Denied Flounge access [SYD, WP on JL-NO Invite]

[tallboy]

In any case if you were travelling JAL in J wouldn't the voucher only be valid for the QF J Lounge? I would think you would only be allowed to access the F Lounge with the JAL voucher if travelling in F. So if they did allow you to access the F Lounge, surely it would be due to your OWE status & if that is the case why do JAL need to be charged at all?

This makes sense to me.

 

[openseat]

I thought it is pretty clear. A OWE flying a oneworld airline are given access, regardless of what cabin is flown, to the first class lounge. Viz.

]oneworld lounge access for frequent flyers by tier statusEnjoy exclusive access to premium airport lounges around the world as an equivalent oneworld Emerald or Sapphirefrequent flyer member. Members of oneworld airline frequent flyer programmes with the equivalent of oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status can use any lounge offered by any oneworld airline when departing on any flight marketed and operated by any oneworld member airline*, no matter in which cabin class they are flying.
(* oneworld flights do not include codeshare flights with non-oneworld airlines, even those marketed by a oneworld Member but operated by a non-oneworld carrier or those operated by a oneworld Member but marketed by a non-oneworld carrier)

• Emerald tier frequent flyers can use First Class, Business Class or frequent flyer lounges.
• Sapphire tier frequent flyers are welcome in Business Class or frequent flyer lounges.
• As an Emerald or Sapphire member, your lounge access is regardless of which cabin you are flying in.
• Emerald and Sapphire members may invite one guest to join them in the lounge.
• You must be prepared to show your frequent flyer membership card, with oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status, to access a lounge.
• Access to First Class lounges is restricted to passengers flying in the lounge operator’s First Class cabin or to cardholders with oneworld Emerald status, regardless of which oneworld airline or cabin they are flying.

The following exceptions apply:

1. 
   [*=1]American Airlines and Qantas offer programmes enabling travellers to pay to gain access to their lounges. These programmes are not part of the oneworld agreement, and members of these programmes are not entitled to access lounges under the oneworld agreement.
   [*=1]American Airlines AAdvantage® members, regardless of their tier status, cannot access lounges when travelling on North American itineraries within or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
   [*=1]Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Class Lounges.

 

[Alanslegal]

Now what happens if one was flying JL Y, there is no voucher. Just a JL BP and WP card.

 

[simongr]

In any case if you were travelling JAL in J wouldn't the voucher only be valid for the QF J Lounge? I would think you would only be allowed to access the F Lounge with the JAL voucher if travelling in F. So if they did allow you to access the F Lounge, surely it would be due to your OWE status & if that is the case why do JAL need to be charged at all?

CX give me an invite to the F lounge when flying ex-SYD in J. So the invite would NOT have been to the J lounge.

 

[DC3]

Wow, talk about tough luck. Seriously, I thought a OW boarding pass and WP card would be sufficient. Do we all really have to carry a print out of the lounge entry conditions now?

Not to mention that you also need an "invitation" of all things, even as a WP.

 

[simongr]

Maybe it is a cultural thing in that they are actually inviting you to the lounge. In the same way that in Asian cultures you are presented with a business card with the expectation that you will read it and treat it with respect this invitation might be a similar thing.

I object to the waste of paper though (and wish we could move to FF card based BP medium to long haul as well as DOM/short haul.

 

[Danger]

. . . I was then told " Qantas charge back the entry to JAL".

Maybe it is a cultural thing in that they are actually inviting you to the lounge. In the same way that in Asian cultures you are presented with a business card with the expectation that you will read it and treat it with respect this invitation might be a similar thing.

I object to the waste of paper though (and wish we could move to FF card based BP medium to long haul as well as DOM/short haul.

I find it interesting that two airlines in a multi-million (maybe billion) dollar alliance can't trust each other when it comes to sending a bill through for lounge access. Assuming QF does bill JAL for access to their F lounge, what does it say about QF if JAL couldn't otherwise accept a printed invoice or something from QF saying x number of entries last month? Trust?

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it.

 

[nonpop]

Thinking about it a bit more, my concern here is the underlying tone the airlines seem to be having for lounges.
I’m sure it costs them a packet to run them and considering some of them are very nice, the airlines may want to use them as a weapon so to speak. For full service airlines, the lounges may be one of the last bastions of differentiation.

So my concern here is the moment I moved from QF to an OW Alliance carrier, QF seemed to disregard the OW privileges they promote. Now ironically I am using QF for my return and will look to use JALs premium lounge in NRT as a OWE vs QFs lounge.

Mmmm the challenge here is that premium travelers tend to like consistency (well I do) IMHO. I just want stuff to work and not be hassled with the small stuff. We’ve been trained to follow a set of rules and then to have a change mid-game, just upsets the balance. I book my travel knowing that the ‘process’ just works. The Alliances may fail to understand that premium pax tend to use the member airlines and hence they all benefit from the revenue split model as traffic is driven internally vs being scattered to non-member airlines. May be I’m getting too old and a little OCD.

As a side note – the lounge receptionists at the top of the stairs where ‘harsh’ and in no way welcoming once I produced my JAL BP. I felt the temperature drop considerably as I was standing there ruffling through my travel wallet especially when I very, very politely queried the OW policy and entitlement as per OW policy.

Oh and to those that have been saying "well you got in didn't you so the process worked" - or something like that. Well that is not my point of query. And if that is all one thinks then I have not articulated correctly where I see the issue. I hope this post helps a bit with that. I'd like to think that I'm looking after all our interests by raising this as I'd hate to see an 'enhancement' across the network. May be next step is for us to provide DNA before we gain access - ok yes now I've gone too far.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

This used to happens in KL too. To get into the CX lounge (not worth writing home about) when flying JL, you needed an invite from the JAL checkin desk. I didn't remember getting one, so I just insisted on being let in. I found it later in my bag with my documents, so gave it to the guys manning the entry later on.

From memory, LAN give out invites at Sydney airport, though I don't remember ever being asked to hand if over when entering the F lounge.

 

[Mal]

Welcome to the LoneWorld alliance. Qantas by itself, making all the rules. Please give feedback to QF - Your BP (and WP card) should have been sufficient at SYD.

 

[tyrolean]

Yes I know that you sometimes need an Invitation/Voucher for some lounge. I experience that with 3rd Party Lounges - where you usually get that voucher at the Check-In desk.

However that story is just poor customer service.

1) Why does QF need any form of invitation in their own lounge (they may use it for accounting or if the lounge staff cannot check if the guest is allowed entry, but that does not count)

2) If you need an "Invitation" the Lounge staff usually organizes one for me (sometime it takes a short phone call or they have spare ones anyway).
That is common practice in the lounges I used to visit.
If you have an Oneworld BP and your WP Card the staff should sort it out. Everything else is lack of service!

 

[JohnK]

A Qantas Platinum flying on a Oneworld airline operated and marketed flight is entitled to access the SYD First Lounge without an invitation from JAL.

I would definitely provide feedback to Qantas as that is an embarassing situation to be in and staff need to be trained properly to look after customers.

 

[nonpop]

Feedback sent to QF via their website. I've explained what happened. Noted by outbound flight and also advised them of my return flight from NRT and note I will be using the JAL lounge.

 

[Simo]

I was on a CX flight and had a lounge invite pass for a QF lounge.

I was told that there was some charge back agreement between the airlines.

 

[tuapekastar]

Feedback sent to QF via their website. I've explained what happened. Noted by outbound flight and also advised them of my return flight from NRT and note I will be using the JAL lounge.

I'm surprised at what happened to you as related in the OP. Please let us know the outcome of your feedback.

 

[dfcatch]

Thanks for clarifying your experience.

The customer service was less than ideal and I agree - you should send feedback.

The issue isn't the voucher - the issue is the experience.

 

[Heleigh]

I have been given invitation/vouchers at check-in on numerous flights overseas and have been asked for them at respective lounges even when I forgot I had one (too tired), never offended when they ask/demand it.

QF flounge are well aware that the invitation has been given and therefore made a request for it.

But having said that the staff at check-in has always advised me of the invitation, maybe the staff here at check-in were a little lax in advising you.

As WP/Emerald I know it states we are entitled to Flounge but as stated they are reimbursed and as a business aren’t we all out to recoup what we can.

Also believe that if he had lost or not given one I sure the Flounge would have arranged with check-in to get one there, but he was given one - all worked out fine.

 

[DC3]

.. Oh and to those that have been saying "well you got in didn't you so the process worked" - or something like that. Well that is not my point of query...

nonpop, I'm with you on that. There's been a bit of lounge-dragon-speak, on this one.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Maybe it is a cultural thing in that they are actually inviting you to the lounge. In the same way that in Asian cultures you are presented with a business card with the expectation that you will read it and treat it with respect this invitation might be a similar thing.

I think it's more likely a 'cultural' way of oncharging the lounge fee to the airline the pax is travelling with.

I was on a CX flight and had a lounge invite pass for a QF lounge. I was told that there was some charge back agreement between the airlines.

Does this mean all OW airlines (other than QF) must issue all pax with a Flounge invite irrespective of whether (as a WP) they would get access to the Flounge anyway?

Do BA do this also?

IMO the only time invitations should be issued is when a pax would not be able to access a lounge on their own merit.

Does this mean that an SG pax travelling J on QF would only be able to access the J Lounge in SYD however if this same SG pax travelled J on JAL they'd be entitled to use the FLounge by way of the lounge invitation???

If that's the case it makes it more attractive for the SG QF freq flyer to give their J class business to JAL as they'd get to use the FLounge. QF would lose the J class revenue they might have otherwise got from that pax who would only be able to use the JLounge if travelling on QF.

 

[simongr]

I think it's more likely a 'cultural' way of oncharging the lounge fee to the airline the pax is travelling with.

Not sure then why CX give me an invite to the CX lounge when flying CX...