QF Club question [Access to Admiral's Clubs]

[Silvia]

Hi all, brief question.
My in laws have a QC membership, flying QF to DFW then AA to Mexico. I know they would be elegible to use the QF J lounge in Sydney, but would they be able to use any of the admirals lounges in DFW? I think their flight is AA coded and not QF (although all within the same booking), so just wanted to get any insight of people who have a QC membership.

Thanks in advance!

 

[eric2011]

It will depend on the class they are in

 

[Mac502]

Doesn’t matter what class they’re in - Qantas Club plus 1 guest get into Admirals clubs when flying on AA.

 

[serfty]

but they have to be on a QF codeshare.

That is indeed what the published rules state. Anecdotally, it seems not so in practice.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

They can access the DFW Admirals Club regardless of class flown.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

That is indeed what the published rules state. Anecdotally, it seems not so in practice.

Yep I yanked that response after researching..... didn't want to be accused of fake news.

 

[serfty]

Yep I yanked that response after researching..... didn't want to be accused of fake news.

The only mob to be accused of fake news here is Qantas.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

The only mob to be accused of fake news here is Qantas.

CNN and the New York Times on board soon?

 

[Mac502]

Which published rules? The Qantas site has always said Admirals club access if flying on AA...

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Which published rules? The Qantas site has always said Admirals club access if flying on AA...

This page infers you have to be flying on a QF/JQ flight number to access AA lounges:

Eligibility and access | Qantas

But the reality is that QF Club members have accessed AA lounges with AA flight numbers.

 

[Mac502]

That’s different to this page which is more relevant I think:

Partner lounges
When travelling with American Airlines, as a Qantas Club member you and a guest are welcome at American Airlines Admirals Club lounges. Simply present your Qantas Club card together with your boarding pass at the lounge reception. Both you and your guest need to be travelling together further that day on a flight marketed5 and operated by the partner airline whose lounge you wish to visit.

Has anyone been turned away with Qantas Club Membership? I never have at any Admiral’s club.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

That’s different to this page which is more relevant I think:

Hence the problem. Inconsistency delivering confusion.

 

[Silvia]

Hence the problem. Inconsistency delivering confusion.

Exactly, seems that if they go by the book, it should be extrictly QF coded flights, but guess may be just seeing what actually happens on the day.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Exactly, seems that if they go by the book, it should be extrictly QF coded flights, but guess may be just seeing what actually happens on the day.

There's a bit of history behind all of this which supports the [actual] position that QF Club gets you access to AA lounges. The history being that both QF Club and AAdmirals clubs were paid memberships, and they, along with British Airways Executive Clubs (also paid at one time) all enjoyed reciprocal access agreements, based on paid membership.

Since then BA's lounges have evolved and paid QF Club no longer gets access. And Qantas Club membership has also evolved... anyone with gold status or higher now gets complimentary QF Club membership. But the paid reciprocal arrangement part is still there, although not really widely published anymore, except ambiguously in the paragraph Mac502 posted.

Whether or not all AAdmirals Club staff appreciate that still, I don't know. But given the history, the reciprocal access is still there. Perhaps even the current staff working at QF and writing the lounge access rules aren't aware of the history, hence the confusion.

It was quite clear until recently when you could still buy 30 day AA club memberships ($99). These allowed access to QF Clubs based on the reciprocal arrangements. But again, as time passes, probably many QF/AA employees will start to forget.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Master FM has been living in the USA for 4 years now and has used his LTQC membership on many occasions to enter AA lounges and he hasn’t been travelling on codeshares. I hope it doesn’t change, as almost all the value of the life membership had eroded over the years! Although when I bought it I thought 10 years would make it worthwhile and he has had 12.