CX Lounge entry denied (SFO)

[travs]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Intending on trying to visit CX lounge last Thursday night, but was too busy eating tacos at a greasy Mexican place in the East Bay. But, I did find out that checkin closes at 1025p...I rocked up at 1015 and proceeded to checkin 90kgs / 4 bags w/o an issue. Easy to ride train from car rental drop off to international terminal w trolley, however, next time I'll allow a bit more time

I'd wager anything that the food you had from the taco stand were better than anything you'd eat in a lounge anywhere.

 

[mviy]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

The CX flights depart after the QANTAS flight which is why the lounge is quite empty till around when it's time to leave the CX lounge.

The hot food didn't come out till about 10pm the night I was there.

 

[keybo]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

I believe you're mistaken. CX893 operates on *Friday AM* at 1:20. So, the lounge dragon was right; they have 2 flights.

Ah yep, my bad

But still very much empty at QF74 departure even with 2 flights. Wouldn't they bill QF anyhow, seems like the smart thing to do is to maximise profit noting the fixed labour costs by getting in as much QF pax as possible before the influx of CX pax.

 

[mviy]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

But still very much empty at QF74 departure even with 2 flights. Wouldn't they bill QF anyhow, seems like the smart thing to do is to maximise profit noting the fixed labour costs by getting in as much QF pax as possible before the influx of CX pax.

Probably QF doesn't have to pay as much to AF for access to their lounge so they'd rather make more profit. Would make sense for CX to charge more as their lounge is nicer. Anyway whatever the reason complaints here over some months now seem to have fallen on deaf ears. I don't think Red Roo has had anything to say on this and unless Red Roo has some good news to share that's unlikely to change.

Would be nice if QF directed all pax to the CX lounge or better yet opened their own lounge. They're not going to open their own lounge with only one flight a day.

 

[anat0l]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Would be nice if QF directed all pax to the CX lounge or better yet opened their own lounge. They're not going to open their own lounge with only one flight a day.

QF pax are not the only oneworld partner members who have been directed away from the CX lounge due to "crowding" at SFO.

At the rate the complaints are coming in, I wonder if QF are regretting restarting SFO.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

QF pax are not the only oneworld partner members who have been directed away from the CX lounge due to "crowding" at SFO.

At the rate the complaints are coming in, I wonder if QF are regretting restarting SFO.

I think QF seem to lack any thought about the ground experience at a number of their satellite destinations. They outsource service to organisations that simply don't care, and provide some fairly B verging on C grade customer experiences.

The SFO ground experience is as poor as it was the first time around. A passenger shouldn't have to argue and request a supervisor to get a couple seated together after an equipment change. The lounge on offer is really quite embarrassing. And they still run angled Skybed mkI on some flights.

We all know it won't be as good as home, but we do expect a certain standard when we travel on the limited QFi network. Not a lot of ports to get right.

 

[Himeno]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Current non AA oneworld flights at SFO (according to oneworld timetable): (not all are daily)
AB DUS 1755
BA LHR 1630 1915
CX HKG 0050 1330
JL HND 0155 (soon 1455)
QF SYD 2325

Would it be worth opening a combined limited hours oneworld lounge (a smaller version of the LAX TBIT lounge)?

 

[anat0l]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Current non AA oneworld flights at SFO (according to oneworld timetable): (not all are daily)
AB DUS 1755
BA LHR 1630 1915
CX HKG 0050 1330
JL HND 0155 (soon 1455)
QF SYD 2325

Would it be worth opening a combined limited hours oneworld lounge (a smaller version of the LAX TBIT lounge)?

Depends on where they would get the space and whose lounges they would cannibalise.

BA has a "natural" advantage because you can direct board the BA flight from their lounge, but then it would only be their flight that would benefit.

I don't know about the layout / location of the respective lounges owned by oneworld carriers, and whether they are close enough to make a big lounge.

I guess another thing too is that if a combined lounge was built at SFO, it would mark some sort of "commitment" to the city, when we all know when push comes to shove, between SFO and LAX the former lot of flights will be the first to be jettisoned.

 

[mviy]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

And they still run angled Skybed mkI on some flights.

I had that coming back from the States. Originally the seat map showed the refurb layout. It changed about 3-4 days before the flight. I think if they have problems with a refurbished 747 they will switch to using a non-refurbished 747. Apparently each plane costs tens of millions to refurbish and QANTAS decided to save some money by not refurbishing some of them.

 

[Himeno]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

I had that coming back from the States. Originally the seat map showed the refurb layout. It changed about 3-4 days before the flight. I think if they have problems with a refurbished 747 they will switch to using a non-refurbished 747. Apparently each plane costs tens of millions to refurbish and QANTAS decided to save some money by not refurbishing some of them.

The plan when they did the 747 refurbs was that they would only have the 9 newest aircraft in the fleet still in operation by now. Had QF not had the cash issues around 2012, leading to the deferral of A380 deliveries and cancelling the original 787 confirmed orders, they wouldn't have the non refurbed 747s (and instead by now would have 20 A380s, 6-9 747s and 15-20 787s).

 

[Himeno]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Depends on where they would get the space and whose lounges they would cannibalise.

BA has a "natural" advantage because you can direct board the BA flight from their lounge, but then it would only be their flight that would benefit.

I don't know about the layout / location of the respective lounges owned by oneworld carriers, and whether they are close enough to make a big lounge.

I guess another thing too is that if a combined lounge was built at SFO, it would mark some sort of "commitment" to the city, when we all know when push comes to shove, between SFO and LAX the former lot of flights will be the first to be jettisoned.

Maybe we'll just have to wait until SFO finishes the terminal redevelopment and AA moves into boarding area B in T1 next to International A and an airside connector would allow oneworld pax into the AA club.

 

[sostopher]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

So I turned up 4 hours early, and got in the CX lounge without a batted eye. No one even out the front to greet me, I had to walk in and ask!

 

[SYD]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

So I turned up 4 hours early, and got in the CX lounge without a batted eye. No one even out the front to greet me, I had to walk in and ask!

Ditto. Arrived early Monday night from DFW (~7pm). QF checkin hadn't opened but OLCI boarding passes in hand!

 

[kreuky]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

managed to get in at 9:30pm on a Monday...lounge was pretty empty and still is...

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

managed to get in at 9:30pm on a Monday...lounge was pretty empty and still is...

Hardly a "capacity" issue is it...

 

[Flying mermaid]

Re: No access to Cathay lounge in SF

Master FM managed to get in on a Friday night (2/9). He was quite lucky to have access as his year was up on 31 August and he was 65 status credits short of retaining gold, but it seems to have stayed around long enough for his boarding pass to say gold, so he could enter the Cathay lounge. He is in the air at the moment, so I don't know how full the lounge was - just had a brief FB message to say he had got in and it was a nice lounge.

 

[RooFlyer]

Can anyone tell me which check-in aisle at SFO Qantas uses when it opens? I'll be early and want to 'hover' in the right area.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

In June it was 13. The closest aisle to customs.

 

[cmon0005]

According to the QF site, Aisle 12.
San Francisco International Airport Guide | Qantas​

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks, both. I didn't even think to look of the QF web site Sounds good - that's the end with the Qantas sign outside as well.

Crossing fingers for CX lounge entry, although the AMEX Centurion lounge looks OK as well ( thanks OBB )