Qantas move to T1 in PVG.

[teamhamsandwich]

From AusBT - Qantas: new Shanghai flights, lounge in China Eastern alliance - Australian Business Traveller

Qantas has Shanghai in its sights as the airline makes a renewed push into the Chinese market with the help of China Eastern.First fruits of the new partnership include codesharing on China Eastern's double-daily Sydney–Shanghai and Melbourne–Shanghai flights from November 1st, 2015, with a raft on onwards connections to new destinations including Changchun, Jinan and Wuhan.

Qantas' own Sydney-Shanghai flights will shift to Terminal 1 at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which serves as home turf for China Eastern, to make those connections faster and easier.China Eastern is also building an all-new lounge at Terminal 1, which will open in late 2016, with the airline's current 'China Eastern Lounge 19B' – located on the lower level underneath boarding gate 19 – now available to eligible Qantas travellers.

"Our goal is to be the first choice for travel between Australia and China and customers will enjoy significant customer benefits as a result of the expanded partnership,"said Qantas International CEO Gareth Evans.“Aviation is opening up new travel and business opportunities at a time when the Australia-China relationship is more important than ever to both countries."The five-year alliance between Qantas and China Eastern can be considered as a Chinese equivalent of the Flying Kangaroo's partnerships with Emirates and American Airlines, helping the Aussie airline tap into the booming Chinese market including business travel to many 'second tier' cities which are hubs for manufacturing.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has previously highlighted the importance of such alliances, saying "We cannot fly to every destination in China.""However our deepened relationship with China Eastern supports our successful strategy to work with key partners around the world to offer the most comprehensive network and world class travel experiences for our customers."China Eastern is a Qantas Frequent Flyer airline partner, offering members frequent flyer points – although not status credits – when travelling on an MU flight number.Qantas says that its frequent flyers "will also have greater capacity to earn and redeem points as the partnership develops."


What an absolute joke. They are going from the woeful 69 lounge in T2, to the even worse 19B in T1. This is a terrible decision, and will probably tip me over to flying cx.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The broader problem is QF's service to the Chinese market. I'm not sure they quite understand it.

Qantas for example doesn't offer slippers in business class on flights to/from china - pretty much a standard service offering for Chinese and Japanese flights on other airlines.

 

[TonyHancock]

I'm a relative regular to PVG, 6-8 trips per year, but sadly QF doesn't really cut it on this route. I am MEL based so only have the MU codeshare if I want a direct flight.

My bookings are Y so the advantage with QF was the ability to use points for upgrades but this has been hit and miss with loadings. (A double miss on my last trip in August.)

The only benefit of Lounge 69, the current lounge used by QF, was its close proximity to the CX lounge, which in itself was not great but was certainly a cut above 69.

QF has a lot to learn if it wants to become a conduit to China but in the meantime when my points dry up at the end of the year I'll be moving to CX or SQ.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

QF has a lot to learn if it wants to become a conduit to China but in the meantime when my points dry up at the end of the year I'll be moving to CX or SQ.

CX Y is good for IFE and free exit rows (if oneworld ruby or above)... but the delays on the HKG-PVG corridor can be a major downside. SQ via SIN isn't conducive to sleep (but good points earning and easy award availability).

Air China is another option you might want to consider. With lead-in business class fares of just AUD3099 return, they are outstanding value. And their full flat beds are among the best out there. CA's business class fares can be little more than QF Y.

 

[TonyHancock]

CX Y is good for IFE and free exit rows (if oneworld ruby or above)... but the delays on the HKG-PVG corridor can be a major downside.

Im a OWE so the CX option helps with maintaining status. I'll probably go down the Y+ route to HKG.

SQ via SIN isn't conducive to sleep (but good points earning and easy award availability).

SQ has decent Y if you have no status. (i.e. VA Plat ) and the SC haul goes a quarter of the way to maintaining plat status with VA. (Agreed on not being conducive to sleep though.) I tried it a couple of times in 2014 and purchased bulkhead seats.

 

[ajw373]

The broader problem is QF's service to the Chinese market. I'm not sure they quite understand it.

Qantas for example doesn't offer slippers in business class on flights to/from china - pretty much a standard service offering for Chinese and Japanese flights on other airlines.

Fly SQ then, you get slippers and eye shades, but no amenity kit, which is a standard service offering on most other mid/long haul airlines world wide.

 

[moa999]

The only benefit of Lounge 69, the current lounge used by QF, was its close proximity to the CX lounge, which in itself was not great but was certainly a cut above 69.

Agree that CX was the better lounge in T2, albeit only just.

In T1 from reports I have read the MU lounge is pretty horrible, although a new much improved one is coming in late 2016.
T1 also houses the JL Business and First lounges which I would expect to be better - however they close at 1800 which isn't that useful for QF130 at 2005.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Fly SQ then, you get slippers and eye shades, but no amenity kit, which is a standard service offering on most other mid/long haul airlines world wide.

That's not the issue. QF issues socks rather than slippers on Chinese flights. It shows they do not understand the market as well as they might. They could easily swap the socks for the slippers, or add the slippers. Their choice, but it leaves some customers questioning why.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

In T1 from reports I have read the MU lounge is pretty horrible, although a new much improved one is coming in late 2016.

That's the thing with QF... always 'next year'. Although the current lounge offering at T2 is nothing special, at least you could use the CX lounge (a marked step up).

We 'might' get the new business suites by next year to PVG, and then we 'might' get a lounge in another 12 months. With fares hitting $8700 on some days for a Mark1 and T1 experience, it's hard to justify when SQ F is 'only' $7080.

 

[teamhamsandwich]

Agree that CX was the better lounge in T2, albeit only just.

In T1 from reports I have read the MU lounge is pretty horrible, although a new much improved one is coming in late 2016.
T1 also houses the JL Business and First lounges which I would expect to be better - however they close at 1800 which isn't that useful for QF130 at 2005.

I think there is only a JL business lounge in T1. I've never seen a first lounge. I will double check when I head through there again on Monday.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

What you be smokin' dere Gareth?

"Our goal is to be the first choice for travel between Australia and China and customers will enjoy significant customer benefits as a result of the expanded partnership,"said Qantas International CEO Gareth Evans.

 

[teamhamsandwich]

Well, I think this has finally tipped me over the edge to Cathay. The 19B lounge is a step down from an average lounge in terminal 2, to a dog's breakfast in terminal 1.

Why would I fly PVG>SYD>MEL and have access to a terrible pvg lounge, when I can fly Cathay and use Lounge 68 and The Pier or The Wing First in HK? Combine that with the coughpy old unrefurbed A320 with tiny screen you get on Qantas.... My god, what a terrible product.

I thought a bonus might be that I could use the JAL lounge in terminal 1, but it closes at 18:30 and QF130 flies out at 20:05.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Ain't that lounge a douzy? You gotta shake your head about this QF/MU tie up - did anybody from QF actually go and suss this out?

 

[TonyHancock]

Well, I think this has finally tipped me over the edge to Cathay. The 19B lounge is a step down from an average lounge in terminal 2, to a dog's breakfast in terminal 1.

Why would I fly PVG>SYD>MEL and have access to a terrible pvg lounge, when I can fly Cathay and use Lounge 68 and The Pier or The Wing First in HK? Combine that with the coughpy old unrefurbed A320 with tiny screen you get on Qantas.... My god, what a terrible product.

I thought a bonus might be that I could use the JAL lounge in terminal 1, but it closes at 18:30 and QF130 flies out at 20:05.

Indeed, couldn't agree more.

 

[moa999]

Team ham sandwich
QF is a 333 not a 320 and according to records 30 of the last 39 (so 77%) have been refurbs.
This percentage will go up further when QPF is completed.

Agree based on reviews the lounge is cough, but there is a new one on the way

 

[teamhamsandwich]

Team ham sandwich
QF is a 333 not a 320 and according to records 30 of the last 39 (so 77%) have been refurbs.
This percentage will go up further when QPF is completed.

Agree based on reviews the lounge is cough, but there is a new one on the way

Apologies. A bit of a typo with the plane type! I never seem to get a refurb one! The same old terrible blue seats in Y with a giant entertainment box under each seat.....

I did see a CL+P1 complaining at the state of the lounge to Qantas staff as well.

 

[nauta1]

I recently went through PVG T1 QF lounge, not nice, could even get a cold beer and the food was vert substandard, a big backward step from T2. Hope QF do something about it, as I have many more flights into PVG this year.

 

[moa999]

I recently went through PVG T1 QF lounge, not nice, could even get a cold beer and the food was vert substandard, a big backward step from T2. Hope QF do something about it, as I have many more flights into PVG this year.

Per
www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-new-shanghai-flights-lounge-in-china-eastern-alliance

A new lounge is under construction and will open later this year

 

[teamhamsandwich]

Back in the cr@p lounge tonight due to a work booked flight. Not even any wifi today as its out of order. No doubt I'll be kicking an entertainment box all the way to Sydney too. Anyone heard when the new lounge will open?

 

[moa999]

See if you can get an answer on the ground or find some signs of construction