British Airways - Lounge Access - Bangkok

[one9]

Hi,

I have just booked an award flight return Syd>Bkk, with Syd>Bkk Business class and Bkk>Syd First class.

I have just looked at the British Airways website, and I see that they don't have a lounge in Bangkok. Do I get access to a partner lounge when flying Bkk>Syd (eg. Qantas lounge) because I am flying First class?

Note: I am only bronze Qantas Frequent Flyer.

When I look at the Qantas website, I see that if you travel First class, you get lounge access at any oneworld lounge if a Qantas lounge is not available. Is this the same for British Airways?


Thanks.

 

[Mal]

There is a combined BA / Qantas one I believe. It has a F and a J side. The F lounge is quite nice and has a decent range of booze and nibblies. Can get lonely in there at times though!

There is also a Cathay Pacific F and J lounge. Havn't tried this one yet - will in another cpl of months.

I may be incorrect about it being a joint lounge... But you will still get access to the Qantas one without any dramas. You should get a lounge pass when you check in at BKK.

 

[one9]

Thanks Mal for the reply...

Looking at the list of BA lounges at: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba6.jsp/ecbenftloungelist/public/en_au there does not appear to be a BA lounge at BKK.

On the Qantas website, there shows that there is a Qantas lounge.

So it the Qantas lounge a combined BA/Qantas lounge??

Will I have access to a oneworld lounge at BKK by flying first class BKK-SYD? Are you sure I will get a lounge pass when I checkin?

 

[tuapekastar]

Hi,

I have just booked an award flight return Syd>Bkk, with Syd>Bkk Business class and Bkk>Syd First class.

I have just looked at the British Airways website, and I see that they don't have a lounge in Bangkok. Do I get access to a partner lounge when flying Bkk>Syd (eg. Qantas lounge) because I am flying First class?

Note: I am only bronze Qantas Frequent Flyer.

When I look at the Qantas website, I see that if you travel First class, you get lounge access at any oneworld lounge if a Qantas lounge is not available. Is this the same for British Airways?


Thanks.

one9, I can see why you asked this question.

The BA site makes no mention of a BKK lounge - either Terraces or associated/partner - (very surprising to me) and the QF site mentions the lounge as a QF one.

I am led to believe that the Joint Services Agreement between BA and QF means pretty much everything is "shared" between them on the Kangaroo route, so hopefully you'll be ok.

As a paid QP member I got access to the QF/BA lounge in SIN recently, whilst flying BA in (premium) economy, so that's an indication that the sharing happens.

As Mal says, you should get access.

Good Luck.

 

[Mal]

Visit the OneWorld website (http://www.oneworld.com)

Click on "Getting There"

Left Hand side, view the Airport map of Bangkok.

Click on the terminal to show finer details.

They discuss a "QF/BA lounge" at exactly the location I remember it (Across from the CX one).

Not sure why BA doesn't list it on their site. As discussed above, the JSA is in effect for BKK so BA and QF share everything.

 

[one9]

Visit the OneWorld website (http://www.oneworld.com)

Click on "Getting There"

Left Hand side, view the Airport map of Bangkok.

Click on the terminal to show finer details.

They discuss a "QF/BA lounge" at exactly the location I remember it (Across from the CX one).

Not sure why BA doesn't list it on their site. As discussed above, the JSA is in effect for BKK so BA and QF share everything.

thanks Mal

 

[JohnK]

There is a combined BA / Qantas one I believe. It has a F and a J side. The F lounge is quite nice and has a decent range of booze and nibblies. Can get lonely in there at times though!

Don't know about the QF/BA F lounge but a couple of years ago I was in the J lounge and it was very ordinary as far as lounges go.

In a my opinion you are better off going into one of the bars on the floor above check-in.

 

[one9]

There is a combined BA / Qantas one I believe. It has a F and a J side. The F lounge is quite nice and has a decent range of booze and nibblies. Can get lonely in there at times though!

Don't know about the QF/BA F lounge but a couple of years ago I was in the J lounge and it was very ordinary as far as lounges go.

In a my opinion you are better off going into one of the bars on the floor above check-in.

Were you there before or after April 03? I found on the web that they opened a new lounge in April 03:

"Qantas has opened new First and Business Class Qantas Club lounges at Bangkok Airport. Located at Bangkok Terminal 2, Pier 5, near the Qantas and British Airways departure gates. Two lounges accommodate 48 First Class and 140 Business Class customers."

 

[JohnK]

Were you there before or after April 03? I found on the web that they opened a new lounge in April 03:

September 03 and it looked ordinary to me.

It is OK if you have company otherwise it gets very lonely. I like a place that is alive with people.

 

[Mal]

I was there Sept. last year.

Just 2 people in the F lounge. And that was after another bloke walked in 1/2 hour after I arrived!

Mind you, I was catching the AY flight, and I don't think there were any Qantas/BA departures for several hours.

 

[NM]

Note that the JSA only applied to flights between London and Australia via Singapore and Bangkok. It does not apply to QF and BA flights between BKK and Australia. So even though the aircraft may be operating (even with the same flight number) LHR-BKK-SYD, if your ticket is BKK-SYD only then your ticket does not come under the JSA.

So, it is possible that BA do not list the BKK lounge since it is a QF lounge and only available for BA passengers who are in transit under a JSA qualifying flight, and not for BA passengers commencing their journey in BKK.

However, the practical experience is likely to be a little more flexible than the rules of the JSA. I would be surprised if a lounge CSA would refuse entry to a BA F passenger commencing in BKK and permit entry to a BA F passenger in transit. Just time your lounge arrival with the inbound arrival of the transit passengers.

 

[DPG]

]However, the practical experience is likely to be a little more flexible than the rules of the JSA. I would be surprised if a lounge CSA would refuse entry to a BA F passenger commencing in BKK and permit entry to a BA F passenger in transit. Just time your lounge arrival with the inbound arrival of the transit passengers.

It should not make any difference through BKK as BA and QF only have services that continue through to LHR.

I understand your comments regarding the JSA, but my understanding (may be totally off), that the JSA covers any flights between LHR and AUS and the flights in between. So AUS-BKK/SIN are covered.

As a side, I was discussing with my BA rep recently, and her understanding is that with the termination of the BA flight LHR-MEL, that the JSA will also start to cover QF/BA flights via HKG as well as BKK/SIN. It makes sense as the new QF flight will go via HKG.

D P G

PS: I agree with Mal, the Qantas Club in BKK can be very quiet (especially when travelling on a CX or AY flight). I was there last October, and the Lounge was relatively modern, but possibly a little bland).

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

The Qantas F lounge at BKK is much nicer than the CX F lounge. Its like comparing the ASP QP with the SYD T3 QP.

 

[NM]

It should not make any difference through BKK as BA and QF only have services that continue through to LHR.

I understand your comments regarding the JSA, but my understanding (may be totally off), that the JSA covers any flights between LHR and AUS and the flights in between. So AUS-BKK/SIN are covered.

The JSA is an agreement between the Australian and UK governments that permits QF and BA to coordinate freight, scheduling, marketing, sales, pricing and customer service activities of the two airlines' networks.

As this is an agreement between the UK and Australian governments (and approved and monitored by the ACCC and UK equiv), it cannot cover flights between Thailand and Australia and between Thailand and UK. Such flights would need to be covered by a similar agreement including the Thai government.

There is a separate Australia-Thailand Air Services Agreement that permits the designated airlines of each country to codeshare as the non-operating airline with any airline of a third country. Hence QF can codeshare on the BA flights to/from Thailand. This is separate to the JSA between QF and BA. I expect there is a similar agreement between Thailand and UK.

 

[tuapekastar]

The waters seem a little murky here though. I got access to the BA/QF lounge in SIN recently, whilst flying SIN-MEL on BA17 (and not coming from LHR). I am a paid QP member with no QF/BA status (and the AA status came afterwards). I was flying BA metal and flight number. So I had no status with BA, and I wasn't flying with QF.

From the Qantas website: (Qantas Club News: Upgraded Singapore Qantas/British Airways lounge)

The lounge in Singapore is located Airside in Terminal 1, left after Immigration, up the escalator. To access The Qantas Club lounge, you need to present your Qantas Club card, or your Platinum or Gold Qantas Frequent Flyer card, together with your boarding pass for onward travel on that day with a Qantas or British Airways flight number. For further information, see lounge access.

So that clearly indicates I could access the lounge, but given I was flying BA, with no status on that airline, I'm not sure why I would be granted access (not that I'm complaining) :wink: . I assumed the JSA was the reason. I may well be wrong, but cannot really think of any other reason.

 

[Mal]

With the JSA however, I am suprised the lounge is not marketed on the BA site for those pax flying SYD-BKK-LHR (BA10) or other BA equivalent routes.

The layover looks long enough 1:35 for there to be a disembarkation of passengers.

 

[Mal]

The waters seem a little murky here though. I got access to the BA/QF lounge in SIN recently, whilst flying SIN-MEL on BA17 (and not coming from LHR). I am a paid QP member with no QF/BA status (and the AA status came afterwards). I was flying BA metal and flight number. So I had no status with BA, and I wasn't flying with QF.

A QP member can access a BA lounge before a BA flight. So that's the primary reason why you would have had access. It's quite a handy perk at LHR.

 

[tuapekastar]

The waters seem a little murky here though. I got access to the BA/QF lounge in SIN recently, whilst flying SIN-MEL on BA17 (and not coming from LHR). I am a paid QP member with no QF/BA status (and the AA status came afterwards). I was flying BA metal and flight number. So I had no status with BA, and I wasn't flying with QF.

A QP member can access a BA lounge before a BA flight. So that's the primary reason why you would have had access. It's quite a handy perk at LHR.

Fair point Mal. Sometimes I read so many rules I can't see the wood for the trees! Or at least forget some of them!

Also from QF website:

Access to Partner airline lounges
In addition to Qantas Club lounges, you can relax in British Airways lounges (Terraces and Executive Club lounges), American Airlines® Admirals Club lounges and US Airways Club lounges.

To access a partner airline lounge, simply present your Qantas Club card or Platinum or Gold Frequent Flyer card at check-in and again with your boarding pass at the lounge reception. You may also invite a guest. Note that both you and your guest must have onward travel that day on a flight marketed and operated by the partner airline whose lounge you wish to visit.*

Still be interesting to see how BKK access pans out for OP.

Cheers.

 

[MetroAir]

The CX J lounge in BKK is quite ordinary - OK but no windows.

The QP lounge has on it's sign BA and AA so I'm sure you'll get in - you are F class after all and I don't know of anywhere (even Laos) that doesn't have a lounge for F and J class.

 

[NM]

With the JSA however, I am suprised the lounge is not marketed on the BA site for those pax flying SYD-BKK-LHR (BA10) or other BA equivalent routes.

The layover looks long enough 1:35 for there to be a disembarkation of passengers.

There is plenty of time and the BA transit passengers are welcome to use the QF lounge.