new QF dress regulations - social media backlash

[amaroo]

I'm not a supporter of this policy. However, if they are moving towards enforcement - I'm very happy they're targeted all genders. Men are not the only type that wear open footwear.

 

[whatmeworry]

I guess the ladies could store ballet flats in their carry on.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They dont have a strap but they are still sandals, leather sole, strappy over the foot and certainly not $20.

I think it's ridiculous for an undefined policy to try and distinguish between thongs and sandals. There needs to be a valid reason to ban one but not the other... and this is where guidelines come in handy. Is it 'no open footwear' that is the issue, or 'we don't want cheap footwear' that is the issue? If it's 'cheap footwear' then how to they know?

(And since when has the cost of an item of clothing ever meant anything? A t-shirt costing $400 or $5 is still a t-shirt.)

 

[TomVexille]

I think it's ridiculous for an undefined policy to try and distinguish between thongs and sandals.

No rubber?

 

[ashleyn]

It is a bad policy. The terms used are subjective and mean different things to different people. QF has not clearly defined what they mean by "smart casual". What one person thinks is "well dressed" doesn't always match what another person thinks.

This also creates issues based on people's perceptions and opinions of what they think someone "should" be wearing. I could easily see someone being turned away for wearing a skirt or dress because the staff member assumes they are male.

I suspect this forum will never agree on this topic but surely, boardshorts, non matching singlet and thongs is not acceptable in most pubs after 6pm, sporting clubs, etc so should not be acceptable in airline lounges IMHO.

 

[Ansett]

I suspect this forum will never agree on this topic but surely, boardshorts, non matching singlet and thongs is not acceptable in most pubs after 6pm, sporting clubs, etc so should not be acceptable in airline lounges IMHO.

Fully agree however it needs to be applied across ALL Lounges not just some of them.

 

[amaroo]

I guess the ladies could store ballet flats in their carry on.

Careful ... do you want to see this in the lounge? minimal covered footwear

 

[PLANT]

No hoes or pro's get access... Simple

 

[turtlemichael]

I suspect this argument will go on for a long time as Qantas will not be able to establish and maintain a consistent standard across all staff "enforcers" and across all locations. In any case I am much more annoyed by bad behavior than whether somebody has a singlet or thongs on - feet, shod and unshod, on chairs and tables, rampaging children, loud phone conversations, drunken loutish behavior etc, all of which can be seen in most lounges on any day.

 

[turtlemichael]

Thongs probably won't help her when she has to exit an aircraft quickly...

If she wears her usual "on the job" uniform she'll have nothing to hold her back in an emergency.

 

[Isochronous]

This policy is long overdue and I hope that it is enforced zealously.

 

[Danger]

Qantas has gone overboard to cater to some toffee nosed suited up business people.

Not all people conducting business wear stuffy suits - believe me I don't unless absolutely necessary and then I often change out before flying out.

As far as I can tell Qantas has not said you must wear a suit. It's smart casual.

Whilst I agree with dress standards and adhere to them myself I wonder what would happen in this case.

My understanding is that it applies to main lounges such as MEL ADL SYD BNE PER but not say at OOL.

Now lets look at this situation a couple are flying from OOL to MEL Via SYD and have a pair of sandles or leather thongs on with a singlet. They are allowed in the OOL lounge but turned away from SYD lounge if my understanding is correct.

What if the customer has paid for business class flights?

So QF are now discriminating against these people on the basis that they are now in Sydney.

Surely the dress standards should apply equally across all lounges and not just a select few.

It's no different to a mixed far whereby the most restrictive rules are the ones that matter. The same would apply here.

It is a bad policy. The terms used are subjective and mean different things to different people. QF has not clearly defined what they mean by "smart casual". What one person thinks is "well dressed" doesn't always match what another person thinks.

This also creates issues based on people's perceptions and opinions of what they think someone "should" be wearing. I could easily see someone being turned away for wearing a skirt or dress because the staff member assumes they are male.

I don't believe it's a bad policy (quite the opposite, actually) but I do agree that it is subjective. I pity the lounge agents who are being asked to enforce it. That said, aren't all dress codes subjective? Short of ruling in or out every possible dress combination, it's always going to be up to someone's interpretation. On more than one occasion I've gone to a pub or nightclub with friends and had no issues with dress; the next time, a different bouncer, a different view.

Thongs probably won't help her when she has to exit an aircraft quickly...

It's my understanding that many airlines actually request passengers remove all footwear before evacuating, not just heels.

Fully agree however it needs to be applied across ALL Lounges not just some of them.

I think this becomes very problematic at lounges where the clientele is different. In the same way some ports have Business lounges and some don't, I think it would be very problematic to enforce a smart casual code in Port Hedland or Broome, for example.

I suspect this argument will go on for a long time as Qantas will not be able to establish and maintain a consistent standard across all staff "enforcers" and across all locations. In any case I am much more annoyed by bad behavior than whether somebody has a singlet or thongs on - feet, shod and unshod, on chairs and tables, rampaging children, loud phone conversations, drunken loutish behavior etc, all of which can be seen in most lounges on any day.

Hopefully the dress code enforcement will be a start. Maybe in the future lounge agents might occasionally walk around the lounges and, for example, ask people to be a little quieter on the phone etc. I'm in no way suggesting they become pseudo bouncers or cops, just in the normal course of their duties. I wouldn't envy them, though.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Short of ruling in or out every possible dress combination, it's always going to be up to someone's interpretation. On more than one occasion I've gone to a pub or nightclub with friends and had no issues with dress; the next time, a different bouncer, a different view.

...

It's my understanding that many airlines actually request passengers remove all footwear before evacuating, not just heels.

Well that's the thing. Publish a list of what's acceptable! Rubber thongs are out, but leather ones are in. People have a contract with QF for lounge access, and they perhaps deserve some certainty around entry. (And that's why it's different from a bar or club, you don't have the same contractual arrangement.)

I'm not aware of (m)any airlines requiring the complete removal of footwear, other than some types of heels.

 

[Alanslegal]

So I can't wear my designer leather thongs but can get in with Crocs? Qantas - you have extremely poor taste

 

[Archphoto]

It's my understanding that many airlines actually request passengers remove all footwear before evacuating, not just heels.

IMHO that seems rather crazy; I mean who's going to take the time to unlace their shoes when their life is in danger and there's a mad rush to evacuate? Heels I do understand (can puncture the slide) but, they slip off very easy. Unlacing your boots, sneakers, dress shoes or trying to drag off your RMs or Tony Lamas - what are they thinking, when supposedly every second counts?:shock:

 

[OzEire]

IMHO that seems rather crazy; I mean who's going to take the time to unlace their shoes when their life is in danger and there's a mad rush to evacuate? Heels I do understand (can puncture the slide) but, they slip off very easy. Unlacing your boots, sneakers, dress shoes or trying to drag off your RMs or Tony Lamas - what are they thinking, when supposedly every second counts?:shock:

Agree, but that assumes its all happening in a rush. In a scenario where there is a non-catastrophic inflight emergency there may be lots of time to dump fuel, glide, try to fix the problem, etc. before attempting a landing. In that time crew could issue this type of instruction.

 

[Himeno]

I don't believe it's a bad policy (quite the opposite, actually) but I do agree that it is subjective.

It is a poorly thought out, badly implented and completely unneeded policy.

I pity the lounge agents who are being asked to enforce it. That said, aren't all dress codes subjective? Short of ruling in or out every possible dress combination, it's always going to be up to someone's interpretation. On more than one occasion I've gone to a pub or nightclub with friends and had no issues with dress; the next time, a different bouncer, a different view.

It would be quite easy to make something that isn't subjective, easily understood and not subject to interpretation. List what types of clothes are "acceptable"/not "acceptable" and avoid terms like "smart casual".

If you are bothered by what other people are wearing, then they don't have a problem, you do. Outside of safety reasons or local "public decency" laws, there is no reason whatsoever to dictate what can be warn by anyone. Appearance in the lounge is not the problem and never has been. Behavior is.

There is only one word for this policy. Discrimination.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

...there is no reason whatsoever to dictate what can be warn by anyone.

i think #DYKWIAmiddleclass might disagree with you on that :mrgreen:

 

[Himeno]

i think #DYKWIAmiddleclass might disagree with you on that :mrgreen:

Let them. They're the ones with the problem.

 

[blackcat20]

The problem is the association between standard of dress, and behaviour. Wearing thongs automatically equals bad behaviour? It's usually the blokes in suits having loud convos on their phones or watching videos with no headphones in my experience....