Denied Entry to QF 1st Lounge Singapore

[Cognac]

One of the benefits of flying to/from Perth all the time is that QF72 is the first to leave, so the lounge is only just picking up by the time I have to get on the plane.

 

[PERLHR]

The OP said they went to QR instead.

Not that the success rate is that great at the QR lounge also. Many reports of knock backs there due to capacity issues if not on QR metal. Bottom line SIN ain't what it used to be in passing through.

 

[elanshin]

How long did you give to get over to T4 for the CX flight?

We did airside T1 > T4 in September amd it took us a solid 35 minutes. The bus ride itself is about 20 mins, but you need to wait for the bus. Then clearing security and everything before heading into the terminal proper.
We made our Air Asia flight with about 10minutes before they closed the door.

(Partners father spent too long catching up with a friend at jewel - and i thought airside might've been faster than landside transfer).

At least you have options with the night departure. It's the only option for JL712

QF J and QR J should be open at those hours right? I remember going into QF J to fix my boarding pass and seats when they opened in the morning.

 

[Bolt]

This doesn't really make alot of sense to me. The lounge is only open for those 4 or 5 QANTAS flights that all depart at the same time, and then it's shut. So, there is no quiet period to speak of. Have there been additional flights added for Christmas or something?

For those of us that subscribe to a OneWorld carrier for the OneWorld benefits, it really brings the value proposition into question.

 

[exLXCXFF]

This doesn't really make alot of sense to me. The lounge is only open for those 4 or 5 QANTAS flights that all depart at the same time, and then it's shut. So, there is no quiet period to speak of. Have there been additional flights added for Christmas or something?

For those of us that subscribe to a OneWorld carrier for the OneWorld benefits, it really brings the value proposition into question.

actually less flights than a normal Friday. I was originally booked on QF 84 as per usual that got scrapped and I was moved forward to QF82.

 

[Himeno]

This doesn't really make alot of sense to me. The lounge is only open for those 4 or 5 QANTAS flights that all depart at the same time, and then it's shut. So, there is no quiet period to speak of. Have there been additional flights added for Christmas or something?

The F lounge opens at 1515. The first QF flight departs at 1915. The first 2-3 hours after the lounge opens are quiet. It slowly gets busier with the peak between 1830 and 2030 then starts to get quiet again until it closes after 2300.

 

[MJ Coliandris]

I probably agree with this policy, but it may set a precedent elsewhere. For instance if Cathay introduced the same for their Heathrow First Lounge it would be a big blow, although there hardly ever seems to be a discernible ‘busy period’ in there, even prior to the departure of the Hong Kong flights.

On a related note, now that passengers connecting onto Jetstar no longer frequent the SIN First lounge either, it really will become Qantas Elites only.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I probably agree with this policy, but it may set a precedent elsewhere. For instance if Cathay introduced the same for their Heathrow First Lounge it would be a big blow, although there hardly ever seems to be a discernible ‘busy period’ in there, even prior to the departure of the Hong Kong flights

There are several reports over the last few months of CX F Lounge LHR doing exactly the same. I have also had a family member refused access there QF Plat flying BA.

 

[Himeno]

There are several reports over the last few months of CX F Lounge LHR doing exactly the same. I have also had a family member refused access there QF Plat flying BA.

Might have to check that next time I'm at LHR.
BA > QF in late Jan. 5 hour connection.

 

[elanshin]

This doesn't really make alot of sense to me. The lounge is only open for those 4 or 5 QANTAS flights that all depart at the same time, and then it's shut. So, there is no quiet period to speak of. Have there been additional flights added for Christmas or something?

For those of us that subscribe to a OneWorld carrier for the OneWorld benefits, it really brings the value proposition into question.

There's quite a lot of departures and arrivals.

On a daily basis theres 5-6 a330 departures and 2 a380 departures all generally quite full.

Then at the same time BA, AY flights also arrive and depart. There's some JL and QR that overlap too in the evening rush.

Also the QF SIN F lounge wasn't designed to cater to this many flyers as well from memory when they built it.

 

[RnD]

I can understand why this would be enforced, as much as I was a bit peeved at the time. My post was not so much a complaint as a question to see if this was occurring often, as it hadn't happened to me before. Seems to be on a needs basis, which kind of makes sense. Though if you were redeeming points on a CR flight not on Qantas metal, then I think you could possibly feel a bit ripped off.

Having been a bit of a lurker here, more so than a frequent poster, I really posed the question as I would be curious of the potential to impact forum members and their planned future lounge crawls.

I enjoyed the QR lounge as always, definitely better champagne, and as I had time to kill I returned to QF before departure.

 

[Himeno]

oneworld flights (today's timetables) departing SIN after the QF F opens until ~0230.

QF72 PER 1915
QF02 SYD 1940
QF36 MEL 1940
QF52 BNE 1955
QF82 SYD 2030
QF01 LHR 2305
QF38 MEL 2340

JL38 HND 0220
JL36 HND 2225

BA15 SYD 2005
BA16 LHR 2305
BA12 LHR 2315

QR947 DOH 2025

AY132 HEL 2205

CX714 HKG 0125
CX734 HKG 1645
CX716 HKG 1800
CX636 HKG 2015

MH608 KUL 1725
MH616 KUL 1930
MH610 KUL 2120

UL309 CMB 1950


People on CX aren't as likely to had over to T1 to use the lounge, due to the transit to/from T4, but the other flights in T1/2/3 and quite easy to get to the lounge.

 

[MJ Coliandris]

I’m getting the sense that airlines are going to start reserving lounges for their own Elite flyers & people at the front of their plane & that’s it. In a lot of cases this is a sensible policy - just look at the madness that is the BA T5 lounge - ‘First’ in name only.

It will certainly simplify matters for passengers & staff when it comes to access rules. How much time do the front desk waste explaining to people why they can’t come in?

I’m always a little peeved that as a Platinum FF I get off a first class ticketed Qantas flight in SIN & after changing terminals for my onward Jetstar flight, I can’t access the Cathay Lounge, but at least I know where I stand.

 

[MJ Coliandris]

I’ll be flying BA from Heathrow T3 early in the New Year, so I’ll report back regarding Cathay First access. I would certainly miss their breakfast!