Kmxu

You would have access to PL in the other direction at SFO if you are on ANA metal.

txaggiemiles

Possible the issues are unique to arrival only (and especially so at EWR which seems to be particularly tough). I had no trouble in October '23 accessing PL outbound with separate tickets IAH-SFO and SFO-LHR at IAH. I initially scanned SFO-LHR at IAH and agent was perplexed, but I said I have a separate ticket connecting flight and she immediately smiled and started he process of getting me in.

Agree they can't be combined in any meaningful way however in the scenario I described above, the agent took both of my boarding passes and PNRs, typed around, and then handed me back the passes and told me to scan the Polaris pass again and this time the computer accepted it without issue. So it may be possible for a PL agent to "link" them such that a scan at a later point would not present any issues or need a manual override.

Need not be same reservation for the outbound (originating, connecting) all reports seem to be for the second arrival airport. (And highly concentrated at EWR)

For further airports, it seems yes. For your friend my experience indicates access would have been granted at SFO even if SFO is separate ticket (and same day).

cniekirk

I will be travelling EWR-OSL-LHR in "SAS Business Smart” in March. I wondered if accessing the Polaris lounge would work at EWR? I’m pretty sure I have access but would I need to drop bags at Terminal B, transfer to Terminal A for TSA & the lounge, and then transfer to Terminal B again via the shuttle bus when I’m done in the lounge? I know there’s a SAS lounge at EWR but it really doesn’t compare to the Polaris offering considering I’m looking to eat a decent meal before my red-eye.

unitedwildcat

yes, you can access the Polaris lounge. however it’s in terminal C, so you’d have to transfer there after dropping off your bags at B, since SAS doesn’t have check in counters at C

cniekirk

Thanks for confirming that! Sorry yes I meant C not A, my bad!

gusd

Hopefully SAS will not have left Star Alliance by then

Repooc17

Not by March.

wazza10000

Have a question.

I am flying out on the same day the flight is Newark to Montreal and then Montreal to Istanbul. Newark to Montreal is Air Canada, and Montreal to Istanbul is Turkish Airlines.

Is a single ticket booked with Air Canada (via aeroplan) - would I have access to Polaris if Montreal to Istanbul is in business class? And the Newark flight to Montreal is in economy if that impacts anything (was a mixed class points booking)

Or would this be denied on the basis that the originating flight is not the “long haul flight” even though it is all one booking?

Tried reading the faq but wasn’t clear - thanks in advance.

hirohito888

I think the wiki is pretty clear, under longhaul *A flights:
Your longhaul YUL-IST is not departing out of EWR, so you don't have access to the Polaris lounge.

happiest_at_40000

Just wanted to confirm Polaris access on both the following internaries:

SFO-EWR-DEL... The SFO is a red eye to EWR and then later (much later) that day the flight leaves for DEL. Is SFO going to give me push back for using Polaris by arguing my long haul qualifying fight is the next day? The red eye lands the next morning obviously, on the same day as my DEL fight and thus, at least with AA, this is never an issue to get access (before the red eye).

SFO-IAH-EWR-DEL- I found this option as an alternative b/c the SFO-IAH flight leaves at 12:37am meaning it is on the same day of the long haul. I was going to book this as a way to get SFO Polaris access should the above one not allow it. Although I really have no desire to do the extra flight nor do I particulary like the IAH Polaris lounge as its by far my least favorite.

I am assuming both of these would allow access at SFO but just wanted to confirm, especially the first one where the red eye is technically the day before.

Had agents at QF F try to deny access on a red eye to JFK to catch a long haul F to LHR although UA lounge agents seem more competent so I am guessing no issues..

Thanks

Repooc17

SFO-JFK-DEL: no access at SFO; no UA ops at JFK
SFO-IAH-EWR-DEL: assuming the long haul is operated by UA, then yes.

There is no PL access on the first one because on partner flights, only access is on the longhaul departure point - UA does not operate any flight segments on the first itinerary.

Kmxu

Did you mean SFO-EWR-DEL? If SFO-JFK-DEL, it is definitely no. United does not fly either SFO-JFK or JFK-DEL.
The extra leg for SFO-IAH-EWR-DEL should allow you access to PL at SFO, IAH and EWR (EWR-DEL on UA metal).

happiest_at_40000

So sorry, my bad. Too much AA flying to JFK.

Where I wrote JFK I meant EWR.

All my flights are on UA metal.

My concern was some agent saying your qualifying flight is the next day from EWR you can’t access the Polaris at SFO before the red eye. If the SFO-EWR flight actually arrived a true day before the long haul I understand I would not get in at SFO but w the red eye I believe I will.

The IAH option with the flight leaving SFO after midnight wound then have them all be on the true same day although I really just care about the SFO Polaris and not IAH and would prefer option 1.

Sorry again meant to say EWR.

yitianjian

Do I have access on arrival with a connecting flight, *if the second flight is on a different PNR*?

Flying BRU-EWR on UA metal as a J award ticket, but have a second positioning flight to YYZ via UA. These two aren't linked at all, would I still have Polaris access on arrival, since I can get airside?

(and for curiosity, if it was *A via AC, or Porter/Delta/non-*A, would this still work?)

WineCountryUA

Yes

If the arriving flight is UA in Polaris cabin and you have airside access (no matter how), yes