Etihad Airways Lounge Access for Velocity Gold/Platinum

[airtraveladdict]

Hello fellow Velocity FF,

Well i just got my email from velocity regarding Velocity gold and platinum FF lounge access with Etihad.
Etihad Airways Lounge Access
When travelling in Coral Economy Class with Etihad Airways, Gold and Platinum Velocity members are only able to access the Etihad Airways Al Reem Lounge in terminal one until further notice. Please present your Velocity card and boarding pass for entry.

I hope Virgin works out a new lounge access deal with Etihad because it is not good enough for Gold, ESPECIALLY Platinum members to access ONLY the Al Reem Lounge, what if we are departing/connecting flights in Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi? we won't be able access the Pearl lounge? Etihad has temporarily stopped their Etihad Guest Silver/Gold from access the Pearl Lounge because of renovations, so its only open for their Gold Elite FF, but etihad guest silver/gold will be allowed back into the pearl lounge when the renovations are over -- yet Velocity gold/platinum are expected to be lumped into Al Reem lounge.

But Singapore, Virgin Atlantic, Air NZ, you get access to the business lounges/club houses.

And Qantas Platinum FF gets access to all the business and first class lounges in the oneworld network.

 

[notzac]

Yup, it sucks pretty bad. This is something that irritates me quite a bit, as lounge access is one of the major benefits of the program for me. The Al Reem lounge isn't nearly as nice as the EY Pearl lounge at AUH (on the other hand, I understand why: at peak times the Pearl lounge is packed to the rafters and then some).

IMHO, Velocity Gold in whY should be stuck with the Al Reem lounge, per the original announcement to EY FF'ers .. but Golds travelling in a premium cabin (whY+ and higher) and Platinums in any cabin shouldn't!

 

[777]

I hope Virgin works out a new lounge access deal with Etihad because it is not good enough for Gold, ESPECIALLY Platinum members to access ONLY the Al Reem Lounge, what if we are departing/connecting flights in Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi? we won't be able access the Pearl lounge? Etihad has temporarily stopped their Etihad Guest Silver/Gold from access the Pearl Lounge because of renovations, so its only open for their Gold Elite FF, but etihad guest silver/gold will be allowed back into the pearl lounge when the renovations are over -- yet Velocity gold/platinum are expected to be lumped into Al Reem lounge.

As i understand it the arrangements are exactly the same for Etihad Gold as Velocity Gold and were announced at the same time. I assume when one is allowed back in the other will be, do you know any different?

I agree Platinum should get access as Gold Elite do but given that neither Gold Elite nor Velocity platinum existed at the time the lounge arrangements were made it doesn't surprise me that it hasn't been negotiated. Given i'm a velocity platinum passing through AUH in Y and back in the next fortnight i've got some skin in this game -- however i'm not massively surprised given the newness of it all.

 

[777]

IMHO, Velocity Gold in whY should be stuck with the Al Reem lounge, per the original announcement to EY FF'ers .. but Golds travelling in a premium cabin (whY+ and higher) and Platinums in any cabin shouldn't!

Golds on a business class ticket will still use the lounge. As Etihad don't have Y+ i'm not surprised that there are no arrangements for it - having said that, i wasn't aware that international Y+ tickets included lounge access?

 

[airtraveladdict]

Golds on a business class ticket will still use the lounge. As Etihad don't have Y+ i'm not surprised that there are no arrangements for it - having said that, i wasn't aware that international Y+ tickets included lounge access?

Yep naturally if you buy a business J fare you get lounge access with or without a gold/plat FF card.

but Y+ doesnt entitle you to lounge access. only Japan Airlines lets Y+ access their sakura lounge.

 

[LiamR]

Yeah, I kinda agree this sucks. Platinum's currently don't get any extra lounge access benefits overseas.

Kinda irks me further when you hear that the HQ for SQ has a poor lounge for Golds/Platinums, so does EY at AUH now. Two major bases two poor lounges? Not so good.

This is where one world is ahead at the moment. (And the biggest thing I miss about OWE)

Hopefully this gets improved soon. F Lounge (or something better at SIN and AUH) would be a nice benefit.

 

[notzac]

Golds on a business class ticket will still use the lounge.

Yes, but that's access via class of service - Velocity whatever is irrelevant.

As Etihad don't have Y+ i'm not surprised that there are no arrangements for it

I'm not surprised either -- but I still think that a Velocity Gold who has purchased something other than the cheapest cabin should be able to access a decent lounge. Platinum should have access irrespective of class of service (actually, I would really like to see Velocity Platinum being granted the same access as Etihad Guest Gold Elite .. travelling solo gets you in to the F Lounge, travelling with a (non Platinum) partner gets you in to the J Lounge, irrespective of what cabin you travel in).

I wasn't aware that international Y+ tickets included lounge access?

It doesn't - that's what the Velocity Gold card is for.

 

[Mh4k]

It's very confusing, but the wording can be interpreted as saying - Gold members holding economy class tickets on Etihad use the (awful) Al Reem lounge, but Gold members holding economy class tickets or Y+ tickets on VA use the Pearl Business Class Lounge.

As I've mentioned before I have an upcoming trip that is Y+ on VA SYD -> AUH and onward to LHR in J on EY... I'll certainly have access to the Pearl lounge on the outbound leg, but will be calling for clarification about whether I will have it on the return leg, and throwing a tantrum if not.