tff

Quite unfortunately, it seems they have terminated access to many contract lounges for all pax, including their own status pax and J pax.

IAN-UK

I asked them what as going on and received the odd reply:

TP has decided to align lounge access to meet Star Alliance regulations

Not providing its own premium passengers with a lounge at outstations is a bizarre interpretation of alliance standards ...... even for TP.

milfweed20

Hey guys,

My father is *G with TAP and flew yesterday from DUB-LIS in Y in TP and was denied access to the Star Alliance lounge. He was informed that TAP currently does not have any contract established with them.

Is this information correct? He's not a frequent flyer and obviously was not comfortable trying to enforce the *G status in order to gain entry to the lounge.

ajeleonard

There is no Star Alliance lounge in Dublin. The only lounges available for Star passengers are contract lounges. TAP appears not to have a contract with any of them based on the lounge finder on the website

milfweed20

Thanks for the info. I also checked both Star Alliance page and TAP website and it appears Tap passengers are not entitled to any lounge access in Dublin... Typical TAP!

tff

I complained and got the same reply, but they added I would be contacted by the responsible department (which I still haven't, 3 days later).

In the meantime I checked the lounge locator just to be sure. They do not any longer offer lounge access to any pax (not even C pax) in ORY, MXP, MAD, BCN, BLQ, VCE, FLR, etc. They are completely out of their mind.

I would strongly suggest that all gold pax complain to the Miles&Go Gold hotline or email.

milfweed20

Just when I thought it was impossible for TAP to make their FF program worse, they surprise me and pull this new ridiculous policy.

Time to aim for a new FF program...

christianj

United doesn't offer lounge access to Star Alliance Gold members either so I assume that is what TAP means by aligning the program. (unsure if others do the same thing) I wonder how long it will be till LH and others follow suit to only give access to guest traveling in premium cabins or elite members with higher status. I'm a UA Platinum (which has a higher requirement than Gold which gets you Star Gold) and you get virtually nothing with that status either when it comes to lounges.

IAN-UK

Not so long ago that I bounced around UA lounges on a trip within the US. So quite a change ..



But I think you've maybe missed the point. TP has thrown baby out with the bathwater if its intention is not to accommodate *A Golds.

It no longer accommodates its own business-class passengers. Fly TP business-class from Madrid, Dublin, Manchester etc to San Fransisco and you get no lounge at your departure airport. No lounge, no voucher for refreshments, nothing. Except an apology from their handling agents, who are as confused as we are.

It's completely loco.

Aligning themselves with Star Alliance regulations

East_and_West

Although this doesn't have to do with premium cabin / elite members, it would seem that things are moving towards that direction. SK as well ditched all agreements with contract lounges some months ago. So no access to lounges for SK*G (Gold/Diamond) or SAS Plus pax either...

About a year before that they had removed the benefit of a free bag for *Gs on their GoLight fares as well (just as LH/LX/OS and TP before them). Given that in their smaller outstations there is often times no dedicated check-in counter, that in most airports priority boarding on short-/medium-haul flights is very casually enforced (if at all), and that priority baggage delivery in Scandinavia (and elsewhere, BCN and VCE being my most recent experiences) has become a joke, it may be possible that one flies a *A carrier as a *G and yet enjoy practically no benefit at all.

So it appears that this race to the bottom has just begun, and more airlines are joining in. Interesting times are ahead...

Tafflyer

Well, they can make that journey without me. I spend a lot of time near FAO these days and TP would be a logical choice for me. But, with the new timings of FAO-LIS making connecting at LIS either an unattractive 3 hour wait or an impossible 45 minute change combined with totally unrealistic J pricing and this reduction in lounge service, TP just doesn't do it for me. I really don't particularly like Lufthansa but they are almost always on time and with increased rotations to FRA and MUC as well as Fast-Track and Lounge at FAO for *G (both withdrawn by TP), they have me back on board. Prices in J are mostly much better too.

IAN-UK

I think it's an ANA lounge at Faro, and as third-party facility I believe it's been withdrawn from TP's portfolio, even for the carrier's own business-class passengers.

It won't take many passengers switching to other carriers to wipe out whatever cost saving this bozo strategy brings.

Tafflyer

kipfilet

You do get lounge access when flying international with UA Gold. The TAP equivalent would be to restrict lounge access to ex-EU flights, which would be reasonable (most complaints on this thread are about South America and Africa flights which would be unaffected by such change).

LondonBoundSW8

I'm confused, I'm flying Business with TAP from LGW to LIS tomorrow. Do I get access to the contract *A lounge there there as a business ticket holder with TAP or not?

Going to give them a ring. Star Alliance website still says I do but based on what you guys are saying now this has changed correct?