[Confirmed Fixed - Maybe Not!] No LHR T5 Galleries access for QP before BA/QF flights

[simongr]

I know this seems harsh but 21 flights with some non earning flights on JQ would not make your husband a frequent flyer. More frequent than most but in the scheme of things not that frequent. In the past 12 months I have taken 58 flights and relative to many on this board that does not make me a frequent flyer...

It is all relative.

I didn't mean to offend earlier and again in the context of QF this is not the biggest issue facing them at the moment, they can't control the solution (BA owns the lounges you are trying to access). They should not have committed to a solution a couple of weeks ago though.

 

[Red Roo]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to come back and let you all know that we are still working T5 access. I know that a result is not happening as fast as we would all like but I can guarantee you that despite the delay it is a priority for Qantas and I will update you as soon as I have news.

Because this is a hot topic on the forum I am getting updates on this every few days, so you all will hear as soon as I do.

Cheers,
Red Roo

 

[Danger]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to come back and let you all know that we are still working T5 access. I know that a result is not happening as fast as we would all like but I can guarantee you that despite the delay it is a priority for Qantas and I will update you as soon as I have news.

Because this is a hot topic on the forum I am getting updates on this every few days, so you all will hear as soon as I do.

Cheers,
Red Roo

Appreciate it. Thank you.

 

[kooky]

I hope that when RedRoo writes, "we are still working T5 access.", that RedRoo means "worldwide Galleries access" (ie. AMS, LGW, etc .. and not just LHR T5 access). Everything seems so pernickety lately I hope we haven't lost losing sight of the rest of the Terraces that have now become Galleries in the bid to save LHR T5.

I mean AMS only got new furniture and that's now off-limits (see before/after photos):
The new Galleries Club lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol airport is now open - Page 2 - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[Sprucegoose]

Vote with your feet, don't fly BA.

 

[Awesom Andy]

I mean AMS only got new furniture and that's now off-limits (see before/after photos):
The new Galleries Club lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol airport is now open - Page 2 - FlyerTalk Forums

I have some rather vivid memories of that lounge... access with the QP card not so long ago, guesting an 18yo girl, teaching her how to mix drinks... and we were on class G AMS-LGW... :shock: Now I can see why they wanted to keep us out...

 

[Flashback]

Vote with your feet, don't fly BA.

I have been! Hence my *A status now.

 

[moa999]

I have some unfortunate predictions that BA Galleries will be severely curtailed for QP users - I suspect just for QF connections or codeshares.
Given BA has no 'paid' lounge access program not overly surprising.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have some unfortunate predictions that BA Galleries will be severely curtailed for QP users - I suspect just for QF connections or codeshares.
Given BA has no 'paid' lounge access program not overly surprising.

Totally agree, even more so now that Red Roo has referred to T5 access rather than BA Galleries access

 

[Vinny]

This issue was first brought up here at least on 21st October 2011 and still going with little or no progress evident. This issue, along with the exhorbitant taxes payable, especially for J class pax really makes flying via LHR and then on to other European destinations and return less and less attractive.

It's only a lounge FFS and BA are being precious and/or QF are just stuffing around and not showing how an alliance should work for the benefit of the OW pax. I thought that was one of the selling points of airline alliances for the travelling public.

Alternative options - for QF flyers, travel via Frankfurt and onwards to your European destination by rail, or fly with a OW partner airline either the entire way or part of the way who may have access to lounge facilities at LHR.

Second option, fly with another carrier and alliance who has their act together. Problem solved.

 

[Flashback]

This issue, along with the exhorbitant taxes payable, especially for J class pax really makes flying via LHR and then on to other European destinations and return less and less attractive.

If flying in J you would have access through class entitlement. Their alliance entitlements are fine, too. OWS/OWE have access. This is about QP, you are missing the point here:!:

 

[Vinny]

If flying in J you would have access through class entitlement. Their alliance entitlements are fine, too. OWS/OWE have access. This is about QP, you are missing the point here:!:

Yep I know. Will be flying out of T5 on a J award flight on a BA flight as it is, but by then will be silver due to my lack of flying QF. QP members have paid for what they were told was lounge access by QF, AA and BA and it seems they are not getting what they thought they were paying for.

 

[moa999]

This issue, along with the exhorbitant taxes payable, especially for J class pax really makes flying via LHR and then on to other European destinations and return less and less attractive..

If on a transit... no tax
The bus on the otherhand ... actually isn't that bad (and works better than SYD)...


"The report of my death was an exaggeration"

 

[tuapekastar]

I concur with the view that in the overall scheme of things (groundings, strikes etc.) it is not a huge issue, but when you are a paid QP member standing at a Galleries lounge entrance prior to a BA flight, unable to access the lounge despite this access on a planned 'big trip' being a significant influence upon your decison to purchase said QP membership (based on actual accesses previously permmitted, not the specific wording in T&Cs), then it becomes a big issue.

TBH I'm not surprised its taking a while to sort something out.

 

[ajw373]

...

It's only a lounge FFS and BA are being precious and/or QF are just stuffing around and not showing how an alliance should work for the benefit of the OW pax. I thought that was one of the selling points of airline alliances for the travelling public.

Alternative options - for QF flyers, travel via Frankfurt and onwards to your European destination by rail, or fly with a OW partner airline either the entire way or part of the way who may have access to lounge facilities at LHR.

Second option, fly with another carrier and alliance who has their act together. Problem solved.

Herein lies the problem. Only Qantas and American airlines have a paid lounge membership, this has nothing what so ever to do with alliances etc. When it comes to alliances other airlines in the alliance will recognise your earned status and grant (or deny) lounge access based on that status, so it's a bit lame to argue that paid Qantas club members should be granted access to OneWorld lounges because Qantas offers that.

The issue here is 100% in relation to a commercial agreement that Qantas has with BA.

 

[reductionist]

It's only a lounge FFS

Whether or not you (or anyone else) sees value in having lounge access isn't the issue here. The issue is that QF is selling a product/service which they can't fully deliver.

Second option, fly with another carrier and alliance who has their act together. Problem solved.

Yes this is a potential (& less ideal) solution for people in the know. The majority of people affected aren't armed with this knowledge however.

Here's an idea for Red Roo: Until this is sorted out if a Qantas Club member books a flight with you which transits through T5 the web site could indicate on the booking confirmation page that lounge access will not be available at T5? It's a bit of a hack but it would mitigate the feeling of deception that QP members are feeling at the moment and reduce the number of walks-of-shame due to entry being denied.

 

[Moopere]

Are there no pay per visit lounges at T5? If there are, then QF could offer to pay for QP members to enter one of those.

As for alliances and benefits. Well, an alliance is meant to try to capture customers by allowing for a better end to end customer experience. Members of said alliance then benefit by increased revenues. You only have to look at our local DJ to see how spotty things become when you are not part of an alliance.

People with status or QP membership will intentionally plan their movements around using alliance members - if you take away the reason for this (perks, paid for amenities) then why would anyone bother with the airlines in question??? Everyone would simply choose the BFOTD.

 

[serfty]

Are there no pay per visit lounges at T5? ...

None!

Only "Public" lounges at T5 are the "Galleries First" and "Galleries Club" at various locations.

 

[Timba-Jet]

Granted negotiations and outcome depend on QF-BA coming to an agreement, so timing is bot within QF 100% control.

What is in QFs control is Making if clear in the interim on their website that T5 BA lounge access is not currently available plus anything else they feel is relevant about their negotiations with BA.

To date they have chosen not to do anything. Make up your own mind if this good or bad customer service.

 

[ozmille]

It's only a lounge FFS and BA are being precious and/or QF are just stuffing around and not showing how an alliance should work for the benefit of the OW pax. I thought that was one of the selling points of airline alliances for the travelling public.

i think BA and OW's point of view is that QP is not a status, it is a paid lounge access card (which in this case BA does not have) and QF and the other carriers have to work out how the payment per visit and the access to specific lounges works. Let's hope QF and BA will be able to come to an arrangement soon.


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