USA - Airport Lounge Access

[newswatcher]

I am planning a visit to the West Coast in October. My BA flight(airmiles) is scheduled to get in about 1PM, then I need to get a connection to Phoenix, which I will do with Southwest or Americawest. I intend leaving up to 4 hours for contingency!

In the UK, I can "buy" lounge access for about £15/head, from a number of agencies, typically parking firms. My question is - is there a similar facility in the States?

I do not travel enough to warrant a Priority Pass, and my BA card is barely blue!

[Just an other number]

Yes but it would be useful to know where your first 'flight gets in'.

[Pax Vobiscum]

I assume you're aware that BA289 goes direct from LHR-PHX (or perhaps your airmiles don't stretch that far)?

[newswatcher]

Thanks for responses guys. Actually aiming for LAX, where lounge would be useful. Airmiles for LAX end of October exchanging at 5,270(BA), 5,940(Virgin), 8,060(AA). PHX a colossal 9,390(BA)!

Internal returns only c£70 each!

Interesting aside. Southwest's schedule stops on October 28th. America West goes well into 2006. Therefore can't do online purchase for a flight with SW returning 29th October. Do they really think this is a good marketing strategy? Of course, I have no idea which of these should be my airline of choice!
:confused:

[knobbygb]

Just returned from a similar trip using airmiles to travel to the east coast with American, and I went out LAX with them last year, also on airmiles.

Before booking you should be aware of a bug on the airmiles website. The tax for the flight seems to be misquoted in many cases - each page seems to quote the higest amount of tax for all flights on that page and they vary quite considerabley. The tax to LAX with American is only around GBP55, but airmiles quote GBP97 which is the BA/VS price. To get around this, find the flights you want, and then search again specifying ONLY that airline, and you may find the tax is suddenly a lot less - especially for the US carriers! Not sure how/why they charge less, but it's a considerable abount of the price when that's ALL you're paying! Hope this helps. (I did call them about this, but they didn't seem to understand - hope it's not the way I'm explaining it).

Oh, and travelling from LAX to Phoenix - consider getting a hire car and driving - that's what I did as I needed the car while I was there. You can pay for the car with airmiles too, don't forget. It's not TOO long a drive - about 4 or 5 hours, but very scenic and worthwhile, IMHO.

And don't forget to check out flights to other destinations. VS into LAS from LGW can be had for about 6300 airmiles on certain dates, and the drive from there is only 4 hours and even better (Hoover Dam, desert, Kingman, more desert etc.).

Anyway, - digressing from the original post, but hope this helps.

[newswatcher]

knobbygb, thanks for your response. I too have noticed the difference in tax quoted, but this is not a factor in my decision. We collect about 6k airmiles each year, so to "spend" an extra 8K just to go direct to PHX is not worth it.

Thought about driving, my "planner" has LAX/PHX about 400 miles and LAS/PHX about 300 miles. Your timings would indicate a little illegal speeding going on, methinks!
:E
Neither a great choice straight after a long-haul flight, especially when my body clock thinks it is late evening. Great for you "youngsters"! As I said, the 70GBP return flight still looks very attractive. If I could guarantee the BA flight on time, I could be in PHX by tea-time.
:ok:

Never found paying for hotels or cars through Airmiles particularly competitive. Sometimes their rates with cash/part miles is more expensive than a straight Internet "find"!

Will hire a car at PHX, since I am tempted to go down to Tucson for the Pima Museum.
:sad:

[EGLKFlyer]

I've no experience of Southwest, but America West weren't too bad last time I flew with them. Cheap & cheerful, get what you pay for IMHO. I used to work for a Phoenix company so know Sky Harbo(u)r all too well.

I'm glad you're going through LAX and not SFO - I've spent too many hours waiting for fog-bound flights in the past :( . That's also a point in case you were maybe thinking of the United Shuttle - I've been caught by that being a triangluar service serving SFO, PHX & LAX - for the same reason.


On the way out, you won't have much time to spend in a lounge in LAX I imagine. Four hours is my personal minimum these days connecting into the US (and was only just enough 2 months ago going through DFW) :eek:

Answering your original question, I can't say that I've ever seen a pay-as-you-go type lounge facility in the US, otherwise I might have used it myself.


Driving from LAS to PHX in 5 hours is actually about right. You just need more time to look at the Hoover Dam and generally be a tourist en route. It's a long desert drive which absolutely demands an Eagles soundtrack :)


Being a 'plane person, you'll also want to have a look at Davis-Monthan AFB whilst you're in Tuscon. Sad to see the mothballed aircraft stretching out for miles, but still an impressive sight. Oh yes and make sure you "watch for rattlesnakes" at Pima...

[B Sousa]

"Oh, and travelling from LAX to Phoenix - consider getting a hire car and driving - that's what I did as I needed the car while I was there"

Good comment, BUT MAKE SURE that you get unlimited miles, permission to go out of the state ( DO NOT GO INTO MEXICO) and watch the insurance they sell you. Its very expensive.........
Its all in the fine fine fine print.

[radeng]

America West at PHX do offer use of their 1st class lounge for $35. Or at least they did last Monday.

Why they won't allow BA Gold card holders in is a bit of a puzzle, though. American allow Gold Card holders into their Flagship Lounge, which is very nice - better than BA First Class lounges

[BrightonGirl]

I'm pretty sure you can buy a 1-day membership for AA lounges, and also, I believe, for Delta, Continental and United. All 4 have lounges at LAX, and the AA terminal is right next door -- an easy walk -- from the Bradley Terminal, where BA will deposit you. But I don't know which of them flies to Phoenix from LAX, or what lounges are available there. I suggest checking the airlines' websites, which will tell you at what airports they have lounges and how much they charge. The Phoenix airport webside lists the airlines that fly there.

And since AA and BA have some sort of mile-sharing arrangement, it's very possible that you'd be allowed to use an AA lounge at no -- or reduced -- charge. I just looked at the AA website, and it turns out they don't have a lounge in Phoenix. But the page was super-confusing. Personally, I would call each of the airlines that fly to Phoenix and ask.

Just my 2 cents, I think you're smart not to get right into a car to drive hundreds of miles after such a lengthy flight. (Particularly if you're not used to driving on the right side of the road.) You can easily get the driving-thru-the-desert experience once you've arrived.

[Little Blue]

When I was stuck in ORD, back in Feb, I managed to sweet talk the girl on the reception desk at the AA lounge and slipped in for nothing....and again the next day, when I STILL couldn't get out to Vegas....must have been the accent !
;)

[B Sousa]

Rather than start another thread. Let me drop a question. Im travelling next week, 1st Class thru Manchester and on to Paris. I dont have any elite status on anything. Whats the chances of me using either a Continental/Air France club based on my travel status?? Or should I contact the airline for info??

[newswatcher]

Thanks BrightonGirl, as previously stated, currently planning to take either SouthWest or America West LAX/PHX. Will look at other Airlines sites for info. It's LAX where I need lounge. Probably the difference in the UK is that the lounges that can be "bought" are third-party, like Serviceair, not directly run by airlines.

[newswatcher]

Found out that Delta charge $50/visit for their lounge at LAX! Guess I will slum it with the rest of the unwashed.

Anyone know how long it takes on average to pass through immigration, these days?

[radeng]

newswatcher,

It depends. On where you are in the queue, how many other international flights arrive at the same time, and which airport.

I haven't flown into LAX for a long time: two weeks ago, I was through immigration in Phoenix in about 15 minutes off BA289. I quite like that entry point - it's usually pretty fast and friendly.

BTW, it's HOT in PHX this time of year. 2 weeks ago, it was 104 on Saturday, 106 Sunday, and 110 Monday. I was staying with friends, I didn't wimp out and ask for the A/C to be put on.......

[Globaliser]

newswatcher: I do not travel enough to warrant a Priority Pass, and my BA card is barely blue!How much do you travel? One way around the BA problem is to join the Qantas Club. This is about £100 a year (although there is also a one-off joining fee). You can use the lounges of AA, BA, QF and US whenever you fly the respective airline. Not much good if you only fly a handful of times a year, but just a little bit more than that and it'll be the best £100 a year you spend on travel.

Though it has to be said that lounges at the TBIT at LAX are almost universally rubbish, at the moment.

[newswatcher]

thanks radeng.

Globaliser, I do a reasonable amount of travel, but have to use the most "economic" fares available, including non-flexible. In the past 12 months, I have done about 20 BA flights. I have received absolutely zero executive points during this time!
:{

[Globaliser]

Well, for me that would be enough to justify about £100 a year to have lounge access for all those BA flights - it's pretty much exactly why I joined the QF Club myself.

The other thing is that you will also get QF Frequent Flyer membership. You earn status in that scheme for all paid BA flights, even though you would not earn any status in the BA scheme. I don't know where your BA flights take you, but if it were 20 trans-Atlantics a year in discount economy that would be almost enough to get you QF Gold which is equivalent of BA Silver, and would get you complimentary lounge access via oneworld alliance rules.

[radeng]

I'm not sure about the cheap non flex fares actually proving that cheap. My employers like them, but I had to cancel two trips: that cost about £1300 - could have had a number of flexible tickets if you spread that out between trips.

I still maintain that air travel is too cheap. Still, judging by BA288 last Saturday out of PHX, there's no shortage of bums on seats - not an empty seat anywhere. 3 hour tech delay, though, and crew into discretion. Just as well we got away - the thought of trying to find hotel rooms for a 744's load of passengers at 10pm on the Saturday of the July 4 weekend doesn't bear thinking about!

[newswatcher]

Thanks again guys.

Globaliser, "20 transatlantic?" I wish! No these are mostly domestic UK. I have looked at the QF option, but it appears to be 270GBP in the first year. Does it get any better?

radeng, most of my flights are for "routine" trips. Savings are pretty good. First week in August, LHR/LBA return costing me just under 80 GBP. Fully flexible is 320GBP for same flights! And yes I know that's bmi, but that's the only flight I have in the system at present!

[Globaliser]

newswatcher: I have looked at the QF option, but it appears to be 270GBP in the first year. Does it get any better?Yes - the majority of that is the joining fee (which should be broken out or capable of being broken out somewhere in the QF website). After that, I think that renewing is in the order of GBP 100 a year.