CX Lounge entry denied (SFO)

[anat0l]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

I think there's an exception for AA and BA members on trans Atlantic. They can't use each other's lounges.

If you can find this rule, I'll eat a hat.



OK I won't eat the hat, but that is still nuts.

 

[ScottM]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

I've heard various reports of either those flying on AA, to only AA elites, or even they are only allowing in BA elites. BA can be annoying like that. Long time ago at LHR, they were knocking back QF Platinums at the First Lounges in T5, or any oneworld elites in general.

I made a point of showing my QANTAS Platinum Card and saying "I'm a QANTAS Platinum member, can I access the lounge?". On that basis he did. He had what looked like a rather complex chart but went and asked a supervisor then came back, took a photocopy of my card and AA boarding pass and let me in.

 

[anat0l]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

I made a point of showing my QANTAS Platinum Card and saying "I'm a QANTAS Platinum member, can I access the lounge?". On that basis he did. He had what looked like a rather complex chart but went and asked a supervisor then came back, took a photocopy of my card and AA boarding pass and let me in.

For a long time, those "cheat cards" that the BA lounge desk staff relied on didn't have cues for any elites except BA ones. The smart ones understood making the equivalences between the respective BA tier and the oneworld one, whilst the dumber ones simply refused entry to non-BA elites. Some insiders have posted the contents of those cheat cards on various internet forums.

They are supposed to be updated now with full detail for oneworld elites (and possibly even separate detail for any joint operation partner elites) and nearly foolproof, but what would I know.

 

[ScottM]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

For a long time, those "cheat cards" that the BA lounge desk staff relied on didn't have cues for any elites except BA ones. The smart ones understood making the equivalences between the respective BA tier and the oneworld one, whilst the dumber ones simply refused entry to non-BA elites. Some insiders have posted the contents of those cheat cards on various internet forums.

They are supposed to be updated now with full detail for oneworld elites (and possibly even separate detail for any joint operation partner elites) and nearly foolproof, but what would I know.

The confusion on his part was me being Emerald and flying on AA. Once he checked he told me One World Emerald (except AA) could have access to the lounge for AA flights.

 

[Ewing]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Thats an interesing photo - were you flying Business Class on QF or did your status get you in? Considering that I have seen Fyertalk threads with BA and JL F and J class passengers denied access it could be that the issue is pretty complex with lack of staff training, lack of space on some nights which have a lot of CX departures plus the fact that CX weren't expecting QF to return to SFO and maybe QF unwilling/unable to come to a lounge access agreement with CX (or their contracted service provider?).

It seems the only "capacity constraints" at work here could be either the Qantas accountants or the ability to read and understand the OW lounge access policy....

Goes to show how an alliance lounge access policy is basically a worthless document to rely upon. But Ewing has provided some pretty damning evidence about capacity controls in one simple photo - i know it was a few weeks ago, but can you say which day that photo was taken Ewing?

I was flying Business (paid) as a Gold/Sapphire.

That photo was taken on May 26.

Did the lounge ever get full before you left it?

No it didn't. A few more people trickled in, but I ended up sharing that area with 2 other people.

A few other shots:

 

[Flying mermaid]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

According to the oneworld website, they still do, but it is located in Terminal 2 at SFO, not the International Terminal..

I have used the AA lounge at SFO a number of times when flying AA domestically. It is actually one of the nicer AA lounges food wise, as they put out (in the afternoon) dips and crackers, celery and carrot sticks. Might have even been some cheese.

 

[cmon0005]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

nicer AA lounges food wise, as they put out (in the afternoon) dips and crackers, celery and carrot sticks. Might have even been some cheese.

Wish I could be that easily pleased !
Sounds more like the Alice Springs Qantas Club.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Wish I could be that easily pleased !
Sounds more like the Alice Springs Qantas Club.

After a few weeks of AA lounges, that is really high end.

 

[Lendav Orav]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

I know it used to be the case- but I'm guessing it's no longer so now that they have their own Trans Atlantic alliance. I remember a BA lounge in the US didn't want to let me in when I was on an AA flight but then did when they realised my membership was QF and not AA. But that's probably around 7-8 years ago.

 

[dajop]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

As a side note I remember discussing lounge access at the BA lounge at Dulles (Washington). He said BA honoured the OneWorld access for everyone except AA. I was flying on an AA flight but was granted access due to being a QF WP. The guy said the problem was there were so many AA Executive Platinum members (think about that when you are trying to get OW Emerald via AA Challenge)

People have been saying across the BA network in the USA that those flying on AA were being knocked back for lounge access. I've heard various reports of either those flying on AA, to only AA elites, or even they are only allowing in BA elites. BA can be annoying like that. Long time ago at LHR, they were knocking back QF Platinums at the First Lounges in T5, or any oneworld elites in general.

I wonder how many AA EXPs there really are and why that should cause a major problem. This new alliance between AA and BA and others is new but the flying between those respective cities and thus having other members access each others lounges is not a new thing.

I think the problem here, that we often forget about is that often domestic and international flights leave from the same terminal or are connected airside, and that AA Platinums & EXPs flying domestically do not have access to AA lounge, so they try the BA lounge under oneworld privileges. So the problem is probably not the number of Plats & EXPs per se, but the number flying domestically that can't access AA lounges due to AA rules. At SFO SQ do the same, they simply don't have the space in their broom closet of a lounge to let every UA Elite flying domestically into the lounge.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

I was allowed to use the lounge before QF74 a few weeks ago on the condition that I not bring in a guest.

The lounge was basically empty with maybe 10 people max:

View attachment 72896

I initially sat near reception and they rejected every person after me with "sorry, we're full". I enquired and they basically had a list of high value QF customers who were allowed entry with a few spare slots for extras (I was an extra).

I was on this flight on the same day and was politely turned away. I tried to play the polite card but didn't work. I notice the JAL lounge opens up around 10.30pm or thereabouts so that could be an alternative for the final 30 mins before boarding.

My biggest issue with the AF lounge is the lack of powerpoints. I think there are only about 4 in the entire lounge so make sure you charge your electronics before heading to the airport.

 

[anat0l]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

...make sure you charge your electronics before heading to the airport.

Wouldn't this would be a necessity anyway before you get to the airport in case the TSA ask you to switch on certain devices at security screening?

Or is this only a UK thing, or am I confused?


It is good advice in cases like this anyway. A battery power bank is also a good idea.

 

[equus]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

If this really is a capacity issue, and not some other commercial tiff hiding behind the capacity card, there is a relatively simple solution that OW can achieve by a small change to the rules. Not perfect, but would put a stop to the use of the "capacity'" card as the catch-all excuse for other behaviour.

Still allow the capacity control exception to access - but (and this is the change), require that the lounge operator supply vouchers redeemable for F&B in the terminal to some non-token value when an otherwise eligible guest is denied entry due to capacity issues. They still scan the boarding pass, charge back according to the commercial agreements, and stamp the boarding pass to prevent pax claiming from multiple lounges. The value would need to be set (OW rule) sufficiently high to remove any incentive to profit from turning away other airline elites, giving out a cheap voucher, and then charging the home airline more.

Won't be perfect (people still won't get access if lounges are full), but would be a lot more transparent, and hopefully remove some of the gaming going on. If QF (say) gets charged for lots of pax at SFO - and then gets complaints that all they got was a voucher, there is some incentive (the $$ being paid to CX), to actually do something about it.

 

[Sdtravel]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Isnt the issue that the CX lounge isnt the QF lounge of choice.
They want pax to use the AF lounge which doesnt suffer such issues.

Your suggestion is a great one but i dont think QF would do that since they want you to use the AF lounge regardless of if there is a better/preferred pax option.

Im going to SFO next month and based on this thread and other reports will be just slumming it at the gate or heading to the airport as late as possible given there is no chance of getting into the CX lounge.

 

[defurax]

I was successful tonight. The lounge was empty when i arrived.

What time did you arrive at the CX lounge? SWMBO has an AS flight landing at the Intl terminal in SFO at 7:50PM and then connecting to QF74, I wonder if she will be in the first few QF PAX allowed entry in the CX lounge.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

I made a straight line to the cx lounge after check in. 1945 approx.

 

[Lendav Orav]

When my partner and I got in last week it was around 9pm

 

[Ewing]

When my partner and I got in last week it was around 9pm

Same on May 26. I didn't even leave the city until 8pm.

 

[Sdtravel]

It also depending on the day a little more.
Per the Ausbt article the days where two cx flights means there is even less / no chance of getting in let along with a guest

 

[MH_fan]

Which 2 days of the week have the 2 CX flights?