Arrivals Access to DOM J Lounges and QPs - QF needs to update staff on policy!

[beardoc]

A conversation I had yesterday. I often fly into various airports and access the QP or the J Lounges on arrival. Yesterday, I had this conversation at the Sydney T3 J Lounge after flying TMW-SYD and handed my card over for entry:

"You're flying to TMW - you know that that flight departs from Terminal 2?"
"No, I just flew in from TMW. I'm using Arrivals Access."
"Well, this lounge is more of a departures lounge."
"I understand that I am entitled to use the lounge on landing as a benefits of my Platinum Frequent Flyer status - it's a specific benefit for Platinum Frequent Flyers that is listed on the website."
"I think that's more for International Lounges. This is a Domestic Lounge, and it's normally a departures lounge."
"I do assure you that I'm allowed to enter the lounge on arrival as a benefit of Platinum Status."
"This is a Departure Lounge, it's not meant for arrivals. But you can go in this time only."

I didn't argue it any further, but I hate that the staff at the desk seem to think they are doing me a favour by allowing me into the Lounge and lecturing me about how I'm not entitled, when I'm certainly entitled. On other times I've had to argue it a little more strenuously and pull out my phone and browse the QANTAS website before they'll let me in after flying on a QF flight.

I have these sorts of conversations all the time - in MEL, SYD and DRW particularly in my experience.

I have started feeding back my experiences to QF but am wondering, does anyone else get this sort of grief with arrivals access? It seems this benefit is not well understood by QF staff in the lounge - and it's probably something that QF could educate staff about. What are the experiences of the AFF board here with Arrivals access?

 

[Heleigh]

To date no one has stopped me, just held up WP card or ticket as I walk by.

Sometimes they have a should I or shouldn't I ask to see ticket look but never ask.

 

[kpc]

Maybe you should just print this page off and show it to desk staff if challenged:
Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Platinum Benefits - Platinum

I just flash my QF Plat card and walk in...has worked so far

 

[The Rok]

Can anyone guess what the next "enhancement" will be?

 

[medhead]

I've never had any problems with SYD T3, well the QC did direct me to the J lounge once. I've done arrivals in ADL a couple of times and they seem a bit confused, but don't really argue if I hold up a BP.

 

[Mal]

I rarely bother with the staff. If you look like you shouldn't be there, then people ask questions.

Confidently walk past with boarding pass in the air, or Plat card and just walk in. If they call you over, deal with it then.

 

[LiamR]

I've never had a problem, like others have said, I just hold up my card to show them as I walk by. Rarely get pulled over for further questioning.

 

[The Rok]

I rarely bother with the staff. If you look like you shouldn't be there, then people ask questions.

Confidently walk past with boarding pass in the air, or Plat card and just walk in. If they call you over, deal with it then.

So its more as case of YSKWIA (You Should Know Who I Am)

 

[The Rok]

Rarely get pulled over for further questioning.

Ha ha, pulled over for further questioning, I like it.

Lounge Dragon - License & registration please sir!

Passenger - Do you mean Passport & Boarding Pass?

 

[Mal]

So its more as case of YSKWIA (You Should Know Who I Am)

The thing is that "They do know who I am".

The quickest way to the bar doesn't involve spending 5 mins arguing whether you should be there or not!

 

[LiamR]

Ha ha, pulled over for further questioning, I like it.

Lounge Dragon - License & registration please sir!

Passenger - Do you mean Passport & Boarding Pass?

Pretty much, it's like an RBT or the Explosive Trace Detection test, you can kind of tell who's going to get pulled up.

On a slightly Off Topic note, does anybody else find Melbourne J Lounge staff to be the most arrogant lounge dragons out of all J Lounges? Or do they just hate me?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Is this the face of an enchanced lounge dragon???

 

[beardoc]

Judging from this thread, I'm doing the wrong thing - I approach the desk and hand them my card for access, rather than just walking in.

As someone that uses the card for boarding, I rarely have boarding passes with me, so I have to use my card. Maybe I should start waving boarding passes.

But the issue remains - it seems the staff don't seem to understand that there's a benefit that WPs can use - they're still steeped in the "this is a departure lounge" ethos, and on this, they might need reminding of the rules.

 

[haggiscat]

I've taken to just flashing the card as well, with either an 'already checked in' or a 'just landed', the only time i've been queried is when it was almost time to board the last flight and I walked into Sydney J lounge - the lady only wanted to know if she needed to bother calling me as I was the only person there.

I have had a few double takes in Adelaide but I assume that's more 'why would you want to hang around the airport?' than anything else... it's difficult to be ejected from Business into the Adelaide heat without a fortifying gin and tonic.

I'm more affronted by a particular troll at Sydney who has consistently refused me Business upgrades when seats are available - upgrades which I can moments later get when I go to the Qantas Club and ask someone without attitude.

 

[medhead]

On a slightly Off Topic note, does anybody else find Melbourne J Lounge staff to be the most arrogant lounge dragons out of all J Lounges? Or do they just hate me?

I only used that lounge about 4 times last year and I've found them to be helpful and pleasant. So they must just hate you.

I assume you're in MEL a fair bit. I have a similar impression about the ADL qantas club front desk staff. I'm sure they know me (home lounge and all) and I find them to be difficult and annoying. I do try to hide my frustration with them. Familiarity breeds contempt?

 

[tuapekastar]

On a slightly Off Topic note, does anybody else find Melbourne J Lounge staff to be the most arrogant lounge dragons out of all J Lounges? Or do they just hate me?

It's just you!

Never had an issue with them.

But appreciate that everyone has different experiences, hence different views, regarding lounges and staff.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Maybe we can submit a question to Red Roo about this issue?
Yes, we know it's a benefit, but are staff trained and kept up to date with changes to the frequent flyer program as they happen???

 

[kpc]

Maybe we can submit a question to Red Roo about this issue?
Yes, we know it's a benefit, but are staff trained and kept up to date with changes to the frequent flyer program as they happen???

Who is Red Roo ?

 

[Verde]

Judging from this thread, I'm doing the wrong thing - I approach the desk and hand them my card for access, rather than just walking in.

As someone that uses the card for boarding, I rarely have boarding passes with me, so I have to use my card. Maybe I should start waving boarding passes.

But the issue remains - it seems the staff don't seem to understand that there's a benefit that WPs can use - they're still steeped in the "this is a departure lounge" ethos, and on this, they might need reminding of the rules.

I've never had a problem in either and I always do what you do - step up to the lady and offer the boarding pass and my plat card for them to look at. Actually, that would be the difference - I always have paper boarding pass and card in hand rather than just card. That said, none of them have ever had an issue with using it as an arrivals lounge (though I've probably only done it about half a dozen times at most, so it isn't the largest sample size).

Once in Sydney there wasn't even anyone there (J lounge dragon toilet break? There was someone there when I left), so I just walked straight in.

I normally travel for leisure, so am reasonably casual in appearance (though not so casual as to cause the complains on these forums at times). I've seen some business types just flash the plat card and stride along as if they owned the place tons of times - but a few times I've seen them being called back by the lounge dragon to check the credentials, so they don't always get away with it.

The closest inspection I've had is when I had a flight to ABX and wanted to use the J lounge in Term 3. They just checked that I knew I was in the wrong terminal and were fine with it (I had about 3 hours to kill and was new to being plat at the time so thought I'd check out the J lounge). Is it just me, or does the J lounge run more like the QP on weekends? The few times I've been there on weeknights it has seemed to have better food etc than on Sat/Sun.

It will be interesting to see what happens on Monday - at this stage I'm arriving from ABX in term 2, plan on meeting a friend (guesting them in) for lunch in term 3 J and then will fly out to WLG from term 1 in the evening (looking forward to my first visit to the First Int'l lounge). In theory both same day access from my ABX flight or killing time before my WLG flight should be able to get me in. Perhaps I should offer both boarding passes just to try and confuse them (though my plan was just to use my ABX boarding pass as part of same day access).

 

[haggiscat]

Yes there was an absence of hot food yesterday at Sydney, to my embarrassment when I took a guest in for lunch. As she was flying DeathStar I was sorry we hadn't gone into the Virgin Lounge, the food in which is much improved. However, the spirits at the bar are still very welcome.