Lounge ZRH [merged Q&A thread]
 

Hello,

never been at ZRH before so i have two questions :

1. Iam arriving in LX F and have a connection flight in C to LUX but i will not use the connection flight ( i will checkin my luggage to ZRH only) Then i will take an award flight to DUS in Y.

How much time do i need between my flights to get my luggage and checkin again? (Arriving 6am in the morning).

2. Which lounge am i allowed to use? (arriving LX F departing LX Y (on separate award flight) - beeing FTL only)

thanks for your help!

best regards
marcydarcy

1. With luggage, you will need to check in for your onward flight about 60 min prior to departure from ZRH. To get from your LX F arrival via baggage claim to check-in, factor in about 25 min.

2. Allegra arrivals lounge and LX Business class lounge for sure, I think they should let you in at the F lounge as well though (as they can't see on the boarding passes that you are travelling on separate tix).

Thanks !

I have about 1:40 layover so i should be fine....

marcydarcy

ZRH Lounge Question...
 

So I was flying ex-ZRH earlier this week on UA. At check-in I was told my 2 lounge options were the LX lounge and the *A lounge. I decided to go to the Swiss lounge. I inquired with the agent at the lounge how far the UA gates (E) were from the lounge and was told 15 minutes. I then inquired if the *A lounge was closer and was told it was 5 minutes down the corridor. At the same time I was also told that since I entered the LX lounge that I no longer would be able to use the *A lounge. My BP was stamped, "Swissport: Lounge Access Used." I asked another FT'er who I know who has gone through ZRH and was told that he primarily uses the LX lounge as he flies, LX, LH, and SQ through ZRH. However his BP is only stamped when he uses the LX lounge and flies SQ. Is this the norm as I've never seen this policy at other airports where there are multiple *A lounges within the same terminal (SFO, NRT, HKG, FRA, LHR, SYD, MEL).

Edited to add I was flying Business Class and am a UA 1K (*G).

The Star Alliance Lounge is more far away from the Train to Terminal E, probably another five minutes to walk, but in my eyes the nicer one. But I only use it, if my flight does not leave from E.

The LX lounge is not that nice, but bigger. The service is handled by Swissport (as far as I know), but I have never get my boarding pass stamped and I have used both lounges quite often. Ufortunately, the Lounge staff is not that well trained than the staff in the Star Alliance Lounge.

I have never heard about such a procedure in the past and I could only think the member of staff was new, not used to UA 1 Ks or probably got it wrong, because she / he might thought you could only enter the lounge because you are traveling in C and not seeing the Star Gold sign.

To make it short, at least in the past, this was not the norm.

There is another lounge in the E Terminal, but you could not use it, if you are flying to the US.

I don't think my BP has been stamped at ZRH lounge before either.

the former StarAlliance lounge (was and is always manned by LH staff) did become 'silently' somewhen late last year/early this year a LH first-class & Senator (to the left) and LH business.class-lounge (to the right with access for Star Gold too).

I noticed lately that the stamp "Swissport: Lounge Access Used" is done at the LX lounge for some weeks now, for probably all passengers booked and flying on another Star-carrier than LH/OS/LX (I have noticed stamps for TG, SQ, UA and AC flights).

No stamp if you start your lounge hoping at the LH-lounge ...

How was your Jungfrau trip, kluau88?

I would love to see if the LH wardens don't let you in after the swissport warden has stamped your BP. I highly doubt it.

As I never go to the LX Lounge, I won't be of any help. If the flight is leaving from E, I always do the lounge hopping LH SEN first and then Bellevue lounge in terminal E, if time allows.
Unfortunately flights to the US cannot access the Bellevue lounge, as the special security for US flights requires the terminal E to be divided into two sections. Never got a stamp in those two lounges.

kluau88, I hope you had a pleasant stay in Switzerland.

Regarding the lounge stamping, AFAIK this is on UA's (and some other * carriers, as Rudi noted) request. They get charged a set fee every time their pax use a lounge in ZRH, and with the stamp want to avoid that you go and use more than one (incurring more cost).

I agree with previous posters that, if pressed for choice and when departing on your flight, I'd probably have taken the LH lounge as well and not the LX.

As an aside: Hennessy, I don't think that you are allowed to access the Bellevue lounge when departing on UA or US, as they has no agreement with that lounge. SEN gets you in when on LH/LX/OS only I believe?

They might stamp your BP at the LX lounge when flying with *A carrier (except LX, LH, OS) because of lounge agreement? LX lounge (handled by Swissport) will charge every single lounge entry to the responsible airline. Maybe LH lounge will do so too and the airlines aren’t willing to pay twice or even three times per pax. If this works – I don’t know. At least it will harm the passenger not to go lounge hopping… Now don’t blame me on my thoughts, it’s all just an assumption!

Bellevue Lounge is located Dock E West and US flights depart form Dock E East. I know security east checks BP (to make sure you fly to US and don’t carry on any explosive water - smile), but does security west also check your BP? I once used Bellevue lounge when travelling to US and had no problem passing thru; although they checked my BP but only told me not to forget to change terminal (West/East).

So you had to go twice through security? First in East and then after the lounge visit in West?

Now you make me scratching my head.....I've been several times to the Bellevue lounges and was never refused entry:
TG C & SEN
QR C & SEN
LX Y & SEN: I got asked by the lady, if I was allowed to bring a guest in ;). My answer was: for sure :)

You always have to go through security twice when going to the US, once at the central security in A, and once at the secondary screening in E. As far as I know there is no other screening in E besides the US secondary screening.

SmilingBoy.

Yes, but those are all carriers that depart from the non-US side of the E terminal, so it is logical that they have an access agreement with Bellevue (and actively point their PAX there as it is the most convenient choice). The US-carriers don't AFAIK.

Hmmm. There is not yet a central security in A. This is only scheduled for 2008 (or so).