It is possible and not unusual to use a lounge of an airline that you have never flown with - for example with a gold card of one airline in an alliance you can also visit other lounges of airlines from the same group, even at the same airport. It is not unusual for airlines from the same alliance to run lounges at the same airport, sometimes even the same alliance (less so in the US, where many airlines have their signature terminals).
Is this "redundance" a coincidence dating from pre-alliance times or are airlines aware and use their lounge designs as marketing tools to win over passengers from the same alliance?
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- MRYapproach
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Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
Good question. My guess is that airlines build lounges for their best customers. If a gold alliance flyer can use it without a boarding pass on that airline, so be it.
On a similar note, why do airlines let silver alliance flyers board with group 2 on an economy ticket?
Perks are reciprocal - you give so you can get.
On a similar note, why do airlines let silver alliance flyers board with group 2 on an economy ticket?
Perks are reciprocal - you give so you can get.
Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
I have used many airline lounges and never flown on that airline. With statue and alliance partners it is easy to do. I always go for the nicest lounge no matter who I am flying. Why use the crappy JAL lounge in BKK when the CX lounge is better. This is a benefit of airline status, use it.
Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
loungebuddy.com
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- fbgdavidson
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Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
This is not unusual at all, although it is surprising.
At LHR T3 for example I sometimes can't even keep track of the number of oneworld lounges when you consider the First Class/Flagship versions. There are 7 oneworld lounge options and when JL had a lounge it was even more! I am surprised that some of the airlines haven't clubbed together to have "superlounges". Given the spaces involved it'd probably only be applicable for FC given the much larger footfall on the business class side of things
At LHR T3 for example I sometimes can't even keep track of the number of oneworld lounges when you consider the First Class/Flagship versions. There are 7 oneworld lounge options and when JL had a lounge it was even more! I am surprised that some of the airlines haven't clubbed together to have "superlounges". Given the spaces involved it'd probably only be applicable for FC given the much larger footfall on the business class side of things
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- klakzky123
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Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
If you're at the right airport, you can definitely hop through a few airport lounges. For example, Priority Pass in IAD can get you AF/KL, BA, and Turkish lounges. Plus if you have Gold with one of the alliances, there are several lounges in an airport like JFK within every alliance.
Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
lightmac wrote:Is this "redundance" a coincidence dating from pre-alliance times or are airlines aware and use their lounge designs as marketing tools to win over passengers from the same alliance?
Maybe a bit of the latter, but some of it is just making sure alliance elite customers are taken care of, regardless of which airline in the alliance is their actual "home" airline. For example, at UA's IAD hub the UA lounges are all located in Terminal C/D, but a good number of Star flights also leave from B. Thus, LH and TK's lounges are over there, where their flights leave. This is greatly beneficial to me, a UA elite, if I'm taking a flight on LH, SK, or any of the others, but it also helps LH elites connecting onto UA flights because they can access the UA lounges in C/D as well before boarding connections. It makes a little less sense when the alliance partner gates are nearby the "host" airline, but that's often not the case.
Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
You are surely posting this question from a US-centric viewpoint. Moreover, from a domestic travel US-centric viewpoint.
Outside of the US, particularly in large hub airports, it is not unusual for carriers within the same alliance to operate separate lounges, either for reasons of prestige, or because sheer passenger numbers making sharing lounge facilities impractical, or because scheduling of each carrier's respective flights are not conducive to lounge sharing, or because of the commercial arrangements with the airport for the carrier in question.
However, as an elite member of an alliance carrier, or if travelling in a premium cabin, it does mean that one can freely lounge hop at large airports. There are a plethora "which <alliance ABC> lounge is best at <airport XYZ>" threads on expertflyer.com. Lounge hopping is a "thing" - I have done it myself at LHR T3, SIN, HKG... much fun!
Outside of the US, particularly in large hub airports, it is not unusual for carriers within the same alliance to operate separate lounges, either for reasons of prestige, or because sheer passenger numbers making sharing lounge facilities impractical, or because scheduling of each carrier's respective flights are not conducive to lounge sharing, or because of the commercial arrangements with the airport for the carrier in question.
However, as an elite member of an alliance carrier, or if travelling in a premium cabin, it does mean that one can freely lounge hop at large airports. There are a plethora "which <alliance ABC> lounge is best at <airport XYZ>" threads on expertflyer.com. Lounge hopping is a "thing" - I have done it myself at LHR T3, SIN, HKG... much fun!
Re: Visiting lounges of airlines that you have never flown with
When I'm in Bangkok I use Oman Air's lounge with my Priority Pass even though I'm usually flying Singapore Airlines or Thai back to SIN. Strangely enough, Oman Air's lounge has an impressive collection of booze...
I use ANA's lounge in HND even though I have never known ANA and am usually flying Singapore Airlines because the latter doesn't have their own and ANA's the designated Star Alliance lounge.
This sums it up
As vhtje has mentioned, if you do a lot of international travel, you are likely to be using lounges of airports you don't fly on, especially when you are in your homebase.
A friend of mine based in SIN flies home to the US on United every year, but always uses the Silver Kris lounge even though he has never flown on Singapore Airlines.
I use ANA's lounge in HND even though I have never known ANA and am usually flying Singapore Airlines because the latter doesn't have their own and ANA's the designated Star Alliance lounge.
vhtje wrote:You are surely posting this question from a US-centric viewpoint. Moreover, from a domestic travel US-centric viewpoint.
Outside of the US, particularly in large hub airports, it is not unusual for carriers within the same alliance to operate separate lounges, either for reasons of prestige, or because sheer passenger numbers making sharing lounge facilities impractical, or because scheduling of each carrier's respective flights are not conducive to lounge sharing, or because of the commercial arrangements with the airport for the carrier in question.
However, as an elite member of an alliance carrier, or if travelling in a premium cabin, it does mean that one can freely lounge hop at large airports. There are a plethora "which <alliance ABC> lounge is best at <airport XYZ>" threads on expertflyer.com. Lounge hopping is a "thing" - I have done it myself at LHR T3, SIN, HKG... much fun!
This sums it up
As vhtje has mentioned, if you do a lot of international travel, you are likely to be using lounges of airports you don't fly on, especially when you are in your homebase.
A friend of mine based in SIN flies home to the US on United every year, but always uses the Silver Kris lounge even though he has never flown on Singapore Airlines.
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