Lounges

Category Archives for Lounges.

Free Domestic Lounge Access for United Gold Elites and Higher

by Gary Leff

storefront
Jan 24 2020

Most people think the United club exclusion means United Gold elites don’t get lounge access on domestic trips (unless they’re a United Club member). But that’s wrong. I don’t believe I’ve written about this in two years so it seems worth sharing.

The trick – that the initiated know but most do not – is that any Star Gold member can access any Star Alliance lounge in the U.S. other than United’s clubs provided they are flying on Star Alliance airlines out of that airport that day and can physically access the terminal where the lounge is located.

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Austin Getting a New Lounge For American Express Platinum Cardmembers

by Gary Leff

Jan 16 2020

The Austin airport has been working to add an independent lounge apart from the American, United, and Delta clubs that are already open there. They solicited a bid for the space back in the early spring, and the airport selected MAG (“Manchester Airport Group”) USA which runs Escape lounges. These are pay per use and accessible free to American Express Platinum cardmembers.

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Air France First Class Lounge & Dining, Washington Dulles

by Gary Leff

Jan 03 2020

Air France offers space available upgrades from business class to first class at check-in. This is true even for customers flying business class on an award ticket.

A reader shares that he bought up from a business class award ticket to first class flying Washington Dulles – Paris. He detailed the first class experience on the ground at Dulles airport.

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LAX International Lounge Review

by Gary Leff

Dec 14 2019

Air Tahiti Nui uses the LAX International Lounge – or more formally, Los Angeles International Lounge at LAX. I hadn’t visited this lounge before, and my expectation were low – but exceeded.

The Los Angeles International lounge is used by El Al, Air Tahiti Nui, Philippine Airlines, Fiji Airways. The lounge is also used by Japan Airlines for premium economy passengers. It was basically empty while I was there, and seems a perfect candidate for Priority Pass, but it isn’t accessible through any lounge access programs – just with a qualifying boarding pass.

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Does the New Tokyo Centurion Pop Up Signal A Second Asian American Express Lounge?

by Gary Leff

Nov 20 2019

American Express is running a pop up Centurion lounge in Manhattan next weekend. They want to be where their customers are, and they want to be where their customers are shopping.

Other pop ups have foretold where they wanted to offer a permanent lounge. For instance they had a pop up at LAX before getting a deal done to build a lounge there. They did a London pop up and then announced a London Heathrow Centurion lounge.

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Qantas Selling Access to LAX First Class Lounge

by Gary Leff

Oct 31 2019

There was a time I would have argued that the Qantas first class lounge at LAX was the best lounge in the United States. That was before United opened its Polaris lounges, and American opened its Flagship First Class dining rooms.
While I prefer the ambiance of the Star Alliance business class lounge’s outdoor deck with fire pits at LAX, the sit down dining of the Qantas lounge makes it the most desirable place to spend time in the Tom Bradley international terminal prior to a flight.

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Qatar Airways Now Offers al Safwa Lounge Access to Platinums Flying Business Class

by Gary Leff

hotel lobby
Oct 16 2019

With the continued blockade of Qatar led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE there are far fewer Qatar Airways short haul flights. That means fewer passengers with Al Safwa lounge access.

At the beginning of the year they started monetizing access to the lounge, upselling business class passengers initially for as little as $69 but more recently for $165. Now Qatar Airways has extended al Safwa lounge access to their Privilege Club Platinum members flying in business class.

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