First experience in QF J lounge with no service desk

[SydneySara]

Well - we called it & now I’ve experienced it. In the QF business lounge in MEL as we speak.

- no service desk staff (unsure if they were the first to go or whether they may be back before the official closure.)

- lounge check in staff couldn’t process an on departure upgrade request.

- lounge check in staff also reluctant to print a boarding pass

- said staff advised that they could not assist with any aspect of my booking and I’d have to use the app.

- I saw 6 people lining up intermittently at the service desk (mainly elderly flyers) with nobody to help them, until they gave up & walked off.

- flight before me was cancelled & not one iPad wielding “mobile staff member” was there to assist.

I can only hope that someone realises what a foolish move & epic folly this short sighted decision represents. This is not what I expect as P from a full service airline. Even regardless of status, passengers deserve better.

 

[Pushka]

Well - we called it & now I’ve experienced it. In the QF business lounge in MEL as we speak.

- no service desk staff (unsure if they were the first to go or whether they may be back before the official closure.)

- lounge check in staff couldn’t process an on departure upgrade request.

- lounge check in staff also reluctant to print a boarding pass

- said staff advised that they could not assist with any aspect of my booking and I’d have to use the app.

- I saw 6 people lining up intermittently at the service desk (mainly elderly flyers) with nobody to help them, until they gave up & walked off.

- flight before me was cancelled & not one iPad wielding “mobile staff member” was there to assist.

I can only hope that someone realises what a foolish move & epic folly this short sighted decision represents. This is not what I expect as P from a full service airline. Even regardless of status, passengers deserve better.

Well, welcome to Covid service now. So many cost cutting opportunities have presented themselves and taken up in the name of Covid.

 

[DC3]

Well, yes, apparently this enhancement was at our request. We prefer to engage digitally/self-manage, rather than in-person, or something like that, wasn’t it?

Edit: Athough, I seem to recall that this was proposed to start in the first half of 2021, and not in 2020.

 

[Daver6]

Wasn't lounge requested on departure upgrades and advertised benefits for QP membership? Ie the ability to walk up to someone and request it should there be space available. Can you even do that in the app say an hour before departure?

 

[jakeseven7]

Well - we called it & now I’ve experienced it. In the QF business lounge in MEL as we speak.

- no service desk staff (unsure if they were the first to go or whether they may be back before the official closure.)

- lounge check in staff couldn’t process an on departure upgrade request.

- lounge check in staff also reluctant to print a boarding pass

- said staff advised that they could not assist with any aspect of my booking and I’d have to use the app.

- I saw 6 people lining up intermittently at the service desk (mainly elderly flyers) with nobody to help them, until they gave up & walked off.

- flight before me was cancelled & not one iPad wielding “mobile staff member” was there to assist.

I can only hope that someone realises what a foolish move & epic folly this short sighted decision represents. This is not what I expect as P from a full service airline. Even regardless of status, passengers deserve better.

Be interested to see re your feedback letter to QF what they say about the non-ability to do on departure upgrades in the lounge?

Let us know how you go.

 

[dk4]

If you read the USA based FF forums, there is a general consistency in the #1 rating of why people buy airline lounge memberships; it's not the booze, it's not the privacy, it's not the seats & space... (although these all rank highly)... The most important aspect of the lounges, according to the punters who use them, are the service desks!

As this is a QF situation, and many here would be familiar with AA's Admirals Clubs, I think it is valuable to acknowledge the colloquial name members use for those staffing the service desks: AANGLES

AAngles are legendary for working miracles when things go wrong, especially when the "computer says no". And they are the single most important element of AA's lounges, as valued by the majority of their members!

 

[DC3]

...AAngles are legendary for working miracles when things go wrong, especially when the "computer says no". And they are the single most important element of AA's lounges, as valued by the majority of their members!

Yes, the AAngels are held in high regard. They go the extra mile.

 

[snabbu]

If you read the USA based FF forums, there is a general consistency in the #1 rating of why people buy airline lounge memberships; it's not the booze, it's not the privacy, it's not the seats & space... (although these all rank highly)... The most important aspect of the lounges, according to the punters who use them, are the service desks!

As this is a QF situation, and many here would be familiar with AA's Admirals Clubs, I think it is valuable to acknowledge the colloquial name members use for those staffing the service desks: AANGLES

AAngles are legendary for working miracles when things go wrong, especially when the "computer says no". And they are the single most important element of AA's lounges, as valued by the majority of their members!

Absolutely. The AAngels have always been the best thing about the Admirals Clubs and now in these messed up covid times they are more helpful than ever. No issue is too complicated and the compassion levels are outstanding. Long live the AAngels.

 

[Daver6]

I've been in the MEL lounge waiting for my flight to SYD. For whatever reason they put out a call for anyone with HLO wanting to move to an earlier flight. I'd imagine their ability to move people around to cover cancelled flights will be gone with this change? This will certainly bite them on the bottom.

 

[AIRwin]

For whatever reason they put out a call for anyone with HLO wanting to move to an earlier flight.

It may be related to the cancellation of 2 JQ flights this afternoon?

 

[SydneySara]

If you read the USA based FF forums, there is a general consistency in the #1 rating of why people buy airline lounge memberships; it's not the booze, it's not the privacy, it's not the seats & space... (although these all rank highly)... The most important aspect of the lounges, according to the punters who use them, are the service desks!

As this is a QF situation, and many here would be familiar with AA's Admirals Clubs, I think it is valuable to acknowledge the colloquial name members use for those staffing the service desks: AANGLES

AAngles are legendary for working miracles when things go wrong, especially when the "computer says no". And they are the single most important element of AA's lounges, as valued by the majority of their members!

How interesting -I I had an Aangel help me out of trouble at LGA last year after a bad check in experience - I didn’t know this was a phenomenon!

 

[samh004]

Wasn't lounge requested on departure upgrades and advertised benefits for QP membership? Ie the ability to walk up to someone and request it should there be space available. Can you even do that in the app say an hour before departure?

I don't think an ODU in the app while in the lounge is possible, but then, I've never tried.

 

[drron]

If you read the USA based FF forums, there is a general consistency in the #1 rating of why people buy airline lounge memberships; it's not the booze, it's not the privacy, it's not the seats & space... (although these all rank highly)... The most important aspect of the lounges, according to the punters who use them, are the service desks!

As this is a QF situation, and many here would be familiar with AA's Admirals Clubs, I think it is valuable to acknowledge the colloquial name members use for those staffing the service desks: AANGLES

AAngles are legendary for working miracles when things go wrong, especially when the "computer says no". And they are the single most important element of AA's lounges, as valued by the majority of their members!

And they usually know all the angles.

 

[Daver6]

It may be related to the cancellation of 2 JQ flights this afternoon?

Apologies for the confusion. My statement was in reference to something that happened a couple of years ago. But in general, that scenario where they are looking for volunteers to move their flight forward won't be possible.

 

[AIRwin]

Apologies for the confusion. My statement was in reference to something that happened a couple of years ago.

Oh but talk about coincidence...

 

[DC3]

Apologies for the confusion. My statement was in reference to something that happened a couple of years ago. But in general, that scenario where they are looking for volunteers to move their flight forward won't be possible.

Got it now.

I had been wondering where anyone would go (with Service Desks closed) should they have wanted to act on the call to fly earlier.

 

[QF4L]

If you read the USA based FF forums ... The most important aspect of the lounges, according to the punters who use them, are the service desks!

AAngels saved the day for me when I was bumped from an overbooked flight that was the last one for the night. The staff at the gate said there was nothing they could do, so I went to the closest Admiral's Club and with no fuss was rebooked on the first flight the next day and given a free hotel room and transfer.

I've had more mixed results with the QF lounge desks, where I have been bounced between the phone/webchat team and the service desk team while in the lounge! It's not new news that Qantas needs to improve its customer service so that more staff have the capability to help out, and more quickly. There are disconnects in the customer experience and taking physical staff away from the airport is NOT the answer - not in the lounge, and not elsewhere in the airport for other paying customers.

 

[nowmedia]

I flew Saturday arvo BNE to SYD for work and arrived to the lounge early due to a) third hangover in three days and b) concerns about the weather in NSW/possible delays. Spied x1 staff member downstairs at a tardis. Did not approach as I wasnt chekcing in luggage. Upstairs x2 staff at the entry to the lounge precinct - they appeared to be the only QF uniformed staff in the whole area. As always in BNE they were super friendly and helpful. When they flagged that desk staff were being removed I explained that I thought that meant downstairs only. Sadly no its upstairs as well. Just use the app they say! As usual I clearly need to pay more attention to the fine detail.

Given the number of times that poor weather disrupts the schedule on the east coast esp BNE - SYD I see trouble in Alan Joyce's future with this new enhancement...

 

[FirstClass]

There is no doubt that the #1 benefit of a high QFF status is the ability to speak directly with a helpful, intelligent and resourced human at the airport. Business very often dictates complicated, last-minute changes of plans; a sufficiently stressful experience without the imposition of unfamiliar, time-wasting technological intermediaries. The carrier's staff are effectively an extension of one's own. Their efforts directly account for both loyalty to the carrier and the decision that their pointy-end seats represent justifiable value. 'Robo Air' calls into question both of these for the harried, distracted businessperson to whom the whole travel 'experience' was already a dehumanizing nightmare to be avoided under all circumstances but those of very last resort...