Dob in a dragon!

[TomVexille]

Which site did you take that screen shot from boomy?

http://www.staralliance.com/en/benefits/status-benefits/lounge-access-policy/

 

[get me outta here]

Would a redemption be a "revenue' customer?

 

[TomVexille]

Would a redemption be a "revenue' customer?

Yes. Non-rev is things like staff travel.

 

[boomy]

Well they don't have to if they are at capacity, however that should really be the only legitimate reason.

I would say it's more likely they may use it as an excuse when the lounge is 70-80% full to leave enough space for SQ customers, therefore you should always insist to go in and see with your own eyes if it's really full.

 

[juddles]

Actually I would say it would be a very difficult job. ..... I would not say it's an easy job.

I agree - have witnessed the constant attempts by people to get in half a dozen guests, etc etc etc. My post was not clear - what I consider an easy job is the TRAINING of the staff on basic eligibility such as person flying on airline X can Access lounge Y.

Yes, there are a plethora of credit cards, etc with varying eligibility. But a simple and quick database for staff to query should be provided.

 

[rioter]

I agree - have witnessed the constant attempts by people to get in half a dozen guests, etc etc etc. My post was not clear - what I consider an easy job is the TRAINING of the staff on basic eligibility such as person flying on airline X can Access lounge Y.

Yes, there are a plethora of credit cards, etc with varying eligibility. But a simple and quick database for staff to query should be provided.

Even then its not easy. Delta lounges in the US has this. I fronted with a velocity platinum card, turns out when you search for velocity it doesn't show up. You have to search for virgin Australia. This took them a while to figure out.

 

[juddles]

Even then its not easy. Delta lounges in the US has this. I fronted with a velocity platinum card, turns out when you search for velocity it doesn't show up. You have to search for virgin Australia. This took them a while to figure out.

That is the fault of the company, not the lounge staff. That database is simply rubbish if a search for ¨velocity¨ doesnt bring up Virgin.

The reason I started this thread wasnt to bicker about how hard the job of running a lounge is - it was about what actually happens in real life that just makes the process painful, when it should actually be a benefit of frequent flyer ¨status¨.

In my experience many of the negative interactions and problems should have been avoided by basic training of staff. Airlines actively supporting their staff with training so that they do not create unnecessary pain.

 

[juddles]

..... unnecessary pain.....

An example of a situation that most likely most of us have experienced (or something of a similar nature):

Today I did a flight within Colombia, Cartagena to Bogota. I flew LAN, which only has economy seating domestically. The way they run their seating is that the first couple of rows are reserved for One World Emerald customers. Usually doing the online checkin I can get a seat in row 1. But due to some unknown glitch it didnt let me checkin online for this segment. So when I arrived at the airport I went to the preferential lane to do checkin. The young lady took my ID and I asked her for a seat in row 1. I had included my QFF number in the booking previously. She replied that she could offer me row 6. I repeated that I wanted row 1. She said that those seats were only available if I had paid a surcharge for Premium seating. (LAN sells these seats also for an additional charge). I explained that as a One World emerald those seats were available to me free of charge. She became very short and hostile and said that the ¨system¨ did not have my details. I showed her my previous boarding pass for the same day with frequent flyer included, part of the same itinerary. She said that she could not see anything on it. I had to physically point to the frequent flyer field on the old boarding pass for her to acknowledge that it was clearly there, saying ¨Emerald¨. She eventually agreed that I could be in row 1. (As it transpired there were no other travellers in that row)

Point of this story? I am not a DYKWIA sort of person. Today I was just quietly meek and mild and eventually got what I was entitled to. I have done a zillion flights to earn my QFF WP, One World Emerald status. And getting a choice of best seats on the LAN flight is a very straightforward benefit of my status. But in the actual delivery of this benefit the staff member made it a struggle and a battle. Which took away all the enjoyment of that same benefit. Today was just a seating matter, but lounge entrace is the same. I know that there are many people who try to abuse the system and get what they are NOT entitled to. But if you are actually ¨entitled¨to get in, it should be a pleasant experience, not a battle.

 

[quick_dry]

How about non-lounge dragons that are consistently dragon-ish?

I don't have a dragon as such, but AKL does have a certain pedantic person on the priority check-in desks that makes me want to rant whenever I get him. I haven't had too many lounge dragon battles, a bit vexed when I couldn't get in to Priority Pass lounge as I couldn't find my card and they couldn't enter the numbers manually - but perhaps they can't actually key it in.

 

[pauly7]

VA (or their contractors?) have some wonderful dragons staffing their check in. Have had free attitude from them a few times, over baggage allowances.

 

[dajop]

Sorry, I can't resist with all this discussion about training, perhaps we can all can (or the airlines can) learn a thing or two from my younger nieces and nephews with the help of Dreamworks...........

 

[Kangol]

I've had a dragon at BNE dom J be somewhat stern with me when asking to change my QFF WP to my AA PLT on the way out.. because AA PLT is only OWS and doesn't allow me into the J side, only the QP, and I'm "not supposed to double dip", sigh
Next time I'll go to the QP side to get it done.. never had a problem doing it in the MEL QP service desk (don't think I've ever asked to change in the MEL J lounge mind you).

Had a similar thing at LHR T3 Galleries F on the way in (BP said AA PLT OWS). I asked if she could change it to QFF WP, then back to AA there and then and allow me entry. She said no. I asked if I could go in with the QFF WP, then change it back on the way out and she said yes (wtf?).

OT - does anyone have a link to a TR for the SYD SIN F lounge? I am flying TG J SYD-BKK then connecting to TG F BKK-FRA so I don't think I will have access in SYD F lounge

Customer must be departing from the local airport in International First Class

Lounge Access Policy - Star Alliance

 

[JohnK]

I would have thought lounge access rules are not that complex for properly trained lounge staff.

And yes I know there are complex situations but if a customer can prove they are entitled to access then they should not be turned away.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I've had a dragon at BNE dom J be somewhat stern with me when asking to change my QFF WP to my AA PLT on the way out.. because AA PLT is only OWS and doesn't allow me into the J side, only the QP, and I'm "not supposed to double dip", sigh

Next time I'll go to the QP side to get it done.. never had a problem doing it in the MEL QP service desk (don't think I've ever asked to change in the MEL J lounge mind you).

I just don't get why staff think it's 'double dipping' just because you're crediting the flight to a program other than one that gives you J Lounge access.

You have earned the right to enter the J Lounge end of story.

Altea is capable of accepting more than one service element for a ffn ie FQTS for 'service' eg for a QF ffn to appear on the flight manifest & FQTV for 'accrual' if crediting QF flight to the AA program.

 

[juddles]

I just don't get why staff think it's 'double dipping' just because you're crediting the flight to a program other than one that gives you J Lounge access.

You have earned the right to enter the J Lounge end of story.

Altea is capable of accepting more than one service element for a ffn ie FQTS for 'service' eg for a QF ffn to appear on the flight manifest & FQTV for 'accrual' if crediting QF flight to the AA program.

This is an interesting área - I don´t quite understand the technical speak about Altea, but how does the cost of lounge access get charged between airlines? If I access a Qantas lounge using a non-QF ffn, does Qantas bill my ff program for the visit?

 

[dajop]

Interesting (or not) thread over on FT about someone flying BA Y+ trying to access QF SIN lounge and being denied entry because their BA number was on the Boarding Pass not their CX oneworld Sapphire number which they only showed their membership card for. The usual suspects have declared that QF lounge dragon was right (as they always seem to be on FT) because of the positioning of the comma in the sentence on the one world website qualifying access rules.

 

[juddles]

The Oneworld site says in relation to access to lounges due to OW status:

¨You must be prepared to show your boarding pass and frequent flyer membership card, with oneworld Emerald or Sapphire tier status, to access a lounge.¨

Only a genius or God could determine whether that should be interpreted as the tier status needing to be ON the boarding pass. I am not a genius but I would believe that it is exactly that - a court would rule that the tier status has to be on both.

 

[Kangol]

Interesting (or not) thread over on FT about someone flying BA Y+ trying to access QF SIN lounge and being denied entry because their BA number was on the Boarding Pass not their CX oneworld Sapphire number which they only showed their membership card for. The usual suspects have declared that QF lounge dragon was right (as they always seem to be on FT) because of the positioning of the comma in the sentence on the one world website qualifying access rules.

What some dragons may not realise is that some people may want to use one status for entry and another for crediting miles which is not disallowed under oneworld rules - in that example, a quick change of FF # (and subsequent change back) would be all that is needed. Haven't seen the thread, but if the OP didn't ask to change the numbers there and then, they only have themselves to blame.

Once I was at SYD F lounge with my AA number (non OWE) on my BP but the attendant wanted my QFF WP card for entry purposes (I understand it is to determine who to "charge" the entry to) and "got it" that I was crediting my miles to AA.

 

[Kangol]

I just don't get why staff think it's 'double dipping' just because you're crediting the flight to a program other than one that gives you J Lounge access.

You have earned the right to enter the J Lounge end of story.

Altea is capable of accepting more than one service element for a ffn ie FQTS for 'service' eg for a QF ffn to appear on the flight manifest & FQTV for 'accrual' if crediting QF flight to the AA program.

After speaking to more and more agents about this (FQTS/FQTV), I'm convinced that either most agents have no understanding about the basic operations of their system, or they are not capable of developing an understanding. I have never come across someone (either in reservations, lounges, check-in etc) who had any idea about this.

 

[Groundfeeder]

On the contrary, I've never experienced a QF "dragon" and my last SIN-BNE flight with QF I was able to bring Mrs G, sister & BIL (non QF FFs) into the lounge. Perhaps they were a little softer on me as my PE points upgrade was unsuccessful.