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  • #16
    Originally posted by PPSFlyer View Post
    Yes, it is the same at least for the flights the I often take SIN-KUL-SIN. Most of them are MI flights but with SQ codes attached to them. For example, MI 341 is also tagged SQ 5341 for the same flight.

    Yes, I got my bags tagged when flying MI and through to the final destination before transferring SQ.
    Ok, thanks for the clarification. MI gave you priority tag but did you get lounge access before your MI flight? Which Star* programme are you enrolled in?

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    • #17
      Originally posted by r123 View Post
      Ok, thanks for the clarification. MI gave you priority tag but did you get lounge access before your MI flight? Which Star* programme are you enrolled in?
      I'm in KF, so yes, I am allowed into KF lounges. However, I cannot access other Star* lounges. Just last week, I was on the last flight back from KL. I wasn't feeling well and went up to the KF lounge to get water. The lounge was already close (Boarding time), so I went to the TG lounge, but was told that even though I'm a Star* member, I could not enter their TG lounge.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by PPSFlyer View Post
        I'm in KF, so yes, I am allowed into KF lounges. However, I cannot access other Star* lounges. Just last week, I was on the last flight back from KL. I wasn't feeling well and went up to the KF lounge to get water. The lounge was already close (Boarding time), so I went to the TG lounge, but was told that even though I'm a Star* member, I could not enter their TG lounge.
        Yeah if you are KF member and there is a KF lounge, TG isn't obliged to take you in. But it is normal that you got priority tag for your MI flight since you are KF member and KF members are recognized by MI.

        What I meant there is if you are let's say a Turkish Airlines Star* and you fly from DPS to LHR via SIN (DPS-SIN with MI). Will MI staff put a priority tag in DPS since your luggage will be transferred to SQ and SQ entitles TK* to get priority tag?

        So though MI isn't part of Star Alliance, what is their approach to such situation?

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        • #19
          Originally posted by r123 View Post
          Yeah if you are KF member and there is a KF lounge, TG isn't obliged to take you in. But it is normal that you got priority tag for your MI flight since you are KF member and KF members are recognized by MI.
          Hmm, I was pretty sure that if you have *A status, you can pick any *A lounge when there is more than one to choose from. The issue here would be not the *A status of the KF member, but the fact that they are boarding an MI flight, and MI is not a member of *A. If they were boarding an SQ flight, a KF member with status can go to the TG lounge, correct?

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          • #20
            Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
            Hmm, I was pretty sure that if you have *A status, you can pick any *A lounge when there is more than one to choose from. The issue here would be not the *A status of the KF member, but the fact that they are boarding an MI flight, and MI is not a member of *A. If they were boarding an SQ flight, a KF member with status can go to the TG lounge, correct?
            No. Star Gold status entitles you to the lounge (or contracted lounge) of the airline you fly with. In some cases, you might have the choice but Star Alliance has no by-laws stipulating that a Star Alliance Gold member can enter any Star Alliance lounge he wishes. Though TG and SQ lounges might be operated by the same contractor (I guess Plaza Premium?), TG probably does not accept KF members flying on SQ for crowd management purposes.

            But I guess that if you would be a TG member, perhaps would accept you.

            TG often has reciprocal agreements with airlines. In HKG for example, TG lounge is used for Air New Zealand too. Another point to clarify: if you are a Star Alliance gold member, you will be entitled to a lounge but this lounge will not necessarily be a Star Alliance airline one.

            If you fly TK from HKG, you are invited to the Plaza Premium lounge. Even though HKG has TG and SQ lounges, TK has no partnership with these two lounges and instead refers you to Plaza Premium. Same in SIN, TK refers its customers to SATS lounge. Not sure whether KF would accept you.

            But remember that in HKG, both TG and SQ lounges are operated by Plaza Premium so there is not much difference. In SIN, it is a bit similar since KF lounges are also catered by SATS.

            However, if you fly Star Alliance from an airport with a Star Alliance flagship lounge, you will automatically be entitled to that lounge.

            Star Alliance flagship lounges are located in airports in which no Star Alliance airlines have their base but where a terminal has been dedicated to Star Alliance (LHR, CDG, LAX...).

            Some Airline flagship lounges (such as the great TK lounge in Istanbul or Lufthansa Senator) will also cater all Star Alliance airlines as if they were a Star Alliance flagship lounge. So long as you fly Star Alliance, you can access Senator lounge in Germany and TK lounge in Turkey. Lufthansa has also taken the Star Alliance model by dedicating terminals for Star Alliance airlines but the only difference is that it is commonly called Lufthansa Satellite and that LH must make a lot of money on that since they might own the terminal or have a particular partnership for operating it. If you fly to Munich or Frankfurt, you will notice Lufthansa terminals from the outside as LH sign is visible on the terminal buildings.

            There is an exception in MUC (and that makes many customers angry) where TK is the sole Star Alliance airline which is in a separate terminal. They were kicked-out of Lufthansa's terminal 2 and some speculate that it was a revenge from Lufthansa which did not appreciate TK taking some of its customers. Nevertheless, this is unfair to passengers.

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            • #21
              Originally posted by r123 View Post
              No. Star Gold status entitles you to the lounge (or contracted lounge) of the airline you fly with. In some cases, you might have the choice but Star Alliance has no by-laws stipulating that a Star Alliance Gold member can enter any Star Alliance lounge he wishes. Though TG and SQ lounges might be operated by the same contractor (I guess Plaza Premium?), TG probably does not accept KF members flying on SQ for crowd management purposes.

              But I guess that if you would be a TG member, perhaps would accept you.

              TG often has reciprocal agreements with airlines. In HKG for example, TG lounge is used for Air New Zealand too. Another point to clarify: if you are a Star Alliance gold member, you will be entitled to a lounge but this lounge will not necessarily be a Star Alliance airline one.

              If you fly TK from HKG, you are invited to the Plaza Premium lounge. Even though HKG has TG and SQ lounges, TK has no partnership with these two lounges and instead refers you to Plaza Premium. Same in SIN, TK refers its customers to SATS lounge. Not sure whether KF would accept you.

              But remember that in HKG, both TG and SQ lounges are operated by Plaza Premium so there is not much difference. In SIN, it is a bit similar since KF lounges are also catered by SATS.

              However, if you fly Star Alliance from an airport with a Star Alliance flagship lounge, you will automatically be entitled to that lounge.

              Star Alliance flagship lounges are located in airports in which no Star Alliance airlines have their base but where a terminal has been dedicated to Star Alliance (LHR, CDG, LAX...).

              Some Airline flagship lounges (such as the great TK lounge in Istanbul or Lufthansa Senator) will also cater all Star Alliance airlines as if they were a Star Alliance flagship lounge. So long as you fly Star Alliance, you can access Senator lounge in Germany and TK lounge in Turkey. Lufthansa has also taken the Star Alliance model by dedicating terminals for Star Alliance airlines but the only difference is that it is commonly called Lufthansa Satellite and that LH must make a lot of money on that since they might own the terminal or have a particular partnership for operating it. If you fly to Munich or Frankfurt, you will notice Lufthansa terminals from the outside as LH sign is visible on the terminal buildings.

              There is an exception in MUC (and that makes many customers angry) where TK is the sole Star Alliance airline which is in a separate terminal. They were kicked-out of Lufthansa's terminal 2 and some speculate that it was a revenge from Lufthansa which did not appreciate TK taking some of its customers. Nevertheless, this is unfair to passengers.
              That's very detailed, thank you for the effort that your response involved!

              I had earlier this year read this on Star Alliance's own website:

              Star Alliance Gold Customers travelling in any class
              As a Star Alliance Gold customer, you have access to any member airline lounge that displays the Star Alliance Gold logo. You will need to present your boarding pass for a Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport. If your boarding pass does not carry the Star Alliance Gold indicator, you will need also to show your valid Star Alliance Gold card. You are entitled to a maximum of one guest. If you are a United MileagePlus Star Alliance Gold customer, you may only access the United Clubs within the U.S. when departing from that airport on an international Star Alliance flight.
              http://www.staralliance.com/en/lounge-access-policy

              While I don't doubt that sometimes it isn't honoured, TG needs to read their own alliance's webpage then. Only one way to interpret that paragraph in my mind and I'm sure in the mind of many others.

              In terms of MUC, politics could certainly come into it, given TK is the national flag carrier of a country that is in a very intense diplomatic standoff with Germany. These childish games inconvenience passengers everywhere but ultimately have their own support bases.

              Comment


              • #22
                Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
                That's very detailed, thank you for the effort that your response involved!

                I had earlier this year read this on Star Alliance's own website:


                http://www.staralliance.com/en/lounge-access-policy

                While I don't doubt that sometimes it isn't honoured, TG needs to read their own alliance's webpage then. Only one way to interpret that paragraph in my mind and I'm sure in the mind of many others.

                In terms of MUC, politics could certainly come into it, given TK is the national flag carrier of a country that is in a very intense diplomatic standoff with Germany. These childish games inconvenience passengers everywhere but ultimately have their own support bases.
                You are welcome, hope it clarified your doubts !

                I think that there are different ways to interpret Star Alliance T&C.

                As for TK vs LH dispute, it is definitely not political. It is purely commercial, this happened long ago.

                Having said that, TK and LH still have many common interests. Each have 50 per cent stake on Sun Express, a Turco-German airline flying from Turkey to European destinations with an important Turkish immigrant population (Sun Express isn't part of Star Alliance). So Sun Express has two parent companies: TK and LH.

                TK vs LH is a love-hate relationship.

                Sun Express has advantages for Turkish workers living in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as it allows them to go directly to their hometown (usually not Istanbul) and it is advantageous for German tourists who go on package holidays in secondary Turkish hotspots, avoids a transit in IST.

                When you look at Sun Express destinations, all of their European destinations are where there is an important Turkish community (e.g. they fly to Strasbourg but not Paris). All their other destinations are tourist hotspots famous with Germans.

                More details on Sun Express: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunExpress
                Last edited by r123; 2 September 2017, 05:47 PM.

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                • #23
                  Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
                  I had earlier this year read this on Star Alliance's own website:


                  http://www.staralliance.com/en/lounge-access-policy

                  I was able to enter all the lounges at SFO a few years back. A3 *G flying on BR Elite (premium economy) class. Flight to SFO arrived too early, SQ and BR lounges are closed. SQ lounge access at that time was denied as it was acting like a contract lounge for another flight. So I proceed to UA lounge first. Then headed out of airport for dinner with my friend. Entered airside and headed to BR lounge for food, then to SQ lounge for showers (only SQ lounge had showers)..

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                  • #24
                    I hope SQ and MI can have some further integration by:

                    1. Incorporating Silkair into Star Alliance

                    2. Fix the codeshare numbers of Singapore Airlines flights operated by Silkair please. As a SYD and HKG commuter, and having a another part of family in KUL, it is confusing of which respective MI flight I am on when I am booking on Singapore Airlines website. Always need to wait until the codeshare numbers are out so I can see which one is my flight at the airport, very annoying!

                    And don't get me started that I always go to the wrong check in counter at KUL!

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by Metropolitan Airlines View Post
                      And don't get me started that I always go to the wrong check in counter at KUL!
                      Don't SQ and MI share the same check-in counters at KLIA?

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by SilverChris View Post
                        Don't SQ and MI share the same check-in counters at KLIA?
                        No, they are side by side. However, I never had this issue (maybe due to my timing of my flight), it is always either the MI or the SQ counter that is open but not both.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by PPSFlyer View Post
                          No, they are side by side. However, I never had this issue (maybe due to my timing of my flight), it is always either the MI or the SQ counter that is open but not both.
                          I've always been directed to the next available counter, and they didn't seem to care if I was on SQ or MI. But it's been a while since I last flew SQ/MI out of KUL so I'm not sure if something has changed.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Originally posted by PPSFlyer View Post
                            No, they are side by side. However, I never had this issue (maybe due to my timing of my flight), it is always either the MI or the SQ counter that is open but not both.
                            Same here, the last time when we flew out of KLIA in August, we checked in for our SQ flight to SIN at the MI check in counter as the SQ counters were just setting up. No issue at all. The only difference is that you get the boarding pass printed on MI paper.

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