Passenger believes they are entitled to va Lounge after flight delayed

[harvyk]

My first visit to a QP was done on the back of an issue. I asked, and they said provided there is room (which there was) I could go in.
It probably cost them all of $20 for me to be there, but the gesture was nice, I had no status (I didn't even have an FF card at that time), and I didn't even have kids with me on that trip.

Having done enough traveling with kids I know that things can become very difficult, and I have the luxury of experience (and status) behind me. If you're not all that experienced in travel full stop, add some kids into the mix and it can easily become an overwhelming experience.

So I get the feeling that this was a lounge dragon vs lounge angel situation.

 

[SOPOOR]

She wasn’t entitled to anything that isn’t in the terms and policies, and certainly doesn’t get a free ride into the lounge because she managed to birth a child.

If this occurring was so traumatic to the child she should have made alternate arrangements and had an emergency fund. The child is her problem, not ours or the airlines.

Sick of entitlement from families. Sick of people pretending they’re not acting like psychopaths to airline staff.

I can imagine having a baby would be stressful.

If it were a 5 to 18 yr old kid, they'd probably complain and fall Asleep On the chair.

But a baby may start screaming since it's in a foreign environment and not getting fed. And you can't stop a screaming baby!

So. I can imagine the stress but I would ask them nicely if there is anywhere I could take the kid or pay to get in. And if they said no, just accept it.

 

[flying_duck]

I can imagine having a baby would be stressful.

If it were a 5 to 18 yr old kid, they'd probably complain and fall Asleep On the chair.

But a baby may start screaming since it's in a foreign environment and not getting fed. And you can't stop a screaming baby!

So. I can imagine the stress but I would ask them nicely if there is anywhere I could take the kid or pay to get in. And if they said no, just accept it.

I can imagine it's unbelievably stressful, that's exactly why I refuse to do it personally.

But I get why people do. What I don't get, is why others have to accommodate them in excess of what a regular person in their situation would get.

Offer to pay to use the lounge. Pay for your cab home and back. Pay a friend to drop toys off to the airport. Buy an extra blanket or a movie on your ipad to entertain the little one. Buy tickets on another airline and ask for a refund from VA. There's lots of options, none of which involve getting something you're not entitled to.

 

[harvyk]

I can imagine it's unbelievably stressful, that's exactly why I refuse to do it personally.

But I get why people do. What I don't get, is why others have to accommodate them in excess of what a regular person in their situation would get.

Offer to pay to use the lounge. Pay for your cab home and back. Pay a friend to drop toys off to the airport. Buy an extra blanket or a movie on your ipad to entertain the little one. Buy tickets on another airline and ask for a refund from VA. There's lots of options, none of which involve getting something you're not entitled to.

I'm resisting the urge to go full on parental on this post, so I'm going to leave it at this ->

Taking children anywhere is an extremely stressful situation, beyond what an average childless person could possibly understand. Since we as parents don't like the idea of been locked away in our houses for 18 years lest we upset someone else in society we do like to try and experience life events much like childless people do.

Why should society provide just that little bit more support to a family than a childless person? Because children are difficult, they don't understand what is happening around them, and they have no concept of time. In this instance this family only started asking for a little comfort AFTER VA failed to deliver a flight on time as promised.

 

[suze2000]

This is what I don't get: it's Virgin, you can pay for Lounge access. Just stump up the money if that's what you need. If not, suck it up.

ETA: And travel is a choice. If it's too stressful for you and your baby, wait until its older, or don't do it at all.

 

[flying_duck]

I'm resisting the urge to go full on parental on this post, so I'm going to leave it at this ->

Taking children anywhere is an extremely stressful situation, beyond what an average childless person could possibly understand. Since we as parents don't like the idea of been locked away in our houses for 18 years lest we upset someone else in society we do like to try and experience life events much like childless people do.

Why should society provide just that little bit more support to a family than a childless person? Because children are difficult, they don't understand what is happening around them, and they have no concept of time. In this instance this family only started asking for a little comfort AFTER VA failed to deliver a flight on time as promised.

Whilst I appreciate your point of view, I do, I genuinely believe they should have the same considerations as any other passenger. Older, younger, single, married, families etc should be treated equally. If every other passenger was given a food voucher, then that is what these passengers should receive.

I also want to point out that it is possible to travel with children that are not your own (younger siblings, nieces/nephews etc) so it is possible for those that are childless to have some idea of what it is like. Although I appreciate that we are caring for little ones without the lack of sleep and personal care.

 

[SOPOOR]

This is what I don't get: it's Virgin, you can pay for Lounge access. Just stump up the money if that's what you need. If not, suck it up.

ETA: And travel is a choice. If it's too stressful for you and your baby, wait until its older, or don't do it at all.

I agree. Like bringing babies into. A cinema or a finer dining restauanrt where the baby is screaming

Somethings like a wedding I understand where you have to be there

 

[Vic]

5 hours is an UNREASONABLE delay.

Since we're attacking entitlement, are we allowed to discuss the people who don't have children feeling entitled to comment on how to deal with a baby during a 5 hour delay. They clearly do not know that 5 hours is enough time to destroy a routine so that they get no sleep for days. That'd be a great holiday in Cairns. Perhaps they should realise their ignorance about such matters and just not comment. There has not been a single comment that demonstrates even a superficial level of understanding about caring for a child.

 

[SOPOOR]

5 hours is an UNREASONABLE delay.

Since we're attacking entitlement, are we allowed to discuss the people who don't have children feeling entitled to comment on how to deal with a baby during a 5 hour delay. They clearly do not know that 5 hours is enough time to destroy a routine so that they get no sleep for days. That'd be a great holiday in Cairns. Perhaps they should realise their ignorance about such matters and just not comment. There has not been a single comment that demonstrates even a superficial level of understanding about caring for a child.

If 5 hrs is going to destroy a sleeping routine, maybe they shouldn't be taking the baby with them?

And yes I have experience with kids

 

[Vic]

If 5 hrs is going to destroy a sleeping routine, maybe they shouldn't be taking the baby with them?

And yes I have experience with kids

Clearly you do not.
Seen many children where maintaining routine was vital. This is even to the point of things like not being able to feed before a sleep because of boarding and take off. No feed at the right time, means no sleep when the child wants or a very short sleep, means making that lost sleep up at the wrong time (e.g. early evening) and then staying up all night. That's only 30 minute delay.

 

[Mogul]

My wife and I did a lot travelling when at least one of kids was still a baby. Travelling with kids and in particular babies is all about planning for what might happen delays included. We never had a problem when delays happened as we were prepared, we had no lounge access and just found a quiet spot in the airport and sucked it up.

Kids and babies are generally are very resilient to change from my experience.

People just need to realise that sometimes things happen make the best of it, get over it and stop this whole entitlement cough !!!!

 

[vetrade]

Difficult to know what really transpired with all the claims and counter claims but, Ts&Cs aside, it's very much Russian roulette when dealing with airline staff, some of whom can be terribly inflexible and unsympathetic when dealing with pax. If there weren't many people at the airport or lounge, as the passenger said, it would have been good PR to let them into the lounge, and it almost certainly would have short circuited the acrimony which developed subsequently.

Personally I can't understand why airlines repeatedly generate such bad publicity buy not helping passengers who have been inconvenienced through no fault of their own when to do so would cost them virtually nothing. I bet there's uneaten food thrown out at the end of every day in every lounge.

I do have one delayed flight story which to me epitomises how terribly wrong airlines get it sometimes: Flying QR JNB - DOH - CDG with an early afternoon departure, our plane had a wheel problem. There were repeated announcements that we would be underway in 1 hr etc etc. but it took them till about 10pm to suddenly cancel the flight because a new wheel apparently had to be flown from DOH. We were flying J so we were put up at the IC across the road, but Y pax were left to their own devices. To make things worse our luggage wasn't offloaded till after 1.00am and although we were told we would be transferred to other flights the next day with other airlines, it took them another hour to open the booking desk.

To add to the stupidity even further they transferred us to to a Lufthansa flight to CDG via Berlin departing the next afternoon which would have made us about 26 hrs late getting to CDG. But first thing next morning we decided to go to the desk and "pressure" them for a better option. I eavesdropped on some QR air crew when I heard mention of the damaged wheel and talk of taking off at 10am. So I asked the captain where he was flying the plane to and found that our plane from the day before was flying to DOH EMPTY in an hour - I said we wanted to come with them and after a bit of head shaking it was decided that would be OK. We grabbed a few other pax nearby we knew had been on our cancelled flight and off we went to DOH. Total passenger count 5 - 3 in J and 2 in Y (who quickly took up the cabin crew's invitation to join us in J). So while all the other pax had been majorly inconvenienced and shunted onto (mostly) afternoon flights with other airlines, QR flew a 787 fully stocked with food to DOH with only 5 pax - more cabin crew than pax. How crazy is that?

And to contrast the difference in service levels, on arrival in DOH each pax was greeted at the plane by a CSM who took us to the lounge and arranged a mini team of helpers to ensure our every request during our transit was met.

 

[dajop]

we had no lounge access and just found a quiet spot in the airport and sucked it up.

I agree. At the end of the day a lounge is just a quiet spot (although sometimes busier than terminal). with free booze and free food. I am not so sure what exactly makes it so much better for handling children and babies than other parts of the terminal. I can’t comment on Canberra, as haven’t been there in last 9 years but I have found quiet spots and seats in most airports I’ve been too. Even when very crowded and lots of delayed flights.

Kids and babies are generally are very resilient to change from my experience

But adults aren’t always as resilient!

 

[love_the_life]

I'm sorry but this is the 'entitled parent' syndrome. And yes, I had children so I do understand.
All you parents out there can attack me all you like.

 

[harvyk]

I'm sorry but this is the 'entitled parent' syndrome. And yes, I had children so I do understand.
All you parents out there can attack me all you like.

How many, how difficult?

 

[ozjuice]

So....how exactly would lounge access have fixed any of the baby issues that couldn't have been fixed anywhere else in the airport? Just curious.

 

[blackcat20]

There was a discussion elsewhere (not a FF forum) about a delayed flight, and many posters encouraged the OP to ask the airline for lounge access based on a flight delay of approx four hours. Gave up trying to assist when I was called heartless and emotionless when I said it was never going to happen, and that telling the OP to call the airline was setting her up for failure. Imagine if everyone whose flight was delayed got lounge access? I was also called elitest for saying that lounge access was a privilege that people earned So much entitlement....

 

[SOPOOR]

Clearly you do not.
Seen many children where maintaining routine was vital. This is even to the point of things like not being able to feed before a sleep because of boarding and take off. No feed at the right time, means no sleep when the child wants or a very short sleep, means making that lost sleep up at the wrong time (e.g. early evening) and then staying up all night. That's only 30 minute delay.

Ahh good old keyboard warriors

Bickering with anonymous strangers and gloating about who knows more about raising kids

Another form of entitlement attitude?

 

[harvyk]

So....how exactly would lounge access have fixed any of the baby issues that couldn't have been fixed anywhere else in the airport? Just curious.

Lounges are typically quieter than out in the main terminal and have more comfortable seating, an important factor when you need to nurse a baby.

Having experienced both with a baby, I definitely found the lounge easier.

 

[drron]

Clearly you do not.
Seen many children where maintaining routine was vital. This is even to the point of things like not being able to feed before a sleep because of boarding and take off. No feed at the right time, means no sleep when the child wants or a very short sleep, means making that lost sleep up at the wrong time (e.g. early evening) and then staying up all night. That's only 30 minute delay.

But clearly you do not understand that we are all different as are children.If you know your child is difficult when the routine is upset why then take your child on a trip that by it's very nature is upsetting their routine.
Before the world went PC if I was travelling alone on QF or VA I was invariably seated with the unaccompanied children.The FAs would sometimes compliment me on the way I helped out.The occasional parent has also been happy I was on their flight and being able to calm their child.
So yes I do have experience with young children on flights which has trained me well in looking after the grandchildren.