joshwex90

I'm 99% sure that LX is the culprit here

behuman

The designated *alliance F lounge in ZRH is the SEN lounge. The LX F lounge is clearly excluded: "Except: LH HON/First Class Lounges in FRA/MUC; LX HON/First Class Lounges in ZRH/GVA; OS HON/First Class Lounges in VIE; TG Spa Lounge in BKK" http://www.staralliance.com/en/benef...access-policy/ In practice it is up to LX to grant access to the ZRH F lounge and I understand that the flight has to be ticketed on LX / LH flight numbers. Shouting at Nick will not help nor will boycotting LX/LH.

chinatraderjmr

Yet LH posts the same rules but will not allow anyone in the F lounge unless traveling on LH/LX metal....marketing carrier has nothing to do with it as far as LH is concerned. LH has been getting passengers angry for years for the exact opposite reason.......LH sells code shares with LH flight numbers but operated by UA....Those passengers do not get to use the LH F lounge.........ONLY LH METAL

**your link does not say anything about operating carrier VS marketing carrier.(when it comes to earning miles, its always operating carrier, not marketing carrier to lend more credence to my point) Most of us know LH/LX and TG have special lounges for F passengers on their own flights only.....but that is my point.....regardless of code share or not, it is LX that is flying me across the water

Thats the way it was with LX as well. They have the right to do anything they want but the least they can do is inform passengers, even if by putting a little note in the lounge web page. Passengers should know what they are getting

The reason LH does it my metal and not flight number is they don't want to create 2 separate classes of first class...makes sense. As far as Im concerned, was very easy to fix....I just had UA change my flight numbers from UA to LX, same flights exactly

**Interesting note someone flying on a UA AWARD ticket (say LX J from ZRH-FRA connecting to LH F FRA-LONGHAUL does get lounge access from LX since award tickets are issued on operating carrier. LX does not even offer F awards to UA but if your connecting to/from LH "O" class, you get LX F lounge????

IAN-UK

How easy is it to get that done? I've got 4 hours to kill at ZRH, so the F lounge would be nice before my UA-but-LX-metal flight: but not nice enough to engage in a long and complicated phone-based discussion

chinatraderjmr

Took 5 min - agent was as nice as could be. But I got the feeling I was lucky, other agents would have told me I was crazy.

The one caveat is she had to change ALL the flight numbers on the ticket to the actual operating carriers #'s. My ticket was LH/LH/LH/LX all on code shares. I asked her to just change the LX flight but that was not possible - she had to put all 4 flights as LH or LX numbers and get rid of all code shares.......fine with me

joshwex90

The link you bring up is irrelevant.

LX's F lounge in ZRH is officially for "SWISS First, First Class Lufthansa, HON Circle."
LH's F lounge in FRA/MUC is officially for LH/LX F pax and HONs.

In practice, if you're flying LH F, you have access to the F lounge. I know that as I had access when flying LH F on a UA-booked ticket, 016 stock, UA flight number. LX doesn't give access to their F lounge, even when flying LX F, unless the ticket is LX-stock (and/or LX flight number).

Based on that, I can't imagine UA agrees to pay LH for F lounge access but not LX

chinatraderjmr

Apparently stock (issuing carrier) has nothing to door with it. What matters to LX is the flight number. SWISS LURKER even confirmed if your flying TG metal to BKK but on a Swiss marketed flight, you have access. It's the only airline in the alliance where metal means nothing, just flight #. Easy problem to fix as long as you know. My UA 016 ticket now shows LX #, not UA's. LX needs to do a better job (or any job at all) of making these rules clear. Especially since they are exact opposite LH's rules

ps9a

I'll admit I was very, very skeptical that your experience could be replicated. First call, the United agent told me she wasn't able to price out that ticket, plus I'd have to pay a change fee if she could. Worked as you said on my 2nd call-- agent answered the phone "1K Desk", so that might have had something to do with it (not to slight PMCO agents who are unaware 3-cabin planes exist.) Thanks, chinatraderjmr, for posting your experience.

chinatraderjmr

Glad it worked out. I don't think she was wrong about the change fee. The agent that helped me told me if she just changed the 1 LX flight, I would have to pat around $500 but if she changed ALL 4 flights back to operating carrier LH & LX flights then there would be no charge (we both got a good laugh at that)

I asked the agent if she was in Hawaii since they are usually the best (IMO) but was surprised when she told me no, she is a pmCO agent working from home in Salt Lake. Was pleasantly surprised to have such a good knowledgable pmCO agent (I did remind her that I was in FIRST CLASS, not "BusinessFIRST" whatever that means but it really wasn't necessary to tell her that since it's not an award, she would not have changed the bucket or fare

joshwex90

Right - easy enough fix which makes the rule especially stupid.

But again, I don't think it's UA that's the culprit here for not willing to pay. A friend has an upcoming LX flight, booked entirely on LY with LY flight numbers, in LX F. Will ask if has access to the F lounge (presume not again)

primetime23

And United GS on United F...

HKG1111

May be LX change their rules when the new F lounge is ready next year in Terminal E. I guess they have more space there too.

joshwex90

They're opening an F lounge by the E gates? I've been shocked that they haven't had one to date, or really any lounge, but I'm more hoping to see a Senator Lounge (so as to avoid the Panorama Lounge)!

NewbieRunner

Some info on new SEN/Biz and F lounges in E in the following thread.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/swiss...erminal-e.html

joshwex90

As always, thanks!

Still can't believe that there's no LX lounge in E