dogloverjb

The sheets are very nice. Would you consider sorting the lounges by airport code, the compensation by originating airport, etc. I know we can sort some on the fly but it doesn't keep it. It might be helpful to everyone who is searching for their particular airport. Certainly appreciate all the effort you put in to the updating. Hope your studies are going well!

I can provide 2 more data points. 1K IAH-GIG AVOD stopped working midflight. Received $500 ETC or 25,000 miles.

Also, there is a wonderful Star Alliance lounge in GRU. Terminal 3 on the Mezzanine level above the duty free shopping area.

atword

FlyerTalker70

That's correct! They are treated as contract lounges which my understanding is (and FTers can correct me here) if you're flying on the airline who has the contract with the lounge (i.e. Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse @ EWR for SQ), in any class, then you have access to that lounge as a UA Gold.

In any event, I will find out how these rules are applied on Friday night @ DPS since there's a contract lounge there for SQ and I'm UA Gold flying SQ on Y.

Safe Travels,

James

WineCountryUA

Status is meaningless in a contract lounge situation

cfischer

CONTRACT LOUNGES

Star Alliance Gold customers have access to third party Contract Lounges contracted by the member airline on
which they are travelling. Simply present a boarding pass for a flight departing from the local airport with a Star
Alliance member airline flight that has a contract with that lounge. If the boarding pass does not carry the Star
Alliance Gold indicator, the customer will need also to show a valid Star Alliance Gold card. Customers are entitled
to a maximum of one guest, who must be travelling on the same airline as the customer. Paid Lounge Membership
Customers are not entitled to use contract lounges.

FlyerTalker70

A difficulty with Star Alliance policies is that there's often a difference between what's written down in the rule book versus what's actually practiced even if you're elite. Hence, WineCountryUA might be right on this - I simply haven't had the experience of entering a contract lounge on a member airline as Gold - this was never a possibility given where I was flying from in the past. We'll see this Friday how things go in DPS since that'll be my first opportunity to try it out. A similar thing can be said about the * IRROPs policy - again on paper if you're VIP (Gold or flying J) on a *A airline and you get either WX or MX you're entitled to a whole host of things when it's an inter-continental journey. Yet, I've seen UA extend this policy for domestic flights that have gone WX and have heard reports of CM not honouring the policy.

In summary it seems like it's very much a case of YMMV and would be interesting to collect (perhaps in a spreadsheet) how these policies are practiced by the member airlines in reality (ideally on the *A forum)

Safe Travels,

James

cfischer

Agreed, it is YMMV and I have collected from UA before when they violated these policies ... they paid w/ no questions asked. Front line staff at the airport is often unaware of *A rules.

GUM_elite

The best way to ensure contract lounge access when flying as a UA*G on another carrier is to ask for a lounge pass at check-in. For example, when I was flying on TG in Y from PNH-BKK, I made sure that I had lounge access at the contracted Plaza Premium lounge. At check-in, I got a voucher. They even gave me a voucher for a non-status guest per *A rules.

mr8

Came across an interesting contract lounge in COS that seems to give access to any elite on *G/oneworld/skyteam as well as Frontier (didn't even know they had a FF program) and the usual credit card lounge memberships.

Small lounge, but are there any more hidden gems at other small airports?

docbert

Interesting lounge - The Airport Lounge You Didn?t Know You Had Access To | The Forward Cabin has a report on it.

Based on their access criteria I suspect that it's NOT actually a contract lounge as such for any of the airlines, but just instead that they are giving free access to elites. The sign in that post shows access for UA GS and 1K, plus Star Alliance Gold - but it's not clear if that includes UA *G (ie, Gold and Platinum).

The Priority Pass website states that "Alcoholic drinks are subject to payment."

mr8

Was able to access when I was a plat a couple of years ago, so I'm assuming the *G on the boarding pass is enough..?

GeP

In my experience that (lounge access at DPS when flying SQ in Y as a *A Gold member / United Gold+ members) works just fine.

docbert

FYI, CA no longer fly to SJC (nor do LH who you hadn't listed). ANA still do, and are the only *A airline who use The Club at SJC. (The only other *A airlines that fly to SJC are UA and AC)

COSPILOT

FlyerTalker70

Hello again,

I've just completed a tour of * lounges in the USA (stopping in LAX, IAD, DTW and EWR) and have updated my spreadsheet to include additional notes along with updated hours for these lounges. If there's any interest in me including the (limited) lounge photos I took in the spreadsheet please let me know.

I now have a single data point to refute this argument: Flew DPS > SIN on SQ in Y back in December and noticed they had a Contract lounge there. Went into the lounge scanned my boarding pass and managed to get in no problems. Again, how this is actually practiced may be different and is something I'll try next time I've got a couple hours to burn at US airports.

Safe Travels,

James