QF domestic lounges - less relevant nowadays?

[simongr]

HMm QC lounges. For me the QC was a real fight for status in my old organisation. I had paid Golden WIngs membership about 6 months before the collapse and I really miss the party pies and sausage rolls I used to have on a sunday night with an old work mate as we jetted off to exotic parts of Oz (well it was exotic fr me as I had only been in the country for about 6 months). After the collapse my flight patterns changed a bit and it was at the same time that the firm went through a cost cutting exercise....

However I then after a couple of years got my 3 years QC membership paid for - and left 6 months later

The brekkie flying to rural Oz was a godsend - mind you I really found Melb most crowded - I was always flying through melb at peak times though.

I had my first experience of international lounges recently and I was very disappointed. The Int'l Qantas lounge was less comfortable than the T3 QC....

However it is a godsend - a haven of quiet and ODU ability is critical

 

[Febs]

Can't say I agree Nightwatchman. Granted I'm new to the whole experience (so I don't know what it was like in the "good old days" ), but overall I think it's a worthwhile service (certainly worth the price once you're a Gold FF, anyway ).

The food may be limited and simple, but it's decent (unlike the expensive cough in the terminal, IMO), there's free grog, power points (invaluable if you have work to do), and a decent place to relax.

Gotta say I love the QP.

Internationally it is different - where showers are a godsend.

Oh yeah - absolutely.

Coffee ?!? Did they run out of beer ??!!??

Nice one.

queue for a beer and struggle to find somewhere to sit sometimes.

Try Launceston! Smallest QP I've ever seen (before we arrived my colleague described it as "a lounge and a coke machine" as a joke. He wasn't far off!). Mind you - the self-serve spirits and beer were a nice touch.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[serfty]

... Having said that, I do wish QF would improve the quality and range of the food it provides in lounges. Am I dreamin' or is my memory gone or was the food better in the Ansett Golden Wing Lounge?

Back in the mid 90's, toward the end of the two airline duopoly the catering for the Flight Deck/QP's and Golden Wings was an order of magnitude better than it is today. This is especially apparrent in in food and Wine.

This was paid for by air fares being a lot more expensive; i.e. back in the days when cheapest MEL-SYD fare was a "Super - Apex" return ticket costing ~ $250 with conditions like 3 week advance purchase, min 3 nights or a Saturday night stay etc.

FWIW, for 12-18 months after the demise of AN, the QP catering was MUCH worse than it is today.

 

[serfty]

... I had my first experience of international lounges recently and I was very disappointed. The Int'l Qantas lounge was less comfortable than the T3 QC....

Certainly the SYD Int'l J lounge is not up to scratch when compared with the Domestic QP. Before I became a QF WP last year; I would generally make a point of visiting the T3 QP for some Party Pies, HP's etc before heading off on the complimentary b*s to the T1 J lounge with its cold food and post mix VB's (yeacch!). :shock:

 

[coco50]

Febs says "try Launceston smallest QP" The QP at HNL is tiny when considering a fully loaded 743, but this pales by comparison to the shared Hibiscus Lounge at NOU when SB and QF both have departures. Phone boxes with coke machines is about the size of it:!:

 

[redrat]

Yes, I concur on the NOU lounge - tiny, hot & magazines all in French.

In fact I just sauntered across to the QF FC lounge in MEL to escape the crowded conditions in the Raffles lounge - another crowded place.

 

[NYCguy]

Back in the mid 90's, toward the end of the two airline duopoly the catering for the Flight Deck/QP's and Golden Wings was an order of magnitude better than it is today. This is especially apparrent in in food and Wine.

Damn straight! I really miss the GW lounges of the 1990's.

I also miss 3-class domestic trips. Bring back tablecloths and hot mid-morning snacks in the front cabin, I say!

 

[jakeseven7]

Try Launceston! Smallest QP I've ever seen (before we arrived my colleague described it as "a lounge and a coke machine" as a joke. He wasn't far off!). Mind you - the self-serve spirits and beer were a nice touch.

Cheers,
- Febs.

The Launceston QP is a funny little space isn't it! still comfortable and quiet, I love how you get buzzed in by the check in agent and the help yourself to whatever you want service! But anything is better than the Launceston domestic 'lounges'. Even sitting for one minute in the shared LST QF/JQ or DJ airside 'lounge' is guaranteeing you a sore back for a week. I've seen more comfortable bus stops.


Personally I couldn't live without the domestic QF pubs, the food is fine, love having fruit and toast and coffee for bfast and has improved over the last month - not sure the cause. They are only crowded at peak afternoon times - as is the whole airport, and after a hard day spending time with less than interesting business partners in a city far from home I relish the chance to get away from the seething massess eagerly waiting to get on to their annual flight to the GC whilst tending to 5 children under 5 screaming at regular intervals. Not to mention the 5000 PA announcents in the main terminal per minute.

 

[sammy]

After many years (as an expat) only using the international QCs, I was bowled over upon entering the Sydney domestic QC for the first time (a couple of years ago).
By comparison, the domestic lounge is luxuriously apointed and boasts some pretty good food.
I have to say that most of the time (internationally) I just don't bother to go to the QC any more. There is not much there, and its stuffed full of loud, obnoxious, beer swilling QC members, or gold frequent flyers. Often the company is really not suitable, especially if I am flying with my kids.
Getting slightly OT,
Why can't they have an actual business class lounge, for those who paid for business class seats? (Usually the extra for one flight costs more than a whole years QC membership).
I guess this will probably anger many regular posters on this board. But some of us would prefer a Qantas Club lounge that wasn't a Qantas Pub lounge....

 

[Alan in CBR]

I have to say that most of the time (internationally) I just don't bother to go to the QC any more. There is not much there, and its stuffed full of loud, obnoxious, beer swilling QC members, or gold frequent flyers.
...
Getting slightly OT,
Why can't they have an actual business class lounge, for those who paid for business class seats? (Usually the extra for one flight costs more than a whole years QC membership).
I guess this will probably anger many regular posters on this board. But some of us would prefer a Qantas Club lounge that wasn't a Qantas Pub lounge....

I'm not angry, but I am wondering how you know that the "obnoxious, beer swilling" patrons are QC members rather than Business Class passengers.

 

[acampbel]

I'm not angry, but I am wondering how you know that the "obnoxious, beer swilling" patrons are QC members rather than Business Class passengers.

Tut-tut, Alan. If the rest of us could bite our tongues and not rise to the bait, then why couldn't you? Now we will all feel obliged to defend our behaviour ... and if you travelled from Canberra on a Friday night you would know that it does resemble the six-o'clock swill.

So my only comment to Sammy would be that he is absolutely right - the QC after 5pm is a crowded place with scant attraction for those not taking part in the scrum for the bar and the blokey boasting about contracts closed and beauties bedded. Maybe Qantas could do more to provide a quiet area for wowsers and families .... you love kids, don't you????


Cheers,

Andrew

.

 

[Alan in CBR]

Tut-tut, Alan. If the rest of us could bite our tongues and not rise to the bait, then why couldn't you?

Sorry, momentary lapse of reason on my part. I forgot that last time I was in the SYD T1 Qantas Club I checked everyone's boarding pass. Everyone holding an Economy BP was swilling copious amounts of beer, while those booked in Business were sipping a soothing herbal tea infusion.

 

[SeatBackForward]

There's only one way to solve this. Everyone entering the QC who paid for their membership gets nothing, those who've earnt it get a "Back Stage Pass" and those who earnt it repeatedly get a laminated-lanyard equiped "Backer Stagier Pass".

That'll teach 'em!

 

[simongr]

Hmm what about those of us who have paid membership, have earnt it and are flying business class? Do we get a special lanyard too?

I dont see the distinction between paid QC membership and earned membership. Given its what $600 to join with one year fee? Tgtwfm will earn his QF SG after the following routing (J class) SYD-LAX-DFW-PIT-LGA-PIT-LGA, JFK-LHR-SYD (Y class) SYD-AKL-SYD. This has cost our business maybe A$15-20K (some of the routings were weird due to cancellations and redirections). In total that was about 50hours in the air - about 20 returns SYD-MEL.

How is that worth less than $600 paid by someone's company or paid personally with a tax deduction?

 

[SeatBackForward]

Hmm what about those of us who have paid membership, have earnt it and are flying business class? Do we get a special lanyard too?

There's suddenly three of you ?

You should know by now, that if you've paid for membership, then your membership gets suspended for the period that you've earned it.

If you've earned it AND travelling Business call...erm ok, a special lanyard with VIP emblazoned on it.

 

[simongr]

There's suddenly three of you ?

Only when claiming points

You should know by now, that if you've paid for membership, then your membership gets suspended for the period that you've earned it.

Darn - thought I could sneak that past Technically I do still have paid membership - its just resting.... the sweetest part of it is that after having been screwed over by my former employer before on QP membership I will still be using their paid membership 2 years after I left them

 

[Dave Noble]

I'm not angry, but I am wondering how you know that the "obnoxious, beer swilling" patrons are QC members rather than Business Class passengers.

Well, domestically, the business passenger who wasn't a QP member wouldnt have lounge access , so even the business passenger must have had QP membership and so can join in the beer swilling with the rest

Dave

 

[sammy]

Well, if you remember correctly, I was talking about the international lounge, not domestic.
Late at night (when I usually board, in both directions) there are not that many flights. Can't help but notice which way some people turn at the plane door (esp. the loud ones). Not making a big deal out of it.
Not a wowser, either. I don't mind a drink or two. But people often seize upon the free bar and drink like there's no tomorrow, trying to fit in as many as they can (even though they're free on the plane, too). After that, yes, they can be unpleasant to sit near (witness people discretely relocating).
Its just not cool.

 

[one9]

Technically I do still have paid membership - its just resting.... the sweetest part of it is that after having been screwed over by my former employer before on QP membership I will still be using their paid membership 2 years after I left them

Lucky you are not in the company I work for. If an employee requests for a membership to be paid (inc Qantas club) and then the employee leaves, the employee is required to pay back any unused membership to the company.

I don't know if it would be enforced all the time, but if the leaving was unpleasent, then it may be.

 

[Bolman]

We don't get offered QC membership. In fact, it is company policy for them not to pay for ours.

We can package it though, we also get a corporate discount - but back to the topic of - earned vs bought.... I know I have 'earned' mine - BUT the company paid for most of my flights... so techncially I haven't done anything except sit on my butt - but hey, what's new?