Qantas Loyalty; [QP@EK] lounge rules change [after booking] - Tough luck

[mww99]

Get the app "Lounge Buddy". for iPhone or Android. Fill out your FF and CC details and the flights - it will tell you which lounges you can access for free and also give you paid options.

Cheers

Being new to club lounges it all sounds very confusing. I have a flight to Italy later this year and not sure what lounges I'll will be able to use on my stops. The flight details are as follows:

The flights were booked using USDMs and are all in J Class.

Outbound: MEL>SYD on Qantas (quick change over no lounge needed)

SYD>HKG on Qantas (3 day stop might need the lounge at HKG before boarding Cathy to DXB) *

HKG>DXB on Cathay (5hrs at DXB before boarding BA flight to LHR) *

DXB>LHR on BA (short change over so no lounge needed)

LHR>MXP on BA (destination)

Inbound flight: MXP>DOH on Qatar (2hrs before catching Cathy DOH>HKG) *
DOH>HKG on CX (9hrs before catching a CX flight to SYD) *
HKG>SYD on CX (2hrs in SYD so prob don't need a lounge but ongoing flight to Melbourne will be with Qantas)

For the stops I've marked with * could someone please tell me which lounges I should head for.

Thanks in advance

 

[Tralfaz2013]

Sorry but I don't quite understand your question - "What test you are flying J" To clarify, J is the airline code for a standard/regular business class fare. there are other codes for various fare rates in all classes - first/business/premium economy/economy/discount economy etc etc. My apologies if this isn't the point of your question.

 

[Danger]

Being new to club lounges it all sounds very confusing. I have a flight to Italy later this year and not sure what lounges I'll will be able to use on my stops. The flight details are as follows:

The flights were booked using USDMs and are all in J Class.

Outbound: MEL>SYD on Qantas (quick change over no lounge needed)

SYD>HKG on Qantas (3 day stop might need the lounge at HKG before boarding Cathy to DXB) *

HKG>DXB on Cathay (5hrs at DXB before boarding BA flight to LHR) *

DXB>LHR on BA (short change over so no lounge needed)

LHR>MXP on BA (destination)

Inbound flight: MXP>DOH on Qatar (2hrs before catching Cathy DOH>HKG) *
DOH>HKG on CX (9hrs before catching a CX flight to SYD) *
HKG>SYD on CX (2hrs in SYD so prob don't need a lounge but ongoing flight to Melbourne will be with Qantas)

For the stops I've marked with * could someone please tell me which lounges I should head for.

Thanks in advance

Try here: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-questions/lounge-access-help-desk-59405.html

 

[Sheenaec7]

Excellent info, mww99

Cheers

 

[Batwoman]

Hi there...I also experienced this when I booked and paid for flights from Brisbane-Dubai-CDG-Dubai-Hong Kong-Brisbane. At the time of booking (and paying) I was able to access the Emerites lounges but then the rules changed. I initially had absolutely no luck getting any satisfaction when contacting Qantas Customer Care and in fact half the time they didn't return my calls. But I persevered and now have a letter from Qantas addressed to the Emerites lounges requesting entry for myself and my companion. As I don't travel until the end of May - returning mid June I cant tell you if it has worked but will definitely post on my return to let you know. You might like to go down this path - Good Luck. Qantas advised me that no Emerites guest passes exist. These changes make me mad - I bought life membership with Qantas Club when they were available and I could take more than one person into the lounge provided I use the guest passes they sent each year.
Now its me plus one only. Grrr

 

[Princess Fiona]

Hi there...I also experienced this when I booked and paid for flights from Brisbane-Dubai-CDG-Dubai-Hong Kong-Brisbane. At the time of booking (and paying) I was able to access the Emerites lounges but then the rules changed. I initially had absolutely no luck getting any satisfaction when contacting Qantas Customer Care and in fact half the time they didn't return my calls. But I persevered and now have a letter from Qantas addressed to the Emerites lounges requesting entry for myself and my companion. As I don't travel until the end of May - returning mid June I cant tell you if it has worked but will definitely post on my return to let you know. You might like to go down this path - Good Luck. Qantas advised me that no Emerites guest passes exist. These changes make me mad - I bought life membership with Qantas Club when they were available and I could take more than one person into the lounge provided I use the guest passes they sent each year.
Now its me plus one only. Grrr

That's a good outcome, precedent's been set I think and thankyou for posting.

 

[Matthews]

I converted my loyalty to Virgin Australia and now really enjoy the beautiful Etihad Lounges in Sydney, Abu Dhabi and London. No problems with entry. The Lounges are much better than the Emirates and Qantas Lounges in my opinion. Sadly Qantas has slipped from my preferred airline list after 40 years of loyalty. I think we all may need to redefine "loyalty".

 

[drross]

Get the app "Lounge Buddy". for iPhone or Android. Fill out your FF and CC details and the flights - it will tell you which lounges you can access for free and also give you paid options.

Cheers

just downloaded app. thanks. looks ok. will try it out shortly

 

[Tralfaz2013]

Thanks por930. I'm looking forward to the trip, not so much the challenges of a two weeks travel between three Chinese mega cities on a study tour for my MBA course.

 

[PLC]

Thanks por930. I'm looking forward to the trip, not so much the challenges of a two weeks travel between three Chinese mega cities on a study tour for my MBA course.

Yes it can be a challenge, but just go with.

In my experience, if you let the mighty dragon swallow you whole, then there's a chance you'll come out the other end in one piece.

 

[JohnK]

I'm afraid this lack of customer service from Qantas is becoming too common.

 

[nonscenic]

Complex lounge access rules are always open to the misinterpretation of lounge dragons and often conflicting information is available on websites.
My most memorable skirmishes with lounge dragons was in 2010. I was then a Qantas Club member having dropped down from Gold the previous year.
My wife and I were flying Y YVR-SEA-ANC-FAI using Alaskan Airlines (no QF codeshares) who were an Associated Airline rather than an Airline Partner.
We had no problems in using the Alaskan Airlines lounge in YVR on the first leg of the line, since QF (then) used YVR as an international airport. When we got to SEA and later ANC we were denied access each time.
Bizarrely later the same year I was flying Y on an Horizon Airlines flight from LAX to Sun Valley and BOI (Boise) that was code shared with QF and had no problems accessing the Alaskan Airlines lounge in the Terminal 2 of LAX.
Paying for an airline lounge membership only seems to work when flying on an airline's metal or if it is a codeshare , while reaching Gold gives much greater access across that alliance. However alliances come and go and no one seems to keep the lounge dragons up to date.

 

[Portsoft]

HI,
Priority Pass is cheap for the first introductory year and then VERY expensive .. unless you have complimentary membership through an expensive credit card

 

[roomer]

Well the good news is I am not being ignored as I had a very nice lady ring me to let me know what was happening, the bad news is that they are still waiting to hear back what is happening ...

Sadly the promised call by Erin did not eventuate as had been promised. This was to let me know if she had been successful in trying again for an Emirates lounge pass ( I had been subsequently told after the Wed phone call that they were unsuccessful in gaining access for my wife and I to the Dubai lounge but offered a 2 month extension to my Qantas Club membership.
Now in fairness it was good of them to offer but an image of Basil Fawlty popped up in my mind, with him saying in this situation " an extension of a membership service that I paid to use but am unable use for the purpose that I intended, I mean what is the point !!!! However as this was only in my imagination I wondered if somehow a complimentary lounge pass could be provided for our use in CDG upon the way home ( given that QC reciprocation strangely is not available with Emirates or AA DESPITE flying on a Qantas code back home ! The whole point of this QC membership being to treat ourselves to this amenity as being part of our the holiday experience ( as opposed to extending a membership that after this experience we may never get the full benefit from ).
So today was going to be when I was going to be given a progress update...

I have to say though as an aside, what a great thing it is to be part of AFF , I defintely would not have got this far with Qantas without the resources of AFF .thank you for all your kind words and support. Who knows I still might end up with something that I would not have , had I just whinged to myself. I shall keep you updated if there is something to report , cheers

 

[Interlude]

Really enjoying following this thread, so yes please keep the updates coming. There's a real vicarious suspense factor now: will Qantas make our day, and actually come good on this, or are we all going to have to share the feeling of being let down?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Sadly the promised call by Erin did not eventuate as had been promised. This was to let me know if she had been successful in trying again for an Emirates lounge pass ( I had been subsequently told after the Wed phone call that they were unsuccessful in gaining access for my wife and I to the Dubai lounge but offered a 2 month extension to my Qantas Club membership.
Now in fairness it was good of them to offer but an image of Basil Fawlty popped up in my mind, with him saying in this situation " an extension of a membership service that I paid to use but am unable use for the purpose that I intended, I mean what is this be point !!!! However as this was only in my imagination I wondered if somehow a complimentary lounge pass could be provided for our use in CDG upon the way home ( given that QC reciprocation strangely is not available with Emirates or AA DESPITE flying on a Qantas code back home ! The whole point of this QC membership being to treat ourselves to this amenity as being part of our the holiday experience ( as opposed to extending a membership that after this experience we may never get the full benefit from ).
So today was going to be when I was going to be given a progress update...

I have to say though as an aside, what a great thing it is to be part of AFF , I defintely would not have got this far with Qantas without the resources of AFF .thank you for all your kind words and support. Who knows I still might end up with something that I would not have , had I just whinged to myself. I shall keep you updated if there is something to report , cheers

I simply don't think this is good enough.
I called QF out on this when the changes were first announced in July 14. I think that where customers booked a ticket which at the time of booking had lounge access then QF should honour this, end of story.
Batwoman has already posted a similar story to your own where the outcome of the complaint has been a letter from QF to admit her to the DXB lounge. Whether or not its successful remains to be seen but it's way beyond what they have offered you and I would be emailing and calling to let them know it.
Good luck and thanks for the updates

 

[maninblack]

I simply don't think this is good enough.
I called QF out on this when the changes were first announced in July 14. I think that where customers booked a ticket which at the time of booking had lounge access then QF should honour this, end of story.

I think this is probably unrealistic given who 'wears the pants' in the EK/QF marriage.

 

[eastwest101]

I think this is probably unrealistic given who 'wears the pants' in the EK/QF marriage.

Maybe so but its irrelevant whom 'wears the pants' in the case of obeying Australian consumer law, if the OP cared to take it all the way. I hope they do it to someone whom has the time and resources to take this all the way in the future, understand it may not be the OP, but pretty shabby treatment in my opinion, up there with the attempted stealthy removal of Chauffer Drive in LA....

 

[por930]

......... ( I had been subsequently told after the Wed phone call that they were unsuccessful in gaining access for my wife and I to the Dubai lounge but offered a 2 month extension to my Qantas Club membership.

........

Sorry to hear that Qantas did not come though for you. I liked your Basil story...(good job is was not Lufthansa...)maybe would have also been a 'Yes Minister' comment there somewhere. Its all well and good to get a two month extension to your Qantas Club Membership, but if its intention was for your European international holiday, well, then no much use then. If you traveled to the states, then the QF club works great with AA, and I am sure other places. Just seems the deal QF and EK worked out between them.
Saw AJ spruiking on TV how Qantas has never been in a better shape...A N D...how the relationships were between Qantas and their customers was excellent. Obviously, he never reads these forums.

I noticed since the AFF put this thread on their email (26/2/15) to all subscribers, the number of readers to this thread increased.

I do hope one day Roomer, as eastwest101 said, some one with the time and resources take on Qantas and other like them to the consumer courts, as this is a blatant, stuff you mate, we are bigger and have very deep pockets and we don't care....

Anyway mate, I hope some QFF Plat flyer is reading this and in the airports you need access to guest you in. You and your wife have a good holiday.

 

[turffy]

Sorry i can't offer a solution to your problem but am happy to fan the fire on the discussion on lack of service and value with QF.
A couple of years ago i booked a flight to London using QFF points on the QFF site, we ended up on a Cathay codeshare flight, economy to HK and business then to London.
Despite the fact that both my companion and i are Qantas Club members, that we booked using QFF points, that we booked on the QFF website we were denied access to the lounge prior to the flight.
The flight was late on a Saturday evening and there was only 1 other flight to leave - the airport was very quiet as was the lounge - we were told TOUGH LUCK also.

It was a bad start to the trip - it followed our check-in where Cathay did not honour what i was told on the phone when i took the trouble to check baggage allowance in advance - even though our second leg was business they insisted on charging us excess luggage for golf clubs - what really hurt was the based the rate on the 'list' one way economy fare from BNE to HK - just $4500 one way economy - despite the fact they were advertising return flights for $899 at the time.

Despite several attempts when i returned to get it reversed they to had no interest in providing customer service - again TOUGH LUCK.

Hope you can win the day with them - either way you will have a great holiday.