Lounge access with children

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crdtez

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The latest Qantas changes to lounge access prompted me to look at the eligibility for children / family access to lounges.

On the Qantas web site there is now a very detailed table listing the lounge access options / restrictions for children visiting the various lounges. The most obvious thing that this table shows is that it now seems that it impossible for a family of four to visit an international non-Qantas lounge

While this does not worry me with my normal business travel I am really annoyed if this going to be the case for my occasional family holiday as this is the one time I actually get to share some of perks with the family.

Can anyone comment if these restrictions are new and how rigorously they are enforced.

As a long time Platinum member I will not be happy if on my once every three year + international holiday I get told that one or both of my children are not allowed entry !!

I am trying my best to not join the Qantas sledging bandwagon , but is becoming harder and harder with this sort of stuff happening !
 
I don't think they are new.

Last November, I was leaving SYD on a MH Y ticket, with wife + 2 young children. Was told at the QF F lounge, that had I been on a QF ticket, no problem, but as I was entering as a OWE status, technically I'm only allowed one guest. So I imagine the non-!F lounge access is actually a OW ruling, not QF specifically.
 
That's interesting. I usually take the family on QF award tickets so I have never struck this at the SYD first lounge.

Out of interest did you try to get access to the SYD QF business lounge when refused at the F lounge ? How did you go with lounge access outside Australia ?
 
That's interesting. I usually take the family on QF award tickets so I have never struck this at the SYD first lounge.

Out of interest did you try to get access to the SYD QF business lounge when refused at the F lounge ? How did you go with lounge access outside Australia ?

As it was quite late, they did let me in (kids were 1 and 4 so hardly going to be big consumers), but it was made mention to remind me for next time.

Had no problems in the MH lounges in KUL, also had no issues in the CX lounge in KUL and in the Airport lounge in BLR, it really was just QF making a fuss in SYD.
 
Family of 6 here, I'm a QP, my wife is no status, and 4 young kids (also all no status). Had no problem entering the JLounge in SYD or LAX with all of us back in May. IMHO they tend to be pretty good with larger families and lounge access, you might get a dragon who feels the need to "remind you of the rules" but we have yet to be turned away as 2 adults + lots of kids.

FLounge might be a bit more strict, but again I've seen families in there multiple times, so unless both parents where WP's and / or so where the kids I suspect there is the rules, and there is "the rules"...

Of course, all rules are subject to how you kids actually behave once in the lounge.

However if I can make a suggestion, depending on the ages of your kids (so I'd say if you have any which are younger than 10), even with FLounge access, you may want to head downstairs to the JLounge in SYD. Downstairs they have a pretty good kids area with toy's / computers and a TV showing kids movies, can really reduce the stress of waiting.
 
Good to hear that all carriers were flexible enough to let you in. I am sure you both appreciated it with a 1 and 4 year old !
 
Thanks for the feedback Harvyk. This good to hear as our next trip is planned for the US and I do not fancy spending too much time at the gate lounges.


Every time I take my kids to the SYD F lounge I make sure I put the fear of god into them about being well behaved. I would hate to get the tap on the shoulder if they were playing up !

The J Lounge sounds like a good option for the kids. It has been quite a while since I have been there so it would be worth a look. I just think I would struggle to give up the F lounge food and service.
 
Thanks for the feedback Harvyk. This good to hear as our next trip is planned for the US and I do not fancy spending too much time at the gate lounges.


Every time I take my kids to the SYD F lounge I make sure I put the fear of god into them about being well behaved. I would hate to get the tap on the shoulder if they were playing up !

The J Lounge sounds like a good option for the kids. It has been quite a while since I have been there so it would be worth a look. I just think I would struggle to give up the F lounge food and service.

There is nothing which says that you can't first go to the FLounge for some breakfast at the resturant and then go downstairs afterwards to take the kids to the kids area. It's an ideal area for 1 and 4 year old's (mine are 6, 4, 4 and 2) since it has quite a few toddler toys, plus the TV on the wall had "Frozen" going on repeat. There is a bit of a wall separating the kids area from the rest of the lounge, so you don't really need to worry about too much noise. Put it this way, my kids are not what you'd call quiet, and yet I couldn't hear them over the ambient noise of the lounge once outside the kids area.
 
There is nothing which says that you can't first go to the FLounge for some breakfast at the resturant and then go downstairs afterwards to take the kids to the kids area. It's an ideal area for 1 and 4 year old's (mine are 6, 4, 4 and 2) since it has quite a few toddler toys, plus the TV on the wall had "Frozen" going on repeat. There is a bit of a wall separating the kids area from the rest of the lounge, so you don't really need to worry about too much noise. Put it this way, my kids are not what you'd call quiet, and yet I couldn't hear them over the ambient noise of the lounge once outside the kids area.

Please don't tell me Frozen was playing on the TV (if I hear that song one more time I will go mad !). Also ,if that is on the TV I would never get my daughter on the plane !!

I will definitely check it out next time we are there
 
I am trying my best to not join the Qantas sledging bandwagon , but is becoming harder and harder with this sort of stuff happening !

As you said the restrictions are in non-Qantas lounges. Maybe the issue here isn't Qantas but the airlines that own these non-Qantas lounges, who BTW for the most part apply these same restrictions to their own membrs.

So maybe be grateful that if it is a Qantas lounge Qantas allows your family (and mine too for that matter).
 
Family of 6 here, I'm a QP, my wife is no status, and 4 young kids (also all no status). Had no problem entering the JLounge in SYD or LAX with all of us back in May. IMHO they tend to be pretty good with larger families and lounge access, you might get a dragon who feels the need to "remind you of the rules" but we have yet to be turned away as 2 adults + lots of kids.

They are Qantas lounges, so never really much issues. The OP was asking about NON Qantas lounges.
 
Please don't tell me Frozen was playing on the TV (if I hear that song one more time I will go mad !).
Oh yeah, I'm totally over Frozen too. I have banned it for a week just to get a break. My suggestion crdtez is that you (sung) "Let it go, let it go..."
 
QF, CX are brilliant with family access...BA is disgraceful, AA is hit and miss. No experience with the rest of OW for family travel.
 
As it was quite late, they did let me in (kids were 1 and 4 so hardly going to be big consumers), but it was made mention to remind me for next time.

Had no problems in the MH lounges in KUL, also had no issues in the CX lounge in KUL and in the Airport lounge in BLR, it really was just QF making a fuss in SYD.

As they are wont to do !
 
QF, CX are brilliant with family access...BA is disgraceful, AA is hit and miss. No experience with the rest of OW for family travel.

In the 90's BA actually had a rule that banned children from their business lounges.

FWIW the list referred to in the OP has been around for a couple of years.
 
QF, CX are brilliant with family access...BA is disgraceful, AA is hit and miss. No experience with the rest of OW for family travel.

On my last trip through HKG with the three girls in Jan the lounge attendant at The Wing took our 4 BP and advised that she would need to ring a supervisor to get approval.
After waiting at the desk for a few minutes we were allowed in.
Would probably have been a bit of a moot point anyway as we would all have had access to The Wing J based on COS.
 
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Been taking my kids into the SYD Flounge since 2007. Qantas treat families including OW families very well. Pity BA doesn't reciprocate!

Thanks Amaroo. It sounds like it is luck of the draw with non-Qantas lounges.

I actually sent an inquiry of to Qantas customer service about this and they basically confirmed it is up to the local lounge staff if it is a non-Qantas lounge. This does get me a bit peeved as Qantas welcomes all OW partner families as if they are Qantas but this is not reciprocated.

It will just be suck it and see is suppose.
 
I have just returned from a trip which indicates the different attitudes.
My wife and I flew F and 3 children in economy ( kids with no status).
Sydney F lounge, no problems - straight in.
Dubai F lounge - eventually let all 3 kids in, but indicated that only 2 kids would usually be entitled to join parents.
London F lounge (Galleries) - only permitted 2 of 3 into lounge. They were actually rude and specifically stated " and don't think you can take 2 children in now and later come out and bring the third one in!" Very disappointing and upsetting for entire family - we had to split into 2 groups.
 
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