Lounge access on arrival for Platinums

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Danger

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Jun 19, 2006
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I think it’s well accepted that since the removal of anytime access, Qantas Platinums have been able to access domestic Qantas lounges on arrival. According to the QF website, however, it also applies internationally. This FAQ on the QF website reads:

Question
If I am a Platinum Frequent Flyer am I able to use The Qantas Club or International Business Lounge on arrival (if available)?
Answer
Yes. As long as you have a boarding pass for a flight that day or have travelled that day with a Qantas, Jetstar Airline (JQ, 3K or VF) or a oneworld® alliance flight number you may access the lounge.​

I’d always thought that the benefit was very limited internationally because of the separation of arriving and departing passengers. Singapore and, I think, Bangkok are the only two that I can think of where Qantas has lounges that can be accessed prior to arrival procedures. So I thought I’d be fine in Singapore. But apparently not.

Last Friday I arrived off what will be my last ever QF77 PER-SIN. After cruising the shops for an hour or so I proceeded to the Qantas lounge where I was politely told I wasn’t entitled to entry; I needed a boarding pass for onward travel. I showed the lovely lounge agent the above and she was a little confused but stood her ground. She asked her colleague who said ‘it doesn’t apply off-shore’ to which I said ‘it doesn’t say that’.

I was granted access while the duty station manager was called. Twenty or so minutes another lovely lady (I’ll call her Jo) approached with a printout of some QF website pages. But she, too, stood her ground. That FAQ didn’t apply because it says “if available”. To her reasoning, “if available” meant if the particular lounge chooses to offer that particular benefit and clearly this lounge did not. Jo went on to add that this was “The Qantas Singapore Lounge” and wasn’t an international business lounge. Jo said that she knows there are some lounges where this benefit does apply. When I asked where she said ‘Sydney and Melbourne’ so I went to the respective page for each and pointed out to her that according to the information there, the benefit doesn’t apply either. Jo then took the line that it’s a website and it can’t possibly have all the answers to all the questions but if I had phoned the lounge in advance I would have been told that I wasn’t allowed access. So FAQs and the Qantas website with more footnotes that a public disclosure statement aren’t enough; passengers need to phone. And can you imagine when you’re told something that contradicts what’s on the website and act according to it?

I thanked Jo and insisted I leave. She was adamant that I stay, saying the lounge manager had made an exception and I was welcome to remain but I was angry and thought it best to go.

As another member noted elsewhere, not one of the individual lounge pages listed here includes the arrivals access benefit for Platinums. Every page always says you require an onward boarding pass. And interestingly, neither the Singapore nor Hong Kong lounges appear on the main page, suggesting that, for this and maybe everything else, those lounges write their own rules.

I was very disappointed. Here I was thinking that this was one of those ‘special’ benefits that I could take advantage of. Like requesting an award seat be made available. But no. I’ve pointed out in other threads, many times, that so many different parts of the Qantas website are either ambiguous or contradict each other. And I've also bemoaned the loss of Platinum benefits over the last few years. Essentially, it seems international lounge access on arrival is not a benefit. Anywhere. Despite what the Qantas website may have you believe.
 
My first reaction to this is that I'm keen to hear from Red Roo on this matter as it sounds to me that the SIN lounge crew did not know the rules as well as you but were more worried about saving face than actually sorting out the problem.
 
'if available' refers solely to whether or not you have access to the lounge. For international at SIN you do... at other airports no (BKK has separated arrivals and departures as does Australia and HKG, so you'd need a boarding pass to enter).

By Jo's reasoning... if that was a Qantas Singapore Lounge and not a business class lounge then no other oneworlds would be able to access, even on departure?
 
I'd be inclined to think that the FAQ is just wrong, and hasn't been updated. Of all the descriptions of access policies, it is the only one that says it is available.
 
Happened to me a couple of years ago, but on a domestic flight. Its when they had the disputes. They blamed it on the weather though. It was in Perth as well. I arrived on an earlier flight. I was due out of Perth the same day however all planes were cancelled out of Perth for that day. Qantas planes only, Virgin etc were able to depart. I went to the lounge so I could weigh up my options showed them my plat card, but they refused me entry. Asked the stupid employee there why? she said because I'm not departing. Showed her my boarding pass from earlier that day but she said it didn't count. Trouble is Qantas employs some real idiots that have no idea of what is allowed and what is not. Thankfully someone with intelligence intervened.
 
What's the saying? "The only thing consistent about Qantas is its inconsistency"?

So my reaction to Danger's post is "Typical".

I wonder if you would care to make a complaint to QF, asking for specific clarification of the 'Arrival access in SIN' policy, and asking that the policy be clarified on the web site, and then share the response with us?
 
Happened to me a couple of years ago, but on a domestic flight. Its when they had the disputes. They blamed it on the weather though. It was in Perth as well. I arrived on an earlier flight. I was due out of Perth the same day however all planes were cancelled out of Perth for that day. Qantas planes only, Virgin etc were able to depart. I went to the lounge so I could weigh up my options showed them my plat card, but they refused me entry. Asked the stupid employee there why? she said because I'm not departing. Showed her my boarding pass from earlier that day but she said it didn't count. Trouble is Qantas employs some real idiots that have no idea of what is allowed and what is not. Thankfully someone with intelligence intervened.

Was it due to the lounge already being full? They can turn anyone around for that reason.
 
I've been knocked back at SIN too, a year and a half ago, so this situation is nothing new. I was on an arriving QF flight with my next flight on 3K - the next day but well within 24 hours (that didn't allow lounge access either because at SIN onward connections have to be "same day" I was told).

An "exception" was made for me too, but at the lounge entrance. The lounge at that time was nearly empty.
 
I wonder if you would care to make a complaint to QF, asking for specific clarification of the 'Arrival access in SIN' policy, and asking that the policy be clarified on the web site, and then share the response with us?

It might be worthwhile pointing out that the issue is now "live" on the AFF site and that any response will be posted "in full on the site to assist QF in getting the message out". That might avoid the stock standard "sorry you were inconvenienced" reply that does not address the issue raised.
 
It might be worthwhile pointing out that the issue is now "live" on the AFF site and that any response will be posted "in full on the site to assist QF in getting the message out". That might avoid the stock standard "sorry you were inconvenienced" reply that does not address the issue raised.

if it gets replied to... some of the meatier issues are apparently ignored.
 
Given an initial "not departing" reason, the option to use that reason had likely passed.

That's fair. Although it may have been the "real" reason since it was stated that all QF flights were cancelled and the lounge agent basically pulled any reason out of her butt to deny access.
 
Was it due to the lounge already being full? They can turn anyone around for that reason.

I could understand if that was the case, and If that was their explanation. When I was finally let in by someone reasonable I was able to get a seat without much of a problem

As a side note, I witnessed planes sitting on the tarmac, after landing for up to 7 hours with passengers because ground staff wouldn't work because of supposedly lightning. However other carriers landed and took off without a problem. Some planes actually ran out of juice and had to be towed from the tarmac. The whole day was a disgrace as far as Qantas was concerned. I ended up on a 2am flight I think I cant remember the exact time to Sydney via Melbourne in the end.
 
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I could understand if that was the case, and If that was their explanation. When I was finally let in by someone reasonable I was able to get a seat without much of a problem

Okay. It was a genuine question as it wouldn't be unreasonable for the lounge to be quite full since there weren't any flights departing. However as you said the lounge wasn't full it's a case of poor training/self important staff.
 
It might be worthwhile pointing out that the issue is now "live" on the AFF site and that any response will be posted "in full on the site to assist QF in getting the message out". That might avoid the stock standard "sorry you were inconvenienced" reply that does not address the issue raised.
The reality is that with the loss of any time access for WP, QF modified their planned change and arrivals access was allowed. This was later changed to be at domestic ports only.

You can read about it here: www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/qantas-frequent-flyer-program/platinum-anytime-lounge-access-ceases-25773-32.html#post402861
 
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According to the Platinum benefits as stated on the QF website you are only entitled to entry to Domestic Lounges after a flight, not international.

These are the conditions stated for entry to the Singapore International lounge for Platinum Members. No mention of any post flight access.


Platinum Frequent FlyerNext onward flight must be on a Qantas^, Emirates^, Jetstar Airlines+ or oneworld flight number.#
One guest allowed and must be travelling with the member on the same flight.
 
This also from the QF site.

Important information:

* You must be over 18 years of age to access any lounge if not accompanied by an adult.
^ To access Qantas Domestic lounges, Platinum Members must be travelling on any flight the same day that shows Qantas (QF), a Jetstar Airline (Jetstar (JQ), Jetstar Asia (3K) or Valuair (VF) or a oneworld® flight number on your ticket. To access Qantas International lounges, a Platinum Member's next onward flight that day must show a Qantas (QF), a Jetstar Airline (Jetstar (JQ), Jetstar Asia (3K), Valuair (VF) or a oneworld® flight number on your ticket. Other lounge access conditions apply. See Qantas Club Terms and Conditions.
 
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