EDI (or UK) based fliers with Star Alliance Gold - is it worth it?
Jan 9, 2024 | 8:32 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Programs: Hilton Gold, Priority Club Platinum (until December), FB Explorer, BA Blue, M&M Pleb
Posts: 8,615
I'd add it seems to be specific airports in the UK. MAN is quite bad (in my direct and recent experience), but a smaller airport (e.g. LPL - of which I also have not so recent experience) shouldn't be a problem.
Jan 9, 2024 | 11:58 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London & White River, South Africa
Posts: 24,566
LTN, LGW and STN are also rather tricky depending on season.
Jan 14, 2024 | 10:55 am
#18
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 282
Just a little data point.
You will have ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE (ok <5%) of getting into a lounge at EDI with a priority pass card between 7&7, midweek between march and november.
Unless you prebook, if they even let you that is.
Either fly business or pay the Ł30-Ł50 each to book entry. Or just go to the 'spoons or one of the other restaurants. Dont rely on amex plat or premium pass.
EDI Is one busy airport nowadays.
You will have ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE (ok <5%) of getting into a lounge at EDI with a priority pass card between 7&7, midweek between march and november.
Unless you prebook, if they even let you that is.
Either fly business or pay the Ł30-Ł50 each to book entry. Or just go to the 'spoons or one of the other restaurants. Dont rely on amex plat or premium pass.
EDI Is one busy airport nowadays.
Jan 15, 2024 | 4:38 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: Ottawa, Canada + Edinburgh, Scotland
Programs: AC Super Elite 100k, Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 1,300
Just a little data point.
You will have ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE (ok <5%) of getting into a lounge at EDI with a priority pass card between 7&7, midweek between march and november.
Unless you prebook, if they even let you that is.
Either fly business or pay the Ł30-Ł50 each to book entry. Or just go to the 'spoons or one of the other restaurants. Dont rely on amex plat or premium pass.
EDI Is one busy airport nowadays.
You will have ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE (ok <5%) of getting into a lounge at EDI with a priority pass card between 7&7, midweek between march and november.
Unless you prebook, if they even let you that is.
Either fly business or pay the Ł30-Ł50 each to book entry. Or just go to the 'spoons or one of the other restaurants. Dont rely on amex plat or premium pass.
EDI Is one busy airport nowadays.
FWIW I think what you're saying is overstated given my experience flying out of EDI about 15 times in the last year. A lot of these flights recently were as Star Alliance Gold, so I didn't access the lounge with Priority Pass, but it never seemed busy, e.g. loads of empty seats for example. I also had no problem entering the Aspire lounge any time I tried with PP, including Wednesday March 8, Wednesday April 12, Wednesday May 17, and Tuesday June 6 (may have been Star Gold with this last flight though, I can't quite remember when I hit it).
Agree though that EDI is very busy these days. Luckily it seems mostly to be the hard-drinking leisure travel crowd though who probably don't have lounge access.
Jan 15, 2024 | 11:19 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom
Programs: Hilton Gold, Priority Club Platinum (until December), FB Explorer, BA Blue, M&M Pleb
Posts: 8,615
What counts as 'midweek' in the above? Also, I would have thought, say, Friday mornings were busier than midweek for EDI -- is that not the case?
FWIW I think what you're saying is overstated given my experience flying out of EDI about 15 times in the last year. A lot of these flights recently were as Star Alliance Gold, so I didn't access the lounge with Priority Pass, but it never seemed busy, e.g. loads of empty seats for example. I also had no problem entering the Aspire lounge any time I tried with PP, including Wednesday March 8, Wednesday April 12, Wednesday May 17, and Tuesday June 6 (may have been Star Gold with this last flight though, I can't quite remember when I hit it).
Agree though that EDI is very busy these days. Luckily it seems mostly to be the hard-drinking leisure travel crowd though who probably don't have lounge access.
FWIW I think what you're saying is overstated given my experience flying out of EDI about 15 times in the last year. A lot of these flights recently were as Star Alliance Gold, so I didn't access the lounge with Priority Pass, but it never seemed busy, e.g. loads of empty seats for example. I also had no problem entering the Aspire lounge any time I tried with PP, including Wednesday March 8, Wednesday April 12, Wednesday May 17, and Tuesday June 6 (may have been Star Gold with this last flight though, I can't quite remember when I hit it).
Agree though that EDI is very busy these days. Luckily it seems mostly to be the hard-drinking leisure travel crowd though who probably don't have lounge access.
Jan 20, 2024 | 5:19 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2023
Location: North East London
Programs: BA Exec Gold
Posts: 409
Thanks everyone. Yeah, it's really hard to see a reason to stick with Star Alliance if we're in Edinburgh for short-haul. E.g. 100 destinations reachable by direct flight with Ryanair and Easyjet vs something like 5 on Star Alliance. I wonder how hard it is to make those airlines more tolerable. Maybe stick with Easyjet and just get Easyjet Plus for security/better seats/less stress about baggage, plus Amex Platinum cards for lounge access? How do UK-based folks tend to access lounges if they're not flying on mainline carriers with status?
The current BA Holiday double tier-point offer means that you could get BA Silver Status from just two BA holidays to mid-haul destinations like Sofia, Cyprus or Cairo, given that you'd be connecting via Heathrow. Have a look at the BA Executive Club forums...