[kezzie]

Two questions really. We have a couple of fairly long haul flights this christmas - Syd-Lax-JFK-LHR plus HLS-LHR-O'Hare-SFO then Tokyo-Perth-Syd and are considering whether it's worth joining qantas club. We can join at a discount but it's still fairly pricey and there are no lounges at Helsinki, Tokyo, O'Hare so it's questionable about whether we'd get value for money.
Looked at Priority Pass and wondered if anyone here was a member. ALso heard that at JFK ( not sure where else) you can access a lounge with an Amex card? is that correct.
Thanks all.

[NM]

Be aware that JFK has about 9 different terminals. If the lounge that permits access based on Amex membership is not in the terminal you are using, you won't have access.

If flying with AA out of Chicago (ORD) a Qantas Club member has access to the AA Admirals Club lounge.

Helsinki (HEL) only have AY lounges which are not accessible by Qantas Club members.

Depending on your routing, it may be worthwhile signing up for the AA Platinum Challenge. That way you will earn OneWorld Sapphire status and have access to OneWorld lounges when flying with OneWorld airlines. That will provide access to AY lounges in HEL, as well as AA/BA lounges in LHR (depending on which airline you use for LHR-ORD), AA lounges in ORD, SFO providing on a same-day international flight with OneWorld airline). It will probably permit access to the QF partner lounge at NRT (JAL lounge) but might need to check on that one since its really a partner lounge). And certainly access to the Qantas Club lounges in Australia.

Assuming you are booked on QF107 SYD-JFK (transit in LAX, but as a single flight number all the way to JFK), you will have travelled 9950 miles. Depending on the booking class (and assuming economy travel) you will earn either 4975, 9950 or 1,495 Elite Qualifying Points towards the AA Platinum Challenge. You need 10,000 points to make it to Platinum.

So you need to find out the booking code for the flights (H, K, W, M, V, L, and R all earn 1 point per mile; G, S and O only earn at 0.5 points per mile; B and Y earn at 1.5 points per mile).

So if booked in H, K, W, M, V, L or R, its probably worth adding a domestic flight in Australia first (say SYD-CBR, SYD-NTL or similar) to earn 500 or 1000 points before you leave. Then you also earn the 100% mileage bonus for the SYD-JFK flight, which is a great bonus. And from then on you have lounge access based on AA Platinum/OneWorld Sapphire status.

[kezzie]

Sorry should have said that it is a reward flight so no points earned therefore AA platinum is out.

We are flying Qantas ( yes 107) via LAX to JFK then have a 3 hr stopover before a BA flight to London - arrive depart Terminal 7.

2nd long flight is Finnair Helsinki to London, BA to Chicago ( Change terminals) and AA to SFO.
We also have an AA from LAX to Tokyo.
Then it's Qantas Tokyo to Sydney via Perth.

Doesn't really bother us being in the main terminal areas but would be nice to be able to access showers at JFK, Chicago and even in Perth as it will be at least 3 hrs home from arrival time in Sydney.

I'd be happy to just pay to use the showers - that's what we did when coming home from China via Osaka ( 6hr layover) - but it seems there isn't anything like that at either Chicago or JFK.

[NM]

In that case Qantas Club membership is probably better for you. Besides lounge access, you get QF business class check-in, extra baggage allowance on QF flights, and priority seat allocations on QF flights.

[kezzie]

I don't think you do unless you are flying bus or 1st/

[tuapekastar]

Originally Posted by kezzie

I don't think you do unless you are flying bus or 1st/

kezzie, rest assured you do get what NM says you get with QC membership, even if flying economy class. But only applicable on QF operated and marketed flights, though I've seen QC members checkin at QC/Business checkin counters on QF operated flights with an AA flight number. Refer here for details of benefits.

[kezzie]

Even so, it's not worth it as the only Qantas legs are Syd-JFK then we are on a BA flight and Tokyo - Syd. It's at JFK prior to a BA flight, LHR prior to a BA flight and or Chicago prior to an AA flight that we would really benefit from access to the lounge facilities.

It's the Priority Pass membership I am more interested in as it's a damn sight cheaper and can be used anywhere apparently.

[Kiwi Flyer]

Originally Posted by NM

Be aware that JFK has about 9 different terminals. If the lounge that permits access based on Amex membership is not in the terminal you are using, you won't have access.

Not necessarily - but will be inconvenient if different terminal from your departing flight. Most (all?) lounges at JFK are landside. But a hassle if you needed to check in, then take the airtrain to whatever terminal the amex lounge is, enjoy the lounge and leave there early enough to take the airtrain back again plus security etc to make your flight.

[kezzie]

I'm beginning to think the amex lounge is a myth. Haven't been able to find anything on line.

[Dave Noble]

Originally Posted by kezzie

Even so, it's not worth it as the only Qantas legs are Syd-JFK then we are on a BA flight and Tokyo - Syd. It's at JFK prior to a BA flight, LHR prior to a BA flight and or Chicago prior to an AA flight that we would really benefit from access to the lounge facilities.

It's the Priority Pass membership I am more interested in as it's a damn sight cheaper and can be used anywhere apparently.

You would need to check where there are Priority pass lounges are which a call to PP might be best for verifying

Do be aware that if the PP lounges in the USA are in another terminal ( i.e is not the AA lounge) from your flight, then you would not have access to it anyway ) . Also, if the PP lounge at LHR is not in the same terminal as your BA flight, then you again would not have access, so do check this carefully

If you did go the Qantas Clun way, then you would have access to the QF lounge before QF flight, the AA Admirals Club lounge before the AA flights and the BA lounge before the BA flights

Dave