V-Flyer

Good afternoon all!

I'm working in Amsterdam in April and am thinking of booking with BA so that I can experience T5 for the first time (rather than take EZY from STN!).

My question is - do I have any scope for a FC status match from BA on my VS Gold status - which in turn might lead me to some sort of lounge access at T5 [}:)]

Any insight/advice gratefully received!

There have been several discussions about status matches, but they were all in the past and I am not aware of any current promotions. Certainly none from BA

My guess would be - not a chance for T5 lounge access. I am, of course, happy to be corrected by those who have more knowledge of BA. [:D]

Nick

Thanks Nick. What about if it's a corporate booking though? I have a suspicion from somewhere that BA would status match BA for corporates???

I have no idea about corporate bookings, David, but I would ask the question, - Why would they?

What advantage would there be for BA, to status match you on the strength of one LHR-AMS flight?

I have heard of VS status matching after several future premium cabin flights are booked. I can see the logic of them doing that to gain future business, but I can't see any reason for BA do do this in one off circumstances.

Nick

Nick is correct - BA do not match from any other carrier. Therefore unless the OP is flying Club (Europe or World) there is no chance of lounge access as the CLub Gallaries loungues will be heaving with entitled pax - the First lounge is quieter and the Concorde room a real haven but BA are extremely strict regarding access to any of them.

I asked once, and got a snotty 'Oh we don't do that' from the BA Executive club.

I get asked that at work all the time and I have to resist my urge to be snotty.

Why would you get rewarded for your loyalty to a rival?

Generally speaking, no. The thread over on FT mentions the odd corporate success where the passenger can demonstrate the prospective business. Do you have an account manager with BA? If not, then I'd say your chances are very slim indeed.

Best bet would be to see if at OLCI you get offered a good deal to upgrade to Club. I get these offers a lot with BA and they are usually quite good value.

Thanks,
Sarah

quote:Originally posted by Sealink
I get asked that at work all the time and I have to resist my urge to be snotty.

Why would you get rewarded for your loyalty to a rival?


Well a fair few airlines have offered status match to take a chance on earning loyalty from competitors. So I think the OP has a fair question, albeit a misplaced one comparing BA LHR-AMS to VS intercontinentally.

The reason why I asked BA to match was that United did in the past, but only ever do it once.

Should BA decide to match VS, then it's a fair chance I'll take the most direct route, which BA would often win. As they would n't, their loss and I travel anywhere with VS and connect.

BA's snotty response cost them a share of 16 Transatlantic returns and 2 to the Far East. Some of those tickets in PE cost 2600. So I figured it was around 25K I spent with Virgin over the course of my project that required a lot of travel.

My company used to have a BA account manager, but lost it just before I asked.

Mark

I can see the business case for status matching. If you can lure a regular premium class traveller away from a rival by binning the qualification requirements, then it is money in the bank.

Nick

quote:Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
I can see the business case for status matching. If you can lure a regular premium class traveller away from a rival by binning the qualification requirements, then it is money in the bank.

Nick


Absolutely, which is why some airlines offer to status match for 3/4 months then track the flights and if the promise is not fulfilled, drop the premium status. I think it's a smart plan and have done it with CO in the past when from nought, have taken a shedload of US internal flights and very useful it is too!

Thanks for all the replies guys I've looked on my work intranet and discovered that there is no status match with BA but we do have a deal (not sure if it's a normal deal) with BMI that means that they will status match against VS - so I can get gold Diamond club on proving to them that I am a gold VS FC member. This means that I have access to all Star Alliance lounges - so very happy!! (I may lose my VS Au in May so this will be handy as well due to gold Diamond status allowing VS CH access when flying with VS...apparently!

So there I have my answer! I'll be taking BMI to AMS next month and using their lounges Has anyone been in the Europe Diamond lounge at LHR? Is it any good??

I guess I'll just have to wait to use T5!

Yup, Bmi seem to like giving out those status matches so you should be fine there.

The Bmi lounges are nothing special but they are away from the crowds. Most larger airports, including LHR, have seperate lounges for *G too, you just have to know where they are as its easy to get into the main Bmi lounge and not notice the door to the Gold lounge.

Thanks,
Sarah

Hasn't the international T1 BMI lounge recently been renovated/extended at LHR? I think it's now a much larger *A lounge isn't it? I guess international UA pax use it now UA are in T1.

Never used it yet though as I only use the BMI T1 domestic lounge which is still the same.

T1 is now much nicer than the hole is always used to be since the recent renovation (which I think is now nearly finished). There's much more space now in the check-in area.

Regards

Thanks for that Sarah and James! So if I'm flying to Europe I use a different BMI lounge to long haul? Or can I still use the Gold lounge? Does the Gold/Business lounge serve hot food or is it just snacks?

There's only 2 BMI lounges now. International and domestic. Diamond Club lounges/business lounges are one and the same.

Can't comment on the food in the international one but there's only cold snacks (crisps/biscuits etc) available in the domestic one, although on the odd occasion I've seen hot soup been offered in the AU section upstairs.

I've found a bit of info on LHR BMI lounge access from their website (although it's mostly guest info):

quote:lounges

Diamond Club domestic lounge
- terminal 1, gate 6

Diamond Club gold card members - plus 1 guest
Diamond Club silver card members* - plus 1 guest
Star Alliance gold card members - plus 1 guest
Star Alliance 1st passengers - plus 1 guest

Diamond Club international lounge
- terminal 1, gate 14

Diamond Club gold card members - plus 1 guest
Diamond Club silver card members* - plus 1 guest
bmi business passengers travelling to Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh - no guest
Star Alliance gold card members - plus 1 guest
Star Alliance 1st passengers - plus 1 guest

bmi Business Lounge - domestic
- terminal 1, gate 6

Diamond Club gold card members - plus 1 guest
Diamond Club silver card members* - plus 1 guest
bmi business passengers - no guest
economy flexible short haul only and YBMI/BM tickets - no guest
Star Alliance gold card members - plus 1 guest
Star Alliance 1st passengers - plus 1 guest
Star Alliance business passengers - no guest

bmi Business Lounge - international
- terminal 1, gate 14

Diamond Club gold card members - plus 1 guest
Diamond Club silver card members* - plus 1 guest
bmi business passengers - no guest
economy flexible short haul only and YBMI/BM tickets - no guest
Star Alliance gold card members - plus 1 guest
Star Alliance 1st passengers - plus 1 guest
Star Alliance business passengers - no guest
*silver Diamond Club members travelling on any sale fare or economy saver fares on short haul routes do not qualify for lounge access

London Heathrow Arrival Lounge
- terminal 1, outside customs hall on main level

On the day access by invitation only for customers flying into Heathrow on bmi arrivals from Eastern Europe, Middle East (inc Saudi Arabia), Africa, Asia (open 0500-1400).

bmi business class passengers no guest
Diamond Club gold card members no guest

Virgin Clubhouse
- terminal 3

Diamond Club gold card members* - no guest
*Diamond Club gold card members when travelling with Virgin Atlantic

Regards

Thanks James, most helpful! So as I'm going to AMS I'll be in the international lounge then. I'll report back on whether it's any good (though I'm sure it will be nowhere near living up to the CH standards!) and also offer a TR on the short hop!