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SFO FCL access as arrival lounge?

 
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Old Jul 16, 2008, 11:59 pm
  #1  
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SFO FCL access as arrival lounge?

Just booked an award trip (SFO - FCO via FRA) for me and my son during the x'mas holidays. Availability is very bad, zero for LH so we booked UA.

We could not get two F seats on the same flight on our return leg, so we'll travel separately, one return on UA 901 and one on UA 927, about 3 1/2 hours apart.

Question is can the one arrives earlier (on UA 901) wait at the SFO FCL? UA SFO FCL is at the departure side so probably we won't even able to get through the security?
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Old Jul 17, 2008, 12:03 am
  #2  
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Right, can't even get through security, let alone get in without someone there to sponsor. Sorry, it aint happening, these agents are strict.
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Old Jul 17, 2008, 1:33 am
  #3  
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Thanks lucky for the quick response.

It's really inconvenient and expensive to go home in two separate cars but wait for 3 1/2 housr in the arrival hall is really no fun neither after the long flight.

Any other suggestions? Both UA 901 and UA 927 were XF1 but has several NF spaces. I vaguely remember read it somewhere it is possible to convert NF to XF, has anyone done that before?
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Old Jul 17, 2008, 1:47 am
  #4  
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I'd suggest the second traveler go standby on UA 901, because on a premium cabin award ticket I believe you go FFFC which is a high standby priority. But one problem is that LH may be unable to tag the bag as standby on FRA-SFO.

So if you have checked bags I guess your choices are to keep checking if availability opens up, or perhaps schedule an overnight connection in FRA so that you can check in with UA there and go standby.

Good luck!
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Old Jul 17, 2008, 2:53 am
  #5  
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Thanks das for the standby suggestion. I have two more days to hold the ticket so hopefully one of the flight has another XF opens up.

We will be staying over night at FRA the night before due to we can't make the connection if fly from FCO to FRA on the same day. I have to go FCO-ZHR-FRA, guess this is the same problem no LH flights available to MP+ as I see plenty of award space available on ANA tool for FCO-FRA direct. We most likely will have only carry-on size bags. So standby should work fine if there is space available.
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Old Jul 17, 2008, 2:58 am
  #6  
das
 
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Originally Posted by wendySFO
We will be staying over night at FRA the night before due to we can't make the connection if fly from FCO to FRA on the same day. I have to go FCO-ZHR-FRA, guess this is the same problem no LH flights available to MP+ as I see plenty of award space available on ANA tool for FCO-FRA direct. We most likely will have only carry-on size bags. So standby should work fine if there is space available.
Wow... so UA is "paying" LX less for FCO-ZRH-FRA than they would "pay" LH for FCO-FRA? When LH owns LX? Crazy, crazy, crazy. Some things I guess will just never make sense.

Given you are originating that morning in FRA, standby should be a breeze unless F ends up filling up with paid traffic or upgrades (which seems kind of unlikely during the holidays). Just make sure your DM card says "FFFC".
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Old Jul 17, 2008, 3:20 am
  #7  
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Make no sense to me neither. Our vacation got shortened at each end by the uncessary routing. Have never flown Swiss Air before, hope they have good on-time record so no further delay.
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Old Jul 17, 2008, 11:46 am
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Originally Posted by das
So if you have checked bags I guess your choices are to keep checking if availability opens up, or perhaps schedule an overnight connection in FRA so that you can check in with UA there and go standby.
Or just get the person on the first flight to check all of the bags (presuming there's not too many).

Given it's father/son all of the usual "carrying someone elses bags" issues shouldn't be relevant.
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