Leeds Bradford Airport is opening a super-premium lounge

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• Ronster says:

  2 Mar2 March 04:23

  Good morning all.

  With regard to Leeds and for those having Priority Pass, you can forget any chance of access to the White Rose Lounge.

  On the last 10 occasions I have flown in and out I have only ever managed to access that Lounge once.

  Its been hammered by “paying” visitors, which the Lounge lets in first.

  On my last visit, when I pushed their front line staff member, to tell me how many “Priority Pass” members had been allowed in that day, I was not shocked to be informed “NONE”

  Ronster

  • Polly says:

    2 Mar2 March 07:13

    Thar really is shameful. That’s something l would bring to amex and try to claim compo for. And we have done that when goons on the desk in
    Jed tried to charge my oh entry. Anywhere on their site that allows you to pre book for £5?

    • Ronster says:

      2 Mar2 March 20:06

      Good evening Polly

      Thank your for our input.

      What you say is very interesting.

      I would have never have thought of actually approaching Amex for compensation. I am thinking of actually emailing the lounge a few days before my next arrival. Letting them know I intend to make a complaint to Amex, if refused entry, based on an apparant preference by the lounge to prioritise fee paying visitors and NOT amex Priority Pass visitors.

      Did you ever get any compensation back from Amex ceded back to your account?

      All the best

      Ronster

      • Ronster says:

        2 Mar2 March 20:09

        *credited

        • Shoestring says:

          2 Mar2 March 21:10

          1. you can’t reserve access

          2. people have got compo from Amex when they have repeatedly been refused access to PP lounges

      • Lady London says:

        2 Mar2 March 20:16

        I really wouldn’t do that Ronster (the pre-writing).
        No point making a complete a$$ of yourself.
        Unfortunately lounges can genuinely be full and do have the right to refuse PP at any time… even if they’re empty.

        the issue is that Priority Pass has clearly done too good a pricing deal – and the lounges have better sources of business that earn them more that they are protecting.
        You’ll only get in on a Priority Pass if they need you.. Increasingly it seems Priority Pass is the “lowest of the low” of all types of entry into lounges.

        No issue with that except if you think Amex Platinum giving you a Priority Pass as part of what you get for your £600 fee, has any value at all, then you would be mistaken.

        That, and the slow roar that is building about the insurance that has always been part of the same package that now costs £600, actually being poor quality and with inability to negotiate to get pre-existing conditions covered, means Amex Platinum really is on the edge of (not) being worth it for what it costs anymore. As your typical Amex customer is historically older so has had time to develop the odd pre-existing condition, then if Amex Platinum’s new market of 25-year-olds does not develop, then each year they keep the current policy with that exclusion, their core market who is actually paying their bills, is slowly going to drop off just for that.

        So unfortunately Ronster I really, really like your idea of writing to the lounge – but I rather fear that even if they would have been able to let you in at your arrival time, sending a letter could actually make sure you don’t get in rather than that you do.

        If you really must write then how about politely mentioning when you expect to be there and ask them if it’s possible to pay a reservation fee to them now to ensure they may have space for you? that might get you in when you otherwise wouldn’t if they are able to let you in.

        • Ronster says:

          2 Mar2 March 21:04

          Good evening Lady London

          Thanks for replying.

          Although I agree with some of your points, I don’t believe emailing a polite and courteous letter will make me look like what your implying and have them mark me out as a “persona non grata”.The front line staff member was actually quite sympathetic and agreed with me. At best I would have only have had 20 minutes, in each of my passing visits, so thats why I haven’t messaged Leeds before. However I have contacted other lounges before that I had a far longer wait time and where they had a reputation with work colleagues of not letting Priority Pass users. Its worked before, it might work again……I guess I could mention as you say paying a reservation fee, but that sort of defeats the object of getting in on the fee I have already paid them indirectly va my Amex Plat membership.

          I am fully aware of their terms and conditions however I think its important that Amex and Priority are both made aware of an issues where the Lounge actually discriminates against Priority Pass users. That only makes the Platinum Amex I hold have less value and harder for me to justify the yearly fee.

          Your right about the Insurance. Thats a serious mistake that Amex appears to be dropping the ball on.

          Kind regards

          Ronster

        • Lady London says:

          3 Mar3 March 03:14

          I think we agree @Ronster.
          My point about asking in any letter you might send, if you could pay a reservation fee was similar to your idea – just a way of making it polite and being nice even though we both know perfectly well they don’t have the ability to take a reservation from you.

          Good luck and I hope you get in next time

• Ken Bates says:

  2 Mar2 March 04:26

  If you want Premier League football, you have to pay Premier League prices.

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:

    2 Mar2 March 08:01

    You won’t find many of these in Leeds. Maybe next year. Maybe not.

• Yuff says:

  2 Mar2 March 06:41

  OT : need a hotel in Palma tonight for 2 nights and was going to use Clubcard vouchers via hotels.com to book the melia palma marina. However hotels.com has vanished from the Clubcard site have I missed that or have they slyly removed it……

  Anyone have any ideas on the cheapest way to book it, I have avios, Virgin , Hilton, IHG points, as alternatives, but like the position of the melia and i stayed at the gran Victoria melia in December using hotel.com vouchers…….

  • Andrew M says:

    2 Mar2 March 06:48

    Oh no! Hotels.com were my preferred redemption partner. Can’t find any coverage anywhere of their removal.

    • Andrew M says:

      2 Mar2 March 11:14

      **** UPDATE RE CLUBCARD HOTELS.COM PARTNERSHIP **** Reply received from their twitter team:

      “Hi Andrew. Unfortunately [they] have been removed from the website. They will be back on sale again soon, but we don’t have a timescale for this at the moment. Please note that the partnership has not ended and we hope to have [these] tokens back on sale as soon as possible. TY – Terry.”

      Phew.

      • meta says:

        2 Mar2 March 11:26

        Have more info as I called Tesco CS. See my post at 9:14am below. Apparently it is down to a glitch at hotels.com end not issuing voucher codes, so got pulled last week.

  • Peter K says:

    2 Mar2 March 07:05

    Just had a quick look and it did look like hotels.com has been pulled ☹️

    • meta says:

      2 Mar2 March 07:25

      ☹️ They couldn’t wait for a month before I cashed them out on hotels.com.

      • G Flyer says:

        2 Mar2 March 08:27

        But have Hilton and Accor (Mercure & Novotel) been added as replacements? I can’t remember seeing those before…

        • meta says:

          2 Mar2 March 08:31

          They were there before for ages.

    • Lady London says:

      2 Mar2 March 10:32

      As seems to happen with loyalty programs, if any significant number of people actually succeed in uuuuuusing the benefits, that benefit gets pulled or devalued out of sight.

      I had seen somewhere (I thought here) last year that Tesco was going to drop hotels.com as of last August. Hotels.com denied it when I asked them and seemed horrified at the thought. I really hope it’s not true after all. Nothing else about Tesco’s program is worth anything.

  • DaveL says:

    2 Mar2 March 07:24

    Don’t forget if you are Amex plat you should have melia gold. This should mean you have 2 x 20% off vouchers in your account when you book direct. You also get 241 breakfast so you might find it adds up to book room only.

    Currently selling via melia for £78, minus 20% takes you to £62.

    • Yuff says:

      2 Mar2 March 07:25

      I do have Amex plat….😄
      Thanks

      • Mj says:

        2 Mar2 March 08:06

        Depending on when your birthday falls, as gold you get the chance to upgrade the room if you checkin via app (space permitting). I will be trying in NY melia in April

      • Secret Squirrel says:

        2 Mar2 March 08:55

        If planning using Melia, new sign ups get 2k points & look at points per night, then check amazon for their GC’s for value comparison.

  • Andrew M says:

    2 Mar2 March 07:33

    A poor show giving no notice whatsoever. Previously, at least some warning has been typically given.

  • Lady London says:

    2 Mar2 March 10:26

    Could it be they know you’re abroad? Presumably you can fix that right there!

    • Yuff says:

      2 Mar2 March 10:32

      Not there yet 😄

• Peter K says:

  2 Mar2 March 07:16

  Minor typo.
  “The airport runs all there lounges”
  Should be their.

  • Shoestring says:

    2 Mar2 March 07:29

    these

    • Alex M says:

      2 Mar2 March 07:38

      Or Three? Just guessing…

    • Lady London says:

      2 Mar2 March 15:16

      Hey Shoestring I;ve lot the 15 year link you posted, any chance you could repost please?

  • Brian says:

    2 Mar2 March 07:38

    Three?

  • xcalx says:

    2 Mar2 March 08:21

    I read it as three

• Bill says:

  2 Mar2 March 07:36

  OT. Given a choice of Turkish or Pegasus on Antalya to Istanbuk I’m guessing avoid Pegasus after their recent incidents. Any views ?

  • Michael C says:

    2 Mar2 March 08:24

    Turkish are fab. as long as there isn’t a small asterisk saying “operated by Anadolu Airlines”, in which case there’ll be no IFE, and I think food may be purchasable?

  • johnny_c-l says:

    2 Mar2 March 09:45

    I travel with both regularly and personally go with whichever has the schedule or price to suit me. Safety is not something that has or would concern me with either; my only observation would be that PC crew seem less strict about seatbelts/standing when taxiing etc on the quick shuttle flights compared to TK.

    On TK you get a toasted cheese & tomato sandwich with a tea/coffee (same if it’s AnadoluJet), but PC is BOB, or you can usually pre-order a cheap sandwich along with seat selection & baggage when booking.

• Rui N. says:

  2 Mar2 March 07:42

  OT: going through Gatwick Terminal North this week. What’s the best lounge to access using my $10 Dragonpass/Red Dufry offer? Cheers

  • Rob says:

    2 Mar2 March 08:49

    No 1 is bigger but fuller, Club Aspire is smaller, quieter but in a basement. My Lounge is an acquired taste but as it has glass walls you can look in and check it out. All in the same place.

    • Rui N. says:

      2 Mar2 March 09:32

      Thanks Rob!

• Matty says:

  2 Mar2 March 07:58

  OT: Came back from Manchester last in night with BA to Heathrow in CE. No ‘meal’ served, just a drink because of the number of passengers in Club – 10 rows ~ 25 pax. Worth an email?

  • Matthew says:

    2 Mar2 March 08:53

    Happened to me before too. But we only had 4 in CE and no meals for 2 of us! Couldn’t be bothered chasing but should have done really…

  • Polly says:

    2 Mar2 March 09:30

    Think Harry would be looking at 10k avios service recovery, after all, they starved you!

  • Anna says:

    2 Mar2 March 09:46

    My OH got 5k avios for precisely this last year.

    • Shoestring says:

      2 Mar2 March 11:21

      yep don’t settle for less than 5K, which is fair enough

• Mj says:

  2 Mar2 March 08:11

  OT had a very middling experience using Morrisons plastic gift voucher on the weekend. No luck at petrol station, she looked like she had never seen one before, I suggested a few things mentioned here and she seemed to press every button but no luck and the screen showed a message about ‘card used’. Went in-store to check balance and all good used at self service fine. Then tried to buy a coffee on way out lots of confusion and to save my wife further embarrassment just whipped out the amex.

  • SteveD says:

    2 Mar2 March 09:14

    I think the staff are still getting used to them.

    We used at manned till and PFS over the weekend, and lady on till was open about the fact she didn’t really know what to do with it – initially she tried to put the card in the till(!), which they would be used to doing with the old paper vouchers.
    We had a bit of a chuckle about it and got there in the end. PFS seemed a bit more used to it, though though there was more button pressing and huffing at the till than normal.
    You should get a receipt showing remaining balance whenever you use it.

    • Anna says:

      2 Mar2 March 10:16

      On that subject, my first 10% rebate from buying B & Q gift arrived a week after spending.

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