QF do not want you using the EK lounge (for QF flight)!

[Pleb Status]

I am currently sipping on the Moet in the EK AKL lounge waiting for my QF flight back to PER to depart. It is interesting to note however that QF will do everything in their power (plainly just lie to you) to stop you using the EK lounge for a QF flight.

When I departed PER to fly to AKL, I enquired at the PER QP if the EK lounge was open at that time (it was still pretty early for EK421) and was told it was not. The QP lounge manager asked why and I stated that I would like to give the newish PER EK lounge a try (and the QP is pretty poor).

She clearly stated that I would not be able to access the EK lounge even if it was open, as I was only a QF LTG travelling in J on a QF flight (EK do also codeshare on it however). I told her that she was incorrect but, as the EK lounge was closed, I would not argue the point any further. I did note to her that I will give the EK lounge in AKL a try over the QF lounge and her response to that was 'does QF have a lounge in AKL?'...

Fast forward to today and I had to make a brief stopover at the AKL QP for a paperwork change (FF number). When the front desk wanted to scan me in, I stated not to bother as I was heading off to the EK lounge next door. He again stated that a QF LTG travelling in J on a QF flight would not be allowed access to the EK lounge and that he would 'see me again in a few minutes'.

Rocked up to the EK lounge and breezed straight in. I might give the QF front desk a 'single finger wave' as I pass by when it is time to depart...

 

[Pushka]

Sometimes there are lots of issues getting into the EK lounge in AKL so don’t do the finger or that may come back to haunt you.

 

[laffer]

Haha. The idea of you sipping and saluting made me laugh.

 

[kermatu]

Sometimes there are lots of issues getting into the EK lounge in AKL so don’t do the finger or that may come back to haunt you.

Not to mention morning flights will see QF as the only option. Roughly one in three of my departures ex-AKL would be morning, so I keep on the QF good side. Lucky they always look after me very well, and I've also never been denied entry to EK.

 

[Pleb Status]

I decided to take 'the high road' upon departure...

Just do not lie to your customers QF and do not make matters worse by compounding those lies with smart ar$e comments...

 

[JohnPhelan]

I decided to take 'the high road' upon departure...

Just do not lie to your customers QF and do not make matters worse by compounding those lies with smart ar$e comments...

Whilst the lounge desk staff are in fact representing QF (of course), it's overblowing it to suggest that "Qantas is lying". Of course it's very poor form, but VERY common for any airline's lounge or check-in staff to not understand the access rules for other lounges for their own passengers - even ones in the same alliance.

The lounge staff in your example are wrong, mistaken, ill-informed, whatever you want to call it - but to say they are lying means that they are deliberately telling you something which they know to be untrue - and that won't be the case.

 

[RichardMEL]

The cynic cuggests "they" (the company) may not want you using an EK lounge as they pay for it if you're flying on QF (I'm pretty sure) but the desk staff probably could care less about that aspect and were misinformed and probably felt they were doing you a service by saying you wouldn't get let in if they believed that.

This is hardly the first time agents have not been clear on access rules, specially for lounges they don't operate....

 

[Deleted member]

Whilst the lounge desk staff are in fact representing QF (of course), it's overblowing it to suggest that "Qantas is lying". Of course it's very poor form, but VERY common for any airline's lounge or check-in staff to not understand the access rules for other lounges for their own passengers - even ones in the same alliance.

The lounge staff in your example are wrong, mistaken, ill-informed, whatever you want to call it - but to say they are lying means that they are deliberately telling you something which they know to be untrue - and that won't be the case.

If it looks like a Duck, and walks like a Duck.....

 

[mannej]

Whilst the lounge desk staff are in fact representing QF (of course), it's overblowing it to suggest that "Qantas is lying". Of course it's very poor form, but VERY common for any airline's lounge or check-in staff to not understand the access rules for other lounges for their own passengers - even ones in the same alliance.

The lounge staff in your example are wrong, mistaken, ill-informed, whatever you want to call it - but to say they are lying means that they are deliberately telling you something which they know to be untrue - and that won't be the case.

It is not unknown for these staff to make up "little white lies" in order to fob customers off (i.e seat changes).

It is a bit hard to say either way if this is the case here or not, but I am not so sure it can be dismissed outright as not a lie.

 

[RichardMEL]

If it looks like a Duck, and walks like a Duck.....

Then go with poorly trained Donald rather than sarcastic possibly coniving Daffy any day.

Remember QF agents would have little reason to be fully aware of EK lounge entry requirements. I imagine not too many are aware of the elite status rule for entry to EK lounges when flying QF (apart from EK elites probably) let alone ask about it.

I'll go with a lack of malance in this situation.

To me this is akin to those people that whine that airline X "lied" to them about some sort of issue and in the wash up it turns out they didn't have enough/all the info at the time when a statement was made - they were going off the best they had at the time.

Now I would think in the instance of the QF lounge, it possibly wouldn't go astray to ask "Can you just look it up and confirm for me what the current rules are?" as a subtle hint to "hey find out for me don't just say what you THINK the answer is" - but using the word "current" is saying "Hey maybe the rule changed so what is the rule now" thus not directly accusing the staff of anything.

Still, if you want to think they're lying to you then that's your right. Only the indivduals involved know for sure.

 

[Pleb Status]

The lounge staff in your example are wrong, mistaken, ill-informed, whatever you want to call it - but to say they are lying means that they are deliberately telling you something which they know to be untrue - and that won't be the case.

At no time did I solicit the opinion of the QF lounge staff on my eligibility for EK lounge access (I knew I was eligible thanks to the AFF group experience so there was no need to ask).

On both occasions, the QF lounge staff just thrust their 'wrong, mistaken and/or ill informed' opinion upon me. If someone going to 'correct' a customer, they would want to be sure they are actually correct or they have another agenda.

I suppose I cannot be too hard on them however, as one QF CSR (NZ based?) this morning advised that EK was a member of OW (but leaving in the near future?) and another QF CSR (Manilla?) advised that a trans tasman flight was a 'domestic' flight... I would actually struggle to make this stuff up!

 

[cmon0005]

The EK AKL supposedly has capacity issues and routinely direct people back to the qf lounge. I have had this happen to me. Though the QF AKL F lounge is small it is still good.

 

[Kangol]

The lounge staff in your example are wrong, mistaken, ill-informed, whatever you want to call it - but to say they are lying means that they are deliberately telling you something which they know to be untrue - and that won't be the case.

lie
lʌɪ/
noun
noun: lie; plural noun: lies
1.
an intentionally false statement.

They intended to make the statement and the statement is false.

Intentions aside, a non-truth is exactly that. If a staff member in a service industry does not know their statement is false, or has no ability nor intention to seek the truth with complete transparency, that is an even greater problem.

 

[Must...Fly!]

FWIW the knowledge here is several times greater than in your average ground staff member of any airline, when it comes to this sort of stuff.

Source: When I was in that role, it amused me how little my colleagues knew. Or insisted they knew...

 

[Tazza_0712]

Qantas lounge staff shouldn’t be commenting on access rights, with attitude no less, if they’re lacking that specific knowledge. They’re plainly in the wrong here.

If I were the agent, I’d:
A) know the ins and outs of my job
B) at any given moment, be prepared to find out the information I’m lacking to ensure that my customer is not inconvenienced in any way

For some reason, customer service has fallen by the way side these days and I find myself wondering when receiving good “customer service” became the exception and not the rule.

 

[JohnK]

It's not up to Qantas staff to tell you which lounge you can visit. They can advise but cannot restrict if you are entitled to visit.

 

[mannej]

It's not up to Qantas staff to tell you which lounge you can visit. They can advise but cannot restrict if you are entitled to visit.

Well technically they can restrict entry, but it wouldn’t be the norm...

 

[JohnK]

Well technically they can restrict entry, but it wouldn’t be the norm...

Emirates can restrict entry to their lounges like they did at BNE for a while but it won't be Qantas staff doing the restricting. I wouldn't be taking their word for it anyway.

 

[Deleted member]

The EK AKL supposedly has capacity issues and routinely direct people back to the qf lounge. I have had this happen to me. Though the QF AKL F lounge is small it is still good.

But not as good (IMHO) as the AKL EK lounge.

 

[Deleted member]

Then go with poorly trained Donald rather than sarcastic possibly coniving Daffy any day.

Remember QF agents would have little reason to be fully aware of EK lounge entry requirements. I imagine not too many are aware of the elite status rule for entry to EK lounges when flying QF (apart from EK elites probably) let alone ask about it.

I'll go with a lack of malance in this situation.

To me this is akin to those people that whine that airline X "lied" to them about some sort of issue and in the wash up it turns out they didn't have enough/all the info at the time when a statement was made - they were going off the best they had at the time.

Now I would think in the instance of the QF lounge, it possibly wouldn't go astray to ask "Can you just look it up and confirm for me what the current rules are?" as a subtle hint to "hey find out for me don't just say what you THINK the answer is" - but using the word "current" is saying "Hey maybe the rule changed so what is the rule now" thus not directly accusing the staff of anything.

Still, if you want to think they're lying to you then that's your right. Only the indivduals involved know for sure.

I have only been a contributor to AFF for only a few short ( 6 ) Years now. In that time I have seen a number of threads dedicated to advice on how to conquer the gate keepers at many (QF and other) airline lounges around the world, who swear black and blue that the pax does not have right of access. Then the pax concerned produces the T&C,s (printed out and carried on the advice of others here), and they (the longe staff) finally relent. But it doesn’t stop them from continuing the practice. So whilst in my personal experience, the number of “lies” told to me is by lounge staff is small. ( I am routinely told untruths about access in my home port of BNE) there are numerous examples of this kind of behaviour across the network.
However I will take on board your assertion that onl6 those on the day know what they do and don’t know as the truth and withdraw my reference to ducks.