Passenger believes they are entitled to va Lounge after flight delayed

[Forg]

Nobody with 6 children can afford to eat at Red Rooster!

 

[Moody]

A few observations :-

1. There is too much "he said, she said" to tell who lost their rag.
2. If the food vouchers were offered up front, the incident may never have happened
3. I have also traveled very long-haul with children from the age of 2, but I try very hard not to bore people about it

And finally ....it may be in the airlines' best interest in Australia to voluntarily offer assistance, lest the regulators decide to copy the EU model.

 

[Happy Trails]

Travelling with my kids when they were young was hugely stressful - the tears and the tantrums.
But after a few G&Ts I would settle down and cease being an embarrassment to them.

(Edit: recycled gag alert)

 

[get me outta here]

Let’s hope they do follow the EU model. As long as it’s not the US ‘model’ of call the cops, injure, humiliate and take away any sense of control the pax may have over their life. Then, do something about it when they are caught out on social media.

A few observations :-

1. There is too much "he said, she said" to tell who lost their rag.
2. If the food vouchers were offered up front, the incident may never have happened
3. I have also traveled very long-haul with children from the age of 2, but I try very hard not to bore people about it

And finally ....it may be in the airlines' best interest in Australia to voluntarily offer assistance, lest the regulators decide to copy the EU model.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don’t really see anything wrong with asking - or being granted - lounge access if there’s a significant delay (3 hours or more, or whatever the benchmark should be).

Food and beverage in the lounge costs next to nothing assuming the mother isn’t going to be drinking vast quantities of alcohol. The cost is probably less than the value of a food voucher.

Amenity of the lounge? Well if there’s room, let people in. Members aren’t guaranteed a spare seat beside them. And if the lounge is self service there shouldn’t be much impact on service by lounge staff (as opposed to the F lounge where more people = slower or no service).

This doesn’t need to be airline policy, or a published form of compensation. If someone asks it can be a case by case consideration. This happens frequently in all areas of airline operations. One person may ask, and receive, 10k points for their IFE failing. It doesn’t mean the other 471 passengers on the flight will get the same, or that some precedent has been set.

Lounge access is perhaps no different from any other form of negotiated compensation.

 

[davidj]

Let's hope she never needs to fly TGG...

 

[love_the_life]

I don’t really see anything wrong with asking - or being granted - lounge access if there’s a significant delay (3 hours or more, or whatever the benchmark should be).

Food and beverage in the lounge costs next to nothing assuming the mother isn’t going to be drinking vast quantities of alcohol. The cost is probably less than the value of a food voucher.

Amenity of the lounge? Well if there’s room, let people in. Members aren’t guaranteed a spare seat beside them. And if the lounge is self service there shouldn’t be much impact on service by lounge staff (as opposed to the F lounge where more people = slower or no service).

This doesn’t need to be airline policy, or a published form of compensation. If someone asks it can be a case by case consideration. This happens frequently in all areas of airline operations. One person may ask, and receive, 10k points for their IFE failing. It doesn’t mean the other 471 passengers on the flight will get the same, or that some precedent has been set.

Lounge access is perhaps no different from any other form of negotiated compensation.

I have no issue with a person asking for lounge access but if the request is denied (as this was) it is the complaining loudly on social and other media about how unfair it is, that annoys me and led to the ‘entitled’ label.

 

[opusman]

I don’t really see anything wrong with asking - or being granted - lounge access if there’s a significant delay (3 hours or more, or whatever the benchmark should be).

So if QF1 was delayed 6 hours you'd have no problem with 400+ people being let into the QP?

Bit annoying for those pax genuinely entitled to be there.

Or do you think this should just be (more) special treatment for breeders?

 

[SOPOOR]

I don’t really see anything wrong with asking - or being granted - lounge access if there’s a significant delay (3 hours or more, or whatever the benchmark should be).

Food and beverage in the lounge costs next to nothing assuming the mother isn’t going to be drinking vast quantities of alcohol. The cost is probably less than the value of a food voucher.

Amenity of the lounge? Well if there’s room, let people in. Members aren’t guaranteed a spare seat beside them. And if the lounge is self service there shouldn’t be much impact on service by lounge staff (as opposed to the F lounge where more people = slower or no service).

This doesn’t need to be airline policy, or a published form of compensation. If someone asks it can be a case by case consideration. This happens frequently in all areas of airline operations. One person may ask, and receive, 10k points for their IFE failing. It doesn’t mean the other 471 passengers on the flight will get the same, or that some precedent has been set.

Lounge access is perhaps no different from any other form of negotiated compensation.

im not going to comment about this case specifically as there seems to be a lot of info missing ,

but I see no problem with asking for lounge access, but demand is a big no no

as MT says, its not as if the cost of a lounge access will be more than probably $5 in materials for drinks and food, so its not as if theyre costs are going to be astronomical, but at the same time, maybe they are trying to be firm in that , be generous once ,and then it has to be applied to everyone. I f there were other babies on board, and if other parents saw them getting access, there could be a queue of parents and babies demanding to get the same treatment

im happy to give my seat up for an elderly person on a train, but if they start rudely demanding, id think twice about it

 

[Moody]

im not going to comment about this case specifically as there seems to be a lot of info missing ,

but I see no problem with asking for lounge access, but demand is a big no no

as MT says, its not as if the cost of a lounge access will be more than probably $5 in materials for drinks and food, so its not as if theyre costs are going to be astronomical, but at the same time, maybe they are trying to be firm in that , be generous once ,and then it has to be applied to everyone. I f there were other babies on board, and if other parents saw them getting access, there could be a queue of parents and babies demanding to get the same treatment

im happy to give my seat up for an elderly person on a train, but if they start rudely demanding, id think twice about it

Did she demand lounge access? That's not supported by any part of the story. She says she asked for return taxi fares so they could manage the baby at home, and when that was denied she asked for lounge access. The fact that they were denied is not a problem per se, but the 1 hour stand-off and heated exchange were very unnecessary. And it seems that the meal voucher was given to defuse an out of hand situation.

What is very, VERY telling is the wording of the tweet from Virgin in response to the pax's claims that Virgin staff threatened her for saying she would post her beef on social media:-

"Hi there, we understand delays can be frustrating to our guests and we do everything we can to avoid them, however Virgin Australia does not tolerate guests being abusive towards our staff. Virgin Australia welcomes all feedback from our guests including feedback received...."

They DO NOT say the she was abusive, just infers that with a general statement. Same with the "we welcome all feedback", which doesn't deny that the staff in question made that threat.

So it would appear that many AFFers are happy to call her a whinging liar, whereas Virgin wouldn't. And I strongly suspect that the staff in question will be undergoing re-education in customer relations.

 

[get me outta here]

I agree with your synopsis based on the little info provided. But it has been quite cathartic for some AFFers.

Did she demand lounge access? That's not supported by any part of the story. She says she asked for return taxi fares so they could manage the baby at home, and when that was denied she asked for lounge access. The fact that they were denied is not a problem per se, but the 1 hour stand-off and heated exchange were very unnecessary. And it seems that the meal voucher was given to defuse an out of hand situation.

What is very, VERY telling is the wording of the tweet from Virgin in response to the pax's claims that Virgin staff threatened her for saying she would post her beef on social media:-

"Hi there, we understand delays can be frustrating to our guests and we do everything we can to avoid them, however Virgin Australia does not tolerate guests being abusive towards our staff. Virgin Australia welcomes all feedback from our guests including feedback received...."

They DO NOT say the she was abusive, just infers that with a general statement. Same with the "we welcome all feedback", which doesn't deny that the staff in question made that threat.

So it would appear that many AFFers are happy to call her a whinging liar, whereas Virgin wouldn't. And I strongly suspect that the staff in question will be undergoing re-education in customer relations.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So if QF1 was delayed 6 hours you'd have no problem with 400+ people being let into the QP?

Bit annoying for those pax genuinely entitled to be there.

Or do you think this should just be (more) special treatment for breeders?

If a lounge has a capacity of ‘x’, that should be the capacity if needed (as I mentioned above, no guarantees of a spare seat beside you). If the lounge is full, obviously they can’t let everyone in, but maybe the elderly, those with infants? Perhaps the lounge is a safer, more inclusive environment than the main terminal. (Safer in the sense that the elderly aren’t going to get lost, or worry about being hydrated/fed, and you can leave your bag at a seat while going to the WC etc).

 

[love_the_life]

Why didn't they just pay for a taxi themselves to go home if their request firstly for taxi vouchers was unsuccessful? Or ask family or a friend to come and collect them? I just think there were other solutions to the problem, not just being able to access the lounge.

 

[mannej]

If a lounge has a capacity of ‘x’, that should be the capacity if needed (as I mentioned above, no guarantees of a spare seat beside you). If the lounge is full, obviously they can’t let everyone in, but maybe the elderly, those with infants? Perhaps the lounge is a safer, more inclusive environment than the main terminal. (Safer in the sense that the elderly aren’t going to get lost, or worry about being hydrated/fed, and you can leave your bag at a seat while going to the WC etc).

Whilst I understand where you are going with this, however where do you draw the line in a fair and equitable manner?

 

[Milboo]

Why didn't they just pay for a taxi themselves to go home if their request firstly for taxi vouchers was unsuccessful? Or ask family or a friend to come and collect them? I just think there were other solutions to the problem, not just being able to access the lounge.

Oh my gosh. Are you actually suggesting personal responsibility??

 

[suze2000]

So you'd be fine with the resultant lounge full of screaming babies and toddlers running around (there's inevitably a sibling or two) because they think they are entitled to it without paying like the rest of us?

If I want lounge access, I pay for it/use vouchers/suck it up and buy a beer in a bar so I have somewhere quieter to sit. There are plenty of quiet spots within most terminals and I do not understand why just having a baby makes you so special you can't cope on the concourse like everyone else whose flight was delayed.

 

[Happy Dude]

Years ago I was on an Austrian Airline flight from Moscow to Heathrow via Vienna. The Vienna - Heathrow leg was horribly delayed. There were about a dozen of us in the same boat, er, plane. We were met at the arrival gate and when told of the delay, a couple of vociferous passengers - but far from aggressive - demanded lounge access for us all which was granted. So it does happen and it certainly doesn't hurt to ask.

I actually think that threatening social media is a form of abuse/bulling towards staff, and no doubt a sign of the entitlement attitude that some have when they feel that "big-airlines" is acting unfairly. Prayer is no longer the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Side point - the above was my first ever lounge visit so I marked the occasion by nicking everything I could, including about 20 credit card-sized bars of delicious chocolate. I just thought that was how it worked.

 

[UP4014]

While I hear what people are saying about who should and shouldn't be entitled to lounge access.

Surely if you yourself are entitled to acces and It is granted then isn't that all that matters and the end of the story. The airline may grant access to anyone it pleases with out consulting with you so see if you're happy.

Do the virgin Lounge TandCs guarantee access for frequent flyers, I would not think so.

 

[SOPOOR]

While I hear what people are saying about who should and shouldn't be entitled to lounge access.

Surely if you yourself are entitled to acces and It is granted then isn't that all that matters and the end of the story. The airline may grant access to anyone it pleases with out consulting with you so see if you're happy.

Do the virgin Lounge TandCs guarantee access for frequent flyers, I would not think so.

you could also argue that the lounge is a premium facility/expeirence, i
and that paying customers dont want to hear screaming kids in every corner of the room

 

[opusman]

Surely if you yourself are entitled to acces and It is granted then isn't that all that matters and the end of the story.

Can we all come and hang out at your place? You'll still be able to access it as well so should be no problem right?