Change to Qantas Lounge Pass Transfers Effective July ‘26

[kerfuffle]

Welcome to the VA world - VA passes have never been transferable

They used to be when they issued paper passes e.g. the ones you got from eligible ANZ credit cards

 

[NSun]

I can understand why they want to have lounges less crowded - its a zoo some mornings. Plus having more distinction between Platinum and Platinum one.

I get 4 lounge passes a year from credit cards and points club. I usually travel alone and when I am with someone it is usually just one other person (meaning I don't need a pass). But I don't see now how else I can use them if I cannot pass them on to someone – I was planning to give my passes to friends going on a 'second honeymoon' to South Africa later this year.

I wouldn't mind any of the following:
- If passes were only accepted during certain hours (i.e. the afternoon when it is less crowded - whenever I fly to NZ on QF147, QF149, QF139 or QF163 it is way quieter);
- You can only give away one pass per year to someone not on the same flight as you, or
- You could only give them to relatives as is the case with transferring points, or even have just one person to give them to.

Keep in mind these aren't free Platinum memberships like those you get with 2400 SCs, these are one off passes.

 

[ozflier]

This change certainly reduces the attractiveness of certain credit cards like Amex who , in my case , gives 2 lounge passes annually . That would also apply to Qantas mastercards.

 

[HMcM]

Definitely an unfortunately devaluation of the complimentary lounge invitations with certain credit cards. I've currently got 5 stacked up but after an upcoming status run will hit platinum so looks like my friends and family will be getting some transfers before July otherwise the passes are useless to me.

 

[Kangol]

I can understand why they want to have lounges less crowded - its a zoo some mornings. Plus having more distinction between Platinum and Platinum one.

Agree with overcrowding (who would say that the busy times are not crowded in, say, the SYD F lounge), however P1s are not exempt from the lounge invitations from credit cards - only the P1 member passes continue operating as usual.

If they let P1s transfer lounge invitations from any source to travellers not on the same flight, that would be a proper distinction between P1 and WP.

 

[Aeryn]

Yes limiting pass transfer to family members or fellow travellers on same pnr on QF flight numbers on QF metal could have been a nice middle ground. It would have stopped the selling of passes and helped with crowding.

Im not fussed about JQ, have only ever flown them domestically and there arent any Qantas lounges in JQ terminal at SYD or MEL domestic, and no lounges in many of the regional destinati9ns they fly to liker bnk.

 

[Pcoder]

I did get a response on my complaint and at least it wasn't a boiler plate response, it seem to be written. They did at least note that people who do have lounge access and get passes will miss out.

I probably should have suggested some sort of waitlist or even blackout times as they did note their major driver was overcapacity.

I think my main issue with that, particularly in the domestic lounges is recently at certain times the lounges have been very quiet (particularly at night), and say if you have like a 10pm departure, they could have a provision that they will accept passes and that you can't arrive before 7pm for example.

 

[buggy00]

Something I normally don't do, but a question for QF coded JQ flights.

Are JQ Bag&Meal flights booked on Qantas' website considered codeshare?

 

[Pcoder]

Something I normally don't do, but a question for QF coded JQ flights.

Are JQ Bag&Meal flights booked on Qantas' website considered codeshare?

They have to show up as a QF6xx_ code, not as a JQxx_ in your booking. If it comes up as a JQ number I don't think that counts.

I did a dummy and my flights were coming up as JQ, so I wouldn't expect those flights to count.

 

[buggy00]

They have to show up as a QF6xx_ code, not as a JQxx_ in your booking. If it comes up as a JQ number I don't think that counts.

I did a dummy and my flights were coming up as JQ, so I wouldn't expect those flights to count.

Help my monkey brain understand how do you even book QF coded JQ flights. They all just show up as JQXX on Qantas' website.

 

[Kangol]

Help my monkey brain understand how do you even book QF coded JQ flights. They all just show up as JQXX on Qantas' website.

I'm sure a travel agent can help?

 

[mbe1510]

Help my monkey brain understand how do you even book QF coded JQ flights. They all just show up as JQXX on Qantas' website.

I got it to pop searching Sydney to Seoul (ICN). Qantas did recommend I fly via Hong Kong or Tokyo and the connect with Cathay and Asiana respectively before I could find the direct QF coded Jetstar flight, but they do exist.

 

[buggy00]

I got it to pop searching Sydney to Seoul (ICN). Qantas did recommend I fly via Hong Kong or Tokyo and the connect with Cathay and Asiana respectively before I could find the direct QF coded Jetstar flight, but they do exist.

View attachment 500817

Interesting - i was testing a MEL - SIN and it only came up as JQ. I wonder what the requirements are for it to show a QF codeshare.

 

[Daver6]

I did get a response on my complaint and at least it wasn't a boiler plate response, it seem to be written. They did at least note that people who do have lounge access and get passes will miss out.

I probably should have suggested some sort of waitlist or even blackout times as they did note their major driver was overcapacity.

I think my main issue with that, particularly in the domestic lounges is recently at certain times the lounges have been very quiet (particularly at night), and say if you have like a 10pm departure, they could have a provision that they will accept passes and that you can't arrive before 7pm for example.

If the driver for this change is over-capacity in the lounges, they're essentially acknowledging then that most the passes will go to waste now. Why not tackle the actual problem by not allowing so many passes to be minted in the first place rather than making them worthless?

 

[levelnine]

If the driver for this change is over-capacity in the lounges, they're essentially acknowledging then that most the passes will go to waste now. Why not tackle the actual problem by not allowing so many passes to be minted in the first place rather than making them worthless?

This is a far better solution for Qantas. They make money selling the passes to banks, then have most of them spoil because they cannot be used by customers.

 

[Warragul]

Interesting - i was testing a MEL - SIN and it only came up as JQ. I wonder what the requirements are for it to show a QF codeshare.

I don't think they offer a QF codeshare on that as there are QF metal flights on that route. I've done a bit of looking for them too with no luck, so that's my guess.

 

[Daver6]

This is a far better solution for Qantas. They make money selling the passes to banks, then have most of them spoil because they cannot be used by customers.

Screwing your customers is never good for longer term profitability.

 

[levelnine]

Screwing your customers is never good for longer term profitability.

Reliance on breakage is a fairly common method of enhancing profitability on a product.

 

[arrow]

Reliance on breakage is a fairly common method of enhancing profitability on a product.

It’s the Priority Pass Business Model. If every customer used the lounge 365 days of the year they would lose money, they rely on a large number of their subscribers not using their annual entitlements

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I suspect with the scrapping of PC this will become a non issue

There are also passes for people with LTS.