Complimentary Lounge Invitations - Flying with Children

[MEL_Traveller]

Assuming you have no status or QC membership, you will need 4 passes.

The complimentary lounge invitations don't include any guesting privileges.

I’m guessing the 6 month old won’t need a pass!

 

[sudoer]

I’m guessing the 6 month old won’t need a pass!

I'm not sure that's a safe assumption to make.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/at-the-airport/airport-lounges/lounge-passes.html

 

[serfty]

Happy New Year gents! I am taking the family (6 month old, 3 year old, wife and myself) to Sydney from Melbourne before our Disney cruise. Did I need to blow 3 x Qantas complimentary passes for one way? I was originally going to select just my wife and I but then I saw my 3 year old as a selected passenger which makes me think perhaps toddlers aren’t allowed in for free under a complimentary lounge pass. Thanks in advance

Check previous posts in this thread - the official answer is that you need 4 passes.

There are anecdotes that sometimes the lounge agents make exceptions/errors such as allowing a baby/young child entry without a pass but this can not be relied upon.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm not sure that's a safe assumption to make.

View attachment 488846

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/at-the-airport/airport-lounges/lounge-passes.html

Yes, but two observations… the OP isn't given the choice to link a pass for the 6 month old, and technically that person would be an ‘infant’ rather than child/children?

 

[sudoer]

technically that person would be an ‘infant’ rather than child/children?

Qantas still refers to 0 to 3 year olds as 'children' in the QC access guide (for fully fledged members)

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/at-the-airport/airport-lounges/qantas-lounge-access-eligibility.html?wcmmode=disabled#child-access

OP isn't given the choice to link a pass for the 6 month old

Can't explain that - would need a call to QFF. But by the book, they need 4 passes.

 

[serfty]

Yes, but two observations… the OP isn't given the choice to link a pass for the 6 month old, and technically that person would be an ‘infant’ rather than child/children?

Seems the 3YO came up auto selected but, by omission, perhaps not for the infant (although @DeanCorp does not specifically state that).

I was originally going to select just my wife and I but then I saw my 3 year old as a selected passenger which makes me think perhaps toddlers aren’t allowed in for free under a complimentary lounge pass.

@DeanCorp, is the infant in your travelling party booked as an under 2YO, not occupying a seat?

 

[Silvia]

In theory they would need a pass but it’s a manual link through the phone. Anecdotally depending on the staff onsite they will allow you to get in sans the pass, but dependant on the staff

 

[DeanCorp]

Seems the 3YO came up auto selected but, by omission, perhaps not for the infant (although @DeanCorp does not specifically state that).@DeanCorp, is the infant in your travelling party booked as an under 2YO, not occupying a seat?

Yes that’s correct. Booked as an infant we only have been assigned 3 seats. There was no option to assign a pass to the 6 month old. Only the. 3 year old which I’ve done

 

[DeanCorp]

Surely they will let my 6 month old in. I have an ANZ FF Black, is it worth me asking them for complimentary Qantas Club membership

 

[MooTime]

Surely they will let my 6 month old in. I have an ANZ FF Black, is it worth me asking them for complimentary Qantas Club membership

2,000,000 plus QFF points, that's quite a decent stash.
Some enjoyment, comfort to be had from that quantity. Do enjoy in time.

 

[DeanCorp]

2,000,000 plus QFF points, that's quite a decent stash.
Some enjoyment, comfort to be had from that quantity. Do enjoy in time.

Thanks! I’ve already blown a lot on first class emirates Cathy flights over the years. Now with the young kids this is our first trip on a plane as a family. She’s 3.5 years old and only now experiencing flying. We plan to arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure since we plan to use the lounge and wife will need to feed the 6 month old before boarding. Do you think that’s reasonable time for a domestic flight?

 

[serfty]

Surely they will let my 6 month old in. I have an ANZ FF Black, is it worth me asking them for complimentary Qantas Club membership

If you were a Qantas Club member, you would not need any invitations as the two children under 18 have complimentary admittance and your wife would be your allowed guest . I note that particular credit card provides for discounted Qantas Club membership with no joining fee.

 

[MooTime]

Thanks! I’ve already blown a lot on first class emirates Cathy flights over the years. Now with the young kids this is our first trip on a plane as a family. She’s 3.5 years old and only now experiencing flying. We plan to arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure since we plan to use the lounge and wife will need to feed the 6 month old before boarding. Do you think that’s reasonable time for a domestic flight?

Yes we have 4 & 6yo and been thru the flying with babies recently and it's all fine, yes feeding time needs to be considered.
We too generally gave ourselves 2hours before take off as last 30mins is boarding. We always did lounge & our boys only know airport lounge flight. General terminal, nah thanks.
It's very different to flying as a couple, but enjoyable in a different manner.
You may get an eye roll from the odd superior human kind about your kids not behaving like an adult, but grain of salt.

Enjoy, young family on flights short part of life.

 

[sudoer]

I note that particular credit card provides for discounted Qantas Club membership with no joining fee.

It's also worth mentioning that a complimentary QC membership is a perk of Points Club Plus, which might be relatively easy for @DeanCorp to achieve given that QFF balance. Just keep in mind, if transferring from another program like Amex MR, to break each transaction into 125k chunks.

We plan to arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure since we plan to use the lounge and wife will need to feed the 6 month old before boarding. Do you think that’s reasonable time for a domestic flight?

Two hours is fine, but my advice would be to keep the 6 month old hungry until takeoff, if possible. If they are drinking or eating during ascent, their ears will naturally equalise and they'll be much more comfortable in flight. Similar strategy recommended for descent. Has worked well for our 21 month old who's just been on her 39th flight !

 

[Noah Count]

Two hours is fine, but my advice would be to keep the 6 month old hungry until takeoff, if possible. If they are drinking or eating during ascent, their ears will naturally equalise and they'll be much more comfortable in flight. Similar strategy recommended for descent. Has worked well for our 21 month old who's just been on her 39th flight !

Could not agree more with the strategy for infants take off and landing. Although our daughter is now a young adult she started flying with us when she was born and has most likely been to more places than kids of her age, some of her friends have never been on a flight. A bit of planning when travelling with infants and kids will keep you out of the media and the 'should kids be allowed in J and F discussions'. Been there and 18 years on never once did we receive a complaint or have crew come up and ask if they could assist.

 

[DeanCorp]

My carry on I ended up choosing 3 x suitcase as I was worried about the 23kg weight limit and figured more suitcases less hassle. We are going from Sydney on one of the last Disney Cruises to Tasmania and back.

 

[Rich]

View attachment 489253
My carry on I ended up choosing 3 x suitcase as I was worried about the 23kg weight limit and figured more suitcases less hassle. We are going from Sydney on one of the last Disney Cruises to Tasmania and back.

Enjoy. We've been on 2 Disney Cruises (out of Florida) and they did everything so well.

 

[DeanCorp]

So we finally arrived in Sydney.

We only needed passes for my wife and I and the 3 year old. She also asked to see the email showing our lounge passes. She had our boarding pass. I wonder what she needed that email for, literally looked at my phone for 5 seconds and let us through. Perhaps people use other people’s QR code for boarding and the email confirmation is a second layer of security?