Qantas New Domestic Business Lounges

[ejb]

To late! BNE Thurs evening - standing room only (as lots of seats in groups of 4 with 1 or 2 spare, people with bags on seats etc)

Hi,

(ready for abuse)

I propose they limit it to WP flying J.

ejb

[comint]

Do you think that paying Qantas Club members should have access to these new lounges?

In my mind, this question brings up another - Are paid up members getting value for money from the Qantas Club?

The answer depends on how much you pay for a Qantas Club membership. (As well as you flight frequency/destinations.)

If you pay list price, then most likely the answer is "no"... go and join Priority Pass / Virgin and stop flying Qantas.

If you pay a highly discounted corporate rate, of practically nothing, then "yes" you are probably getting value for money!

[simongr]

Just out of interest what are these highly discounted corporate rates of "practically nothing". I recall when I worked at a very large accounting firm we paid an annual membership of around $150. Now that isnt huge but at the same time it isn't nothing (admittedly my company then reimbursed me but that was because I was doing 20 flights per year).

I think a reason that QF wont introduce premium paid memberships to allow access to the DOM J lounge is that they will then get pressure from Corporates to give discounted memberships to that as well...

One thing still not addressed is how QF are avoiding the Business Class lounge access to non-QFF OWS...

[NM]

I didnt quite get this comment at first. Are you referring to the restriction to access the Flagship lounge only to pax in full fare F flying transatlantic and/or non-AA OWE?

AA has two levels of lounges, the AAdmirals Club lounge and the Flagship lounge. Admirals Club is available to:

• Paid AC members
• AA Plat and Exec plat status members with a OneWorld international flight on the same day
• OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald members with a OneWorld flight departure

The Flagship lounge is available to:

• Paid First Class passengers on Flagship service trans-continental flights
• AA Exec Platinum status members with a OneWorld international flight on the same day
• OneWorld Emerald members with a OneWorld flight departure

Of course there are very few Flagship Lounges remaining in the AA network.

[simongr]

The Flagship lounge is available to:

• Paid First Class passengers on Flagship service trans-continental flights

Only certain fare classes as well.

[codash1099]

Personally, I'm happy if QF keep all of those WP and J passengers out of our QP.

I didn't pay good money (well my company didn't) to BUY a life membership just to have to mix with people whose only qualification is actually flying.

Bring back Golden Wing with unrestricted entry!

[Danger]

I recall when I worked at a very large accounting firm we paid an annual membership of around $150.

And mine was only $205 through a company that probably did fly a lot but would have had less than 50 employees total.

It's these cheap-as-chips memberships that lead to such crowded Qantas Clubs.

[DTM1]

I didnt quite get this comment at first. Are you referring to the restriction to access the Flagship lounge only to pax in full fare F flying transatlantic and/or non-AA OWE?

my understanding was that Exec Plat AA (OWE) are also allowed acces to FS louges - am I wrong ? (I have only been in on basis of F trans-atlantic/WP status)


Ok, have now read NM's reply, so disregard the above.

That's perhaps why there are so few people in the ORD FS lounge, as they would only be non-AA OWEs and intnl flights (as no trans-con from there) - I have never seen more than 5 or 6 people there, although it does make for a nice lounge experience, particularly when compared to the AC.

[simongr]

Based on status EXP only allowed if they are on an international itinerary (international excludes Canada, Mexico and the Carribean).

[acampbel]

And mine was only $205 through a company that probably did fly a lot but would have had less than 50 employees total.

It's these cheap-as-chips memberships that lead to such crowded Qantas Clubs.

Oh - so you have a breakdown of QC customers between paid and un-paid, and also how much they paid?

I was on a $99 per annum rate until recently, but last year this was raised to $162.50 (the new low-water mark I believe) and out of a sense of honesty I transferred to my current company's program at $325. They then closed the program, tossing us out onto the street at the list price of $405.

For me dropping membership is not a viable option, and fortunately I have just qualified Gold so I can postpone the vendetta against my company to make them pay dearly for their despicable behaviour.

My point is that price is not such a big factor , and casual paid-up QC members (by definition) will not be there very often. The lounges are crowded due to the high number of "regulars" who will most like be Gold and above, and therefore non-financial.

I think the Business Lounges are designed to separate the Gold bludgers from the real CIPs (those flying Business or who regularly do so) and who gives a toss anyway as long as it reduces crowding?


Cheers,


Andrew


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