I am heading out in a couple of days on a *A award trip via AC miles. The trip is first class the entire way where it is available AUS-ORD (UA - F), ORD-ZRH (LX - F ), ZRH-LHR (LX - C) and then returning LHR-FRA (LH - C), FRA-IAD (LH - F), IAD-AUS (UA - wl F). I no longer have *G status as I switched from UA to AA as my main carrier last year.

Reading *A T&Cs it looks like I will not be allowed lounge access in AUS at the start or IAD on the return. Is that correct?

You'll have lounge access everywhere on that ticket. Don't worry!

That is what I expect to happen but just reading all the horror stories here has got me concerned. Most especially with the final connection in IAD. *A is very particular that lounge access is only granted for same day international departures. My only big layover is in IAD for about 3 hours on my return. As the next leg will be domestic F then by the *A T&Cs I'm out of luck. Or am I reading something wrong?

International First Class Customers: Customers have access to International First Class and/or any Star Alliance member carriers' own lounges.

* Customer must present a boarding card for the same day travel in international First Class on a Star Alliance flight
* Customer must be departing from the local airport in International First Class
* Customer is entitled to one guest



I am hoping that LH gets their new lounge at IAD open by the 26th as I'm confident they would let an arriving F pax in. I am not nearly as confident with the RCC dragons.

Since you are no longer a Star Gold, under the new Star Alliance lounge access rules, you are correct that you will not have lounge access at AUS. You also will not have lounge access at IAD on your return.

I agree about LH if its lounge is open, but, if not, you can always try at the RCC. Worst they will say is no.

That is how I read it too. Overall quite disappointing. Guess I'll just have to use some charm and hold onto my red LH boarding card.

Surely, if holding either a C or F boarding pass, then the passenger should be able to access a lounge on those grounds, regardless of *A status?

Yes, there is lounge access for F or C boarding pass, but under the new rules access is granted only in the airport of departure, not arrival.

So, without *G membership and if flying a mono-class segment, you're pretty much SOL.

And it has to be an international departure (at least for those in the USA) as domestic first class awards don't get you into the *A lounges.

Of course the same would be true if you paid for a first class ticket. I would be really pissed if I spent $8k on a LH F/cl ticket to Austin only to find out that on the UA codeshare leg I do not have the right to enter a lounge. What a surefire way to lose F/cl customers.

Hey, it's an RCC. The worse they will say is "come on in".

^ +1

That made me laugh. (But it's also true, which is sad.)

I wasn't aware of that, it's pretty tough.

I'm not quite sure if this is just poor wording but the correct interpretation is that *G members of US based airlines need to be on an international departure before being able to enter a *A lounge. For example I will be flying TPA-ORD but will have lounge entry privelidges as I'm *G with a non US based airline.

Just an update. I managed to talk my way into the RCC at Dulles but the agent on duty made it clear that he was only doing it because I asked nicely and that *A rules did not require him to. Next time I think I'll just skip the whole *A thing and fly Virgin Upperclass. I hear there lounges are great.

On a side note, on my flight home my seat mate in first was my US Congressman. Ended up having a three hour conversation with him. My first ever celebrity conversation in several hundred thousand miles of flights.