Qantas Club members' lounge access in continental Europe decimated by EK deal

timster · Mar 25, 2013

Over the last several decades of Qantas Club membership I have probably spent as much time in partner lounges as I have in Qantas-operated lounges. This has particularly been in continental Europe, where I have probably been in 20 different BA lounges. From April, that will no longer be possible, as EK are not offering equivalent access to their continental European lounges to QP members. Even in London, QP members will only have lounge access when flying outbound to DXB with QF/EK. Previously they had access to a BA lounge when transitting onward INTO Europe as well (in addition of course to the now-gone outbound flights via Asia). Granted BA had been playing hardball more often in recent years, and with an increasing number of third-party lounges, but even by the letter of their more recent 'law', the BA lounge access rights were considerably greater than those offered after April by EK. The value of QP membership to Aust-Europe travellers has been greatly reduced by the EK deal and the windup of the BA JSA. If EK are unwilling to offer this access, then Qantas should provide it via a third-party lounge operator. Not happy. See Eligibility and Access to The Qantas Club Lounges | Qantas

Robert K · Mar 25, 2013

fly a bit more and reach gold, and then you won't have this problem~

bobe · Mar 25, 2013

Pu Koh said:
fly a bit more and reach gold, and then you won't have this problem~

Dont have to be smart ...

That is unhelpful post ...

Deleted member · Mar 25, 2013

bobe said:
Dont have to be smart ...

That is unhelpful post ...

He has a point, it is after all a FREQUENT flier lounge

Brettmcg · Mar 25, 2013

GPH said:
He has a point, it is after all a FREQUENT flier lounge

In reality though the Qantas Club ISN'T a Frequent Flyer lounge, at least anymore. It is an airport lounge for which membership can be purchased by any Tom, Dick or Harry. I guess the issue is that the Emirates Lounges truly ARE FF lounges and entry cannot be purchased - an aspect on which they presumably weren't prepared to compromise. With EK serving most of QFs European destinations and them having an extensive network of FF lounges in these locations QF can now end any (expensive) agreements they have with other airlines for the Associated Lounges.

At the end of the day you'll need to fly enough to be SG or WP if you want access in locations other than those served by a QP. Sure it is a pain for those who have had their existing QP memberships "enhanced", but these kinds of changes are made from time to time and in many cases have been even more severe for those who fly more than most (cf. removal of Anytime Access). Unfortunately it's just the nature of the beast.

simongr · Mar 25, 2013

If you aren't flying enough to hit OWS and are paying for QP membership maybe it is time to rethink paying for QP and buying priority pass or equivalent for your int'l trips?

Fruitcake · Mar 25, 2013

Brettmcg said:
In reality though the Qantas Club ISN'T a Frequent Flyer lounge, at least anymore. It is an airport lounge for which membership can be purchased by any Tom, Dick or Harry.

I think you'll find the Qantas Club was a paid-in members only lounge long before it became a frequent flyers lounge

.

Hvr · Mar 25, 2013

Fruitcake said:
I think you'll find the Qantas Club was a paid-in members only lounge long before it became a frequent flyers lounge .

Indeed it was and if you were relying on your paid membership to access these previously available lounges I can understand why you would feel upset.

Ansett · Mar 25, 2013

Pu Koh said:
fly a bit more and reach gold, and then you won't have this problem~

Your response is some what arrogant the OP was stating that his benifits under the BA JSA as a Qantas Club PAID member has now been diluted. This devalues Qantas club membership,

Im sure that if the OP was able to reach Gold he wouldnt be buying Qantas Club Membership.

Yes sure he could buy other lounge memberships BUT how would this benifit QF, and ensure that those who want to be loya,l but dont travel enough to gain Gold would remain flying with QF surely if it was me I would then look for the Best option in terms of price and timing as Loyalty to any airline no longer matters.

how is that good for anyone?

I admire people that pay for Qantas Club membership to enjoy benifits that many of us get for free and still complain about.

It has to be said that the new JSA with EK certainly discourages loyalty from what would be a considerable number of flyers. All be it they are not gold or platinum.

If the QF Club was not being subsidised by those willing to pay for the privelidge would it be the same.

Oh and I hope that you are never in the position of not reaching Gold and have to slum it with the unwashed as I assume you wouldnt buy a QF Club membership if you couldnt make Gold.

Please respect those that are willing to pay for what you get free.

opusman · Mar 25, 2013

If the OP is Europe-based (which is my assumption from the details in the post) then obtaining QF status is difficult due to the need for ~~~~.

trooper · Mar 25, 2013

While I have no dog in this particular fight... and in fact get my lounge access on a different alliance.. I have to say...

If it is arrogant to suggest "flying more" for QP members... then surely it is JUST as arrogant to suggest Gold level flyers get lounge access "for free".

I am a recreational-only traveller. Every flight I do I pay for out of my own pocket.... so after all my efforts (and costs) to obtain and retain status based lounge access.. PLEASE don't tell me I get it "free"!!!

medhead · Mar 25, 2013

timster said:
Previously they had access to a BA lounge when transitting onward INTO Europe as well (in addition of course to the now-gone outbound flights via Asia).

Lounge access in London transiting into Europe is now kind of irrelevant. The new partnership will mostly see you flying direct to that final european destination via DXB where there is lounge access.

GPH said:
He has a point, it is after all a FREQUENT flier lounge

Brettmcg said:
In reality though the Qantas Club ISN'T a Frequent Flyer lounge, at least anymore.

What he said below: it never was and still isn't a frequent flyer lounge. Frequent flyers are given complimentary membership of the paid lounge. In addition the Qantas Club may not have been a success without the support of those paying members in the early days. As such it may not still exist for frequent flyers without paid members.

Fruitcake said:
I think you'll find the Qantas Club was a paid-in members only lounge long before it became a frequent flyers lounge .

medhead · Mar 25, 2013

trooper said:
I am a recreational-only traveller. Every flight I do I pay for out of my own pocket.... so after all my efforts (and costs) to obtain and retain status based lounge access.. PLEASE don't tell me I get it "free"!!!

Umm do you fly to get complimentary lounge access? or do you fly for other reasons? Bit of a hole in your statement about efforts and costs, surely the lounge access is a by product of your flying not the ends to the flying.

Ansett · Mar 25, 2013

trooper said:
While I have no dog in this particular fight... and in fact get my lounge access on a different alliance.. I have to say...

If it is arrogant to suggest "flying more" for QP members... then surely it is JUST as arrogant to suggest Gold level flyers get lounge access "for free".

I am a recreational-only traveller. Every flight I do I pay for out of my own pocket.... so after all my efforts (and costs) to obtain and retain status based lounge access.. PLEASE don't tell me I get it "free"!!!

Trooper I made QF Platinum in 6 weeks using my own money and no double status credits so understand about entitlements of status what I find arrogant is the assumption that the OP should have to fly more to get the lounge when their is an option for him to get access by paying and dare I say it again subsidise those of us that get for free or as a benifit of flying frequently.

bobe · Mar 25, 2013

Great post

ansett said:
your response is some what arrogant the op was stating that his benifits under the ba jsa as a qantas club paid member has now been diluted. This devalues qantas club membership,

im sure that if the op was able to reach gold he wouldnt be buying qantas club membership.

Yes sure he could buy other lounge memberships but how would this benifit qf, and ensure that those who want to be loya,l but dont travel enough to gain gold would remain flying with qf surely if it was me i would then look for the best option in terms of price and timing as loyalty to any airline no longer matters.

How is that good for anyone?

I admire people that pay for qantas club membership to enjoy benifits that many of us get for free and still complain about.

It has to be said that the new jsa with ek certainly discourages loyalty from what would be a considerable number of flyers. All be it they are not gold or platinum.

If the qf club was not being subsidised by those willing to pay for the privelidge would it be the same.

Oh and i hope that you are never in the position of not reaching gold and have to slum it with the unwashed as i assume you wouldnt buy a qf club membership if you couldnt make gold.

Please respect those that are willing to pay for what you get free.

BD1959 · Mar 25, 2013

Brettmcg said:
At the end of the day you'll need to fly enough to have OWS or OWE if you want access in locations other than those served by a QP. Sure it is a pain for those who have had their existing QP memberships "enhanced", but these kinds of changes are made from time to time and in many cases have been even more severe for those who fly more than most (cf. removal of Anytime Access). Unfortunately it's just the nature of the beast.

It's late and I may have misread this but I'm not sure that what is being said here with respect to OWS or OWE - or at least the implication - is correct.

The general hypothesis is that:

1) For Central Europe, some of Africa and the Middle East, you no longer have to transit via LHR and use BA from/to LHR
2) The QF/EK tie-up offers the same level of benefit as QF/BA did

Reading that QF cheat-sheet seems to suggest that you must be QF Gold or Plat to access EK Lounges in Europe/ME/Africa when travelling on EK/QF flight numbers - and the OWE and OWS have access ay DXB only and then must be travelling on the QF operated and number flight. Nada for OWE and OWS in Europe under this agreement.

Regards,

BD

Brettmcg · Mar 26, 2013

BD1959 said:
Reading that QF cheat-sheet seems to suggest that you must be QF Gold or Plat to access EK Lounges in Europe/ME/Africa when travelling on EK/QF flight numbers - and the OWE and OWS have access ay DXB only and then must be travelling on the QF operated and number flight. Nada for OWE and OWS in Europe under this agreement.

Yes, based on that cheat-sheet you are absolutely right (I've updated my post to reflect that).

Deleted member · Mar 27, 2013

medhead said:
Lounge access in London transiting into Europe is now kind of irrelevant. The new partnership will mostly see you flying direct to that final european destination via DXB where there is lounge access.

What he said below: it never was and still isn't a frequent flyer lounge. Frequent flyers are given complimentary membership of the paid lounge. In addition the Qantas Club may not have been a success without the support of those paying members in the early days. As such it may not still exist for frequent flyers without paid members.

Fair point.

tyrolean · Mar 27, 2013

BD1959 said:
It's late and I may have misread this but I'm not sure that what is being said here with respect to OWS or OWE - or at least the implication - is correct.

The general hypothesis is that:

1) For Central Europe, some of Africa and the Middle East, you no longer have to transit via LHR and use BA from/to LHR
2) The QF/EK tie-up offers the same level of benefit as QF/BA did

Reading that QF cheat-sheet seems to suggest that you must be QF Gold or Plat to access EK Lounges in Europe/ME/Africa when travelling on EK/QF flight numbers - and the OWE and OWS have access ay DXB only and then must be travelling on the QF operated and number flight. Nada for OWE and OWS in Europe under this agreement.

Regards,

BD

Until Fools-Day you could access a lounge in every port when you flew EU-LHR-SIN-AU holding a QF-Club or Oneworld status.

Now you fly EU-DXB-AU and you have no access to a Lounge in all EU ports.
So this is clearly an other devaluation after the culling of the general BA lounge access.

The "Fly more" suggestion is arrogant!

I would suggest to check other airlines. Some offer quite nice Business Class deals! Build a status with an other alliance/airline may not do the trick - OP has not reached a status with QF - so likely it would be very hard to get a status with an other airline.

But wait: Within *A there are quite nice options with a *G Status. Aegean comes to my mind. Just one AU-EU trip booked in the right booking classes gives you access to all *A Lounges! You may consider that!
If QF does clearly tell you that they do not want your business: Do not cry - move on!

moa999 · Mar 27, 2013

Getting back on topic.
Qantas Club access in Europe had already been decimated prior to the EK deal.

It is worth noting that BA (unlike AA) does not offer a paid lounge program at all, and neither as I understand does EK. I also note the program is the Qantas Club program not Qantas, BA and AA.

Qantas Club members' lounge access in continental Europe decimated by EK deal

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