to also show a valid Star Alliance Gold card.
- You can bring one guest, who must be travelling on the same Star Alliance flight as you.
Paid Lounge Membership Customers are not entitled to use contract lounges.
Feb 18, 2020, 10:59 am
#6
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Every airport you're at has a Star Alliance lounge, specifically an AC lounge. So the whole business of contract lounges is not applicable.
You have access to the MLLs, and not the AA lounge.
Feb 18, 2020, 11:00 am
#7
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No that is not what we're saying.
Access to contract lounges depends on the operating carrier - some will give *G access, others such as UA do not. I suspect the Star carriers are headed in the direction of devaluing benefits and not giving access - time will tell.
In addition, where there is both a contract lounge and Star Alliance operated lounge, you will generally not have access to the contract lounge at that airport unless you are flying with the airline that has contracted with that lounge (typically because that airline departs from a different part of the airport that is far or inaccessible from the star-operated lounge). If you are flying in Economy class as a Star G on that carrier using the contract lounge, see the paragraph above.
Feb 18, 2020, 11:13 am
#8
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Feb 18, 2020, 5:30 pm
#10
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Regardless, OP is not entitled to access them, since OP is flying AC and AC doesn't contract with those lounges.
Feb 18, 2020, 10:02 pm
#12
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OP, allow me to make this extremely simple for you.
Forgetting all policies - why would AC allow you to access a contract lounge when the Terminal has a MLL?
There is no such thing as Star Alliance contract lounge.
The AA AC at CDG is a Ethiopian Airlines contract lounge. Its contracted access is based on Ethiopian Airlines solely, which has nothing to do with you at all.
No and no. It is not a lounge related to Star Alliance and/or Air Canada.
Forgetting all policies - why would AC allow you to access a contract lounge when the Terminal has a MLL?
The AA AC at CDG is a Ethiopian Airlines contract lounge. Its contracted access is based on Ethiopian Airlines solely, which has nothing to do with you at all.
No and no. It is not a lounge related to Star Alliance and/or Air Canada.
