Interesting Lounge Access Experience

[Ontime]

I recently travelled from Sydney to Melbourne on Jetstar with 5 friends. Using my status matched Virgin Platinum membership I was warmly welcomed into the Sydney T2 lounge with 3 guests. Left them there and proceeded to T2 Qantas club with the other 2 in my party. Mrs Grumpy was on the desk and demanded boarding passes from my guests. As it turned out their partners had kept their passes. I asked why I was not allowed two guests as a Plat and was told "Not at this lounge".

As we were at an impasse I suggested she look them up in the system. This she did and then let us in with a scowl on her face. The only reason I could see for this was that the lounge was busy and it did take around 5 minutes for a seat to become available. There was room until this time on bar stools in the corner. Within 10 minutes there was ample room.

If she had said it was a space constraint problem and not had so much attitude I would have understood. Interestingly on the flight the attendants in my part of the cabin had this very good system for turning their personality on and off. It was bubbly and happy when they spoke to each other and stern and harsh when they spoke to customers.

 

[flyingfan]

In the ongoing variance between lounge angels and lounge dragons it seems you got the latter this time. An (only slightly better) approach would have been for them to say "I'm afraid we're at capacity madam/sir, we're not able to let guests in at the moment but if the lounge quietens down a bit later you may bring them in." This would have still been rather embarrassing for you, but much less dishonest than how she phrased it.

I haven't seen the Qantas Club that busy myself but definitely the business lounge, sometimes that isn't worth going into on a Friday afternoon.

 

[touki]

I went in to the T2 lounge the other day with my grandad who was flying jetstar. Even though I wasn't travelling that day they let me in (QA,WP) which was nice.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

 

[munitalP]

In the ongoing variance between lounge angels and lounge dragons it seems you got the latter this time. An (only slightly better) approach would have been for them to say "I'm afraid we're at capacity madam/sir, we're not able to let guests in at the moment but if the lounge quietens down a bit later you may bring them in." This would have still been rather embarrassing for you, but much less dishonest than how she phrased it.

I haven't seen the Qantas Club that busy myself but definitely the business lounge, sometimes that isn't worth going into on a Friday afternoon.

I have seen the T2 QP quite busy especially in the morning with the regional flights departing all within a short period of each other then additionally add in a few JQ flights. I would also agree that the lounge sweethearts are hot and cold - there are a couple who are beyond great, and a couple a few strokes over par, but all in all, I guess it pretty much levels out. I have worse service from Hungry Jacks or Subway than I do at QPs or Lounges, so I wont complain.

As for the QP J lounge on Friday afternoons, I have pretty much been in that lounge every Friday afternoon for the last 12 months (not to mention all the countless other times there) and I have been lucky never to strike the lounge as "...but definitely the business lounge, sometimes that isn't worth going into on a Friday afternoon." I have really only sampled the times between 230pm and up till 6ish, so maybe it's the "after 6 crowd" who crowd the lounge as is being referred to by eastflyer. I would say that my experiences in The Lounge have been more crowded in general, but still not enough for me not to go into! If you are a FB friend, you would see that most Fridays I include a photo of the apron area with a Crown Lager in picture sitting on the window sill (and a corny catch phrase "how did that get there!") - I always manage to get a window seat. Maybe I'm just lucky?

 

[flyingfan]

Maybe I'm just lucky?

I think you are, and I'm not

Having said that though, my sample size is much smaller than yours, and in my most recent visits there crowding hasn't been a problem. And I can get a window seat (although very glary there though)

 

[amaroo]

I've been a big user of T2 QP due to 4 years of weekly commuting from MCY......always found the staff to be welcoming, happy & service driven.

The place can get very busy in the afternoons however, this is no excuse for the attitude given to the OP.

 

[flyingfan]

Whoops!! I misread the OP - thought they meant MEL, not SYD
How embarassment

The SYD business lounge has always had plenty of seating all around whenever I've been there.