Passenger believes they are entitled to va Lounge after flight delayed

[Forg]

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?

I promise I won't be more than an hour in the shower!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Years ago, an AA plane went tech at LAX and I had to wait for a number of hours, before I was put on another one to my destination (MIA). This one flew to DFW where I was to catch another one, which was oversold. They then put me on one the next morning. I asked them where they were going to put me up for the night and they simply said "we don't, so you choose wherever you like".

That delay cost me meals, land transport and accommodation. Compare that with the 5 hour delay in this story.

 

[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

 

[SOPOOR]

last year I flew jetstar and we were delayed 5 hours, with about 24 hours noticee

they gave us all a $10 meal voucher ,which was nice,

I asked for a good will gesture a week or too later and they gave me $50 creidt,

thought it was amazing considering a LCC

 

[mannej]

JQ hands out $50 credits like it is confetti.

 

[SOPOOR]

JQ hands out $50 credits like it is confetti.

i love collecting confetti!

 

[vetrade]

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

But hang on, kids, screaming or otherwise, are already allowed into the lounges if their minders/parents are entitled to access, or are flying J etc.
So many posters are rounding on this woman because of some perceived threat she and her kid might pose to their entitlement to, or enjoyment of, lounge access. It's OTT to exaggerate that the lounges are at risk of being overrun by screaming children.

I visit lounges regularly in my travels and it's not uncommon to see all manner of objectionable behaviours from those who all presumably have bona fide entitlement to be there. There's nothing quite like a group of well dressed "suits" freely partaking of the bar on a Friday evening and engaging in raucous "Look at moi, look at moi" antics or the "I'm an important businessman / businesswoman" types talking KPIs or telephone number deals on speaker phone to "impress" anyone within earshot.

Anyone who looks upon airport lounge use as a "premium experience" needs to get a life because it's really just a haven for freeloaders to get free grog or food.

 

[SOPOOR]

Anyone who looks upon airport lounge use as a "premium experience" needs to get a life

geez, I must need a life then!

 

[Deleted member]

Clearly you do not.
Seen many children where maintaining routine was vital. This is even to the point of things like not being able to feed before a sleep because of boarding and take off. No feed at the right time, means no sleep when the child wants or a very short sleep, means making that lost sleep up at the wrong time (e.g. early evening) and then staying up all night. That's only 30 minute delay.

Can you really make that judgement on experience with. children and upbringing without knowing someone’s personal circumstances?

 

[dajop]

Maybe best to blame (the way people use) social media. Once we never would have heard of such trifling(?) matters except in our direct circle . People didn’t parade around Facebook postings as a threat to get what they want and nor were airlines discouraged from undertaking kind gestures because now if they do they’ll be published somewhere on the internet and shared with all and sundry, thus creating precedents.

 

[SOPOOR]

Maybe best to blame (the way people use) social media. Once we never would have heard of such trifling(?) matters except in our direct circle . People didn’t parade around Facebook postings as a threat to get what they want and nor were airlines discouraged from undertaking kind gestures because now if they do they’ll be published somewhere on the internet and shared with all and sundry, thus creating precedents.

I agree with you
But playing Devils advocate

If the airline believed they behaved correctly. And reasonably, then if the person went on social media and had a rant, then the user would cop a lot of backlash and make the airline look good.

If the airline knew they behaved badly and were exposed, then it's good.

However any attention on situations like this might be considered bad publicity regardless

 

[JohnK]

I'll go against the trend.

A 5 hour delay is not normal especially on domestic flights. You can't just tell people to come back in 5 hours. Food vouchers should have been mandatory without pushing the issue.

And I know what it's like to travel with a baby. Let them sit in the lounge for 5 hours. It's not like they are going to drink the bar dry.

What I find more and more is airlines are delivering less and less and people are just sitting there accepting poor service as a new way of life.

Wrong. Yes it's hard for airlines to make money but reducing executive salaries and bonuses are a good start not cutting back on customer service.

 

[opusman]

Somehow I doubt you would be as sanguine if you got kicked out of your beloved bulkhead seats for someone else because they had a baby with them

 

[love_the_life]

To add a bit of levity to the discussion (and along the lines of a couple of other posts about using the lounge in the case of delay) I once worked with a woman whose husband did have QF Club access. This was in the days when not a lot of people had this. Anyway as a result of the pilot strike she was delayed and delayed and delayed again. Finally, fed up, she approached the lounge dragon and said that her husband was a member quoted his number and was going to use the lounge, which she did. When she told her husband later of the exercise he asked her the number she had quoted and it turned out it was his Cabcharge account not QFF.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Yeah, but they knew that and booked up the lounge visit to his CabCharge!

 

[love_the_life]

Yeah, but they knew that and booked up the lounge visit to his CabCharge!

As the husband was a very very senior government employee it was very funny. She had some great stories from their times O'S.

 

[JohnK]

Somehow I doubt you would be as sanguine if you got kicked out of your beloved bulkhead seats for someone else because they had a baby with them

You'd be surprised.

 

[get me outta here]

I love it that the ‘adults’ here who apparently never themselves were considered a pain in the cough by everyone else ‘screaming in the corner’ brats from their ‘breeder’ parents. Ironic that they wouldn’t be here rudely complaining otherwise.

 

[Pleb Status]

Firstly, if someone wants lounge access, they should pay for it like everybody else. No exceptions.

Secondly, I can recall an occasion when flying AA where my domestic flight was delayed by about seven hours at EWR. As it was getting late, AA wanted to close the lounge so they kicked everybody out and then even the pax with paid lounge access had to wait the final two and half hours in the terminal...

 

[Forg]

What I find more and more is airlines are delivering less and less and people are just sitting there accepting poor service as a new way of life.

The consumer demands poor service.
The consumer demands lower fares, and as everyone lowers fares & gets rid of employees how can service do anything but go backwards?
This woman effectively DEMANDED poor service!

I love it that the ‘adults’ here who apparently never themselves were considered a pain in the **** by everyone else ‘screaming in the corner’ brats from their ‘breeder’ parents. Ironic that they wouldn’t be here rudely complaining otherwise.

My parents weren’t really of a disposition to go around demanding free stuff just because they’d chosen to have children, I guess.