OOL Lounge

[bigbadbyrnes]

What a ridiculous concept! Are you going to run up the bar, skull a beer while standing at the bar throw some food into your mouth have a look out the window then run out again?

Why not spend the $6, stay for an hour in the morning and have a proper breakfast?

I couldn't agree more - but I'm eccentric and want to be able to tell the story.

It would be interesting for those who work near the airport and have ATA - I would happily pay $6 in parking for a free breakfast in the lounge - I think its worth it.

Absolutely it is. And this is probably what I'll end up doing more than not.

Still... where else in the world can you deviate a total of 15mins from your regular drive home and a beer and a snack down you out of an airport lounge and do it all for free? This may be utterly unique. The research continues...

 

[AaronBradford]

I do work at the airport, have free parking and ATA. Can see a few lunch breaks being spent in the lounge.

I've heard tell of airport workers and others who have ATA having their privileges revoked for anytiming it too much I wouldn't do it any more than thrice a week.

 

[onezero]

I've never used or paid much attention to ATA before but commute past OOL frequently, just want to be clear on this... I can go anytime I like and eat/drink for free? Plus take up to 3 additional guests with me??

Example 1: Instead of meeting someone for a meeting at a cafe/restaurant, we meet at OOL lounge for free?
Example 2: I'm heading home after a busy day and can't be bothered cooking dinner, I go to the OOL lounge for a free feed?

It seems extremely generous of DJ to do this, so how long will it take for it to be removed due to people over indulging in the privilege? Or are there restrictions on this? ie. max 1 visit per month etc?

 

[Fruitcake]

I've never used or paid much attention to ATA before but commute past OOL frequently, just want to be clear on this... I can go anytime I like and eat/drink for free? Plus take up to 3 additional guests with me??

Example 1: Instead of meeting someone for a meeting at a cafe/restaurant, we meet at OOL lounge for free?
Example 2: I'm heading home after a busy day and can't be bothered cooking dinner, I go to the OOL lounge for a free feed?

It seems extremely generous of DJ to do this, so how long will it take for it to be removed due to people over indulging in the privilege? Or are there restrictions on this? ie. max 1 visit per month etc?

Correct on both examples. In practice this is the first major lounge where either of those examples is a practical exercise. The major capital city airports with lounges are generally in inconvenient locations for an afternoon drink and/or have high access costs (such as short term parking or hassle factor of cheap public transport if available). As a result very few people would bother to head out there specifically to feed up at the Lounge.

My bet is that ATA will survive at least until the status match rolls off, so those dedicated QF WPs flying JQ out of OOL regularly will still get some DJ love and hopefully (in DJ's view) finally switch. Then a few months after that if there's rampant abuse of ATA going on there'll be be some restrictions - either at OOL only or more generally. Perhaps it might be restricted to either flying that day on any airline, or accompanying someone flying on DJ. That would provide a reasonable compromise between being able to deliver a bit of value to status pax who aren't flying DJ that day (for example, someone flying on a regional route that DJ doesn't serve, or someone who is subject to a best fare of day policy but manages to maintain status with Virgin) whilst keeping operating costs and crowds at the lounge reasonable.

 

[BVT]

And here I was being sensible thinking about catching the 702* to the AFF do on Saturday, if I go.

Where is my sense of adventure an ddoingt he car park shuffle grab and go?

* airport bus

 

[Jama]

Correct on both examples. In practice this is the first major lounge where either of those examples is a practical exercise. The major capital city airports with lounges are generally in inconvenient locations for an afternoon drink and/or have high access costs (such as short term parking or hassle factor of cheap public transport if available). As a result very few people would bother to head out there specifically to feed up at the Lounge.

My bet is that ATA will survive at least until the status match rolls off, so those dedicated QF WPs flying JQ out of OOL regularly will still get some DJ love and hopefully (in DJ's view) finally switch. Then a few months after that if there's rampant abuse of ATA going on there'll be be some restrictions - either at OOL only or more generally. Perhaps it might be restricted to either flying that day on any airline, or accompanying someone flying on DJ. That would provide a reasonable compromise between being able to deliver a bit of value to status pax who aren't flying DJ that day (for example, someone flying on a regional route that DJ doesn't serve, or someone who is subject to a best fare of day policy but manages to maintain status with Virgin) whilst keeping operating costs and crowds at the lounge reasonable.

I don't see any reason why ATA won't continue as long as it isn't abused. Once VA decide it is being abused we all lose it.

 

[Fruitcake]

I don't see any reason why ATA won't continue as long as it isn't abused. Once VA decide it is being abused we all lose it.

Indeed: my point is that abuse of ATA will leave it at risk of being removed. But ATA at OOL is arguably somewhat more vulnerable to 'abuse' than other lounges.

The difficulty is that one man's 'abuse' is another man's 'reward for being a loyal customer.'

 

[lovestotravel]

I don't see any reason why ATA won't continue as long as it isn't abused. Once VA decide it is being abused we all lose it.

I have to say that using ATA over the weekend, and also Friday evening, and Monday morning during peak times to get 3 guests in, was pleasant and easy!

No issues that none of us were flying Virgin

Warmly welcomed on all occasions!

Well done Virgin!

 

[lovestotravel]

Indeed: my point is that abuse of ATA will leave it at risk of being removed. But ATA at OOL is arguably somewhat more vulnerable to 'abuse' than other lounges.

The difficulty is that one man's 'abuse' is another man's 'reward for being a loyal customer.'

Agree !!!!!!!

OOL will be a good "test" of ATA

 

[Jama]

On the other side if you were take someone down to try the Virgin Lounge occasionally it may also be considered good advertising for VA. Either way I suspect this will be one busy lounge given it is smaller and OOL has such a high member concentration. It might not that that pleasant dropping in after all.

 

[mickeyc747]

Agree !!!!!!!

OOL will be a good "test" of ATA

Especially as we have 2 plats and 2 golds in the house there's 12 people in including the 4 of us and not my youngest who gets in free.

 

[lovestotravel]

Also remembering that ATA is "Subject to space availability"

 

[Jama]

Especially as we have 2 plats and 2 golds in the house there's 12 people in including the 4 of us and not my youngest who gets in free.

I can see there is going to be some serious finger pointing if we lose ATA.

 

[samh004]

OOL 1400 Staurday

Hi All Annette has asked for me to provide approximate numbers for Saturday can you please let me so I can advise her. I have 4 people I can guest in after my tribe comes along and I guest in Sam.

Mickeyc

Thank you!




 

[bigbadbyrnes]

I was just trying to work out just how much you could increase the costs of running the lounge making use of ATA. Lets say you access the lounge twice a week and per visit you consume two beers, a couple of sandwiches and some snacks, and a glass of OJ or soft drink. Really, what are the material costs per visit? Something like $1.50 per beer (assuming you drink a premium product), maybe 10c for the OJ or softdrink and maybe $1 for all snacks and foodstuffs? So per visit, the additional operating costs might be $4.10. Lets say I'm way off and it's more like $7.00 per visit (and it isn't, but lets pretend). Now you could sub out the beers for coffees (one for before 5 o'clock, the other for 5 o'clock or after ) and that would make it significantly cheaper still, coffee being about 50c of inputs at most. So for those two visits for one person per week, VA are out $14.00. For a year, thats around $730.

Which Plat or Gold member isn't spending many orders of that on flying every year? Whats an average spend? Five times that? Twenty? Fifty? My own budget (half work, half self funded) is tuppance compared to most but in the last 6 months I've thrown $14,000 at VA for a mix of J and Y domestics, Y+ to USA at Xmas time (ouch!) and a family in Y+ to France.

My point here is to not spark some sort of DYKWIA argument about who spends more and who has more ATA right than the next member, just to point out that, even if you were trying REALLY hard to exploit the system, how much damage could you really do?

Of course, it will come down to space availability - no one likes a crowded lounge. If you can sync your regular ATA with quiet times, this should never be a problem. IMHO the perceived value of ATA to us flyers is far far far far more than it's actual cost. If the 'pending space availability' clause is enforced fairly, ATA should hang around forever.

I invite scrutiny and discussion... and am happy to discuss in person. Just need a place to meet... how about OOLounge?

 

[MarkD]

I do think Aat will cease shortly if used as described
The sole purpose of it is so you can slip in for a coffee/drink/ shower after a flight before you leave the airport, the other obvious benefit is if you are taking someone to a flight and said flight is delayed erc, you can go into the lounge and enjoy
It's the abuse of a privelige that sees its removal
Just ask anyone who enjoyed qf any time access


Excuse the typos, this was sent from my iPhone using Fat fingers

 

[lovestotravel]

Such a great post there bigbadbyrnes !

Your calculations appear to be pretty good, based on a quick look!

$700 per year for the cost of someone being in the lounge..... Hey that's what Qantas charge for a yearly membership.... Well a little bit more... Funny that

Gold is 400SC's or to be status matched..... While of course, they will start to run out over time......

So 400SC......

Total spend of a min of $220 with VA $55 flights (4 min sectors)... Which is very low, but then of course you need the remaining 360SC's....

 

[777]

If they do dump ATA then i hope they will do it for THOSE WHO ABUSE IT and not everyone.

I predicted way back when that the OOL lounge may be a tipping point and my fears seem confirmed by some attitudes here.

 

[DC3]

" ... My point here is to not spark some sort of DYKWIA argument about who spends more and who has more ATA right than the next member, just to point out that, even if you were trying REALLY hard to exploit the system, how much damage could you really do?..

And all in under 10 minutes as well.

 

[onezero]

on the flip-side to this, one would think that when deciding to launch ATA, the cost of people 'taking full advantage' have been factored in. It doesn't take a genius to realise there's going to be alot of people making the very most of their entitlements so hopefully this was factored into it and isn't looked at as a cost saving measure down the line.