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Revised Star Alliance Lounge Access Rules (Updated 2010)

Revised Star Alliance Lounge Access Rules (Updated 2010)

 
Old Dec 23, 2008, 12:54 pm
  #1  
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Revised Star Alliance Lounge Access Rules (Updated 2010)

I was recently denied access to the UA First Class Lounge at IAD when flying IAD-xJFK [UA] JFK-oZRH [LX]. I was told the rule was you were only entitled to F-Lounge access at the international gateway when departing in international F. This was contrary to numerous experiences over the years.

Doing some research before sending my complaint letter to United, I found the following on the Star Alliance web site. This is different from what I have seen there in the past and memorializes that what I was told at IAD is now correct.

At least I am grateful that there is no longer any decent reason to fly my connecting flights on UA. And I am certainly not going to voluntarily fly my paid F segments on United.

International First Class Customers:

Customers have access to International First Class and/or any Star Alliance member carriers' own lounges.
Customer must present a boarding card for the same day travel in international First Class on a Star Alliance flight
Customer must be departing from the local airport in International First Class
Customer is entitled to one guest

International Business Class Customers:

Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned Business Class lounges.
Customer must present a boarding card for the same day travel in international Business Class on a Star Alliance flight
Customer must be departing from the local airport in International Business Class
Customer is not entitled to any guests

Domestic First Class:

Some Star Alliance Member carriers offer lounge access to customers travelling in domestic First Class. Where domestic First Class level lounges are offered, customers must present a boarding card for a same day travel in domestic First Class on a Star Alliance flight
Customer must be departing from the local airport in Domestic First Class
Customer is entitled to one guest

Domestic Business Class:

Some Star Alliance Member carriers offer lounge access to customers travelling in domestic Business Class. Where domestic Business Class level lounges are offered, customers must present a boarding card for a same day travel in domestic Business Class on a Star Alliance flight
Customer must be departing from the local airport in Domestic Business Class
Customer is not entitled to any guests

Star Alliance Gold Customers Travelling in Any Class:

Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned lounges with the Star Alliance Gold logo at the entrance.
Customer must present a valid frequent flyer programme Star Alliance Gold level card
Customer must also present a boarding card for a same day Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport
Customer is entitled to one guest
United and US Airways Star Alliance Gold customers are only eligible for lounge access when travelling in conjunction with a Star Alliance international flight

Paid Lounge Membership Customers:

Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned Business Class lounges.
Customer must present a valid paid lounge membership card
Customer must also present a boarding card for a same day Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport.
Customer is entitled to one guest

Contract Lounges

Star Alliance Gold customers have access to third party Contract Lounges contracted by the Star Alliance member carrier on which the customer is travelling.
Customer must present a valid frequent flyer programme Star Alliance Gold level card
Customer must also present a boarding card for a same day Star Alliance flight departing from that local airport having contract with the third party lounge
Customer is entitled to one guest. Guest must be departing on the same day and same carrier
Paid Lounge members are not entitled to use any contract lounges

Type of Eligible Customers

Eligible guests:

International First, Star Alliance Gold and Lounge Paid Membership customers are entitled to one guest
The guest must enter the designated lounge with the eligible customer
The guest must also present a boarding card for any same day Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport

International First Class customers: International First Class customer travelling on a Star Alliance flight
International Business Class customers: International Business Class customer travelling on a Star Alliance flight
Domestic Business Class customers: Domestic Business Class customers travelling on a Star Alliance flight
Star Alliance Gold customers: Customers holding a valid frequent flyer programme Star Alliance Gold level card
Paid Lounge Members: Some of the Star Alliance member carriers have Paid Lounge Membership as part of the Star Alliance Lounge Access Policy
Others

Star Alliance flight:

Flights on an aircraft branded or operated by a Star Alliance member carrier. Code share flights or flights marketed by a member carrier but operated by a non Star Alliance member carrier are not included

Revenue ticket/customer:

All customers excluding airline staff. Customers travelling on discounted fares, frequent flyer award tickets or upgrades are considered revenue customers and are included as revenue customers. Airline employees flying on free or service charge tickets, or Industry Discount (e.g., ID50. ID75, ID90) tickets are not considered revenue customers

Same day travel:

Eligible travel occurring within 24 hours of the first eligible scheduled departure time
Always Flyin is offline  
Old Dec 23, 2008, 12:57 pm
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Wow - that does seem new (and beyond stupid). Are these LX paid F tickets? They probably allow YY to JFK, but I think only UA has F on the RJ's IAD-JFK. Why not the LX flight from IAD?
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:21 pm
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Yes...paid ticket in F.

LX doesn't fly out of the Washington DC area.
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:21 pm
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Hello.
I am wondering what exactly the change is from before to now?+ feeling stupid
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:34 pm
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This "Customer must be departing from the local airport in International First Class" I believe is new, right?
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:35 pm
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This is a severe benefit cut for * customers. *A was already at a disadvantage by not giving F lounge access to its top tier customers; this decision is really quite bizarre. I'd love to see them explain this to someone popping for a $15k F ticket, say, LAX-IAD-FRA. Do they really think they can deny IFL at LAX with a straight face? (Bad example since I know the LAX IFL angels have an extremely customer-focused attitude, but still...)
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:36 pm
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Originally Posted by kevinsac
This "Customer must be departing from the local airport in International First Class" I believe is new, right?
Correct

Earlier this year, I quoted the old text in an e-mail to 1K voice and that sentence definitely wasn't there before.
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:38 pm
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Lame. This severely devalues connecting itineraries and F tix in general, $$$ paid or XF/NF. Wondering which genius thought this one up.
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:44 pm
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Originally Posted by Axey
....since I know the LAX IFL angels have an extremely customer-focused attitude, but still...)
Does anyone know.....have the LAX IFL staff been enforcing this rule? I was hoping to crash there for a few hours before a connecting flight in Jan.
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:46 pm
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Originally Posted by kevinsac
Does anyone know.....have the LAX IFL staff been enforcing this rule? I was hoping to crash there for a few hours before a connecting flight in Jan.
I doubt it, especially if Fru has anything to do with it! FWIW I did a LHR-LAX-PHX a couple months ago and was admitted into the IFL just fine.
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:51 pm
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Originally Posted by kevinsac
Does anyone know.....have the LAX IFL staff been enforcing this rule? I was hoping to crash there for a few hours before a connecting flight in Jan.
You'll get in until the manager decides that you won't.

Unfortunately the ladies at LAX answer to a manager who told me that it was her perogative as to who gets admitted to the IFL regardless of UA's policies. A statement that ultimately resulted in an apology and several thousand miles being deposited into my account...
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 1:55 pm
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Originally Posted by work2fly
You'll get in until the manager decides that you won't.

Unfortunately the ladies at LAX answer to a manager who told me that it was her perogative as to who gets admitted to the IFL regardless of UA's policies. A statement that ultimately resulted in an apology and several thousand miles being deposited into my account...
Yes, but the manager at LAX seems to be over-inclusive on who they will allow in. The you-know-whats at IAD are under-inclusive and not particularly nice about.
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 2:03 pm
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For the OP and other * Gold passengers (especially non MP) it should not be an issue to have access. The issue seems more of an issue for non *golf C and F cabin passengers.
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 2:16 pm
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Originally Posted by Tiojelly
For the OP and other * Gold passengers (especially non MP) it should not be an issue to have access. The issue seems more of an issue for non *golf C and F cabin passengers.
I'm confused. *Gs do not get access to First Class Lounge.
It's only F pax who gets to use the first class lounge regardless of status.

Last edited by iluv2fly; Dec 23, 2008 at 2:28 pm Reason: correction
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Old Dec 23, 2008, 2:52 pm
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revenue customers?

There is a definition of a revenue customer at the end of the text, but there is no mention of a revenue customer anywhere in the text. Is there something else that restricts something to revenue customers that we should be aware of? When I am flying on an award ticket does not being a revenue customer restrict something for me?
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