Qantas makes it harder for Jetstar customers to access the Qantas Club

[coco50]

I have been a member of the Qantas FF program and the Qantas club since 2001 after the demise of Ansett. In those days I travelled frequently for work and quickly achieved WP status. Living in Ballina we had a good Qantaslink service, but as markets changed, Qantas developed a tourism market through Ballina for Byron Bay. The Qantaslink service was replaced by Jetstar. To remain loyal one had to fly JQ, not VA or ZL. This was OK when flying to Sydney or Melbourne because there were Qantas Clubs in Terminal 2 in Sydney and in the Qantas terminal in Melbourne.

Then Qantas moved the Qantaslink flights from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 in Sydney and closed the Qantas Club in Terminal 2. A sign informed travellers that you could access the QF Club in Terminal 3 - some 15 minutes walk and through security in T3.

Next, JQ have built a brand new terminal in MEL T4. The same goes as for Sydney. You can access the Qantas Club in Terminal 1 - as far from T4 as you can get at MEL.

I feel that this is unfair for country residents who are QP members who have no option but to fly JQ. With record profits, couldn't Qantas have token lounges in T2 Sydney and T4 MEL?

 

[dk4]

IMO you need to move your business to Virgin - you are (quite frankly) silly to remain loyal to Qantas Group in your particular situation. The only feedback that matters at Qantas, is actual (NOT threatened) loss of business...anything else just gets a standard "thanks for your feedback {insert_name_here}" letter!

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I can see your point however I am not sure that many other country residents would be suffering the same fate.
As far as I can see the only other destinations with Jetstar flights but no Qantas(Link) flights are Hayman Island, which is purely a tourist destination, and the Whitsunday coast, also mostly tourism but with a few locals.
The Jetstar hub on the Gold Coast has very limited options for Qantas flights, as do a few other regional towns such as Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Uluru and Launceston.
Newcastle seems to have a QF flight to BNE at least, though just JQ to MEL & OOL.
So it does seem poor Baillna residents are getting a particularly bad deal.

What do you propose as the solution though?
Presumably there isn't enough demand to support both JQ and QF flights.
Obviously there was pressure to expand their terminal space in SYD & MEL and they didn't have complete control over availability or location.
They had to work with what the airport owners offered them.
Given they had to split flights between two terminals, clearly it makes more sense to separate QF & JQ flights rather than any other separation within the Qantas group.
It would seem odd to have a dedicated lounge in the JQ terminal(s) as an LCC isn't really pitching itself at that market sector.
Is there another solution?


Incidentally the red and orange used for QF and JQ respectively on the Qantas Group route maps are too similar to be useful.
Very difficult to distinguish between a JQ only route and a QF & JQ route.
Almost as bad as the similar colours for F & J reward seats.

 

[OzEire]

I always wondered why some JQ flights didn't offer straight QF codeshare seats at a premium price (with the service of a max bundle). QF could create a scarce offering and charge accordingly, and sell the seats as JQ if still avail close to the date of departure.

 

[nlagalle]

Next, JQ have built a brand new terminal in MEL T4. The same goes as for Sydney. You can access the Qantas Club in Terminal 1 - as far from T4 as you can get at MEL.

I feel that this is unfair for country residents who are QP members who have no option but to fly JQ. With record profits, couldn't Qantas have token lounges in T2 Sydney and T4 MEL?

Qantas used to have QP at T2 in Sydney but they closed it when they shifted all their operations to T3. I highly doubt they would consider opening a lounge there again for JQ flights just like at MEL T4 they won't open one there either. If you want lounge access for that I'd be shifting to VA.

 

[coco50]

IMO you need to move your business to Virgin - you are (quite frankly) silly to remain loyal to Qantas Group in your particular situation. The only feedback that matters at Qantas, is actual (NOT threatened) loss of business...anything else just gets a standard "thanks for your feedback {insert_name_here}" letter!

I'm too old and don't fly enough any more to make it worthwhile moving to Virgin. Hell, last year I blew all my QFF points (~i million) and I'm back up to ~200 000. And I can't easily access BP servos.

 

[coco50]

Qantas used to have QP at T2 in Sydney but they closed it when they shifted all their operations to T3. I highly doubt they would consider opening a lounge there again for JQ flights just like at MEL T4 they won't open one there either. If you want lounge access for that I'd be shifting to VA.

So, as far as Qantas domestic is concerned, most JQ customers are too bogan to belong to or have SC access to a Qantas Club so go jump!

 

[coco50]

Obviously there was pressure to expand their terminal space in SYD & MEL and they didn't have complete control over availability or location.
They had to work with what the airport owners offered them.

The ex Qantas Club space in T2 at SYD has remained vacant since Qantas abandoned it and Jetstar customers who are QP members

 

[dk4]

I'm too old and don't fly enough any more to make it worthwhile moving to Virgin. Hell, last year I blew all my QFF points (~i million) and I'm back up to ~200 000. And I can't easily access BP servos.

If points from fuel are more important to you than lounge access, then fair enough. But I think it reasonable to be expecting Qantas to end all domestic lounge access for Jetstar passengers sooner rather than later! Most likely citing that it would make it "easier and fairer" to all customers: as Jetstar now operates from completely disconnected terminals at the two busiest airports (Sydney & Melbourne), and the Qantas lounges are closed anyway for many Jetstar departures at major regional and smaller capital cities (Gold Coast, Hobart, Darwin...)

So IMO as a JQd passenger, prepare for a situation when "difficult lounge access", becomes "NO lounge access"!

 

[coco50]

If points from fuel are more important to you than lounge access, then fair enough. But I think it reasonable to be expecting Qantas to end all domestic lounge access for Jetstar passengers sooner rather than later! Most likely citing that it would make it "easier and fairer" to all customers: as Jetstar now operates from completely disconnected terminals at the two busiest airports (Sydney & Melbourne), and the Qantas lounges are closed anyway for many Jetstar departures at major regional and smaller capital cities (Gold Coast, Hobart, Darwin...)

So IMO as a JQd passenger, prepare for a situation when "difficult lounge access", becomes "NO lounge access"!

Couldn't be bothered with points from fuel. I'll keep my QP membership going so I can access Admiral's Club in the LOTFAP where I go quite often having 2 children living there. I accumulate points mainly from CC but will go close to SG this year. through flying. It just irks me that QF can so easily ignore some of it's loyal customers. Don't worry I'll still get value accessing lounges

 

[esseeeayeenn]

So, as far as Qantas domestic is concerned, most JQ customers are too bogan to belong to or have SC access to a Qantas Club so go jump!

Yes but as a general point, why should Qantas maintain a separate lounge exclusively for passengers of their LCC when lounge access is not really a part of the LCC offering?
They still allow JQ pax access to the lounges, it's just inconvenient. Which doesn't seem inappropriate to be honest.
I do understand that in your particular situation you have no choice but to fly Jetstar for your first and final sectors, but surely you don't expect two lounges at SYD & MEL respectively to be maintained just for PAX returning to Ballina?

 

[coco50]

Yes but as a general point, why should Qantas maintain a separate lounge exclusively for passengers of their LCC when lounge access is not really a part of the LCC offering?
They still allow JQ pax access to the lounges, it's just inconvenient. Which doesn't seem inappropriate to be honest.
I do understand that in your particular situation you have no choice but to fly Jetstar for your first and final sectors, but surely you don't expect two lounges at SYD & MEL respectively to be maintained just for PAX returning to Ballina?

Many JQ pax who are QP members are flying from SYD or MEL to other destinations than Ballina. Qantas is now treating these people as second class citizens.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Many JQ pax are flying to other destinations than Ballina. many of these pax are QP members. They are now being treated as second class citizens.

Yes they are. But if they're flying to most destinations (Ballina excluded), they're choosing to fly Jetstar, a second class service airline.
If there is any element of misleading or deceptive conduct here then that would be reprehensible, but for most PAX it seems to me they're getting what they pay for.
And if they can occasionally access the international lounges in Sydney when they're flying JQ, they're getting a bonus which domestic QF pax don't get!
The terminal changes might mean that QP membership isn't of much value for people who choose to (or must) fly Jetstar. Perhaps they should be entitled to a refund for the rest of their membership year?
Again, I acknowledge that you and a small number of other pax who can't choose to fly QF are in an unfortunate situation.

 

[coco50]

Yes they are. But if they're flying to most destinations (Ballina excluded), they're choosing to fly Jetstar, a second class service airline.
If there is any element of misleading or deceptive conduct here then that would be reprehensible, but for most PAX it seems to me they're getting what they pay for.
And if they can occasionally access the international lounges in Sydney when they're flying JQ, they're getting a bonus which domestic QF pax don't get!
The terminal changes might mean that QP membership isn't of much value for people who choose to (or must) fly Jetstar. Perhaps they should be entitled to a refund for the rest of their membership year?
Again, I acknowledge that you and a small number of other pax who can't choose to fly QF are in an unfortunate situation.

I will access the QP in Sydney T1 later in the year when I fly to HNL on JQ, and I will enjoy it. Similarly I will access the QP in HNL above Gate 26 when I return. BTW the number of pax who can't choose to fly QF is not small. Also note: 700th post up!!!

 

[Princess Fiona]

Many JQ pax who are QP members are flying from SYD or MEL to other destinations than Ballina. Qantas is now treating these people as second class citizens.

This is why I took a status match to VA in 2011 and do the majority of my Domestic travel with them.
QF abandoned regional passengers with switching services to JQ long before the closure of the T2 QP at SYD.
I don't think QF is treating anyone as a second class citizen flying on JQ ex SYD /MEL at all.
They are treating them the same as they'd treat any passengers flying on a different airline.
QF Domestic and JQ are separate businesses. Anyone who thinks otherwise will be very disappointed I think.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

This is why I took a status match to VA in 2011 and do the majority of my Domestic travel with them.
QF abandoned regional passengers with switching services to JQ long before the closure of the T2 QP at SYD.
I don't think QF is treating anyone as a second class citizen flying on JQ ex SYD /MEL at all.
They are treating them the same as they'd treat any passengers flying on a different airline.
QF Domestic and JQ are separate businesses. Anyone who thinks otherwise will be very disappointed I think.

One point I would make is that relatively few regions are affected in this way, almost all on the east coast (except Uluru).
JQ doesn't service the rest of regional Australia at all. They have no regional destinations in WA, for example.
There is still an extensive QF network in WA.