Cheap airport lounge access

Former_MSE_Sally
Former_MSE_Sally Posts: 74 Forumite
edited 18 January at 5:35PM in Overseas holidays & travel planning
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Hi folks

We've written a new Cheap Airport Lounge Access guide and would love your feedback on your top lounges as well as any other tips you've got to get in free or cheaply. The lounges to avoid would also be helpful!

Thank you

MSE Sally
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Comments

  • Caz3121
    Caz3121 Posts: 15,542 Forumite
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    link does not work - Whoops!
    Sorry, you've landed on a page that doesn't exist.
  • Former_MSE_Sally
    Former_MSE_Sally Posts: 74 Forumite
    Sorry Caz3121 - it should work now?
  • Westin
    Westin Posts: 5,938 Forumite
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    "If you're on your honeymoon or celebrating a special anniversary or birthday, dress well, be polite and ask nicely at check-in to see if they'll let you have a couple of passes. It's likely to work better if there are only a couple of you as opposed to a larger group, but it never hurts to ask. Hopefully you'll get a yes, but if not you've not lost anything. Hey, why not ask if they'll upgrade the flight for you too?"

    - REALLY?
  • stoneman
    stoneman Posts: 4,520 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Westin wrote: »
    "If you're on your honeymoon or celebrating a special anniversary or birthday, dress well, be polite and ask nicely at check-in to see if they'll let you have a couple of passes. It's likely to work better if there are only a couple of you as opposed to a larger group, but it never hurts to ask. Hopefully you'll get a yes, but if not you've not lost anything. Hey, why not ask if they'll upgrade the flight for you too?"

    - REALLY?

    :rotfl::rotfl:
    Giving people advice like this will only cause embarrassment when they ask.
    The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.
  • stoneman
    stoneman Posts: 4,520 Forumite
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    Apply for the Amex Gold Rewards card (fee waived for the first year and £11 cashback on Quidco) It comes with 2 free passes issued by Lounge Club.

    There after you are supposed to get charged £15 each time you use it (billed to your Amex account) but we have used ours 14 times(7x2 pax) and never been charged
    The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.
  • russetred
    russetred Posts: 1,334 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    My lounge quoted £18 pp online but went through Virgin frequent flyer club and got it for £12pp plus a few ff miles.
    "Sometimes life sucks....but the alternative is unacceptable."
  • richardw
    richardw Posts: 19,458 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    edited 9 March 2017 at 12:07PM
    Don't forget the small print which can often say that lounge entry is subject to the lounge not being full, this could happen to you if you're travelling on a peak day at a peak time.

    Some lounges have poor food offerings, I've seen people sneak burger meals in and eat them in the lounge.

    Many flights to the UK from Europe are from airside gates that are beyond a passport check, lounges can sometimes be a distance from these gates, always allow enough time getting from the lounge to the gate. There's lots of information about lounges on the net, google is your friend.
    Posts are not advice and must not be relied upon.
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,550 Forumite
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    stoneman wrote: »
    There after you are supposed to get charged £15 each time you use it (billed to your Amex account) but we have used ours 14 times(7x2 pax) and never been charged

    How long have you had it? I've had lounge bills take several months to come through.
  • stoneman
    stoneman Posts: 4,520 Forumite
    Photogenic Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Gloomendoom wrote: »
    How long have you had it? I've had lounge bills take several months to come through.

    I had mine a year or so ago and never got charged. We have used OH's last time a couple of months ago, again not been charged. It is a continuing theme over on HfP
    The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.
  • HeimRoller
    HeimRoller Posts: 2,541 Forumite
    Home Insurance Hacker!
    stoneman wrote: »
    :rotfl::rotfl:
    Giving people advice like this will only cause embarrassment when they ask.
    Not always. I was flying up to Edinburgh quite frequently around 12 years ago when BMI and BA had separate classes on that route. I probably asked for an upgrade around 10 times and would say I was successful around 8 times. It was all about a gut feel for the person checking me in and how the conversation was going, waiting for an opening to mention an upgrade etc.
    I have also blagged lounges on long haul flights in the same way, just see how the conversation is going at check in, see if you are building up a rapport, and then just throw a comment into the conversation along the lines of "the airport/journey was quiet this morning, and now I have 3 hours to waste. I don't suppose there is any way I could be allowed to use the airline lounge is there as there doesn't seem to be much seating around here". As Martin says, the worse they can say is "no".
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