This is my first post!

Yesterday when flying from MLA-FRA (LH1311) and FRA-LUX (LH6306 operated by Luxair) in Y, I was told at the entrance of the FRA SEN lounge that I can't bring any guest as a SEN in the lounge because the flight is operated by Luxair.

I replied that:
-It's a LH/LG codeshare flight
-In any case, Miles and More is the Frequent Flyer program of Luxair and that I often bring a guest traveling on the same flight with me.

But she didn't want to hear anything. She insisted saying that as a SEN you can only bring a guest in the SEN lounge on fights operated by Lufthansa or SWISS (!). That they charge back the entry cost in the lounge to Luxair and that Luxair probably doesn't want to pay for a guest and that Luxair is not part of the *A anyway.

I've never had any issue to enter in the SEN lounge in FRA with a guest in similar cases in the past so I'm very surprised by this. Did someone else experienced the same issue?

 

SEN and guest on LG can enter the LH Business lounge:


View Screen Capture

I would take it up with LG.

 

Sad but true.
You have access to the lounge - but not with a partner. The rules have been changed silently with massive results.

http://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/Lounge-types-and-access

The companion needs a Star-Alliance BP! So no access for companions with EN, LG or any other partner flight.

 

So not allowed to take a guest into the SEN lounge on LG, but you are allowed to take a guest into the business lounge on LG?

Did I get it right?

Lastly, can SEN take guests into the lounge when on 4U flights? My guess is no, as I couldn't find it mentioned anywhere on the 4U website.

 

I have no experience with that. Some Lounge attendants just let guests in - but according to the rules they just can refuse the access!
Just confirmed: No companion access with EN or LG!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20617068-post453.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20691568-post471.html

This change has never been communicated! So it was just a silent ejecting of their guests in a few steps:

In former times SEN had anytime access to the lounges.
Then they required a Partner/LH Boarding pass, only Condor was excluded then.
Then they silently removed the access the partner access for partner flights - just by changing a footnote.

Familiy access in partner lounges has been silently enhanced at a similar time.

 

That said you should take up LG on their statement on the website, as they promise you one guest in the C lounge as SEN when both are flying LG operated flights. Lets see what LGs customer relations respond...

 

Correct. You could, however, have used the SEN lounge as an arrival lounge for LH1311 and would have been able to bring in a guest with a *A boarding pass (LH1311).

HTB.

 

Thanks all for your replies.

I see: LH is changing the access rules without any form of communication apart from a small print on their website!

It seems the application of these rules lacks consistency. On the way to MLA (LUX-MUC-MLA), the MUC-MLA flight was operated by Air Malta (rebooked on this flight because of the LH strike by the way) but I was able to get in the SEN lounge with a guest in MUC. In addition, as mentioned in my initial post, I never had an issue getting in a SEN lounge with a guest when flying in Y on a LH/LG codeshare flight in the past.

There are differences between what is stated on the Luxair website (business lounge with guest in FRA) and on the LH website (SEN lounge without guest because guest has to be on Lufthansa/Star Alliance flight). As suggested by Oliver, I will contact LG to investigate and will let you know.

 

Many thanks HTB, your idea solves the issue. I didn't think about this possibility. I will do that next time!

 

HTB, I just read the small prints again on LH website and I'm not that sure it will work for the guest access. For SEN it states indeed "departing or arriving"flight but for the companion the small print states " (1) To access Senator and Business Class Lounges travelling companions must present a valid boarding pass for a same-day departure Lufthansa / Star Alliance flight. Companions must leave the lounge at the same time as the passenger who invited them."

If I understand it correctly, it will not work with an arriving *A boarding pass as a departure boarding pass is required for the companion. Is this correct?

 

As I said elsewhere, they just seem to make annoying stuff up as we go along. I turned up at the lounge with an Air Dolomiti business class ticket once and was denied entry. Does that make any sense?

 

Long term LH Strategy: No sense, but save short term Euros!

They save a few Euros with not letting you into the lounge. EN is the Italian version of 4U.

 

Much nicer service on EN, though, with nice collection of cold meats, cold grilled vegetables, Italian wines and grappa (in business class). I quite like flying over those glaciers in a turboprop with a glass of red in my hand!

It is totally possible to live without lounge access, it was just embarrassing, that's all. I could have understood if I was trying to get in with an economy BP and a FTL card.

There's quite a discussion going on over at the SWISS forum about this issue of bringing a guest into the lounge (at GVA in this case), especially if you don't know the guest!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/swiss...ach-other.html

I have never taken an LG flight ex-GVA, so I wonder what the situation would be for lounge access in this case.

 

Or if the guest has a beard or is make or older than you or not the same nationality ....

But the real disgrace about LX is that the matrons don't come up with this stuff they have a little schreibtischt�ter somewhere in the intestines of their system that makes these creepy things up and thens stores them in the system...

 

Well, it's like the mileage programme and trying to do anything just slightly complicated, like putting in a stopover: they just seem to make up new stupid obstacles as we go along, and, believe me, I have read the rules and restrictions over and over again during the last 12 years. Why do they bother with the programme if the only objective is to piss the clientele off?

For the lounge access, I never take it as an entitled right that I will get in. I always say to whomever might be accompanying me, if we get in then that's great, but you never know what will happen once we're there. It's totally hit or miss, and I consider myself lucky if I am invited in, with or without guests.

I must say, over at Flying Blue (which is about as crappy as frequent flyer programmes can possibly get these days), lounge access is a lot more consistent and I've never had any of the problems or embarrassing moments that I've have at M&M. If you're got the Gold card, you get in, with or without a guest, end of story.