Survey re Premium/Standard Qantas Club Proposal

[serfty]

I received a Survey from Qantas this week regarding Qantas Clubs and Memberships.

It seemed they were looking at two different levels.

One option was:

Qantas Lounge Product description:
This Qantas Lounge product allows Qantas Frequent Flyer members to pay (either with cash or Qantas Points) for a one, two or four year membership which provides:
• Access to Qantas Club lounges when travelling within Australia
• Access to Qantas International Business lounges when travelling internationally
• Access to selected partner and associated lounges around the world
• Additional guest access each time you visit
• Additional baggage
• Access to Domestic On Departure Upgrade Rewards (last-minute upgrades)

A Basic Option was:

Qantas is looking to introduce a subscription Qantas Club membership model that provides greater flexibility and allows members to pay as they go and cancel at any time. Access will be provided to Qantas branded lounges only, for a period of 28 days with an auto-renew if not cancelled.

This membership would include the following benefits:
• Access to Qantas Club lounges when travelling within Australia
• Access to Qantas International Business lounges when travelling internationally.


This membership would not include:
• Access to selected partner and associated lounges around the world
• Additional guest access each time you visit
• Additional baggage allowance
• Access to Domestic On Departure Upgrade Rewards (last-minute upgrades)

 

[serfty]

I would find it interesting how they would treat SG / WP with such an arrangement.

 

[encryptededdy]

I think this would be better than the current arrangement of selling lounge passes

 

[bullerdude]

Seems clear they are looking to further monetise the QF Club lounges, beyond all the single access passes they have.

As long as they maintain/improve the benefits for the full paid annual membership, the new basis membership isn't that different to the basic membership you can get via Points Club Plus or from the single access passes.

 

[Daver6]

I wonder what a 28 day pass would cost? Given a single lounge visit seems to go for $50-$80, you'd imagine someone is going to use the lounge at least twice in a month for a single return trip. So for QF to see value in a pass, you'd think it would need to be north of $150/month. However, that's getting pretty pricey.

Make the monthly pass cheap and everyone is going to by a pass for when they travel. Can you imagine how much more of a zoo those lounges are going to be?

 

[ChrisMars]

With the end of status extension and end of reduced status credit required to requal, I could see the lounges getting quieter in 12/18 months, so not surprised qantas is looking at way to better utilize those lounges in the future.

 

[Ade]

Can you imagine how much more of a zoo those lounges are going to be?

The way I see it - this is a motivation to retain QFWP/OWE, so that one doesn't have to use QP or QF Intl. J lounge.

 

[DC3]

With the end of status extension and end of reduced status credit required to requal, I could see the lounges getting quieter in 12/18 months, so not surprised qantas is looking at way to better utilize those lounges in the future.

… not surprised qantas is looking at way to better utilize make more money from those lounges in the future.

 

[Lynda2475]

I would find it interesting how they would treat SG / WP with such an arrangement.

Given those are earned status' I would expect them to continue to have access.

 

[drron]

I would find it interesting how they would treat SG / WP with such an arrangement.

Or those of us that have LTQP.

 

[Traveller X]

How is option one different from Qantas gold?

One option was:
Qantas Lounge Product description:
This Qantas Lounge product allows Qantas Frequent Flyer members to pay (either with cash or Qantas Points) for a one, two or four year membership which provides:
• Access to Qantas Club lounges when travelling within Australia
• Access to Qantas International Business lounges when travelling internationally
• Access to selected partner and associated lounges around the world
• Additional guest access each time you visit
• Additional baggage
• Access to Domestic On Departure Upgrade Rewards (last-minute upgrades)

 

[cwd]

How is option one different from Qantas gold?

The big difference is the benefits only apply when flying QF (or AA if no change there). It can't be used when flying any oneworld airline.

 

[bPeteb]

How is option one different from Qantas gold?

No guesting, no additional luggage allowance

 

[levelnine]

No guesting, no additional luggage allowance

'• Additional guest access each time you visit
• Additional baggage'

As I correctly predicted in the thread about the new portal for one-time lounge access passes, Qantas is on a big drive to monetise their lounge offering and we're going to see more and more people be given the opportunity to pay to visit. An empty lounge seat is a wasted seat in management consultant (ie Qantas) world. If a casualty of this view is that the algorithm sometimes gets it wrong and allows in more people than seats, that's just a cost of doing business.

The biggest losers are WPs hoping to rely on LTG as their fallback — it will be a big shock to move back to the lower tier of lounges and realise they are little better (if not actually worse) than waiting in a restaurant/cafe/bar in the terminal.

 

[Borisdog]

.......

The biggest losers are WPs hoping to rely on LTG as their fallback — it will be a big shock to move back to the lower tier of lounges and realise they are little better (if not actually worse) than waiting in a restaurant/cafe/bar in the terminal.

And I'm only 1.5 years from that scenario.

Sob.

 

[tdimdad]

At this rate, if you lack access to domestic J lounge, QF terminal concourses will be the calm places to wait for your flight instead of queuing into your nearby QP...

 

[_TheTraveller_]

I wonder if this is part of the changes re the FFP. Some sweeteners for SG/WP to roll something like this out.

The premium option is de facto SG minus the priority check-in and OW lounge access. As a LTSG, I feel like this is a deval. I wonder how the pricing for this would be. It would be a steal for 1.5-2K if you fly enough.

Access to Domestic On Departure Upgrade Rewards (last-minute upgrades). Does anyone know what this entails?

 

[encryptededdy]

The premium option is de facto SG minus the priority check-in and OW lounge access. As a LTSG, I feel like this is a deval. I wonder how the pricing for this would be. It would be a steal for 1.5-2K if you fly enough.

The premium option is identical to a Qantas Club membership today, and costs significantly less than 1.5-2k.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

The premium option is identical to a Qantas Club membership today, and costs significantly less than 1.5-2k.

Ah my apologies then! For some reason I thought the QP membership was more akin to an Admirals Club membership where it was lounge access only.

 

[RichardMEL]

tbh I think this is a bit of a storm in a teacup. First, QF sends out these surveys every so often and nothing eventuates except a lot of speculation. Second, even if they do have some sort of subscription model for QP access.. what's the reality of massive numbers of people who would take it up in realistically? It may suit some with irregular schedules, or a block of travel that would make something like this a potentially economic idea vs a full membership etc.. but honestly.. would many casual flyers sign up for a month for aay a return trip somewhere and club access? Or rather how many? The actual extra numbers of pax in lounges at any one time are probably not going to be that significant - unless I'm massively underrating the desire for such a product.

Now, if dom J or F lounges were included - or available as a separate option - well I'm sure the pricing would not make it that worthwhile for most.

I just can't see how if anything like these proposals comes to pass that it would significantly change the (ahem) status quo.

my two cents