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

[dajop]

Perhaps OW/QF need to go down the star path. When I present my SQ BP with my BD (now SQ) gold number to the NZ lounge, you get a boarding pass scan and a green light that allows access. Ditto recently for presenting my SQ BP /SQ gold number at the LH lounge at FRA. No invitations, no questions asked just a green light. Takes the power away from lounge staff with an attitude.

 

[Alanslegal]

Perhaps OW/QF need to go down the star path. When I present my SQ BP with my BD (now SQ) gold number to the NZ lounge, you get a boarding pass scan and a green light that allows access. Ditto recently for presenting my SQ BP /SQ gold number at the LH lounge at FRA. No invitations, no questions asked just a green light. Takes the power away from lounge staff with an attitude.

Similarly, like at TK Lounge IST which is probably the best J lounge I have seen on this planet - there are automatic gates where you scan your BP and the gates open whether or not your are eligible in that lounge.

 

[amaroo]

Do BA do this also?

BA have never provided me with an invite to visit SYD Flounge.....never been asked for one by the lounge agent either.

 

[drron]

It really shouldn't matter if there is a charge back-surely QF can get that info from the BP.Often get invitations from CX but hardly ever have I handed them over.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just an interesting side about being charged for lounge access - when the new QF HKG biz lounge was built we still had the 'anytime access' for plats.

Seeing the new lounge open I wandered down and said to the agent that I wanted to have a quick look see, and presented my plat card.

He insisted however on scanning the CX bp. I specifically said to him that this was an 'anytime' visit and that i did not want CX to be billed for my quick 2 minute tour. To no avail - still scanned the bp and i think to this day CX got charged for that visit.

Maybe JAL has some sort of similar problem in SYD? Maybe passengers like to lounge hop which could equal a charge for each entry (for example someone in the F lounge going to have a quick visit to the J lounge would = double charge to JL). So they can avoid this by insisting on only paying on presentation of an invitation.

 

[Willie]

This is just another Oneworld peculiarity. Far from working and revolving around you... it is a nightmare. Easy solution, move to *alliance. It is a much more user friendly and benefits and entitlements are more consistent and all encompassing. Damn living in Australia being so far away from good benefits!

Ooh Roo

Willie

 

[Zippy7]

In my small sample of travels CX have always issued me with lounge invites, regardless of the city - Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Mumbai and Singapore.

In my recent flight on CX162, Sydney Flounge dragon made a firm and polite request for the invite as they wanted to charge the visit back to CX. I had to dig through my bag for it.
I was a bit put off, but never thought to complain though.

Strangely enough, when flying out of Mumbai, CX gave me an F invite to the Clipper lounge, but when walking there, I saw the BA lounge (J) for the first time (blinkered in the past?) and decided to duck in.
I asked politely if I could visit and they let me in (they scribbled down my details after presenting WP card and BP).

I've done "tours" of the lounges in HK, Tokyo and Singapore (I'd call them a lounge crawl, but I was on my own) and visited other OW lounges just for the sake of visiting
However, most lounge dragons in other locations were nice - the worst have been in London and Sydney - perhaps it is a (sad?) reflection of our culture/society vs. Asian culture.

 

[straitman]

Easy solution, move to *alliance.
Willie

If only it was that simple :!:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If only it was that simple :!:

we need new government legislation - similar to mortgage swapping - where airlines are required to release you from your current alliance and transfer with full benefits over to another alliance at the same level with the same miles

 

[Willie]

we need new government legislation - similar to mortgage swapping - where airlines are required to release you from your current alliance and transfer with full benefits over to another alliance at the same level with the same miles

Ummmmm.. this is not a health insurance swap!

Come on...

OOh Roo

Willie

 

[ozbeachbabe]

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.

What city was this in Simo?

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

Wonder what would've happened if you wanted to use the QF Flounge then?

Perhaps OW/QF need to go down the star path. When I present my SQ BP with my BD (now SQ) gold number to the NZ lounge, you get a boarding pass scan and a green light that allows access. Ditto recently for presenting my SQ BP /SQ gold number at the LH lounge at FRA. No invitations, no questions asked just a green light. Takes the power away from lounge staff with an attitude.

It sounds like the same scenario as Priority Pass. When we were in LAS (nil Admirals Club) we used the PP Lounge which was formerly the Continental Presidents Club but now a UA lounge.

We weren't sure if that changed the game plan so asked if we were still eligible to use the lounge & they said they still had an agreement but they did swipe the card which gave us the green light.

 

[burrco]

Always get an invite flying with CX - at MEL I tell them that I'll be going to the Qantas Lounge instead but still get the invitation to the CX lounge. The MEL QF F lounge has never asked for it. Surely it isn't to much hassle for the lounge staff to get the pertinent information from the boarding pass to ensure "correct billing".

 

[tallboy]

In my small sample of travels CX have always issued me with lounge invites, regardless of the city - Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Mumbai and Singapore.

Strangely enough, when flying out of Mumbai, CX gave me an F invite to the Clipper lounge, but when walking there, I saw the BA lounge (J) for the first time (blinkered in the past?) and decided to duck in.
I asked politely if I could visit and they let me in (they scribbled down my details after presenting WP card and BP).

I have had the same experience as above with Cathay travels, but as noted elsewhere, they always issue invitations for their own lounges as well as others.

Coincidentally I also had a very similar experience to yours departing Mumbai with CX a couple of weeks ago, except I visited the Clipper F lounge first. The Clipper F lounge is small and J lounge very crowded, so when Wifi system there was too complex to join I swapped to the (closer to gate) BA lounge, where they also noted my WP card and BP details as above. More spacious and comfortable, and also easy access to Wifi.

 

[nonpop]

Update ... there is no update. Have had zero response from QF.
I've flown JAL SYD to NRT since and again have been challenged. FLounge staff want nothing to do with the oneworld published policy. It's voucher or nothing.
So for those of you flying JAL out of SYD make sure you collect your Fvoucher.
In NRT I fly back to SYD on QF. I now use the JAL Flounges vs the QF lounge and am not challenged by JAL staff. I present my BP and QF WP card as normal. Also in the JAL Flounge the freshly made sushi is a nice touch.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I would PM Red Roo. That's pretty disgraceful and goes against QF's own Lounge Access outlined in the website.
I would not expect to need a voucher as a QF WP travelling on a QF/JQ/OW airline in any class of travel.

 

[Simo]

Last year when I flew from SYD to HKG i needed a lounge pass for the QP in SYD International.

I had a few minor issues getting into a CX lounge in SIN as I had a BP but no lounge invite.

The lounge angel said that's fine she asked for my QFF card and she said WP should be fine.

 

[drewbles]

This is just another Oneworld peculiarity. Far from working and revolving around you... it is a nightmare. Easy solution, move to *alliance. It is a much more user friendly and benefits and entitlements are more consistent and all encompassing. Damn living in Australia being so far away from good benefits!

Ooh Roo

Willie

As straitman says, if only it were so simple!

The one thing that annoys me about the *A setup is that they only have two tiers, and pretty much every airline in the alliance has 3 or more tiers. This then means if you're Top Tier on (let's for the sake of argument assume QF is in *A not OW for this example) QF (WP or WP1), you'd have access to LH or SQ's "Business" Lounges only. Any First class lounges would be verboten.

If you want access to a *A carrier's first class lounge, the only way you're getting in is if you have the suitable FF tier in that specific airlines program.

OW will at least allow OW Sapphire (QF Gold) to access all other carriers J lounges, and OW Emeralds to access all other carriers F lounges (where available, else it's J if they don't have an F lounge).

For all its faults, I find the actual benefits of OW's tiers better than the 2 tiers of *A (although consistent baggage allowances across the entire alliance on *A is a big big plus!).

 

[ermen]

Update ... there is no update. Have had zero response from QF.
I've flown JAL SYD to NRT since and again have been challenged. FLounge staff want nothing to do with the oneworld published policy. It's voucher or nothing.
So for those of you flying JAL out of SYD make sure you collect your Fvoucher.

This is so strange...
I think an explanation from Qantas on what they are thinking is in order so I hope they write back to you!

 

[Red Roo]

Hi All,
Thanks all for your thoughts and experiences.
Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific issue invitations for all customers that are entitled to use the First Lounge at check-in.
If a Platinum member with an eligible boarding pass arrives in the lounge they should be given access, then the lounge staff are able to contact JAL/ CX for the invitation. If other tiers will need to present the invitation to the lounge. This is a tracking tool used to report back to JAL/ CX on usage of QF lounges.
It is unfortunate that it seems a Platinum member has been handled differently in the past. I have highlighted this thread to the Lounge team as feedback.
Cheers,
Red Roo

 

[moa999]

On my two recent CX flights, the invite has been printed along with the boarding pass.
I honestly don't see what the issue is in this thread - the system seems to be working.