Manila QF Lounge - worst QF lounge I've ever experienced

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Henk

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I suppose my expectations of the QF lounge were too high, so when I eventually arrived at the lounge this afternoon I could not believe how basic and poor the Manila QF Business - First Lounge is. I would frequently travel via Singapore or Bangkok or Hong Kong so even though people have been complaining bout the "enhancements" there, the Manila QF lounge had truly been enhanced! For example, today their wifi is not functioning, it is over-crowaded; the food and drinks are below basic. Just thinking about the premium QF business fares and the not-premium-at-all Manila lounge and wondering how low is Qantas going to go with their enhancements!.
 
Qantas don't have a lounge in Manila, it's an associated lounge operated by Pagstop.
 
Qantas don't have a lounge in Manila, it's an associated lounge operated by Pagstop.

It was still branded as Qantas last time I was there (even if got Qantas operated). I'm pretty sure I actually got food poisoning from the deep fried chillies!
 
Unless Qantas was to open its own lounge there, there's very little control they have over the offering. All the lounges in MNL are reportedly pretty bad. And the lounge you speak of does have a QF sign out the front of it, along with the signs of the other airlines it serves.
 
I always skipped the QF lounge at MNL for the old CX one next door, sure the interior and furnishings were from the 70s but at least the bar was stocked and you could 'upgrade' yourself to First with no questions asked!
 
Surely it can't be as bad as Shanghai where they apologised profusely at check-in for the state of the lounge and gave me a voucher to buy whatever I wanted at the airport food outlets if I didn't want to use the lounge? :)
 
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There is a limit at every terminal to the number of gates and even 'bussed' options on the tarmac, but I have never understood why QF did not try to be in the select group of international airlines (Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and a relatively small number of others) that transferred from T1 at MNL to the much more acceptable and modern T3 that now has quite a good range of shops and dining options, plus lounges.

T1 had some cosmetic refurbishment done and it looks much better, not that I've been there for a while, but the lounges remain poor (although I've not been in all of them.)

MNL has become a busy airport in the past decade (not that far away from SYD in terms of annual passengers) but its runways are, I gather, relatively inefficient for its size. It has a large number of international travellers, much higher than BNE or MEL for instance, and to make matters 'better' (or 'worse') the Filipino economy has been booming for a few years now - way in excess of economic growth rates in say Thailand or latterly Singapore. So with many incomes rising locally and hence more money available for people to spend on travel if they wish, it must be adding to pressure on MNL airport.
 
The lounge QF use at MNL is actually one of the better lounges at T1; I have been in most of them at one time or another. If you don't it like your best bet is toi fly with one of the airlines that use T3 (principally SQ and CX).
 
There is a limit at every terminal to the number of gates and even 'bussed' options on the tarmac, but I have never understood why QF did not try to be in the select group of international airlines (Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and a relatively small number of others) that transferred from T1 at MNL to the much more acceptable and modern T3 that now has quite a good range of shops and dining options, plus lounges.
With only 5 flights/week, QF is close to the bottom of the pecking order of airlines in line for this. There are still 25+ airlines using T1.
 
There is a limit at every terminal to the number of gates and even 'bussed' options on the tarmac, but I have never understood why QF did not try to be in the select group of international airlines (Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and a relatively small number of others) that transferred from T1 at MNL to the much more acceptable and modern T3 that now has quite a good range of shops and dining options, plus lounges.

T1 had some cosmetic refurbishment done and it looks much better, not that I've been there for a while, but the lounges remain poor (although I've not been in all of them.)

MNL has become a busy airport in the past decade (not that far away from SYD in terms of annual passengers) but its runways are, I gather, relatively inefficient for its size. It has a large number of international travellers, much higher than BNE or MEL for instance, and to make matters 'better' (or 'worse') the Filipino economy has been booming for a few years now - way in excess of economic growth rates in say Thailand or latterly Singapore. So with many incomes rising locally and hence more money available for people to spend on travel if they wish, it must be adding to pressure on MNL airport.

I suspect that yields are quite low on the MNL route for QF. Plus with only a handful of flights a week, they wouldn't have much clout with the airport authorities.
 
Haven't experienced the MNL Lounge, but it would have to be pretty awful to top the appalling business/first BA/OW Lounge in Munich. Filthy, every piece of furniture old and badly stained. Food scraps covering floors and tables - looks like it's cleaned every couple of days. I must have visited on the 'off' day. There is a reason it is hidden away at the end of a long and winding corridor reminiscent of a 1950s hospital ward.
 
It's definitely the worst Ive experienced. I am not sure why they don't shift to a third party lounge. They are not great either but much better than the Qantas offering. Wonder if Qantas would consider a move to Terminal 3 which means we could use the new CX lounge.
 
What I should have really said was why don't they shift to a lounge shared by a group of airlines such as the Pagss or Miascor. They are better with more turnover of food and drinks. The wine in the Qf lounge is a shocker. I didn't keep any photos from my last visit to try and show how bad it is.
 
Even if QF moved to T3, access to the CX lounge is no guarantee if the SFO lounge situation is any indication
Sitting in front of an empty lounge, the lounge dragon would note "but sir/ma'am, we have seven flights today"
 
I agree that the MNL QF lounge is pretty average but it's still better than sitting out near the gates or the Shanghai lounge.
 
Yes that could well be the case as CX have departures at 18 and 20h so the lounge must be pretty full at that time. The delta lounge next door that Cx was using before their new lounge was open is reasonable. Regardless there is no indication QF will leave T1.
 
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I have to agree with Colrad re Munich but I must also add that i have not yet had the displeasure of visiting the Manila lounge. I was in the BA Munich at the end of Nov and it was exactly as Colrad described it.
 
I've been in lots of horror lounges but don't recall QF lounges among them. Even in DEL the 9W lounge was a step up from the others. And that was a code share.

Cheers skip
 
Thankfully haven't been to either the Munich or new Shanghai lounge. Fingers crosssd Qantas either change terminals, improve the existing lounge or shift to one of the share lounges in Manila.
 
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