United lounge access as VA platinum

[bigbadjim]

Question re United lounge access.

I’m Velocity Platinum. I’m flying SYD-SFO on Qantas and then connecting to a United domestic flight (in First/Business) - all on the same ticket/booking (QF ticket).

Can I access the United lounge at SFO prior to my domestic flight?

The Virgin website says I can because it’s part of an international itinerary. However the United website suggests the international flight has to be on UA or VA.

I’m QF WP too if that matters, but no UA status.

Thanks

 

[Human]

Point Hacks did a deep dive into flying United as a Velocity member a couple of months ago. It does look like the answer to your specific question is a definite “maybe”.

What it's like to fly United as a Velocity member

I pack my bags and my Velocity card to road test United Airlines on international and US domestic flights.

www.pointhacks.com.au

 

[hossein_au]

Shouldn't you get access because of the class of travel (regardless of your status)?

 

[henrus]

Can I access the United lounge at SFO prior to my domestic flight?

As mentioned about it's a maybe, attach your VA number to the UA flight and give it a go. Prepare to be disappointed if denied and surprised if allowed in. UA agents will just scan the boarding pass and if it's green then you're good to go.

In theory you shouldn't have access but many reports have said it's scanned green mean UAs system allows it.

However the United website suggests the international flight has to be on UA or VA.

UA website is correct in this case.

Shouldn't you get access because of the class of travel (regardless of your status)?

Domestic travel alone within the US doesn't grant lounge access (with the exception of some transcontinental flights).

 

[bcworld]

Shouldn't you get access because of the class of travel (regardless of your status)?

On a purely domestic US flight...no, lounge access is not included in a domestic business / first. This whole scenario is quite unique...I'm really not sure what will happen.

 

[Human]

Shouldn't you get access because of the class of travel (regardless of your status)?

There's a reason it's called a "Club", not a "Lounge". You would normally need to have "club" membership to have access, regardless of your class of travel.

 

[bigbadjim]

Thanks all. I would have reported back, but UA just cancelled my flight and Qantas has rerouted me completely, so no UA now!

 

[ozstamps]

I'm amazed a SYD-SFO ticket on QF stock would EVER have offered a UA leg when AA is married to QF!

Last week I desperately tried to book $12,000 in Biz tickets SYD-LHR on Virgin site using Etihad. The ONLY choices I as given were Qatar and SQ .. despite Etihad and Virgin still allegedly being a partner airline.

So I lost 12,000-18,000 MR points by not being able to use my Amex with Virgin domestically - I assumed using it on Etihad site would incur me the '3% overseas card use' fee etc, and quite likely some fake exchange rate on top.

 

[SYD]

I'm amazed a SYD-SFO ticket on QF stock would EVER have offered a UA leg when AA is married to QF!

UA connections have been bookable online with QF for years. Yes, I always thought it was odd and it’s not just sectors that AA don’t operate AFAIK! Normally they‘d be a lounge access nightmare!

 

[Digicola]

I'm amazed a SYD-SFO ticket on QF stock would EVER have offered a UA leg when AA is married to QF!

Last week I desperately tried to book $12,000 in Biz tickets SYD-LHR on Virgin site using Etihad. The ONLY choices I as given were Qatar and SQ .. despite Etihad and Virgin still allegedly being a partner airline.

So I lost 12,000-18,000 MR points by not being able to use my Amex with Virgin domestically - I assumed using it on Etihad site would incur me the '3% overseas card use' fee etc, and quite likely some fake exchange rate on top.

VA transferred their VA coded partner allocations to European markets from EY to QR when they partnered with them. They have little to nothing to gain from selling EY coded tickets on their own website.

You still get SC/miles(+status bonus) on EY coded/EY operated flights which is quite generous.

 

[bigbadjim]

For the record, I would not book QF onto UA again on an 081 ticket.

UA didn’t want to help when the flight was cancelled (they said talk to the ticketing airline) and Qantas clearly only have access to a limited number of UA flights.

Qantas could could only offer me a replacement UA flight almost 24 hours later (despite their being many UA options available online direct with UA) or a compete rerouting on QF and AA that left Australia some 6 hours earlier (which I took despite the inconvenience).

 

[dandandan]

Just seeking some advice, I can't book a multi city on AC through VA Velocity, so I need to book seperate AC tickets, EWR-YUL-YYC. I believe bags will be through checked, however if EWR-YUL is Y and YUL-YYC is J, will I get J baggage allowance for both flights? would I also potentially get Polaris lounge access based on the YUL-YYC being in J and Star Alliance with both flights being on the same day?

 

[Digicola]

Just seeking some advice, I can't book a multi city on AC through VA Velocity, so I need to book seperate AC tickets, EWR-YUL-YYC. I believe bags will be through checked, however if EWR-YUL is Y and YUL-YYC is J, will I get J baggage allowance for both flights? would I also potentially get Polaris lounge access based on the YUL-YYC being in J and Star Alliance with both flights being on the same day?

You can call and they should be able to book it.

Polaris lounge access excludes NA IIRC( Mexico, USA, Canada). This was following a large amount of people buying refundable tickets to Canada to get Polaris lounge access…

 

[dandandan]

I left out these are rewards tickets, can Velocity put together a Multi City reward ticket?

On the Polaris lounge access, I was thinking access under Star Alliance and AC, so not an a United ticket. So the EWR-YUL leg would need to be in J as well, not just YUL-YYC.

Business class on a Star Alliance member airline​

A same-day boarding pass for an international flight.

Access at departure airport(2)

(2) Access is not allowed for customers with discounted industry, airline or staff travel tickets, unless specifically stated.

 

[albatross710]

Just seeking some advice, I can't book a multi city on AC through VA Velocity, so I need to book seperate AC tickets, EWR-YUL-YYC. I believe bags will be through checked, however if EWR-YUL is Y and YUL-YYC is J, will I get J baggage allowance for both flights? would I also potentially get Polaris lounge access based on the YUL-YYC being in J and Star Alliance with both flights being on the same day?

What is the advantage of booking AC through VA? The past two years I've made multi-sector bookings with AC direct on the AC website and then just entered the VA number. It was always cheaper than VA efforts AND the booking was easily managed directly through the AC website. Lounge access was afforded where eligible.

 

[dandandan]

What is the advantage of booking AC through VA? The past two years I've made multi-sector bookings with AC direct on the AC website and then just entered the VA number. It was always cheaper than VA efforts AND the booking was easily managed directly through the AC website. Lounge access was afforded where eligible.

I think you posted as I was writing a reply, however booking reward tickets and not revenue. If revenue I would book with AC direct.

 

[ben95]

can Velocity put together a Multi City reward ticket?

They should be able to. However Multi City with a stop-over greater than 24 hrs will be priced the same way as 2 separate tickets.

YUL-YYC being in J and Star Alliance with both flights being on the same day?

If both flights are on the same day then they are not technically multi-city. It's just a normal connecting itinerary and you happen to prefer/book this particular stopover point.

So the EWR-YUL leg would need to be in J as well, not just YUL-YYC.

Doesn't matter really. You are going to Canada sp you would not be eligible to access Polaris lounge - access is restricted to long haul itierary, as people mentioned above going to canada wouldn't give you access. There's a Maple Leaf Lounge at EWR which you may be able to access based on AC's own policy.

 

[dandandan]

They should be able to. However Multi City with a stop-over greater than 24 hrs will be priced the same way as 2 separate tickets.

If both flights are on the same day then they are not technically multi-city. It's just a normal connecting itinerary and you happen to prefer/book this particular stopover point.

Doesn't matter really. You are going to Canada sp you would not be eligible to access Polaris lounge - access is restricted to long haul itierary, as people mentioned above going to canada wouldn't give you access. There's a Maple Leaf Lounge at EWR which you may be able to access based on AC's own policy.

thanks @ben95. Got it on Polaris.

On the multi city reward booking, I will ring VA and see if they can help, however does anyone have any experience adding a leg to an already booked flight and can they mix classes? I have YUL-YYC (AC) booked however need to book EWR-YUL, so if I can add on that's obviously better. This flight wasn't available when I booked however it is now on AC. I have actually done this on Qantas a few times.

 

[bcworld]

On the multi city reward booking, I will ring VA and see if they can help, however does anyone have any experience adding a leg to an already booked flight and can they mix classes? I have YUL-YYC (AC) booked however need to book EWR-YUL, so if I can add on that's obviously better. This flight wasn't available when I booked however it is now on AC. I have actually done this on Qantas a few times.

I strongly suspect it will be a cancel and rebook scenario.

 

[dandandan]

I strongly suspect it will be a cancel and rebook scenario.

That was what I was thinking as well, aiming to try and contact them tonight so will report back for a data point for others.