Qantas New Domestic Business Lounges

[QF009]

By the way, I have noticed a downgrade in Melbourne of Qantas Club facilities, I spoke to the lady doing the catering and she said they have reduced food quality/variety in Qantas Club so as to have a point of differentiation with the J lounge.

Instead of upgrading catering in the J lounge?? Unbelievable!
Has QF recently hired some former SQ bean counters or what?!

[ozscot]

It's been said before on another thread that the lounge is just a waiting room for public transport. I think it's just that, and there's not really anything to gain from agonising over QF's access policies.

I enjoy the lounge facilities and explicitly fly OW to maintain my access privileges and seating selections but I'm under no illusion it's some sort of up market sanctuary of calm.

You can get a beer and a shower. Get on line and sometimes get something decent to eat. You're still just sitting waiting for a plane though, and if the place is rammed with other people waiting for a plane, or kids playing in the aisles good on them. Under whatever policy or discretion QF has allowed them access so they've got every right to enjoy the facilities as the next person. Personally I'd much rather have kids running around me than self important twits yelling into their mobiles but YMMV - it's public transport so you're going to have to deal with the general public waiting for it.

Cheers,
Steve.

[garyjohn951]

It's been said before on another thread that the lounge is just a waiting room for public transport.
Cheers,
Steve.

I don't remember paying a $400+ to wait for the last bus or train I took

I would suggest the gate lounges are like a train waiting area, not the QC

[simongr]

Also I have never been offer Moet at the train station

[JohnK]

However, I was disappointed with the way our party was treated.

Interesting point about not allowed guests even though 3 of you were travelling business class. A couple of weeks ago I was at the counter in the SYD J lounge and a man walked up to the other end of the counter, produced his Platinum card and mentioned that there is also a Chairmans lounge on the way and there 7 of them alltogether. Not a word was said and they all got J lounge access.

[possumoz]

I was under the impression you were allowed one guest into the J lounge. I had no trouble taking a guest into both the SYD and BNE J lounges at the end of July. In fact we checked in together at the J lounge counter in SYD. I was in J my, friend wasn't, and there was no problem..apart from the sympathetic look from the check-in woman. But as I've said in other posts, i seem to have led a very charmed life flying Qantas compared to others..back to my own little world..

[dajop]

I would suggest the gate lounges are like a train waiting area, not the QC

Nah, gate lounges are a sanctuary of calm and quiet. Try them one day. Qantas Clubs' are just pubs/bars at an airport complete with door bouncers for those that operators don't deem fit for entry

[Lindsay Wilson]

QC staff don't make the rules, they enforce them - they make an access decision based on the Qantas Club policy (status and number of members allowed, giving some lattitude to family groups). They always retain the right to refuse entry for any number of good reasons (some of which I've even been at the other end of previously ).

I have always understood that it is the responsibility of parents to supervise their children in the QC. They have not transferred that responsibility to the QC staff to "babysit" their children when they pass through the QC door.

Should they abrogate their responsibility, one has to decide whether to first approach the parents (nicely asking them) to better supervise their children. If they fail in their duty, then I would have no hesitation in approaching the QC staff. I would expect others to do the same to me, if my 17 month old was not behaving or I wasn't meeting my parental role and responsibility to others.

Do unto others as you would wish done unto you....

[JohnK]

I was under the impression you were allowed one guest into the J lounge.

Is that one guest per day? I had no trouble bringing in 2 guests, at different times, to the J lounge. Not sure if anyone would have noticed, or even stopped me, from bringing in more guests. It is not easy to remember who has guested who into any lounge that is relatively busy....

[Lindsay Wilson]

Possumoz, the QC entry criteria, for all forms of QFF and QC membership, is here. As you are Platinum, it's 2 guests for QC (Domestic Lounges) but only 1 for International First & Business Lounges.

JohnK, an interesting point. A Platinum member can enter a Domestic Lounge with 2 guests and their card validity will be checked by the CSA on duty at the Reception Desk. If that same Plat was to exit and go back in with another 2 guests and if their card is checked by another CSA, then there may be the right to enter. Has been done before at SYD Domestic

At some point, I feel that QF will tighten security procedures and perhaps members will be scanned in (using card or BP reader) at entry and then a check can be performed that there is single entry per member. Of course, it is usually per flight, but some Plats have been known to stretch the system