Scoob72

Many thanks for reading and my apologies for what will seem a stupid question to many — I just can’t seem to find a definitive answer (and I’m new to *G status).

I have SQ Gold Elite status — would this be enough to allow me access to the SQ F lounge at LHR T-2 when flying a SWISS business flight?

Any pointers much appreciated!

SilverChris

No F access, only J.

bpk6h

The SQ lounge (in 2B) is also quite some distance from where Swiss flights depart (2A). It's doable for the motivated but it's a hike to go out to 2B and back.

For the sake of completeness, *G status does not give you access to the SQ F lounge even when flying SQ. The F lounge is accessible to F/Suites pax and SQ's PPS Solitaire members.

Scoob72

SilverChris, many thanks for this -- much appreciated.

Scoob72

bpk6h - many thanks indeed for the clarification re access.

(I'm starting to wonder what good *G actually is, especially considering, say, BA Gold/OW Emerald seems more valuable, e.g. F lounge access even on Y bookings. Clearly in error, I'd thought the same perks may be true of *G, but really, if I am already on a J (airmiles) ticket then I don't see what *G status provides me with beyond the odd *G lounge here and there.)

Thanks in any case, bpk6h, for your input -- very much appreciated.

williamluk

you are not wrong, *A is actually quite dysfunctional compared to OW. A lot of perks (e.g., advanced preferred seat selection) you took for granted in OW are not available to *A on a cross airlines basis.

SilverChris

It's not an apples to apples comparison. *G is more of a OWS equivalent, and there's no *A-wide OWE equivalent.

*G does get you into LH Group Senator lounges, which are marginally better than their regular J lounges. Still by no means F standards, though.

lokijuh

Not directly related to OP's question, but not entirely off topic of access to LHR F lounge... when recently traveling out of LHR on LH to connect to SQ out of FRA (all in J) I did politely enquire, if as (Supplementary) Solitaire, whether my same day SQ FRA-SIN BP would grant me access to the F part of the lounge. Of course in my heart of hearts I knew what the answer would be, and whilst it wasn't specifically "cannot-lah" it was very much a British English translation of that phrase.

FWIW, I did spent some time in the SQ J lounge, before moving back to the 2A gates and briefly visiting the LH lounge. The SQ lounge was much quieter, cooler and more pleasant at the time of day I was there (mid-late afternoon), so did not regret the time I took to get out to 2B and back (which was only about 5-6 minutes each way, not the signposted 15 mins).

Kacee

*G also allows you to use LX F check-in line, plus of course the extra baggage allowance. I find it most useful when flying Y intra-Europe.

In the US, it will also get you access to *A lounges when flying UA domestic.

Scoob72

Many thanks again, SilverChris.

I fly through FRA, MUC & ZRH reasonably frequently, so at least this SEN lounge perk is worth knowing about. Thank you.

Scoob72

Kacee -- many thanks for posting these tidbits. Also very good to know. Thank you.

RayG

It’s funny you should say that as Lufthansa’s Senator lounge is technically classed as a “First Class Lounge” in *A parlance — First tickets also get you differing access, cf an NH or a SQ F pax getting “only” Sen lounge access whereas LH F wld get you vastly superior NH Suite or SKL F lounge access at NH’s and SQ’s respective home bases.

roc83

well technically the LH F / HON lounge is more equivalent to SQ Private room, I would say even better than SQ private room and LH F pax wont get access to this. So one can say that access at least on LH/SQ side is similar. Yes SQ F lounge is better than LH SEN, but similar you can say for SQ J lounge compared to LH Biz lounge

RayG

Appreciate your perspective but not sure I agree. My point was around the muddled relationship you have within *A airlines (There are backend benefits *A carriers enjoy like rev sharing etc, which don’t make too much impact to pax, but that is by the by).

Additionally, it is the case that LH F and J pax are getting better lounge offerings in SQ‘s and NH‘s hubs by comparison - so not equal by a long shot — last time I checked, neither SEN not LH C lounges offered champagne, for example, or more made to order dishes, both of which exist at SKLs (More of an observation rather than something which would make a difference in my choice of carrier).

On a side note (and more on topic) *A F pax do get access to SKL F in outstations also, like at LHR.

I am not expecting FCT (where the USP is the ground logistics rather than their F&B, which I can take or leave) to open up to everyone. I do feel LH are getting off lightly by offering a kf gold standard lounge in the form of Sen/LH Biz to *A premium pax.

SQ‘s offering at SIN at least attempts to offer differentiation for premium *A pax, whereas LH can barely be bothered.

roc83

Well I guess we can all agree that the LH lounge offering is mediocre (except FCT/FCL) but this is not coz of discriminating other *A pax, but more as LH itself doesn’t want to offer something better (even to its own pax)

And the same is true for LH where *A F pax do get access to LH SEN lounge which is the designated First Class Lounge

Well technically LH also offers differentiation by offering a lounge and not let you wait in the duty free area lol. And the service LH offers to its own premium pax is no different than what they offer to *A premium pax. On the other SQ has a slightly different philosophy by offering much poorer experiences for *A Gold members who travel in economy as those only get access to KFG lounge which many *A Gold members dislike (although I like this approach). For LH this is different - but this is sth each airline likes to do different. Furthermore many airlines do not have dedicated first class lounges in the *A network as they are not offering first class anymore (e.g., UA, AC, etc.)

I agree that this alliance benefit is much better at oneworld - on the other hand if implementing something like this I am not sure if real first class lounges like FCT/FCL and private room would then be established as it would be too costly - I think most of oneworld F lounges are by far inferior vs. FCT/FCL or Private Room