Airline Top Tier Invitation Only Status (e.g. Qantas' Chairman's Lounge)

RooFlyer

RooFlyer

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Could also include VA's Beyond Lounge, although I dont know much about that and I think fair to say much less 'influential'.

What are the 'equivalent' lounges/facilities provided by other airlines around the world (genuine question)? That is, invitation only, based (I think) largely on elected office, corporate leadership, celebrity?

Germany, France, USA, Canada, UK, Japan?

Any articles on them?
 
US: I don't think they have any, except for access to Flagship/Polaris normally reserved for J ticket holders on any ticket.
 
For non-Australian airlines, this 2015 ET article only mentions very top tier levels/programs earned by flying a lot (sort of like QFF P1) - and not having their own lounge spaces - rather than a tier designed to cater for political/commercial/celebrity types, with its own lounges.

This Bloomberg article defeats the 12ft ladder paywall buster. Can anyone access and extract some bits?
www.bloomberg.com

The Hidden World of Invitation-Only Airline Clubs

If you have to ask, you probably don’t belong.
www.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com
 
UA has Global Services, AA has ConciergeKey. Don’t believe either come with private lounges, but they do have things like escorts through the airport. I’m guessing AA’s version would have access to First Class dining (until that is phased out)
 
BA has GGL (Gold Guest List) which is probably best to compare with P1 at QF, but they also have Executive Club Premier which is similar to QF's CL (invitation only, based on "influence").
British-Airways-Executive-Club-Premier-card-350x222.png

source: www..headforpoints.com

Emirates has "IO", which is similarly invitation only, there are no obviously published criteria defining what gets someone a tap on the shoulder to join.
emirates-io-membership-card-1024x527.jpg

source: www.pointhacks.com.au
 
RooFlyer said:
For non-Australian airlines, this 2015 ET article only mentions very top tier levels/programs earned by flying a lot (sort of like QFF P1) - and not having their own lounge spaces - rather than a tier designed to cater for political/commercial/celebrity types, with its own lounges.

This Bloomberg article defeats the 12ft ladder paywall buster. Can anyone access and extract some bits?
www.bloomberg.com

The Hidden World of Invitation-Only Airline Clubs

If you have to ask, you probably don’t belong.
www.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com
Click to expand...
The Bloomberg one is the ET article in its entirety
 
Kiwi_Flyer said:
No it's [ANZ Elite Priority One] invitation only not a flyer tier.
Click to expand...

MEL_Traveller said:
UA has Global Services, AA has ConciergeKey. Don’t believe either come with private lounges, but they do have things like escorts through the airport. I’m guessing AA’s version would have access to First Class dining (until that is phased out)
Click to expand...

But from what I've read, all of those are mainly for the most elite paying flyers, maybe with some others thrown in. What I'm asking after are equivalents to the QF Chairman's Lounge, where politicians, business elite, celebrities (and elite flyers) are invited to join, essentially irrespective of the amount of flying they do. The thread title was changed from what I posted originally.
 
RooFlyer said:
But from what I've read, all of those are mainly for the most elite paying flyers, maybe with some others thrown in. What I'm asking after are equivalents to the QF Chairman's Lounge, where politicians, business elite, celebrities (and elite flyers) are invited to join, essentially irrespective of the amount of flying they do. The thread title was changed from what I posted originally.
Click to expand...

BA Premier is not just for big-spending flyers - also for influential people. BA also gift their regular tiers to people who are not quite as influential - e.g. when I worked for a UK Member of Parliament, he was gifted silver status.
 
Mr H said:
BA Premier is not just for big-spending flyers - also for influential people. BA also gift their regular tiers to people who are not quite as influential - e.g. when I worked for a UK Member of Parliament, he was gifted silver status.
Click to expand...

Thanks; that sounds like the first non-Australian one (and you can see where the Australian model would have come from).
 
RooFlyer said:
Thanks; that sounds like the first non-Australian one (and you can see where the Australian model would have come from).
Click to expand...

The Australian model is slightly different in that there are separate, dedicated CL lounges. BA Premier can access any BA lounge at any time including the Concorde Room (LHR - normally for pax flying in BA F) but there are no special BA Premier lounges.
 
RooFlyer said:
But from what I've read, all of those are mainly for the most elite paying flyers, maybe with some others thrown in. What I'm asking after are equivalents to the QF Chairman's Lounge, where politicians, business elite, celebrities (and elite flyers) are invited to join, essentially irrespective of the amount of flying they do. The thread title was changed from what I posted originally.
Click to expand...

Elite priority one is not for high flyers. It is invitation only for those with influence over large corporate travel budgets.
 
I know a fellow who was a CFO of a Fortune 20 company. Not all invitations are to the highest elite level. For example he was only given LH Senator status and they have a higher Hon circle elite status.
 
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Apparently MPs get two invites, so the real question is whether his partner is a member. They've only been together for two years so quite possible he gave it to his son instead.

Perhaps the QF pass went to his son and the VA Beyond pass went to his partner?
 

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