Chairman's Lounge

[OhSoTired]

Here is a couple of quick ???'s

How did your original membership come to be??
When you first took up membership, did QF approach you with an invite to the CL or did you negotiate with them via your spend dollars as leverage? or were you introduced via a 3rd party, which l have heard of occuring before.

When traveling on airlines other than QF does your CL membership help you in any way. In other words do other airlines try to sway your business with the knowledge of your status and importance to QF, with pricing offers, service enhancements or added ground services.
Do they attempt to poach you.

Is it true you can get guaranteed seat on any flight regardless of loads?

After 9 years of membership to CL what changes have you seen occur with the membership.
Have things got better or worse with treatment and benifits?
Do you truly feel valued and relevent to QF.

And finally,

Why is CL membership important to you, whats in it for your situation?

Thanks for posting and welcome to AFF

In summary: invitation came unsolicited accompanied by the card (and one for my wife). BA and JAL are the only ones who seem to recognise CL, and no- never been "poached". The days of guaranteed seats, complimentary upgrades, getting the meal of your choice (even in J or F) etc. are gone. VIP status on the manifest seems to be the one that gets the attention these days....I have seen some "VIPs" (eg the producer of an obscure British television show) get treated with enormous amounts of attention onboard and on arrival, and I suspect many of them have never flown Qantas before :evil:. For me, the main difference is with the groundstaff and telephone service people- if a last minute problem arises, they try that little bit harder for CL I suspect. I feel valued by Qantas, but not much more than any other extremely frequent flyer- CL doesn't seem to differentiate to any great degree.

 

[QF WP]

I expect that will have put paid to the questions about whether you're CL, OhSoTired

Actually, I'll through you a quesion - what would your average Status Credits be in each membership year - given that you fly J or F (but note you also fly SQ as well). Are you PPS on SQ?

I trust you'll stop travelling for Xmas

 

[Grooba]

Yea that was the next question I was thinking of - how many status credits would you earn in a year? Also how many miles with QF on an average year?

Great to have your input OhSoTired.

 

[drron]

Since September all Queensland Government's minister's partners have been CL.So who really wants to join that lot?

 

[Groundfeeder]

Since September all Queensland Government's minister's partners have been CL.So who really wants to join that lot?

From what I've seen it would no doubt increase the IQ level at least.

 

[drron]

From what I've seen it would no doubt increase the IQ level at least.

Nothing could increase the IQ of QLD cabinet ministers!

 

[Mal]

Nothing could increase the IQ of QLD cabinet ministers!

Should be a completely new set of them sometime this year Perhaps the IQ will go up a little.

OhSoTired , thanks for the information you've provided. Interesting reading.

 

[medhead]

Should be a completely new set of them sometime this year Perhaps the IQ will go up a little.

Hahaha Not likely, the potential new batch still believe that all the extra sun light from day light savings fades the curtins.

 

[munitalP]

Hahaha Not likely, the potential new batch still believe that all the extra sun light from day light savings fades the curtins.

"What, there's no extra sunlight with daylight saving? What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"

Mr!

 

[OhSoTired]

I expect that will have put paid to the questions about whether you're CL, OhSoTired

Actually, I'll through you a quesion - what would your average Status Credits be in each membership year - given that you fly J or F (but note you also fly SQ as well). Are you PPS on SQ?

I trust you'll stop travelling for Xmas

I honestly don't bother counting the points any more! I'm on the road 7-8 months per year, and I used to be creative (eg- one year I was Exec Plat with AA (prior to getting Concierge Key), PPS with SQ and Diamond with CX by getting my required points on one airline, then crediting my next round of journeys with the next airline etc.)...it became too much hassle keeping track, so I tend to put most points into QF or CX now, simply for ease of giving them away to family.
No travel for XMAS.
Happy New Year to All!

 

[straitman]

I honestly don't bother counting the points any more! I'm on the road 7-8 months per year, and I used to be creative (eg- one year I was Exec Plat with AA (prior to getting Concierge Key), PPS with SQ and Diamond with CX by getting my required points on one airline, then crediting my next round of journeys with the next airline etc.)...it became too much hassle keeping track, so I tend to put most points into QF or CX now, simply for ease of giving them away to family.
No travel for XMAS.
Happy New Year to All!

OhSoTired,

Thanks for all the info and the open honest approach.

If you have too many points I'm sure there are plenty of relatives here who would happily spend a few for you :!:

 

[OhSoTired]

OhSoTired,

Thanks for all the info and the open honest approach.

If you have too many points I'm sure there are plenty of relatives here who would happily spend a few for you :!:

Bill,
Sorry, but my list of relatives is long......at least when it comes to FF points!
Also, I note your zero points with Ansett (me too)- I miss the airline, the customer service, and the lack of domestic competition.....One of my staff recently had a discussion with a head honcho of the best airline in the world (SIA), and he allegedly said that Qantas have too many strongholds and connections with both Labor and Liberal parties and so SIA had given up on Australia. Disgusting.
I know this should be another thread, so enough said. (but it makes my blood boil!)

 

[crazydave98]

Bill,
One of my staff recently had a discussion with a head honcho of the best airline in the world (SIA), and he allegedly said that Qantas have too many strongholds and connections with both Labor and Liberal parties and so SIA had given up on Australia. Disgusting.

Nothing stops Singapore Airlines as a foreign company from setting up a domestic Australian airline. Virgin Blue did it. Tiger (49% owned by SQ) did it. SQ are a fine long haul airline operator but Silk Air and Tiger are nothing to write home about (in fact Tiger is becoming quite the embarrassment) and SQ has a sorry history in investing in other airlines (AirNZ/Ansett, Virgin Atlantic). But if they wanted to they could purchase a bunch of A320s tomorrow and set up SQ-branded services around Australia. No amount of lobbying by Qantas could stop that.

 

[pauly7]

he allegedly said that Qantas have too many strongholds and connections with both Labor and Liberal parties and so SIA had given up on Australia. Disgusting.
I know this should be another thread, so enough said. (but it makes my blood boil!)

Both major airlines in this country are very cosy with certain members of the govt, but its the way the world works.

However I think it pales in comparison to how cosy SIA is to the Singapore government.... or Emirates to the UAE...

Anyway we have Tiger and Virgin what are you complaining about

 

[jpk]

I have a question - what gets printed as your status on QF and other OW boarding passes? eg: I get "FF Gold - OW Sapphire" or something similar on QF, and a "SAPH" on CX.

Also, if you have to show a card to get into a OW partner lounge, how do they react to the CL card, have they seen them before? Does it have a OW logo in the corner so they know to let you in?

Thanks,
JK.

 

[Flashback]

I believe being a CL, you get automatic WP status so would have a WP card.

 

[Dave Noble]

I believe being a CL, you get automatic WP status so would have a WP card.

The Chairman's Lounge card is a OW Emerald card; no need for a separate Platinum card

Dave

 

[Andym]

Just thought I would add my bit too;

My father is a CL member and has been for about 10+ years. I must admit I don't travel with him as much as I did when I was younger so don't get to receive the perks anymore. He loves the benefits... not that he is a nose in the air kind of guy - very humble actually - but it's the small things like being able to board first, being looked after while flights are delayed etc etc that he enjoys.

My mum gets a supp card through Dad and she uses it all the time when she travels to QLD each month. (OS she travels Emirates when alone) Again, I've been with mum a few times when she uses it and I really enjoy the service that you get

I don't really know specifics but would be happy to answer questions if needed

 

[QF WP]

Thanks OhSoTired. Can understand that after a while, trying to keep 3 top tiers up in the air would seem too much effort..

Never had the problem myself

 

[beardoc]

Thanks OhSoTired. Can understand that after a while, trying to keep 3 top tiers up in the air would seem too much effort..

Some of us don't travel with work and struggle to maintain even OW Ruby or *A Silver!

I'm sure someone other than OhSoTired can answer but are there CLs in the International Terminals as well? Which cities have Chairman's Lounges?

I'm intrigued by the "extra mile" that they'd be willing to go with a CL member - what practically have they done for you (say with flight delays/cancellations) that you wouldn't have got as a Platinum/OW Emerald member?

And I have to ask, because this is kind of important to me in the lounges - what's the food like, say compared to the new Domestic Platinum lounges?