Business Lounges closed 26 December 2012 to 6 January 2013

[defurax]

I was in the Sydney QP on 27 Dec mid morning and I could hear hammering or banging going on, which sounded to me like it was coming from the J lounge.

Or they were playing a tape with construction sounds

 

[TonyHancock]

I was in the Sydney QP on 27 Dec mid morning and I could hear hammering or banging going on, which sounded to me like it was coming from the J lounge.

You think they would have let me in with all the noise I was making?

 

[Happy Trails]

I was in SYD J this morning and didn't notice any obvious difference except for some floor tiles which had had the surfaces abraded and were still unfinished.
Still, I'm not the most observant type at the best of times.

 

[Blackbird]

Just curious - did anyone get an email advising of the J lounge closures?
Transited MEL last Friday QF94/QF616 in J. Did see this post while away, so knew about the lounge enhancement, sorry maintenance closures, but had not received anything from QF. Decided to play dumb and politely ask Igor the gate keeper about the J lounge closure. Told me in a most obnoxious way that everyone was emailed of the change. I certainly didn't get an email about this (still getting all my other offers).
On Friday took 85mins from gate arrival to get bags, clear customs (LAX was a breeze in comparison), recheck my bags at the bag drop (wouldn't scan the LAX tags and why am I doing this in any case) and get to the lounge. About 20mins before connection boarding.
Lounge was full. No showers available for a freshen up. Why do I pay for J? Only plus was managed a decent coffee.
Why do QF staff lie about what's going on? Clearly the closures werent for lounge maintenance.

 

[samh004]

Why do QF staff lie about what's going on? Clearly the closures werent for lounge maintenance.

It wouldn't be their place to say, if they valued their job.

The question is, why do management lie.

 

[Hvr]

Yes I got the email and noting I wasn't flying over the period in question promptly deleted it.

Why do QF staff lie? Well how do you know there wasn't maintenance done? Secondly, when you work for an organisation you follow the company line and keep repeating it when required.

 

[RWJ777]

Yes. I walked past the SYD and CBR lounges multiple times on various days during the closure.

I believe all the lights were on annual leave as there was no illumination in the lounges.

If work was actually going on, then that'd be an OH&S violation wouldn't it? ;-)

I thought I may have seen a ladder in the CBR J lounge during the period. There was certainly no-one ascending it!

 

[ashleyn]

Man this is a tough crowd. Most Australian businesses close during the Xmas/NY slow time. Qantas dares to do the same and gets blasted from all sides. I flew from Perth on the 29th December and there was about 3 cats and a dog in the QP (ie almost no one), returned from Sydney on Jan 1 and similar so what is the issue. Is it really anyone else's business why they shut down ? I suspect I'll get shot down in flames as seems to be the way of this forum lately.

 

[DC3]

Maybe the truth wouldn't have gone astray regarding the reason for closure. People see through the "maintenance" reason provided.

 

[samh004]

Man this is a tough crowd. Most Australian businesses close during the Xmas/NY slow time. Qantas dares to do the same and gets blasted from all sides. I flew from Perth on the 29th December and there was about 3 cats and a dog in the QP (ie almost no one), returned from Sydney on Jan 1 and similar so what is the issue. Is it really anyone else's business why they shut down ? I suspect I'll get shot down in flames as seems to be the way of this forum lately.

If there's less travelling, by all means, they should be saving resources, but they also shouldn't be lying behind the reasoning. I'm sure many people flying, if not nearly all (because lets face it, you're never going to please everyone) would have no worries with the truth. But when you say the lounges are closed for a specific reason, which then after many witness reports suggest that's not the reason at all, it's bad form.

As a Platinum member, I love the business lounge and count on using it each time I fly. I know what I'm after when I get to the airport isn't available in the QP. Luckily I wasn't flying, but I'd have appreciated the truth, rather than a lie... and perhaps similar fare to be offered in the QP whilst the "maintenance" is carried out. I don't think that's too much to ask for, as it is a benefit, and I've grown accustomed to it because they provide it. I book, knowing that's what I'll get.

While I'm not someone to say I wont fly them anymore because they lied on this occasion about the real reason, I don't see why they did lie, because the truth would have been understandable to me. It's a quiet time (supposedly, as others have said).

If this is what Australians expect of companies, flat out lies, so be it. Seems a silly value to have.

Please don't get me wrong, not flaming you, just getting my view across.

 

[under the radar]

re: QF 'lying'...is it possible that BECAUSE of the traditionally quiet period they chose to close AND AT THE SAME TIME carried out some mainentance :idea:.......ive heard a rumour that virgin have been 'lying' to their 'guests' about the reason their newly opened 2nd floor club has been closed for a period too!! THEY say theyve had some 'issues' with the renovation..how dare they lie to us as well!! :shock: ...(note tongue firmly planted in cheek)!!!

 

[Fruitcake]

...so did anyone here avoid travelling on QF during the lounge shutdown period and direct revenue to another airline? If not, then I'd humbly suggest that no matter what reason the J lounges were closed, QF wins - pax are still flying with them, staff are possibly getting leave at a time when many of their peers in hospitality/service/travel could never get leave, and QF gets some maintenance done.

 

[ecg]

Just curious - did anyone get an email advising of the J lounge closures?
Transited MEL last Friday QF94/QF616 in J. Did see this post while away, so knew about the lounge enhancement, sorry maintenance closures, but had not received anything from QF. Decided to play dumb and politely ask Igor the gate keeper about the J lounge closure. Told me in a most obnoxious way that everyone was emailed of the change. I certainly didn't get an email about this (still getting all my other offers).
On Friday took 85mins from gate arrival to get bags, clear customs (LAX was a breeze in comparison), recheck my bags at the bag drop (wouldn't scan the LAX tags and why am I doing this in any case) and get to the lounge. About 20mins before connection boarding.
Lounge was full. No showers available for a freshen up. Why do I pay for J? Only plus was managed a decent coffee.
Why do QF staff lie about what's going on? Clearly the closures werent for lounge maintenance.

So you can play "dumb" just to create a scene but no one else can play dumb (ie: the staff). I suspect your description of "obnoxious" resutled form the gate keeper not batting their eyelashes at you. Or was it obnoxious because they didn't offer you fries with it? They conveyed the information to you, I'm not sure what more you expect. Just because you didn't like what they told you doesn't make it obnoxious. Now if they had stubbies and thongs on and a fa_ hanging out their mouth then I would probably agree with you.

You have not provided any evidence whatsoever that the lounge was closed for other than maintenance, yet you accuse people of lying. If you know so much about why the lounges were closed perhaps you could enlighten us all?

 

[serfty]

I would suggest that since qantas advertise the business lounges as part of the product they sell, that simply closing them without a "hard" reason might put them in beach of some legislation.

Lack of patronage may be deemed not really be a "hard" reason - so advertise maintenance and send someone in to tighten a shower head or three ...

 

[UP4014]

...so did anyone here avoid travelling on QF during the lounge shutdown period and direct revenue to another airline? If not, then I'd humbly suggest that no matter what reason the J lounges were closed, QF wins - pax are still flying with them, staff are possibly getting leave at a time when many of their peers in hospitality/service/travel could never get leave, and QF gets some maintenance done.

Are you suggesting I should have not taken my family away over Christmas flying QF because of a lounge closure?

Sorry, my life doesn't work that way.

matt

 

[Fruitcake]

Are you suggesting I should have not taken my family away over Christmas flying QF because of a lounge closure?

Not at all. Simply pointing that by doing so, you've supported QF's decision to shut the lounges (ie they received revenue they would have got anyway, without the cost of providing a J lounge).

If I were a QF WP I would also have traveled over this period, and the J lounge closure would not have bothered me. Service standards for many businesses change over Christmas/New Years.

 

[defurax]

QF shareholders simply have to request that J lounge maintenance costs over the Xmas holidays period be detailed in the annual report. Like the executive pay package this year, itemised to the minutest detail...

 

[Ewing]

Not at all. Simply pointing that by doing so, you've supported QF's decision to shut the lounges (ie they received revenue they would have got anyway, without the cost of providing a J lounge).

I had three flights during the J lounge closure period and all it meant was that I got to spend time sitting in the QP reflecting about how it wouldn't be so bad if I had to drop down to Gold.

After all, the QPs in SYD and CBR still have my favourite lounge sitting positions.

 

[Flying Fox]

Technically speaking 'maintenance' could range from a full make-over to changing a shower washer. QF didn't state that the maintenance would take the whole period or that there may be other factors that 'encouraged' them to close the J lounges.

Yes I agree its annoying but the QP was given as a cheaper substitute.

At least they provided notice from the QF website and via email (for those who received them - I think that I did) and didn't simply lock the doors.

I'm sure that for all of us who have worked in a customer facing corporate environment we have been fed a line (from higher up) and had to 'sell' it to our clients.

 

[nlagalle]

I had three flights during the J lounge closure period and all it meant was that I got to spend time sitting in the QP reflecting about how it wouldn't be so bad if I had to drop down to Gold.

After all, the QPs in SYD and CBR still have my favourite lounge sitting positions.

I had flights during the closure as well, It didn't really bother me as it was a bit of a novelty to sit in the SYD QP again.. I'll be in the MEL J lounge next week so will have a look around.