EY Gold Status match

[Jack_OC]

Very disappointing to hear about the AUH situation. Puts the value of EY Gold in perspective.

Yeah that was an "enhancement" a couple of years back. TBH the biggest benefit of EY Gold for me has been domestic lounge access with VA. Although I have also gotten a couple of op-ups with EY since attaining Gold.

 

[Isochronous]

Yeah that was an "enhancement" a couple of years back. TBH the biggest benefit of EY Gold for me has been domestic lounge access with VA. Although I have also gotten a couple of op-ups with EY since attaining Gold.

Much luck with VA op ups as EY Gold?

 

[liparj]

Would appreciate if someone could let me in on the best way to take advantage of EY Gold flying PER-BKK-PER.. Or isn't that an option?

 

[Isochronous]

Would appreciate if someone could let me in on the best way to take advantage of EY Gold flying PER-BKK-PER.. Or isn't that an option?

VA don't go there do they? I don't know much about VA since I don't usually fly them.

 

[liparj]

VA don't go there do they? I don't know much about VA since I don't usually fly them.

VA codeshares with SQ..does that get me EY Gold benefits?

 

[Isochronous]

VA codeshares with SQ..does that get me EY Gold benefits?

Don't think SQ would recognise. But are the VA lounges actually any good? I keep hearing of dodgy hot dogs...

 

[Jack_OC]

Much luck with VA op ups as EY Gold?

None.

VA codeshares with SQ..does that get me EY Gold benefits?

I don't think so. The EY website refers to benefits on VAoperatedflights.

But are the VA lounges actually any good? I keep hearing of dodgy hot dogs...

IMHO, the VA lounges are generally as good as if not better than (domestic) Qantas Clubs. Remember we're talking domestic lounges though, so don't expect anything like the QF intl J lounges etc.

 

[eckorock]

I just flew on AUH-MEL with EY in bog-standard economy and let me put emphasis on the bog part

Little to no recognition of benefits, the only thing I noticed was a Priority Boarding lane, but we were denied access until the first+business were boarded.

No lounge to speak of as it was the T3 terminal.

I have to also say the aircraft (A640) had a very dated looking shabby interior, very unmotivated staff and I was pretty disappointed.

 

[Nizar]

I just flew on AUH-MEL with EY in bog-standard economy and let me put emphasis on the bog part

Little to no recognition of benefits, the only thing I noticed was a Priority Boarding lane, but we were denied access until the first+business were boarded.

No lounge to speak of as it was the T3 terminal.

I have to also say the aircraft (A640) had a very dated looking shabby interior, very unmotivated staff and I was pretty disappointed.

This is disappointing.
I thought the 346 was a relatively new plane ? Maintenance must be lacking.

But surely you would have been entitled to lounge access wherever it is ? Or maybe it wasn't practical due to distance from the departure gate ?
Do you think the F and J pax would have been slumming it at the gate as well ?

 

[eckorock]

This is disappointing.
I thought the 346 was a relatively new plane ? Maintenance must be lacking.

But surely you would have been entitled to lounge access wherever it is ? Or maybe it wasn't practical due to distance from the departure gate ?
Do you think the F and J pax would have been slumming it at the gate as well ?

I believe there is a business/first lounge in their dedicated T3 terminal yes but due to longer boarding times (Australian custom liquid screening before you get onto the plane) everybody I could see was at the gate waiting to board.

 

[markis10]

This is disappointing.
I thought the 346 was a relatively new plane ?

Introduced in 2007.

 

[Nizar]

Introduced in 2007.

That's pretty new ?
388 also introduced in 2007 ?

 

[Jack_OC]

I believe there is a business/first lounge in their dedicated T3 terminal

They have Business and First lounges in both T1 and T3, but as I mentioned earlier EY Gold doesn't get you access to those lounges anymore. The Al Rheem lounge, which EY Gold does get you into, is in T1. It's a bit of a pain if you're departing from T3, but you can still use it - in theory at least it's a fairly short walk from T1 to T3, although at busy times it can take a while. I have done it though and it worked out ok.

 

[Nizar]

They have Business and First lounges in both T1 and T3, but as I mentioned earlier EY Gold doesn't get you access to those lounges anymore. The Al Rheem lounge, which EY Gold does get you into, is in T1. It's a bit of a pain if you're departing from T3, but you can still use it - in theory at least it's a fairly short walk from T1 to T3, although at busy times it can take a while. I have done it though and it worked out ok.

I take it the Business and First lounges are better than the Al Rheem lounge ?
How do you access them if EY G status is not enough ?
Do you need Elite G to access the J lounge and the F lounge is only for pax flying F ?

Does AA status give you any access (e.g., EXP get you J lounge access maybe) coz I know they have some sort of partnership ?

Cheers.

 

[Jack_OC]

I take it the Business and First lounges are better than the Al Rheem lounge ?

The Business lounges are significantly better than the Al Rheem - they are very good indeed. I've sadly never been in the First lounges there, but I believe they are magnificent.

How do you access them if EY G status is not enough ?
Do you need Elite G to access the J lounge and the F lounge is only for pax flying F ?

J pax get access to the J lounge and F get access to the F lounge.

Gold Elite get access to the F lounge regardless of class of travel, or to the J lounge with a guest.

Does AA status give you any access (e.g., EXP get you J lounge access maybe) coz I know they have some sort of partnership ?.

Not sure, but possibly. I know VA WP gets F lounge access.

Btw, just to stress that the rules above are only relevant to AUH, in other airports Gold gets the same lounge access as a J ticket. (And in some cases, the same lounge as an F ticket)

Also, the Al Rheem lounge is ok, certainly better than quite a few other lounges I've been in.

 

[Nizar]

Thanks for your response Jack.

I was just looking at the list of EY Gold benefits on the EY website and it doesn't seem clear which lounges this level of status entitles you to ?

Lounge access (see point 2, 5)
Whenever you travel in Coral Economy Class with Etihad Airways you can enjoy the luxury of our exclusive Pearl Business class lounge with an accompanying guest. When traveling or transiting out of Abu Dhabi International Airport, you and your guest are invited to use the Al Reem Lounge facility in Terminal 1. For your further convenience, you can also use the new dedicated check – in counter in Terminal 1.

Etihad Guest Gold

It seems the part in bold large red (my emphasis) contradicts the sentence which sentence which follows it ?
Perhaps someone else can decipher it better ?

 

[Jack_OC]

It seems the part in bold large red (my emphasis) contradicts the sentence which sentence which follows it ?
Perhaps someone else can decipher it better ?

Yeah it's badly worded but the next sentence is the one that reflects reality: "When traveling or transiting out of Abu Dhabi International Airport, you and your guest are invited to use the Al Reem Lounge facility in Terminal 1".

I know from personal experience that Gold no longer gets you access to the J lounge in AUH if you're travelling in Y, as I have tried! In fact, even after getting an op-up from Y to J while travelling as EY Gold, I tried to get in but I was still redirected to the Al Reem!

 

[aikman]

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[puppysparkes]

Fantastic thanks for posting!

 

[johnself]

still not clear on the domestic virgin lounge access situation for EY Gold users. will showing an EY Gold card grant domestic lounge access when flying on a virgin ticketed flight(eg MEL>PER)?