Qantas Denial of OW Emerald access to Sydney First Lounge

[Doctore1003]

CX shouldn’t have to pay Qantas for your F lounge entry when your CX status doesn’t entitle you to it. Am I the only one who thinks this?

 

[elanshin]

Yes, but CX apparently are saying no.
When we were in HKG recently staff mentioned that if you wanted to enter the F lounges then you needed to have a OWE number on your boarding pass and that flashing a card won’t be allowed

It's a very recent change. We were still allowed into Pier F on Nov 13th when my FF mysteriously dropped off my AY flight (confirmed as the AY cabin crew didn't have us as elites on their ipads). They inputed the FF against the boarding pass and we went in.

However this could be different in that Cathay may still happily charge other airlines for "flashing" the card and charging them. Just that on CX flights they may be restrictive as a lot of the changes seem to be targetting CX flights than OW partner flights.

 

[moa999]

CX shouldn’t have to pay Qantas for your F lounge entry when your CX status doesn’t entitle you to it. Am I the only one who thinks this?

The problem is if you aren't crediting to QF then they aren't earning any money for it either, so why should they take a loss for lounge access.

My understanding with Oneworld is the carrier being credited to gets a small percentage of the fare, and the operating carrier (as the major earner) pays for lounge access (however that may come about).. believe with Star it might be different.

 

[RooFlyer]

The problem is if you aren't crediting to QF then they aren't earning any money for it either, so why should they take a loss for lounge access.

Because it’s in the OneWorld alliance rules.

Airport Lounges: oneworld Lounges & Airport Lounge Access

Enjoy airport lounge access at nearly 700 airport lounges worldwide through your oneworld Priority tier. Exceptions may apply.

www.oneworld.com

​

one​

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.

Access to Lounge

1.1 The Handling Company shall have the right to refuse an Entitled Passenger or their guest (together referred to as “Guest”) entry to the Lounge for any statutory, regulatory or airport policy reasons including but not limited to health and safety policies or fire regulations.

As far as I can interpret it, failure of OneWorld airline to pay another OneWorld airline for a passenger access does not fall under the exclusions.

Cathy can obviously do what they want with their lounges, including excluding people for health and safety no matter how bogus that might be.

However, I still can’t see how Qantas has any right to exclude a platinum member - especially their own - from a lounge based on CX suddenly deciding to change their own rules.

Happy for anyone to point out where this might lie however.

 

[elanshin]

Because it’s in the OneWorld alliance rules.

Airport Lounges: oneworld Lounges & Airport Lounge Access

Enjoy airport lounge access at nearly 700 airport lounges worldwide through your oneworld Priority tier. Exceptions may apply.

www.oneworld.com

​

As far as I can interpret it, failure of OneWorld airline to pay another OneWorld airline for a passenger access does not fall under the exclusions.

Cathy can obviously do what they want with their lounges, including excluding people for health and safety no matter how bogus that might be.

However, I still can’t see how Qantas has any right to exclude a platinum member - especially their own - from a lounge based on CX suddenly deciding to change their own rules.

Happy for anyone to point out where this might lie however.

I think we probably agree this is the situation for OW and that access should be granted barring official policy changes, but it could also be that Lounge / QF has just been informed recently of CX's position and before QF Lounge/Loyalty management has time to work out how to proceed, people are caught in the crossfire.

Perhaps we see a change in stance a little bit later when they've come up with an answer internally.

 

[Scarlett]

CX shouldn’t have to pay Qantas for your F lounge entry when your CX status doesn’t entitle you to it. Am I the only one who thinks this?

You’re not alone in that thought.

If you’re applying your CX silver status to the flights (and I assume that level doesn’t allow lounge access) to earn in that program then you should expect the commensurate benefits that go with that status level.

The idea that you then use status from a separate airline for benefits has always appeared like ‘taking the piss’ to me.

I’m not at all surprised an airline is saying/doing what CX is. Similarly, just because people have been ‘doing it that way’ in the past doesn’t guarantee the same ‘exploit’ will be available in the future.

 

[RooFlyer]

The idea that you then use status from a separate airline for benefits has always appeared like ‘taking the piss’ to me.

But that’s exactly what airline anlliances are designed to facilitate. It’s in the rules - see above.

Usually the airlines pay each other for other members use of their lounges. It seems one airline has not chosen not to but again, via the rules and exceptions, that’s not a reason for an eligible member to be denied access to a lounge.

I’m still waiting for someone to point out that my lounge crawling over 40 years of travelling has not been actually permitted.

 

[jase05]

I’m still waiting for someone to point out that my lounge crawling over 40 years of travelling has not been actually permitted.

I doubt airlines have an issue with lounge crawling provided your boarding pass has the relevant tier marked on it.
I think going forward we might see more airlines that won’t simply allow you to flash your card for access.
Sounds like the OP was told they would have lounge access if they changed their frequent flyer number to their QF OWE number

 

[serfty]

You’re not alone in that thought.

If you’re applying your CX silver status to the flights (and I assume that level doesn’t allow lounge access) to earn in that program then you should expect the commensurate benefits that go with that status level.

The idea that you then use status from a separate airline for benefits has always appeared like ‘taking the piss’ to me.

I’m not at all surprised an airline is saying/doing what CX is. Similarly, just because people have been ‘doing it that way’ in the past doesn’t guarantee the same ‘exploit’ will be available in the future.

While it may seem reasonble to you for this restriction, it is not what  oneworld has been about for the 3 decades of its existence.

Fine, change the rules but give the punters 6 months notice.

 

[muppet]

While I completely understand an airline lounge demanding to have the status of its partner frequent flyers on the boarding pass so that airline gets paid, I think its absurd a QF lounge would deny access to a QF member its own lounge. Just poor customer service.

 

[markis10]

But that’s exactly what airline anlliances are designed to facilitate. It’s in the rules - see above.

It’s not in the rules, it’s general guidance with an increasing long list of exceptions, led by QR and now CX. Times they are a changing.

 

[serfty]

It’s not in the rules, it’s general guidance with an increasing long list of exceptions, led by QR and now CX. Times they are a changing.

Where are these published?

 

[RooFlyer]

It’s not in the rules, it’s general guidance with an increasing long list of exceptions, led by QR and now CX, is your first name Karen by chance

Karen. Ho, ho, ho <chuckle> You are a card.

Look at post 24 and the OneWorld web site and T&Cs and tell me what the rule, as published, is relating to lounge access.

Yes there are exceptions as I noted ( and on the web site) but one airline not paying the other one for access isn’t one of them. Or is it? Or does Karen understand the rules better than you?

 

[markis10]

Where are these published?

On the one world site eventually

 

[Larko1]

This week I flew on Cathay CX100 in Business SYD-HKG. I am currently QF Platinum. I am also CX Silver. For this trip my CX flights are being credited to Cathay.

https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_AU/rewards-and-partnerships/oneworld/frequent-flyer-benefits.html

According to this Cathay website, Silver membership is oneworld Ruby, so the OP, even though being a QF WP, has no lounge access at all even though he is flying J class.

 

[SYD]

https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_AU/rewards-and-partnerships/oneworld/frequent-flyer-benefits.html

According to this Cathay website, Silver membership is oneworld Ruby, so the OP, even though being a QF WP, has no lounge access at all even though he is flying J class.

A CX J fare comes with J lounge access irrespective of status. I’m not aware of any CX “Lite” fares that are sans lounge access - so far?

I believe CX Silver does actually come with CX Lounge access but mute where there’s no CX lounge.

 

[Larko1]

I believe CX Silver does actually come with CX Lounge access but mute where there’s no CX lounge.

but as a oneworld ruby, he would have no oneworld lounge access anywhere true?

 

[SYD]

but as a oneworld ruby, he would have no oneworld lounge access anywhere true?

Not broadly. But I was just clarifying that a CX Silver gets CX Lounge access flying CX. Which probably explains why some CX lounges can get pretty busy and they exclude other non CX elites from time to time.

 

[serfty]

but as a oneworld ruby, he would have no oneworld lounge access anywhere true?

You can get business lounge access in several ways when flying oneworld, two of which are:

. Departing on a fare that provides it
. having at least oneworld sapphire status.

Lounge access is an "or" function., only one method needs to be satisfied irrespective of the success or failure of any other criteria.