Do * members really give *Gold the same recognition ?
 

Is there a real recognition of the *Gold status among member airlines ?

For instance, on a busy flight, how does the priority system work ( first own airline's FF even with lower status or status first) ?

I'm especially interested in LH and UA attitude towards other *A Gold. I got an upgrade on LH with my PremEx card...would that happen with my SQ Gold ?

can someone shed a light on this ?

Thanks

LL

I have experience upgrades on airlines I only hold *Gold on...one case to 1st on UA NRT-PEK.

I really like the ability to check-in @ biz or 1st counters and beat the lines when travelling on non-J fares (intra-Europe pleasure travel for me).

Also, the luggage additions are nice...+1 bag.

Additionally, on UA I am always asked my meal choice 1st (often to my embarrassment).

Dorian



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Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
Blondebomber's Star Alliance Comparison Chart: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

No equal treatment for sure for all StarGold-members by different StarAlliance-members. I can compare best between UA's Mileage Plus 1K and LH's miles&more Senators

a Senator flying paid eco with/on UA or LH (compared with a 1K) :

check-in-line: [*]UA: Senator = Premier line, 1K = special 1K -line[*]LH: all Star Gold at the first-class counter

lounges:: [*]UA: no Senator access to 1K-lounges[*]LH: all Star Gold = Senator lounge (not only business-lounge)

automatic upgrades on UA-Shuttle flights only for 1K (not for Senators)

guaranteed seats': [*]UA: I am not aware of any guaranteed seats-policy for 1K or Senator[*]LH: seat guarantee for Senators (not for other StarGold) when booking 24 hours in advance for paid bus/first, 48 hours for paid eco, when flying internationally

But there are great, shared benefits for being StarAllianceGold like:[*]1 extra piece and 10 extra kg of check-in luggage[*]1 extra piece for hand-luggage[*]lounge access when fling same day[*]priority luggage (in my experience works really faster only in about 66% of my flights)[*]and, in general, airline-staffs are more ready to make an extra effort for you on/with any StarAlliance carrier

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 09-27-2000).]

thanks Dorian and Rudi

Rudi, you wrote that *gold have access to LH senator lounge...I was in Frankfurt last Sunday and was denied access to it even though I've got a UA PremEx card...and ended up in a so crowded business lounge that I left for the comfort of the waiting lounge at the gate!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

LL

[This message has been edited by LordLuck (edited 09-27-2000).]

If you had ANY *A sameday upcoming boarding pass departing from FRA you were ripped off. FRA Senator lounge always lets me in on my *Gold card.

Dorian



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Dorian's Star Alliance RTW Price Chart: http://www.informationlab.com/rtw.htm
Blondebomber's Star Alliance Comparison Chart: http://members.home.net/deercroft/starall00.html

I wonder if it is all * Gold, or just the high end, like AC SE's and UA 1K's?

According to the Star Alliance brochure, All Star Gold get to use Senator, Business and Frequent Traveller Lounges when departing on a Star Alliance carrier.

Brochure doesn't agree with the Star Alliance website but website is horribly out of date and doesn't even include Super Elite as getting Senator access which is explicit in SE member guide.

I had posted on another thread these links:

If you don't have a copy of the Star Alliance brochure that Rudi has been passing out you can see some of the pages that I have scanned (lower quality but readable at about 275k each) at:
http://members.home.net/deercroft/cover.jpg -- cover showing date of publication July 99

http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure1.jpg -- intro--"we recognize your right to special treatment"

http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure2.jpg -- "additional baggage up to a total of three items.

http://members.home.net/deercroft/brochure3.jpg -- lounge access "Star Alliance Gold gets you into Red Carpet Club Lounges if you read this chart!" Also shows that you get extra baggage privileges.

[This message has been edited by BlondeBomber (edited 09-28-2000).]

LLuck-- LH upgrade using PremEx card... hmm, could you elaborate? As to the treatment of golds, I can say that *A Golds get no (zilch) special treatment with SQ. We've already discussed the lounge thing, so that pretty much leaves out the more relevant perks. Perhaps with baggage, a Gold *A will get you some flexibility with SQ over what is a published benefit.



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Gaucho100K

Flew LAX to Los Cabos last week on Mexicana .. new member. Flashed the Star Gold card (ex UA!) and we both got upgrades to Mexico. No-one else in the cabin. Coach packed. Veuve Cliquot etc. Latin airlines usually guard up front seats like Gold.

Moral of the story .. "never hurts to ask"! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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~ Glen ~

As BlondeBomber noted, the UA brochure doesn't agree with Star's website.

Other threads here and on the UA and SQ boards talk about lack of lounge access to some SQ lounges, even though UA's book says that RCC members and C/F international flyers can get into at least some SQ lounges. Have you checked the Star website? It recognizes SQ as a partner, but doesn't state that elites or club members on other airlines get any access to SQ lounges -- judging from Star's site, access is a one-way street for Singapore Air.

I have been upgraded to business on Air NZ several times and so have a couple of *GoldUA family members.A good friend was travelling business on LH last week and got bumped to first so it really is worth having. can hardly wait to travel as UA1K soon im doing my last 4000 for 84 next week!!

I agree on the LH lounge access policy at FRA in regard to who it lets in and who it doesn't.
My experiences have been posted in other threads:

- no SEN access when in C class on two class aircraft connecting to revenue F
- no SEN access when on arriving UA flight in F

are two of the most annoying examples.

I think the LH(SEnator-lounge) policy is exactly to the official rules, as far as I know and learned them (but I also know that the informations given on different websites (StarAllaince) and individual Star-members, are often (always?) incomplete, faulty/wrong.

The official rules are: StarGold have access to Senator lounges, when presenting a same day departing boarding pass on LH (in any class).

In my opinion it is 'unreasonable' to ask from any StarAlliance carrier, to just let 'in' any StarGold-member without same-day boarding pass for that particular carrier (the carrier with the best lounge would be 'punished', as most Gold-members would then choose that lounge and the best lounge would be always overcrowded - without 'income/pay-back' for that carrier.

Rudi:

1. The trend seems to be that in new airports and also where possible, they are trying to combine the lounges of the Star airlines.

2. The "best" lounge is not punished because Star has a system of charging each other for their elite's lounge access, but only if they can be bothered. Singapore Airlines seems to be doing this quite laboriously; all 4 times I was in various SQ lounges they remembered to take down my AC Elite details etc.

I feel like I live in the Senator lounges at FRA. I can't remember ever showing anything but my lowly gold UA Premier Exec card. They are always very cheerful. I've always walked in without any hesitation or questions.

Outside of check in lines - which are great - I really didn't see much of a differnce in service on LH. I like what I saw about Mexicana air, my wife and I have a few Mexicana air flights upcoming.

What I think is unreasonable however is LH not allowing a *A Gold on a revenue ticket access to the Senator lounge just because the connecting sector is in C. There are no F sectors out of LHR on LH, so the Senator lounge remains just for Senators!

I also take exception to not being allowed into the Senator lounge at FRA when I've flown in revenue F, am connecting to LH on revenue C and am *A Gold.

I guess this is all history as my LH SEN has come through.

All StarGold get access to all LH Senator lounges, if they present a same day departing boarding pass on LH 8in any class)!

Rudi - yes I think that you've described the policy it's just seems that LH only let 1K's in to Senator lounges with LH C boarding passes.

Rudi's right again. I just returned from another FRA trip and paid a bit more attention to what was asked of me to get into the Senator lounge.

I showed my UA Premier Exec *Gold card. Then I was asked to show my boarding pass, or even my ticket, if I planned to check in later, for a same day departure. I showed my boarding pass for a UA flight that was to depart in a couple of hours. I was warmly welcomed in. So I think the same-day ticket/boarding pass is all that's required with a *Gold card.

Regarding Senator lounge access for *G, I have always gotten in no question at FRA (and at LHR) by showing my card, but I usually show my card and boarding pass (flying LH) just in case -never had a problem.

Regarding SQ - Got in just fine to the MEL SilverKris lounge, and to one at SIN with my *G card - they even let me bring 2 guests into MEL (which is groundside, not airside) which was nice.

Last week I flew into BKK and Thai were *very* careful to note down my card details - seems the asian carriers do this more than anyone else. I also was amused to drop into the SK Scandinavian lounge at BKK which says it is *only* for eurobonus golds (which are * gold) but revenue C class pax should go to the Thai lounge. The bored woman helped me out though (there was *noone* in the SK lounge, and it looked nice - free internet too vs. charges at TG!).

Oddest *G experience was last week at PER flying out on TG. TG has no lounge there, SQ was closed so I got sent to the QF Club! LOL When I got there they lookefd my UA card up and down and had to confer (guess they don't see many!). Finally they zapped my bp through a card reader (cool!) and said it was okay even though I was "the enemy" hehehehe http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


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UA 1P MEL

Don't confuse lounge access granted on a reciprocal basis with RCC membership, or even J/C/F tickets, with that granted as *Gold. These are generally different from * Alliance privileges. I have gotten access to LH Senator lounge in Berlin and FRA with my *Gold status, even as an AC Elite [actually as a Cdn+Gold]. I posted a similar thread a month or two ago on both STAR and ONEWORLD to see what experiences have been on other alliance carriers when having upper elite status in a partner's program. You might want to check those posts out too, LordLuck.

Flew Varig last week Chile to Brazil. Tried very hard for upgrades, but no dice. Nice lounge there in Sao Paulo tho, and as it was New Year's Eve, receptionist handed us both a beautifully gift boxed champagne bottle she was giving to those who used the lounge which was the TWO of us and one other for for a 70 minute layover! Very nice touch, and Varig were not just keeping the goodies for their own Golds. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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~ Glen ~

I am a newly-minted UA Premier Executive (*G) and I have a trip to Finland on SAS later this month. I doubt I will have received my card by then. Any idea if my status as printed on the boarding pass will get me into the lounge (and which lounge)? Possible airports of interest are EWR, HEL, ARN, and CPH.

if the boarding pass shows Star Gold (*G) you have access at HEL, ARN, and CPH to the Scandinavian lounge (which is slightly better then the already very nice SK business class lounge).

Except that I won't be in Business Class! (or better). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Thanks, Rudi... I considered sending you this question via e-mail in the first place, but I decided that the answer might be useful to others, and that you would probably be the one to answer anyway! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

RichG .. CLASS of service is irrelevant is the good news for you... gold is gold is gold and you thus have access to all the lounges Rudi mentions by showing your Gold * card - on SAS or in fact ANY Star partner. See p30 of current UA timetable for grid of what your are entitled to and where. Final table.

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~ Glen ~

but RichG can't take the 'lounge' comfort on (eco-) board ... (that's how I read(interprete his posting).

.

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 01-07-2001).]

Ive just been told that Mexicana gives its Frequenta Gold members, and *A Gold members automatic upgrades to C for all domestic travel (subject to space available).

I will check this out and inform.

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Gaucho100K

Gaucho - we flew MEX to and from Los Cabos in September from LAX on cheapie coach tix. Got upgraded one way by flashing the * Gold card, and not the other, but 50% strike rate is better than 0%. Air NZ did it (upgraded free) both ways Aust-NZ in November, or REAL cheap tix, so pays to try! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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~ Glen ~

[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 01-07-2001).]

That would be great if true Gaucho! I have been buying J tickets lately anyway but might save a few bucks and still fly up front. Have been on quite a few flights where the front cabin was not full.

BB-- I agree, MX seems to have very little load in front, also on their several USA-MEX routes. But, I think that the automatic upgrades is for domestic routes only, although from what Ozstamps & others have reported, they are also quite generous on international segments.


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Gaucho100K

Gaucho--any word on the upgrade situation. I am going to test it out the end of next week (be in MEX twice on Saturday the 20th).

BB-- sorry, but Ive been doing AeroMexico segments lately (booking them to my Skymiles account) and I dont have status on SkyTeam, so I cant tell you. But, my Mexican colleagues tell me that Aeromexico will automatically upgrade you to C if you have elite level in the SkyTeam alliance, also subject to space.

BB -- I already put in a good word for you. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Should be easy enough to upgrade, by request. On Friday afternoon, ORD-GDL was almost full in Y, while only 2 (of 12) seats in J were occupied. (One by me, of course.) And on GDL-SFO Friday evening I was the only person in J class (same 12 seats.)

Thanks Ken--we'll see what happens.

Well so far so good. Got the important o/n flight ORD-MEX upgraded. No problem but the flight was oversold and I was the FIRST person to get a boarding pass.

Looks like room on PVR flights but agent did not automatically give - will try at gate. Am in domestic lounge now--nobody else on these 4 computers.

Free computers? Well you CERTAINLY are not in a RCC then! " © Designed proudly by Aeorflot to United's exact specifications."

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~ Glen ~