Enter lounge without card?
 

I just got gold card from one Star Alliance member but haven't received the card yet. As this is my first this status level, I was wondering if I'm able to enter lounge later this week when flying in KL and BKK without the card? Do I just show the membership number from website or? Thanks!

I never use a card to enter the lounge. Gold, SEN or something else will be printed on your boarding pass and be enough. In contract lounges they might ask for your freq flyer number. Enjoy :)

if your boarding pass has *G details, you don't need to show your card.

Enter lounge without card?
 

if all else fails, my United app has a virtual card you can display.. maybe your carrier does the same?

Many of us can tell a different story. Certain lounges are renowned for insisting on seeing the card. You should always carry your card.

I've actually had difficulty with TG, although that was at an outstation (KBV). BKK I think will probably be okay so long as the number is printed on the BP. KUL I don't know.

It is silly, but there are certain lounges which require a physical card or at least the e-card from your carrier's app. In the meantime, if you have neither, perhaps your carrier can provide somehing.

If you tell us the locations to which you are traveling in the near term, people here can tell you about current practice at those specific lounges as the chances are that no card of any kind is required.

Keep in mind that the Star Alliance rules REQUIRE that a card be shown if you
are entering by basis of status, rather than by cabin class.

That is no longer true (although some lounge dragons believe that it is). The published policy is:
Lounge Access Policy

Thanks for offering! What about Maple Leaf in FRA with O6*G and no card?

And the fine print from the actual staff guide, by which staff are presumably trained in *A policy, could not be more clear or definitive - there are multiple means of proving status, and the highest available must be honoured ...
http://rg.starallianceemployees.com/lounge-access.html

Star Alliance Gold (SAG) customers travelling in any class

Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned lounges with the Star Alliance Gold logo at the entrance. To gain access:

The customer must present a boarding pass for travel on a Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport;
The customer must present proof of SAG-level status. This is indicated on the boarding pass by XX*G, where XX is the carrier code of the carrier with whom the customer has SAG-level status. If the boarding pass does not show this, but the customer can prove Star Alliance Gold status via valid frequent flyer programme SAG-level card, access must be granted. In cases where the customer does not have the physical card, another valid indication of SAG-level status can be accepted.
Where a discrepancy exists between the loyalty status levels displayed on the frequent flyer programme card, boarding pass, other document presented and/or the Star Alliancem Premium Customer Database, the highest displayed level will be honoured. Example: boarding pass shows xx*S (xx = airline code *S=Star Alliance Silver), but customer presents a valid FFP card showing the Star Alliance Gold logo, customer must be given access to the lounge.

Always consult your supervisor or airline representative before turning away a customer.
A customer who qualifies for lounge access is entitled to bring one guest, who must also have a boarding pass for a Star Alliance flight leaving from the relevant airport the same day.
Note: UA customers may only access the United Clubs within the U.S. when travelling in conjunction with a Star Alliance international flight.


So failing all else, you should be able to request that staff consult the Star Alliance Premium Customer Database (which I am hoping is kept up-to-date ?) or, failing that, their supervisor.

Staff are encouraged to have a link to the guide on their smartphone ...
http://www.star-allianceemployees.co...enceguide.html

Should you want your own copy, the 2015 PDF version is here:
https://portal.staralliance.com/empl...eference-guide

The exact same text as above appears on page 143.

If people can show the rules in these situations perhaps we have a chance of getting more consistency.

Awesome post, thanks!

Generally if I enter a lounge without a guest then they don't ask for my card, but sometimes they do. I've never pushed the issue because I always have it, so don't know if access would have been denied or not. Almost without fail though if I have a guest they ask for the card.

AC generally doesn't need the card. Always have given my BP with *G designation and they just scan the BP.

Actually contract lounge usually require a lounge invite but not your FFP#, your FFP# is irrelevant to them as they can't use your FFP# to bill the airline you are flying !

E.g. UA*G flying BR in HKG, a lounge invite require to enter VS lounge, VS will then send a bill to BR but not UA, since UA has no contract with VS !



+1

Not to mention, sometimes it is not about the lounge, it is about the lounge dragon. One may use the lounge with no problem repeatedly, but on a particular day and particular time, a different lounge dragon may decide he/she wants to see a physical card.

In FRA AC lounge warden's are very friendly so i wouldn't expect any problems.

I do like to give my LH F bp and LH SEN card together and they jokingly said when are you bringing two extra guests in?