QC Members to be redirected at SIN

[davidj]

I may have missed it but where is/was the QF statement that was issued/sent to their actual paying customers....

Exactly.. doesn't make sense. Why would they notify a blogger or random entity, yet leave their own customers in the dark?

I can't even see any such media release under the official channels Qantas News Room

Anyone on the ground can confirm this?

 

[Himeno]

My 2c is that we will see an extended lounge, with the extra space allowing creation of a dedicated area for F/CL (likely WP/OWE also, as that's the norm with QF, but it doesn't have to be that way) – perhaps a First 'wing' – but maintaining same service as current for J and down. The First 'room' wouldn't need to be in the new space, that could easily just extend general space while the new First facility could be carved out pretty much anywhere.

If they are looking at extending the lounge, one has to wonder what space it would be extended into. The only spaces around the lounge are airport offices and the TG lounge with SATS and BA on the other side of the corridor.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Exactly.. doesn't make sense. Why would they notify a blogger or random entity, yet leave their own customers in the dark?
I can't even see any such media release under the official channels Qantas News Room
Anyone on the ground can confirm this?

They might notify a blogger to help get the word out – I'd suggest they chose to notify Australian Business Traveller because we're the leading news site in our field with 800+k unique AU readers per month yada yada yada. I reckon that if Red Roo was still active on AFF they would probably have shared the same word here as well.

Companies (including airlines) will sometimes and for varying reasons issue a 'statement' directly to selected media & outlets rather than a 'media release', and I've taken the liberty of attached a screenshot of the one-page PDF statement we were sent.

As to why QF would 'leave customers in the dark' I can't answer that – it's a question for QF.

 

[DavidFlynn]

If they are looking at extending the lounge, one has to wonder what space it would be extended into. The only spaces around the lounge are airport offices and the TG lounge with SATS and BA on the other side of the corridor.

Well I'd suggest it ain't gonna be the BA or SATS lounge. There's also a large empty space when you come up the escalators and turn left to head to the lounge precinct – working from vague memory here as it's been a long while since I was in the QF SIN lounge, but does any of that present itself to a wall of the QF lounge which could be knocked down and see the lounge extended into this space?

 

[serfty]

does any of that present itself to a wall of the QF lounge which could be knocked down and see the lounge extended into this space?

Not really; from memory the QF lounge does not directly adjoin the open space much, if any.

 

[Himeno]

Well I'd suggest it ain't gonna be the BA or SATS lounge. There's also a large empty space when you come up the escalators and turn left to head to the lounge precinct – working from vague memory here as it's been a long while since I was in the QF SIN lounge, but does any of that present itself to a wall of the QF lounge which could be knocked down and see the lounge extended into this space?

The only space that has a wall with the QF lounge is the TG lounge.
There is a Burger King and the pay in Cactus Lounge 'behind' the BA lounge accessible via a different escalator. At the top of the escalator in the QF/BA/TG lounge area is an open space with airport provided seating that looks out over the apron.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Hmmm... well, QF tells me it's pretty much maxed out space within the lounge through the recent seating rejig so if it wishes for more room, then some form of expansion is the go... p'haps the airport offices may be relocated, then.

 

[Himeno]

Hmmm... well, QF tells me it's pretty much maxed out space within the lounge through the recent seating rejig so if it wishes for more room, then some form of expansion is the go... p'haps the airport offices may be relocated, then.

In that case, QF would expand to take over the corridor and back into the offices, creating a wall with the SATS lounge. The offices are at the end of the corridor past the QF lounge entrance and share a wall with the QF showers.

 

[kpc]

As to why QF would 'leave customers in the dark' I can't answer that – it's a question for QF.

I'll take a guess...it might cause a riot amongst their customers, and a huge backlash that might spill into the mainstream media...

 

[oz_mark]

Anyone on the ground can confirm this?

It's on the website: Lounge Locations | Singapore Changi International Airport | The Qantas Singapore Lounge

Important message regarding lounge access
Due to larger Qantas aircraft operating between Australia and Singapore in July and August 2018, the Qantas Singapore Lounge will experience higher demand than usual. As a result, it will be necessary for us to welcome some Qantas Club members into a partner lounge prior to your next flight from Singapore during this period. You will receive further correspondence about this change via email closer to your trip.

I'd expect that they will be emailing the affected customers as they say they will..

 

[GoldCanyon340]

I'll take a guess...it might cause a riot amongst their customers, and a huge backlash that might spill into the mainstream media...

It would/will. Not as much as the domestic thong backlash but there’d be a 24-hour News Corp bashing (ie. voice of the people), which of course would have been considered by Mascot. Not justifying it on either side, just assuming what will happen based on previous experience.

 

[dajop]

If they are looking at extending the lounge, one has to wonder what space it would be extended into. The only spaces around the lounge are airport offices and the TG lounge ...

No how's this for an idea ... Takeover (and refit) the TG lounge space and contract with TG to provide lounge services to their pax.

(I could then use QF lounge flying TG, and it would have to open earlier, so could also use for more 3K and MH flights )

 

[muppet]

.... [snip] I'd suggest they chose to notify Australian Business Traveller because we're the leading news site (not a blog) in our field with 800+k unique AU readers per month yada yada yada. [/snip] ....

Your site produces interesting travel related reviews and re-worded media releases. It's a blog mate.

News involves investigation, journalism, professional voice. Your articles really embody the writer's personality. That makes it much more opinion and commentary, and much less news.

That being said, I view it every week without fail - I'm definitely one of the 800k.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Hey Muppet, thanks for being one of the 800k

The whole 'what is a blog?' issue is a broad one and turns on a slew of considerations. I'll say up front that the examples you cited ("interesting travel related reviews and re-worded media releases") apply equally to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph when you consider those books in full including sections.

Some of the issues tossed around in determining blog or non-blog include staffing (part-time hobby vs full-time gig; self-employed vs working for a company; number of employees), style of content (generally subjective vs objective; does it follow journalistic process) and in some discussions even layout (post-based in chronological order vs a more ‘multi-story’ home page) can come into it. There's no clear-cut answer, and indeed some very professional websites happily embrace the 'blog' tag. I suppose my background being print journalism makes me a bit more old-school and less embracing of the blog tag. Anyway, don't want to detour this thread so happy to compare definitions over a coughtail at the SIN lounge sometime

 

[JohnK]

No how's this for an idea ... Takeover (and refit) the TG lounge space and contract with TG to provide lounge services to their pax.

(I could then use QF lounge flying TG, and it would have to open earlier, so could also use for more 3K and MH flights )

Or offer to take over the TG lounge and build a new TG lounge in the open space at the top of the escalator?

 

[Quickstatus]

Exactly.. doesn't make sense. Why would they notify a blogger or random entity, yet leave their own customers in the dark?

Because this is not a good news announcement for those affected so QF sneaks the news out through channels/surrogates who are niche in their reach hoping that any negative commentary is limited to those channels
(Compare the approx 10million QF FF membership with the 800k online channel like AusBT)


I suspect affected QC members will be sprung the news at the last moment after they have made their booking

 

[Vim Fuego]

As a QC they've changed the lounge details on my booking (Sin - Perth) to the SAT lounge on the 18th September, no official notice received.

 

[grrofunger]

Can confirm this is happening.

Happened to me last week.

Got an email the night before the flight.

Got denied access at the entry to the Qantas Lounge (rather rudely) and pushed off to the rather average SATS lounge.

Did however get the 5000 points for the inconvenience posted very quickly - pretty much the same time as the flights credited.

 

[yld200]

My wife just flew MEL-SIN-LHR on QF37>QF1 and was allowed access as a PS with an electronic pass. She wasn't intending to use the lounge but since QF1 was delayed out of SYD by 3 hours she thought she'd try. She couldn't do it online before the flight so she just went up to the lounge dragon and asked. They let her in and took her QFF number to manually remove the lounge invite from her account which is still showing as available and active on her account despite the flight being on Saturday .

The lounge may not have been that busy at that time and she just got lucky.

 

[sudoer]

They let her in and took her QFF number to manually remove the lounge invite from her account which is still showing as available and active on her account despite the flight being on Saturday

I'd be attaching that pass to another upcoming flight if you're able to!