Platinum "anytime" lounge Access ceases from 1 February 2011

[pshepvic]

I do hope you enjoy the lounge because I've seen no difference in the crowds.

So no-one is voting with their feet then, despite what they've said?

 

[DC3]

I wouldn't have thought that it's been done to death, at all. I think that it's okay to keep the comments coming.

Anyway, there never was any evidence that overcrowding was due to anytime access.

 

[pshepvic]

Anyway, there never was any evidence that overcrowding was due to anytime access.

Not necessarily, but it was provided as a reason. However, if allegedly everyone is voting with their feet, and going off to other airlines, then the lounges should have less people. But others have said they don't, which would then imply that people aren't actually voting with their feet. All talk, and no action.

 

[DC3]

I don't know that everyone has said that they intend voting with their feet. Some will, including looking at other options, instead of automatically booking with Qantas, depending on where/when they fly, I guess.

 

[nlagalle]

Not necessarily, but it was provided as a reason. However, if allegedly everyone is voting with their feet, and going off to other airlines, then the lounges should have less people. But others have said they don't, which would then imply that people aren't actually voting with their feet. All talk, and no action.

There are people here that have shifted some of their flights to other carriers. The point made originally that the reason why ATA was being removed was due to overcrowding, which we didn't believe was the case. Add to that there was a promo to join the qantas club cheap shows the two weren't related.

 

[JohnK]

What did anytime lounge access?
could you just go to the airport anytime and use the lounge?

Anytime access even when not flying.

You'll find that people didn't use it because they wanted to fly another airline, more that they couldn't use QF or OW to get to where they were going. JohnK had some great examples.

My examples are not great.

It s people like Princess Fiona who live in Newcastle and have no choice to get to SYD to connect.

Anyway we have lost that benefit now and cannot see it coming back anytime soon....

 

[medhead]

I wouldn't have thought that it's been done to death, at all. I think that it's okay to keep the comments coming.

Anyway, there never was any evidence that overcrowding was due to anytime access.

Yes, sorry. Of course comments are still worth doing. Just that some points are coming up that have been mentioned and have been answered. I'm just not sure if there is a point in revisiting that ground.

So no-one is voting with their feet then, despite what they've said?

Not necessarily, but it was provided as a reason. However, if allegedly everyone is voting with their feet, and going off to other airlines, then the lounges should have less people. But others have said they don't, which would then imply that people aren't actually voting with their feet. All talk, and no action.

Well I'm voting with my feet. But the lounge when I'm there is just as crowded. It is hard to judge what is at play because there have been 2 promos to promote QP membership, that I recall, and there has been 2 or 3 double status promos. As others posters have mention these promos seem to put the lie to the overcrowding reason. But they also make it very hard to judge the effect of removing ATA - too many variables.

 

[serfty]

BA have done the same to their Emeralds!

There's a whopping thread of FT about it - makes this thread look like "a storm in a teacup"!

• new lounge rules for gold? [End of Open Doors for Golds]

Dear Mr BAEC Gold,

In the late 1990s, we introduced a benefit for our Gold Executive Club members that allowed our Gold customers (without any guests) to use the British Airways lounge when travelling on another airline, as long as this airline operated from the same terminal as British Airways. We called this benefit Anytime Access.

Today, through our extensive airline partnerships and the considerable growth of oneworld®, our Gold customers (with a guest) are now able to access the British Airways lounge in any of the following ways:

• When travelling on any British Airways operated flight
• When travelling on any British Airways codeshare flight operated by another airline
• When travelling on any oneworld airline operating from the same terminal as British Airways

Given the above, and also based on feedback we have received from Executive Club members, we have therefore taken the decision to withdraw Anytime Access from June 17 2011.

We know how important our lounges are to our Gold Executive Club members, and we want to ensure that they continue to be a place to work or relax away from the busy airport environment for customers who are flying with us and our oneworld partners. ...

 

[samiam]

Re: BA have done the same to their Emeralds!

There's a whopping thread of FT about it - makes this thread look like "a storm in a teacup"!

~ 284 posts in < 24 hours is not too shabby - although they have a little catching up to do

 

[medhead]

There's a whopping thread of FT about it - makes this thread look like "a storm in a teacup"!

• new lounge rules for gold? [End of Open Doors for Golds]

To me the way that was handled, the language and the reasoning is vastly superior and acceptable compared to the way qantas removed ATA

 

[OverrideServlet]

Entered the MEL QP this morning with a flash of the WP card.

Some have suggested they are more likely to allow this if you're dressed in corporate-ish attire.

As a random data point I was definitely not dressed in my business getup. Jeans, sneakers, hooded top, back pack. I had a +1 with me today who was dressed in a similar fashion.

Sorry for bringing down the dress standard guys.

 

[Moody]

Entered the MEL QP this morning with a flash of the WP card.

Some have suggested they are more likely to allow this if you're dressed in corporate-ish attire.

As a random data point I was definitely not dressed in my business getup. Jeans, sneakers, hooded top, back pack. I had a +1 with me today who was dressed in a similar fashion.

Sorry for bringing down the dress standard guys.

Are you sure you are in the right thread? There's another cesspit of whining more suitable to your topic but I don't actually want to provide a link as it just dignifies the whole sad affair.

 

[Alanslegal]

So no-one is voting with their feet then, despite what they've said?

I think you are missing the whole point of why a few (or many) are upset about losing ATA. I am going to put this in chronological order to make it easily understandable for you and everyone else:-

1. Anytime Access was a publshed benefit.
2. It was removed
3. Qantas called this removal as an 'enhancement'.
4. When something is taken away, it has to be a loss, a reduction - not an enhancement.
5. Qantas claimed it was necessary because of 'crowding' issues.
6. Around the same time, Qantas decides to sell discounted Qantas Club memberships.
7. Around the same tme, Qantas decides to offer Double Status Credits. This impacts crowding because it retains existing elites but also creates new elite members.
8. Point 6 + 7 means more guests in lounge, possible more crowding issues.
9. WPs using ATA infrequently did so or did so when flying from an airport that QF or OW flight was not operating from.
10. QF forgot that it takes 1,400SC to make a WP. Getting WP doesn't happen by magic.

As for voting with my feet, yes, I'll do it. I don't travel that much anyway. What I will do is make no new bookings on QF [my last booking on QF was for my girlfriend a few nights ago on a JASA to ensure she earns enough SC so that she does not forfeit them for loyalty bonus calculations come 1 December 2011]. And I am also highly encouraging family, friends (and even people on this forum) to not fly with QF.
Will this mean anything to Qantas' bottom line? Very unlikely x 1,000,00 but one loss flight booking to a competing carrier, is still a loss.

In 12 months time I might reconsider my No booking promise.when I might book four QF segments using YASA and do my first ever Yupp runs to re-qualify for WP

 

[samiam]

Are you sure you are in the right thread? There's another cesspit of whining more suitable to your topic but I don't actually want to provide a link as it just dignifies the whole sad affair.

Alternatives include whining to the +1 and that can get tedious. At least whining here is unlikely to end in divorce (the verb may vary for some). Each to their own.

 

[OverrideServlet]

Are you sure you are in the right thread?

Yes. Many other people have already responded with their experiences entering the lounge ATA style since Feb 1 - and offered reasons for their success or failure.

My response wasn't OT, except maybe the last sentence. :-|

 

[JohnPhelan]

Guess what? British Airways has announced the removal of Anytime Access for its top tier (Gold, equivalent to QF Platinum) members.

Seems to be similar reasons to QF. Biggest problem appears to have been at LGW, where BA shares a terminal with Easyjet. Apparently the BA Lounge there has been suffering severe overcrowding, because a substantial number of BA Gold cardholders were flying Easyjet but using the BA lounge.

BA is now copping the same abuse that QF did earlier this year. Interestingly, most of the BA Gold cardholders who are complaining are saying that they rarely, if ever, used Anytime Access ........hmm, sound familiar?

 

[medhead]

Guess what? British Airways has announced the removal of Anytime Access for its top tier (Gold, equivalent to QF Platinum) members.

Seems to be similar reasons to QF.

Yes this was mentioned in post #1648. Funny I don't recall the reasons being given including, lounge overcrowding and to not give a free kick to our competitors. Instead the reasons were more like "business decision" and "there are plenty of partners that allow lounge access so ATA is not needed". Not at all similar to the reasons given by QF

 

[Smackbum]

Yes. Many other people have already responded with their experiences entering the lounge ATA style since Feb 1 - and offered reasons for their success or failure.

My response wasn't OT, except maybe the last sentence. :-|

Sorry - I missed that implication.

So you weren't entitled to access the lounge but flashed your card and snuck in. Are we supposed to be impressed???

 

[OverrideServlet]

So you weren't entitled to access the lounge but flashed your card and snuck in. Are we supposed to be impressed???

I was most certainly entitled to access the lounge as I had a QF flight.

I was just adding a data point with regards to the enforcement of the new policy. If you've followed this thread at all (clearly you haven't) you'll see it's full of data point posts like this. WTF with the attitude?

 

[ajw373]

I think you are missing the whole point of why a few (or many) are upset about losing ATA. I am going to put this in chronological order to make it easily understandable for you and everyone else:-

1. Anytime Access was a publshed benefit.
2. It was removed
3. Qantas called this removal as an 'enhancement'.

Not quite. It was one of many things annouced, which as a WHOLE were called an enhancement. Slight difference.

Anyway interesting to see someone else supporting the decision here getting attacked for doing so, the same as happened to me a few months back. Also interesting to not those doing the attacking are the exact same people. Taking comments as personal attacks, when they aren't and then dishing back and belittling the supporter of the changes.

Think now Feb is behind us and any time has been removed it is time to get on with life. If you don't like it's removal fine, move on and start flying Virgin Aus. Also think it is time for this thread to die a natural death or for it to be closed as it is just going around in endless circles. Qantas has made their decision. They know what effect, if any it has made on their business, they know what some of their more vocal members fell and are clearly comfortable with their decision.