Inconsistent OWE treatment

[straitman]

Yes. This lounge by class of service. They will scan your BP at the foot of the escalator.

To get a drink you'll have to go to one of the eating areas. For a shower, go to the FAR back left, beyond the left restaurant ( as you enter). The showers opposite the entrance usually have a wait. This will make sense when you get there.

Plan your time and route to your connection as soon as you enter the lounge, so as not to get too comfortable.

Thanks RooFlyer.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Yes. This lounge by class of service. They will scan your BP at the foot of the escalator.

To get a drink you'll have to go to one of the eating areas. For a shower, go to the FAR back left, beyond the left restaurant ( as you enter). The showers opposite the entrance usually have a wait. This will make sense when you get there.

Plan your time and route to your connection as soon as you enter the lounge, so as not to get too comfortable.

Very accurate advice here. I recently did Qsuite from AKL and could've done with this coming off a bus gate after 18hrs trying to find showers was like trying to solve a rubix cube. For me QR hard product is great but I much prefer DXB as a transit airport. Would only do EK in Y not QR for this reason.

 

[Deleted member]

Flying as OWE with QR was an inconsistent joke. Flew economy this time (personal trip for wedding). ADL-DOH-ESB.

ADL-DOH seats next to me pre-blocked off which was nice as flight almost full. No personal greeting or taking order first.

DOH-ESB flight virtually empty, tried to sell me an upgrade at a ridiculous price, declined. Personal greeting and meal choice, but not hard given flight was almost a ghost plane. Ditto for ESB-DOH

DOH-ADL (this is where it gets really interesting). Ask about having seats blocked off, apparently someone had selected the seats next to me... okay, is the plane full/ can you change my seat? Person in Ankara useless.

"First" lounge in DOH a laughable joke (did not even have cold drinks as no fridges in the lounge, WTF???). Asked for cold water and was bordering on the absurd to watch someone have to run to location-unknown to bring me such an incredible bespoke luxury for a first lounge.

Tried to ask about seat selections, no help whatsoever again. Get on plane, low and behold sitting next to father and sick four year old. Plane not nearly full, a number of other people have two empty seats, lots of empty singles. No greeting. Complain to the FA (at this point tired and losing patience so a bit of sarcasm), asked him if the Y cabin was full of OWE that I ended up with such a fantastic seating position? Apparently I was one of the only ones, so lucky me.

Overall poor experience compared to other OW options (Cathay, Qantas etc.). Only flew them Y due to great connection time to ESB from ADL, would never fly them below J again.

“Flew Y this time” ! Does that mean you have flown J or F with them before? If so what was that experience like?

“Low” and behold, at first I thought that’s a spelling error, but then I thought maybe it was just a “low” experience (lol)

Your TR doesn’t fill me with hope of a good experience on Qatar, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Jack_OC]

I think the only exception to ‘first class lounge = first class pax’ is oneworld? Star and Skyteam, pretty much don’t have bulk access to F lounges.

Of course SQ go a step further at Changi. Even flying F with another *A airline doesn't get you into the *real* F lounge (The Private Room) - access is restricted solely to people flying F with SQ.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Of course SQ go a step further at Changi. Even flying F with another *A airline doesn't get you into the *real* F lounge (The Private Room) - access is restricted solely to people flying F with SQ.

I believe that is exactly what QR do with their "real" business and first lounges in Doha.
And also BA with the Concorde Room in London.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I believe that is exactly what QR do with their "real" business and first lounges in Doha.
And also BA with the Concorde Room in London.

Its diluting the OW badge. We'll do the bare minimum required for OW membership but continue to treat our own passengers elegantly. Which is fine, that's each airline prerogative. But at some point either OW will let it continue, get called out for being a farce and therefore lose credibility and value, or OW will have to clamp down on it - but I don't see how this second option is feasible.

 

[Jack_OC]

I believe that is exactly what QR do with their "real" business and first lounges in Doha.
And also BA with the Concorde Room in London.

Similar but not exactly the same. Qatar gives access to its own Platinum members (flying in J) and I believe BA gives access to GGLs (flying in any cabin).

The Private Room is for those travelling in SQ F only. There is no access based on any kind of status, nor based on flying F with a partner.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Of course SQ go a step further at Changi. Even flying F with another *A airline doesn't get you into the *real* F lounge (The Private Room) - access is restricted solely to people flying F with SQ.

That was my point... Oneworld gives anyone with status access to their F lounges... which can be quite inexpensive to achieve (double status credits for example). Star Alliance and Skyteam are much more restrictive. Lufthansa Group comes to mind alongside SQ... the LX and LH F lounges require an F boarding pass on LH group only, or HON status (which is a high bar, nothing compared to achieving OWE).