Lufthansa solves the ‘can I bring my whole family into the lounge?’ problem (or does it?)

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• Paul says:

  30 Jul30 July 07:19

  Have exactly this problem on Friday as travelling alone with two kids and single gold card.

  The solution for me would be abandoning the current any guest access rights which simply encourage blind dates and provide every card holder with a specific number of guest access passes linked electronically to your membership card.

  If I have 6 kids and a wife I can then choose to either allow them all in or 6 individuals of my choice.

  The LH solution is not one i would use.

• Graeme says:

  30 Jul30 July 07:42

  Just back from Cyprus with BA via LHR with wife and two kids, and no chance of getting all in with my BA Gold card (tried and failed on way out). Our way round it was my wife and daughter went shopping, and my (plane-mad) son and I went to the lounge and watched over everything landing on the north runway – the LH solution would have saved me a fortune!

  Paul – I like your idea of a small number of guest passes.

• Zoe says:

  30 Jul30 July 07:46

  Heading out of Southampton today which my husband commutes through regularly, he’s suggesting the (poor Flybe) lounge for him and Costa for us.

• Susan says:

  30 Jul30 July 08:08

  If that is verbatim Lufty’s words then they ought to be called out on the everyday sexist assumption that the Frequent Traveller has a “wife or partner” .

  Could even be worth taking out Amex Plat for a couple of months to get Priority Pass entry for 4 people on one account – cardholder, supplementary and a guest each with further guests at £15 per head. The lounges may not always be great but one is also likely to find one at the return departure point as well.

  • Brian Taylor says:

    30 Jul30 July 08:25

    Perhaps they know that Raffles is a man…

    • louie-m says:

      30 Jul30 July 15:15

      Never heard of civil partners?!!

  • keiths says:

    30 Jul30 July 22:40

    Don’t hold out too much store by the Amex Platinum / Priority Pass.

    Flying last weekend to MCO on VS I trooped up to the No1 Lounge at LGW South and was not admitted – they said the lounge was full.

• Brian Taylor says:

  30 Jul30 July 08:23

  The Austrian offer is presumably per person, not per family. If you want to take in more than 2 guests, it is more expensive.

  • Sir Stamford says:

    30 Jul30 July 08:50

    Yes, the charge is by person. But don’t forget that your first guest is covered without charge by your *G card. So, this will work out more expensive only if it is more than 4 people.

    Sir Stamford

• Mr Bridge says:

  30 Jul30 July 08:44

  there are many reasons why I like to fly BC, one is the lounge access.
  This Idea must be a relief for all of those parents, who will see the lounge as a nice safe environment for their kids to run wild, and not give a stuff about those who have paid for BC to avoid exactly this scenario.

  • Sir Stamford says:

    30 Jul30 July 08:53

    You don’t have to fly BC for lounge access if you hold a frequent flyer (or other equivalent) status.

    Sir Stamford

  • Paul says:

    30 Jul30 July 10:43

    In 30 years of travel I have never once had my experience degraded due to the behavir of a child or children on the ground or in the air.

    Adults are another matter altogether ranging from the drunks, the mad, the bad, those who are strangers to soap, those who snore and those who share their flatulance with everyone around them. Oh and dont let me forget the DYKWIA brigade………..

    Kids are generally kids. its the adults who are harmful to travel.

• Katherine Nuttall says:

  30 Jul30 July 09:51

  Have been in that situation with BA at Heathrow, husband has Gold Card and the rest of us were Blue, what is annoying is that all BA Lounges are not operated the same way, for instance Greece, no problem, bring the whole family.

  Flying tomorrow and thankfully for the first time we have managed to have 1 Gold & 2 Silvers so 2 adults & 3 kids all get in at LHR tomorrow. Managed to get the silver for myself & son by flying one business class to Asia & 1 discounted segment from LHR to Athens. But never perfect as my son is under 18 so when he shows up at LHR he can not access the lounge unless he enters with an adult.

• BritBronco says:

  30 Jul30 July 10:04

  I find it unlikely that BA would start allowing paid lounge access, as it would undermine their ability to persuade people to upgrade to CE, which is the real solution to getting everyone in the lounge.

  If they did though, I hope they would also offer a mileage option at an extortionate ate to try to mop up some Avios from the system. However I would really like to see them offer seat selection paid for with Avios.

  • Sir Stamford says:

    30 Jul30 July 13:51

    Lounge access is obviously a perk which comes with premium class (Business & First) class travels. However as lounge access isn’t exclusive to these passengers, I am not sure if it a sufficiently strong incentive to persuade people to upgrade simply to gain access.

    You can get a CX Marco Polo Gold membership (equivalent to BA Silver) with your AMEX Platinum card and gain access to these lounges without travelling in these cabins.

    Similarly, you buy an outright Preferred status with US Airways for a fee and gain access to business lounges. US Airways is likely to exit Star Alliance and join Oneworld on 1 November 2013.

    Some of the third party lounges in other smaller outposts can be accessed using your Priority Pass or other equivalent programmes. For example, BA uses the Hugo Junkers lounge in DUS which you gain access with your Lounge Club membership as part of your AMEX Gold card package.

    Sir Stamford

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