Chairman's Lounge

[serfty]

I expect if your personal spend with QF was $10m pa then personal spend would probably come into the equation. (that's a lot of F flying ) but no otherwise your probably correct.

If one had personal spend of $10M PA on commercial flights, I daresay that one would have no need of CL ...

 

[equus]

Well MEL-LAX rtn is ~20K so that's 500 (15 hour long) flights... You would be kinda over it by then!

So on that logic, it is mathematically impossible to have $10m pa personal travel spend on QF on commerical tickets, as 500 flights by 15 hours by 2 (return) is a lot more time than exists in a year, even if you were continuously sitting in the plane!

The only way to do it would be to start chartering the whole aircraft, and then I suspect CL would be low on the list of perks you would be expecting.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Exactly!
So there you go AFF'ers! We have today proved something valuable. Those who could achieve CL by spending their own money probably would not care about getting it.

 

[djfuzz]

Wow, interesting this thread has gotten so much mileage (pun intended) so quickly.

I have some sympathy for the position that high-level executives for key QF clients need to be looked after in order to ensure their high QF spending continues.

I'm not sure how that logic, or any similar qualitative benefit, applies to certain classes of celebrities (there are celebrities and 'celebrities' - the Balloon Boy fiasco demonstrates that) and non-cabinet level MPs. If the government does spend a lot on QF, surely the icing should be QP memberships, not putting hundreds of backbenchers in with the one or two executives per key business client. I know today's backbencher is tomorrow's PM, but let them earn that privilege.

Anyway, as noted above, expressing an opinion about CL is pretty much pointless, since it is an entirely arbitrary, discretionary matter that only the QF chair and CEO have any influence over (on that point, I wonder why Margaret Jackson persisted with the term 'Chairman's', surely a gender neutral term would have been more appropriate? ).

ISTR a very entertaining CL thread a few years ago instigated by a CL member's son that didn't hang around here for very long...

 

[estate]

The rule is there is no rule... AFAIK it is basically decided at an executive level. They may tap some one on the shoulder or some one may be recommended to them from regional sales managers.

So any kind of guessing what spend is required is just that, guessing.

And I would be very surprised if they got rid of it, marketing genius if you ask me... This little tidbit they can wave around to nab the big accounts that is not possessed by the (limited) competition. I bet they land accounts from some salivating execs just at the *chance* of being offered access...

I'm sure Qantas have rules, we just don't know what they are

In the instance of my old man, when they were negotiating their corporate account with QF, someone from his organisation asked their QF account manager about access as part of the package. The account manager had it approved by the relevant exec and the cards for my parents turned up a short while after the contract was signed. It was a while ago now so I may not have remembered that exactly right.

I never heard of any involvement of Dixon in the decision though. Of course that's not to say he didn't give the approval.

Re WP PG: true, partner CL is the same level, rather than SG being below WP. But I suppose it's the principle of providing benefit to the partners. Given how little most partners would fly (assuming they're spouses who don't work full-time) it's not a significant additional expense.

As for personal spend - I doubt it. My father has maintained something close to 2400SCs pa ever since he switched to QF when Ansett failed, but has only been in the CL a few years. He's well and truly LTG, but then so are many members here. It may be a contributing factor for those who are CL members due to their indirect influence (ie talk-back radio hosts, celebrities) though. Afterall, what's the point of inviting Alan Jones to be a member if he never flies anywhere? If you want someone to be seen to fly on your airline they have to actually fly!

But there are more than a few people QF could cut out. I know of one gentlemen who now has a small investment firm he uses to manage his (significant) wealth, so he would employ perhaps 10-15 people. He made his money with a private company he used to own, and has since sold to a competitor. He no longer influences a large corporate spend, and his personal spend, whilst significant and always in F when flying internationally, is no greater than many members here. I've run into him several times in the CL when traveling with the folks - he probably doesn't need to be there anymore.

 

[tuapekastar]

(on that point, I wonder why Margaret Jackson persisted with the term 'Chairman's', surely a gender neutral term would have been more appropriate? ).

I recall Jackson some years ago was taken aside by security at LAX for having detailed aircraft plans in her hand luggage. When asked why she had them she replied "I'm the chairman of an airline" so I guess she was quite comfortable with the term.

As, I might add, am I. I find "chairperson" loathsome, and chairwoman not a whole lot better.

 

[straitman]

I wonder why Margaret Jackson persisted with the term 'Chairman's', surely a gender neutral term would have been more appropriate? ).

Chairman is a gender neutral term as it comes from a shortening of the term Chair Manager which was neither a reference to male or female.

 

[QF WP]

I recall Jackson some years ago was taken aside by security at LAX for having detailed aircraft plans in her hand luggage. When asked why she had them she replied "I'm the chairman of an airline"

DYKWIA ...oh to have been a fly on the wall

 

[serfty]

Actually, the Agent did not believe her and there was a bit of further ado ...

CNN.com - Security ordeal for Qantas boss - Jan 10, 2006

 

[samh004]

That's crazy. Wonder if the guard was stood down for such a remark, "But you're a woman".

 

[Groundfeeder]

If I recall correctly, recently every QLD MP & spouse/partner were awarded CL membership.

There's going to be some "courageous" decisions made by QF if/when it comes around to culling CL, as this is but one State.

 

[Flashback]

The rule is there is no rule... AFAIK it is basically decided at an executive level. They may tap some one on the shoulder or some one may be recommended to them from regional sales managers.

So any kind of guessing what spend is required is just that, guessing.

And I would be very surprised if they got rid of it, marketing genius if you ask me... This little tidbit they can wave around to nab the big accounts that is not possessed by the (limited) competition. I bet they land accounts from some salivating execs just at the *chance* of being offered access...

It's interesting you say that. My uncle is CL through virtue of being Chairman of the Board for a large company in Australia, as well as on the board of several other companies and salivating certainly isn't the term that I'd use for when he would have been offered it. People of this class in society are much more humble than you may think.

YMMV

 

[ejb]

If I recall correctly, recently every QLD MP & spouse/partner were awarded CL membership.

There's going to be some "courageous" decisions made by QF if/when it comes around to culling CL, as this is but one State.

If QF lose the govt contract for flights (or a large part of it) I can see many CL cards being cut in two.:shock:

ejb

 

[harvyk]

If QF lose the govt contract for flights (or a large part of it) I can see many CL cards being cut in two.:shock:

ejb

Maybe...

There are a whole lot of marketing things which go on about the CL...
The odds of a persons CL card been cut up is very dependant to how their marketing dept feels the customer may be, not only now, but in the future...

The CL is not a lounge like the QP, J \ F lounge, but an advertisement for the company which is as important as the add's it places on TV, in newspapers and which appear on this very site.

I would bet as QF put as much thought into who is invited into the CL as the amount of thought which goes into the choice of advertising on TV channels (and programs) \ newspapers \ magazines.

So just because QF have lost a contract, it doesn't mean that they will want to cut ties with the company \ dept. Infact they may hand out additional CL cards if they feel it'll help them win the contract back...

 

[Cyclogenesis]

It's interesting you say that. My uncle is CL through virtue of being Chairman of the Board for a large company in Australia, as well as on the board of several other companies and salivating certainly isn't the term that I'd use for when he would have been offered it. People of this class in society are much more humble than you may think.

YMMV

ok.. ok.. perhaps I should stop casting my own feelings onto the face of others

But as a Scientist that is a perk I will never achieve...

 

[djfuzz]

ok.. ok.. perhaps I should stop casting my own feelings onto the face of others

But as a Scientist that is a perk I will never achieve...

Whoah, easy there on the scientists - Ziggy S was a physicist, I'm sure he would have been in the CL at one stage (if not still). Maybe Professor Graham Clark? Or even Dr Karl?

 

[trippin_the_rift]

A bit like buying a Bentley really - the unwritten rule that if you have to ask how much you simply can not afford it.

As a businessman I look at it the other way, can I afford NOT to buy it?

I mean come on, if all I need to do is spend a lousy mil a year on first class flights - that million will buy me access to some very important people. Once you're in their "club" it's easy to quickly expand your circle of influential friends...

So the question again...how much do I need to spend Qantas?

 

[NYCguy]

As a businessman I look at it the other way, can I afford NOT to buy it?

I mean come on, if all I need to do is spend a lousy mil a year on first class flights - that million will buy me access to some very important people. Once you're in their "club" it's easy to quickly expand your circle of influential friends...

So the question again...how much do I need to spend Qantas?

The movers and shakers fly in private aircraft from private terminals, they don't schlep down to a public terminal to hang-out in lounges where they might have the opportunity to network with the Member for Mundingburra or have a mineral water with a retired Olympian.

Methinks some horizons might need a little broadening.

Anyhoo, to answer the question at hand, I suggest that you take twelve months of leave and then start flying from SYD to JFK and back in F on a weekly basis, and see how much you spend before a Qantas lackey turns up at the front door with your CL card. Then you can let us all know, and this interminable conjecture can finally be put to bed for once and for all.

 

[drron]

Well they fortunately dont let all celebs into the CL.Mrsdrron tells me Bert Newton sat next to her in the MEL QP this afternoon-she thought it was 20 to 1 on that it was him.

 

[NYCguy]

Well they fortunately dont let all celebs into the CL.Mrsdrron tells me Bert Newton sat next to her in the MEL QP this afternoon-she thought it was 20 to 1 on that it was him.

Ka-boom, tish!