Article: No Qantas International Lounge Access for Oneworld Business Class

[JohnPhelan]

Can confirm, colleague and his wife flew last week, full fare paid J class AA, neither has status with AA or QF, and was turned away from the QF Sydney first lounge and waited in the terminal instead. Was more upset with QF than AA. Surely where OW rules say that you are entitled to a business lounge but the airline that normally operates that lounge has, for operational reasons, decided to substitute for a different lounge, for its own passengers, this would apply across the spectrum. I highly doubt the first lounge would be providing the normal 'first' experience whilst it in dual use. To add insult to injury colleague said the lounge looked empty when he was denied entry and was told that if he was QF gold status he would have been allowed entry, even if flying economy with AA.

No, the OW rules don't say that. Remember that under the OW agreement, the operating airline pays the lounge operator. So in this case, AA could pay QF for its J pax to use the QF F lounge. But that would be significantly more expensive that it pays for entry to the Qantas Business Lounge. I don't know whether it's AA which chose not to pay the extra, of if Qantas has made the decision that its F lounge couldn't cope with the numbers so has told the other OW airlines that it can't accommodate their J pax, irrespective of the money it could receive by doing so.

 

[Cddc]

No, the OW rules don't say that.

The OW Lounge Access Policy clearly state first and business class passengers are entitled access to a lounge equivalent to the class of travel regardless of status, with some exceptions i.e Qatar and Finnair business light fares do not include lounge access and some Qatar and British Airways lounges are excluded: OW Lounge Access Policy

QF, with its home port being Sydney, naturally operate more lounges and presumably normally accommodate more OW passengers in their lounges than any of the other OW airlines who have lounges in Sydney. If QF normally provides a business lounge at its home port but have substituted this for a first lounge (presumably because traffic is not high enough to warrant having a business and first lounge open) and is directing its own customers to use the substituted lounge, why not extend this to OW customers also?

QF would be aware foreign airlines would not have the same number of flights operating out of Sydney to justify opening their own business lounges at this time and, regardless of who pays, do not believe QFs behavior is in the spirit of being part of an alliance.

 

[Port Power]

VFTW (Gary) has now picked this up: Link

A rather slanted article. It leaves the impression Qantas is refusing access to Oneworld business passengers and not explaining that those other airlines have not contracted with QF for access.

 

[Port Power]

The OW Lounge Access Policy clearly state first and business class passengers are entitled access to a lounge equivalent to the class of travel regardless of status, with some exceptions i.e Qatar and Finnair business light fares do not include lounge access and some Qatar and British Airways lounges are excluded: OW Lounge Access Policy

QF, with its home port being Sydney, naturally operate more lounges and presumably normally accommodate more OW passengers in their lounges than any of the other OW airlines who have lounges in Sydney. If QF normally provides a business lounge at its home port but have substituted this for a first lounge (presumably because traffic is not high enough to warrant having a business and first lounge open) and is directing its own customers to use the substituted lounge, why not extend this to OW customers also?

QF would be aware foreign airlines would not have the same number of flights operating out of Sydney to justify opening their own business lounges at this time and, regardless of who pays, do not believe QFs behavior is in the spirit of being part of an alliance.

See several answers posted above. The operating airline needs to contract with the host lounge to pay for access. AA and others have chosen not to do so. And it seems some of the carriers' staff either do not know the rules or choose to make it sound like the fault of QF. If the J lounge is closed (for whatever reason), then there is no J lounge. Unfortunately I disagree with your last sentence.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I realise this thread is about OW J, but is Qantas allowing oneWorld sapphire (but not QFF Gold) entry to F lounge? If not, which airline normally pays in that Scenario?

 

[Cddc]

A rather slanted article. It also leaves the impression Qantas is refusing access to Oneworld business passengers and not explaining that those other airlines have not contracted with QF for access.

I don't think it is slanted at all. OW airlines want to pay the business lounge rate, as they have always done (that's why they are in the alliance with already agreed T&Cs), but QF is presumably not giving them that opportunity by keeping the lounge closed and trying to charge the 'first' rate. If all OW carriers behaved as QF did and shuttered their business lounges...there would be no business lounges for business class customers. If I were a CEO of a OW airline at the moment I wouldn't allow QF J customers into the business lounges in retaliation. This is not in the spirit of the OW alliance.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I realise this thread is about OW J, but is Qantas allowing oneWorld sapphire (but not QFF Gold) entry to F lounge? If not, which airline normally pays in that Scenario?

In OW the operating carrier pays for the Lounge access.
OWS flying QF J would get access
OWS flying any other OW airline / cabin no access unless in F.

 

[Port Power]

I realise this thread is about OW J, but is Qantas allowing oneWorld sapphire (but not QFF Gold) entry to F lounge? If not, which airline normally pays in that Scenario?

No. Unless you are flying in a First Class cabin, of course.

 

[Port Power]

I don't think it is slanted at all. OW airlines want to pay the business lounge rate, as they have always done (that's why they are in the alliance with already agreed T&Cs), but QF is presumably not giving them that opportunity by keeping the lounge closed and trying to charge the 'first' rate. If all OW carriers behaved as QF did and shuttered their business lounges...there would be no business lounges for business class customers. If I were a CEO of a OW airline at the moment I wouldn't allow QF J customers into the business lounges in retaliation. This is not in the spirit of the OW alliance.

Unfortunately it does happen with other carriers. For instance, I have been refused entry to a JAL international business lounge as a OWE but not flying JAL metal. They were restricting the lounge to only JAL members at that time due to the high number of patrons. You have your view and I respect that, even if I don't agree about the "spirit of the OW alliance". In the end it is still a business.

 

[dajop]

Aaah, Covid. Little bit of trivia: for a good 12 months or so, no one had lounge access when flying J class departing MEL on any airline IIRC (one example). You just learn to deal with it. When I flew out in November, EK were using the Maharba lounge at MEL and we got in flying Scoot using Priority Pass. QR if they wanted to, I am sure, could also contract with this lounge. Or maybe not given the UAE ownership?

 

[PineappleSkip]

When I flew out in November, EK were using the Maharba lounge at MEL and we got in flying Scoot using Priority Pass.

Luxury! When I flew out of SYD in October, no lounges or food establishments open at all in the Red zone, only coffee available was in a cold can at Newsagent.

cheers skip

 

[Anna]

a lounge equivalent to the class of travel

I'm not getting how an F lounge is equivalent to J class travel.

 

[serfty]

I'm not getting how an F lounge is equivalent to J class travel.

My experience in SYD last month was of a Lounge with First Décor and J catering.

 

[aikman]

In OW the operating carrier pays for the Lounge access.

Hmmm... So if QR wanted to piss off QF, it just needs to gift OWS to all of its Australian based Privilege Club members. These members would then get lounge access flying QF, all at QF's expense and there is nothing QF can do about it. . I suppose QF can retaliate but I doubt there's many QFF members in Qatar.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Look, after 2+ years of not seeing family, I'd wait in a tin shed in the outback, but disappointing as on the face of it, it doesn't appear I'll be allowed into the QF lounge on my Fiji Airways flight next week in J. I'm QFF Gold, so it seems there's mixed success with that, but I'm not holding my breath. Will report back.

 

[henrus]

Look, after 2+ years of not seeing family, I'd wait in a tin shed in the outback, but disappointing as on the face of it, it doesn't appear I'll be allowed into the QF lounge on my Fiji Airways flight next week in J. I'm QFF Gold, so it seems there's mixed success with that, but I'm not holding my breath. Will report back.

Have you booked via Qantas or Fiji Airways?

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Have you booked via Qantas or Fiji Airways?

FJ, so this won't have a QF flight number.

Have poked around but can't find any info on where, if anywhere, Fiji is directing its J passengers in Sydney, but worst case, I can access the PP lounge with my AMEX card.

 

[andye]

Hmmm... So if QR wanted to piss off QF, it just needs to gift OWS to all of its Australian based Privilege Club members. These members would then get lounge access flying QF, all at QF's expense and there is nothing QF can do about it. . I suppose QF can retaliate but I doubt there's many QFF members in Qatar.

QR did give OWE to a whole bunch of VA Platinums until end of 2023
I'm hoping the J lounge reopens soon so I can experience a genuine QF F lounge experience in May

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

FJ, so this won't have a QF flight number.

Have poked around but can't find any info on where, if anywhere, Fiji is directing its J passengers in Sydney, but worst case, I can access the PP lounge with my AMEX card.

FJ website says enquire at check-in for Sydney

https://www.fijiairways.com/en-au/experience/partner-lounges

 

[SydneySwan]

So presumably this explains why I was unable to attach my electronic Qantas lounge vouchers to use on my economy flight out of Sydney in December. I asked Qantas to extend their validity and they gave me another 3 months but if they don't open the business lounge soon ............................