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Since November, passengers on the Eurostar from Brussels to other Schengen destinations (Lille or Calais) now check in and clear security in a different area.

From the Eurostar conditions of carriage

Check-in at Brussels-Midi for your journey to Lille or Calais will take place at the intra-Schengen Terminal. This dedicated check-in area is located on the mezzanine floor of Midi station accessible by the stairs and lifts rather than in the Channel Terminal.

If you have a suitable Railteam loyalty card which gives you lounge access, are you able to access the Eurostar Business Premier lounge on the ground floor, having gone through the Schengen checkin area on the mezzanine floor? Or are intra-Schengen passengers kept upstairs after checkin, unable to get down to the mezzanine to access the lounge?

(It appears from this question that you can't buy a Business Premier ticket for intra-Schengen travel, so you won't get ticket based lounge access, only Railteam Loyalty Card based access could be applying)

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  • I wonder if your citizenship makes a difference. Surely, as a British citizen, they shouldn't be too concerned about you trying to avoid immigration controls…
    – Relaxed
    May 14, 2014 at 21:56
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    Given current levels of worry in the UK about both legal and illegal immigration, I think if I turned up at the "wrong" entrance they'd worry I was a journalist or similar trying to make a point / create a story! (Rather than a frequent traveller wanting a free beer and some free wifi!)
    – Gagravarr
    May 14, 2014 at 22:11
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    Due to the epic fail that is trying to buy the ticket for this journey, I didn't get a chance to test this in person. Hopefully someone else can do soon and let us know the answer!
    – Gagravarr
    May 19, 2014 at 17:01

1 Answer 1

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This email enquiry (redacted)...

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Resulted in this reply...

To access our Eurostar Business Lounge you will either need a Eurostar Business Premier ticket or be a Carte Blanche member. Alternatively, if you have a black American Amex card, you will also be able to access our Business Lounge.

Source: Email from Sanne Van Veldt

This reply does not mention the Railteam loyalty card, and as you have stated, the Business Premier tickets are not sold for the type of journey you are contemplating. So unless you have a Carte Blanche membership or a Black American Express Card, the answer is NO.

Your Railteam Loyalty Card gives you access to the Eurostar Frequent Traveller Lounge and Carte Blanche is available as an upgrade. If you think that the Railteam Loyalty Card is honoured as a 'de facto' Carte Blanche Card, then you would need to edit your question to indicate this.

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If you have further questions, you can reach Ms. Van Veldt (or a colleague) directly at 03432 186186. Or alternatively Sanne Van Der Veldt [[email protected]]

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    I worry that the person replying to you hasn't actually read the question properly, and has just cut'n'pasted a standard reply. Railteam top tier cards are accepted for entry into the lounge, provided you can physically get to it. My worry is that while a suitable card might get you in, it's useless if security won't let you to the door to try...
    – Gagravarr
    Apr 11, 2015 at 22:33
  • @Gagravarr, The trail of discovery has been intentionally included in the answer to allow someone to recover how it was arrived at.
    – Gayot Fow
    Apr 12, 2015 at 18:40

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