Emirates cuts back on lounge guest privileges for Skywards Gold members

By David Flynn, April 21 2011
Emirates cuts back on lounge guest privileges for Skywards Gold members

Emirates is tightening its rules for guess access to its lounges worldwide, and even gold-class status members of its Skywards frequent flyer program are not exempt.

Starting this week, Skywards Gold members flying in economy class are no longer permitted to bring a guest into Emirates lounges. ‘Guesting’ will be restricted to passengers travelling in business and first class.

Citing “tremendous growth” in both the airline and its Skywards program, Emirates says it has “undertaken a major programme to expand the size and facilities of our existing lounges” and will also “build eight new lounges across our network.”

Emirates claims that “until these new facilities are ready we must temporarily suspend the benefit of bringing a guest into the Lounges when travelling in Economy Class. We plan to reinstate this benefit as soon as we are able to alleviate the current facilities constraint.”

David

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

Skywards Gold

21 Apr 2011

Total posts 53

Dont know where that picture was taken but it doesn't look like an EK lounge. Looks nicer than any EK lounge I've been to.

24 Oct 2010

Total posts 2561

Hi Jetsetter - I just checked and yes, the pic originally pulled in wasn't correct - thanks for the pickup!

Skywards Gold

21 Apr 2011

Total posts 53

The same benefit was "temporarily" taken away from Silver members a few years ago (Silvers used to be allowed guests in Dubai only). 


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