Oneworld Website Misleading

[calmelb]

If you go onto the OW website and look at lounges anywhere QF operate a Dom J lounge you will see it says Sapphire members can access the lounge (and in the fine print below says QF Gold cannot access it).

Shouldn't it say only OWE as it's essentially treated as a Domestic First Class Lounge (for status at least). QF website seems to agree with that logic too.

 

[samh004]

I remember a member here a long time ago arguing that Sapphire/Gold members should have access because it was called a "Business Lounge"... despite the fact that it is only called that in name, and doesn't represent the base lounge at all. But I digress.

I see what you mean though in regards to the wording and oneworld logos of both Sapphire and Emerald being displayed for both lounges, despite the fact one of the lounges should only be displaying the Emerald logo. However, upon scrolling further down the page I note two distinctions clearly written that exclude both QF Gold and oneworld Sapphire members from Dom J lounges. Not simply one, and not the other.

Enjoy exclusive access to premium airport lounges around the world with oneworld Emerald or Sapphire frequent flyer tier status. Members of oneworld airline frequent flyer programmes with the equivalent of oneworld Emerald or Sapphire tier status can use lounges offered by oneworld airlines when departing on any flight marketed and operated by any oneworld member airline, regardless of cabin class being flown (exceptions are noted below).

• Emerald tier frequent flyers can use First Class, Business Class or frequent flyer lounges.
• Sapphire tier frequent flyers are welcome in Business Class* or frequent flyer lounges. (*does not include Qantas Domestic Business Lounges)
• Emerald and Sapphire members may invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest must also be travelling on a flight operated and marketed by a oneworld carrier.
• You must be prepared to show your boarding pass and frequent flyer membership card, with oneworld Emerald or Sapphire tier status, to access a lounge.

The following exceptions apply:

1. American Airlines and Qantas offer programmes enabling customers to pay to gain access to their lounges. These programmes are not part of the oneworld agreement, and members of these programmes are not entitled to access lounges under the oneworld agreement.
2. American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status or class of travel, are not eligible for lounge access when travelling solely on North American flights within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean. For more information, visit, http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/airportAmenities/AdmiralsClub.jsp
3. Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld tier status, cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Lounges.
4. Qatar Airways’ Al Safwa First and Al Mourjan Business lounges in Doha (DOH) and Qatar Airways’ Premium Lounges at Dubai (DXB), London (LHR) and Paris (CDG) are excluded.

I have emphasised the two critical sections. You will note both the QF Gold and oneworld Sapphire restrictions are in line with each other.

 

[calmelb]

However unless someone digs through the Sapphire privileges they won't realise (as the Oneworld lounge list doesn't exclude Sapphires). Just something I thought was a little weird

 

[samh004]

All those paragraphs were listed underneath the lounges listed, but I do agree the point of the symbols is to make things easier to understand and there has been a fail on the oneworld website.

 

[RichardMEL]

I find this "Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld tier status" wording rather interesting.... Not quite sure how to interpret that.. is it either if you're QF SG but hold another OW status, eg: AA EXP(OWE) you still can't enter the J lounge? Makes no sense. Or is it saying that QF Gold could change OW tier? (paging JohnK! ).Seems oddly specific.

At any rate there is absolute precedence for this kind of thing and exclusions. For example, AA elites (Plat, Plat Pro, EXP) can't access the AAdmirals Clubs on domestic only flights.

Also as we know QF treats QFF status members under different criteria in its own lounges

And all that wording seems to ignore the situation of a QF Gold member fling domestic J who of course can enter the J lounge under the CoS criteria.

 

[dfcatch]

I've always found that the rules make perfect sense.

Generally (outside of QF Domestic), "Business" lounges are/represent the entry-level lounge and "First" lounges are/represent the upper level lounge.

Most programs don't actually run a paid lounge membership program. QF is one of only a handful that do.

So under Oneworld - a Sapphire member gets entry to the entry level lounge (QP), and the Emerald members get access to the upper level lounge (Dom J).

Same with Qantas - a Sapphire member (or QF Gold) gets access to the entry level lounge (QP), and the Emerald members (or QF Plats) get access to the upper level lounge (Dom J).

It was always a stupid, petulant, childish argument that because the Dom J lounges were called "Business" that Sapphires should have access.

 

[RichardMEL]

The only other airline I know of that has specific "Business Class" lounges is LH (and OS and I think now LX). The "Senator" lounge for FF's, the "Business Lounge" for those in J and the First Lounge/Terminal for.. well. F.

SQ may also come close with their SilverKris and Premier Lounges at SIN, though I think it's a little different.

Are there any other examples out there?