Qantas international business lounge Sydney attitude.

[maureeng]

My daughter was traveling Bangkok on a Qantas reward ticket. I gave her a lounge pass to use so she got to the airport early to relax in the lounge. She was a bit anxious as it was her first overseas trip without her young children. She got to the lounge only to be told as it was a code share with Emirates she could not come in. She said she used her Qantas points but the lady on the desk said it doesn't matter as the ticket
has an Emirates flight number. My daughter said she wasn't aware of that and asked if she could please use the pass as she had almost 3 hours before the flight. The attendant then got very condescending and said " you are on a FREE ticket and we have paying passengers!!! What the???? The reason she got her "free ticket" was being loyal to Qantas and accumulating the points as are all her family. Both my husband and myself are platinum.
I understand they have rules, but to be made to feel so inferior and rejected and almost in tears and told to find a cafe downstairs I think this is appalling treatment of a loyal customer.

 

[ajw373]

If she was in business why didn't she just go to the EK lounge instead?

 

[esseeeayeenn]

That is appalling. A reward ticket is not a free ticket. It is paid for - with points.
A passenger on a reward ticket should not be treated any differently to a passenger who has paid with cash.
Except, of course they won't earn more points or status credits. That should be the only distinction.

Further AFAIK when you book a reward ticket on a code share you can't choose between the flight numbers.
So if that is the policy it is a ludicrous policy.

 

[maureeng]

She was in economy

 

[mannej]

She was in economy

If she was on the EK flight number, the Qantas lounge pass wouldn't provide access. The conditions are printed on the back of the pass, and are fairly clear on what the flight number needs to be (I.e QF or JQ flight number) to gain access.

That is appalling. A reward ticket is not a free ticket. It is paid for - with points.
A passenger on a reward ticket should not be treated any differently to a passenger who has paid with cash.
Except, of course they won't earn more points or status credits. That should be the only distinction.

Further AFAIK when you book a reward ticket on a code share you can't choose between the flight numbers.
So if that is the policy it is a ludicrous policy.

To me it sounds as if the OP purchased a flight on EK419 using points.

 

[maureeng]

If she was on the EK flight number, the Qantas lounge pass wouldn't provide access. The conditions are printed on the back of the pass, and are fairly clear on what the flight number needs to be (I.e QF or JQ flight number) to gain access.



To me it sounds as if the OP purchased a flight on EK419 using points.

i myself thought if she booked a rewards ticket through Qantas it would have a QF number and not having seen her ticket or thought about this I gave her the pass. My daughter is not a Qantas club member so didn' t know and also didn't realize she has an emirates flight number but it's not about the rules. Rules are rules, it's about the attitude and the way she was treated. She could have been told in a nice way not told she was on a freebie and made to feel inferior. She was so excited to get to relax in the lounge, something most of us take for granted and she wasn't planning to eat and drink their profits just relax and read a book on her first child free flight in 6 years albeit feeling guilty leaving the little ones.

 

[mannej]

i myself thought if she booked a rewards ticket through Qantas it would have a QF number and not having seen her ticket or thought about this I gave her the pass. My daughter is not a Qantas club member so didn' t know and also didn't realize she has an emirates flight number but it's not about the rules. Rules are rules, it's about the attitude and the way she was treated. She could have been told in a nice way not told she was on a freebie and made to feel inferior. She was so excited to get to relax in the lounge, something most of us take for granted and she wasn't planning to eat and drink their profits just relax and read a book on her first child free flight in 6 years albeit feeling guilty leaving the little ones.

There are always three sides to a story so I won't leave comment on the treatment as I wasn't there, however just because you book a flight using QFF points doesn't mean it'll book onto the QF code. As an example, you generally aren't able to book the QF code on an EK flight if you are using points.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

There are always three sides to a story so I won't leave comment on the treatment as I wasn't there, however just because you book a flight using QFF points doesn't mean it'll book onto the QF code. As an example, you generally aren't able to book the QF code on an EK flight if you are using points.

Exactly which is why you should be able to access lounges in those circumstances.

 

[N860CR]

I thought, well for a while anyway, those passes were valid for EK flight numbers as well?

 

[mannej]

Exactly which is why you should be able to access lounges in those circumstances.

Umm no, it's a complimentary pass for use prior to when on a QF or JQ flight number. Why should these passes give greater access than QP membership considering all they have had cut in the last 5 years?

The failure here is the fact that you cannot get an award ticket with a QF flight number. Nothing to do with the pass rules. The attitude of the lounge person stinks when Qantas have created this situation by not using QF flight numbers for awards on Emirates.

But on this route you can, QF23 is available.

Someone said something about lounge access for qantas club members. They can access the qantas club before emirates flights. So not sure of that point.

You may want to check your Qantas Club eligibility and revise your statement.

http://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/qantas-club-lounge-access/global/en

[h=3]Choose Qantas to enjoy the lounge[/h] As a Qantas Club member you need to book a QF flight number to access Qantas and Partner lounges when travelling in Economy on our partner airlines including Emirates.
Qantas (QF) flight numbers are available on all Emirates flights to and from Australia and New Zealand, the majority of destinations between Dubai, Europe and the Middle East, as well as key destinations in Africa. So, to make the most of your membership and enjoy lounge access before you fly, simply book the QF flight number.
Qantas Club members will continue to be able to access the Qantas Club lounges when their next onward flight on that day is on a Qantas or Jetstar flight number.

Again in it's not about the access it's about being told you are not a paying passenger you are on a free ticket which is technically untrue and treating someone like that.

I have already providing comment on this, this was response to the member stating access should be providing because the ticket was purchased off the QF site.

 

[maureeng]

Umm no, it's a complimentary pass for use prior to when on a QF or JQ flight number. Why should these passes give greater access than QP membership considering all they have had cut in the last 5 years?

Again in it's not about the access it's about being told you are not a paying passenger you are on a free ticket which is technically untrue and treating someone like that.

 

[Quickstatus]

My reading of the original post suggests that the lounge staff did correctly deny entry because the lounge pass was not valid for the ticket sold. Unfortunately the passenger would not take no for an answer.
Irrespective of what the passenger thought, what's written within the 4 corners of the T&C and the ticket is the basis of the refusal. Assuming something is valid does not make it so.
What was actually said?. Who knows I was not there. There are 4 sides to the story - passengers, lounge dragon, pass lender and the truth. If the lounge dragon did say the things s/he is accused of saying (if true is rude), the original posts suggests that it was only after some to-ing and fro-ing with a passenger refusing to accept the truth. "He says she says". That's why Hearsay carries little weight
Here is the.lounge invitation conditions:
https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/the-qantas-club/complimentary-invitations.html
Another lesson to all of us to read the Fine Print. I'm a sometime repeat offender myself

 

[maureeng]

My reading of the original post suggests that the lounge staff did correctly deny entry because the lounge pass was not valid for the ticket sold. Unfortunately the passenger would not take no for an answer.
Irrespective of what the passenger thought, what's written within the 4 corners of the T&C and the ticket is the basis of the refusal. Assuming something is valid does not make it so.
What was actually said?. Who knows I was not there. There are 4 sides to the story - passengers, lounge dragon, pass lender and the truth. If the lounge dragon did say the things s/he is accused of saying (if true is rude), the original posts suggests that it was only after some to-ing and fro-ing with a passenger refusing to accept the truth. "He says she says". That's why Hearsay carries little weight
Here is the.lounge invitation conditions:
https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/the-qantas-club/complimentary-invitations.html
Another lesson to all of us to read the Fine Print. I'm a sometime repeat offender myself

Wow!!! My daughter is very non confrontational and it was not the case that she didn't take no for an answer. She merely indicated that she did not know that even though booking an award over the phone using her Qantas points that she would have an Emirates ticket number. I gave her the pass, I told her she would be able to use it as I was also unaware of the flight number. She originally wanted a Qantas flight but she was put on Emirates. It does NOT give the lounge staff the right to be rude. Being told you are on a free ticket when there are paying passengers is downright rude. At the beginning of this thread I never said it was about her not getting in as if you read back I said " rules are rules" I was making a point about the attitude of the lady at the desk. She embarrassed my daughter who would never complain. In fact she told me NOT to contact Qantas as the lady in question might just be having a bad day! Having a bad day or not does not excuse treating passengers like that. She would not even have told me had I not called her and asked her how she was enjoying relaxing in the lounge. At no point did she refuse to take no for an answer she merely enquirer as to why a Qantas award ticket didn't qualify.

 

[eric2011]

i myself thought if she booked a rewards ticket through Qantas it would have a QF number and not having seen her ticket or thought about this I gave her the pass. My daughter is not a Qantas club member so didn' t know and also didn't realize she has an emirates flight number but it's not about the rules. Rules are rules, it's about the attitude and the way she was treated. She could have been told in a nice way not told she was on a freebie and made to feel inferior. She was so excited to get to relax in the lounge, something most of us take for granted and she wasn't planning to eat and drink their profits just relax and read a book on her first child free flight in 6 years albeit feeling guilty leaving the little ones.

And there lies half the problem now days. I certainly never take the lounges and the access for granted. It is a privilege

 

[TomVexille]

Exactly which is why you should be able to access lounges in those circumstances.

Yeah, it's not a great situation, but they are the rules which are clearly printed on the passes. However the attitude from the agent is not good enough.

 

[phily]

Many of us read stories in these forums about check-in staff and lounge staff being rude, and sometimes being offensive, to passengers, mostly when the passenger isn't getting something that they believe that they were entitled to.

Now my comment here is no reflection on the OP's daughter.

When airport staff are queried, or pushed, or argued with, they will sometimes push back very firmly, especially when the passenger doesn't let up, and the staff clearly believe that the passenger is in error. I often wonder just how difficult the passenger was to have caused the staff member to have allegedly been so rude or nasty to the customer. (And I'm not referring to the OP's daughter).

 

[Quickstatus]

In the end it's a learning experience.

QF (like other airlines) sells tickets for $$ or points on other airlines as codeshares OR as proper tickets
The passenger bought via points an EK4xx ticket - so this is not a codeshare as it is marketed and operated by EK.
Its a codeshare when it's a QF flight number but EK aircraft - marketed by QF but operated by EK. In this case the flight number would be QF84xx

 

[snabbu]

An unfortunate sequence of events and I feel for your daughter being denied entry, correctly so it seems.

2 x WP who were trying to do the right thing but made an unfortunate assumption and their daughter who felt the brunt of the event. IMO this would be a classic case for RR to intervene... ohh wait, never mind.

 

[serfty]

[moderator hat]

It has already been determined the QP pass would not provide access in the circumstances. Repeated reference to this has little further relevance to the thread which is about "Attitude".

Please restrict discussion to that on the indicated comments by the Qantas staff member.
​

[/moderator hat]

...

The attendant then got very condescending and said " you are on a FREE ticket and we have paying passengers!!! What the???? The reason she got her "free ticket" was being loyal to Qantas and accumulating the points as are all her family. Both my husband and myself are platinum.

I understand they have rules, but to be made to feel so inferior and rejected and almost in tears and told to find a cafe downstairs I think this is appalling treatment of a loyal customer.

 

[cmon0005]

Qf used to publish the lounge phone numbers online seems they don't anymore. Though I am sure someone on here will have it.

Personally if I was treated that rudely especially if I was genuinely uninformed and non- confrontational, I would be calling the lounge manager to provide feedback on the staff member in a non emotive factual way, so the staff member can be counselled.

No one deserves to be treated like that, (except maybe a DYKWIA)

If the OP is willing to call, can someone on here that's knows the syd intl j lounge phone number pls pm it to the OP?