Galleries access... NOT quite 'reinstated'?

[moa999]

The BA Speedbird wording was as follows:

With immediate effect, QF Club members travelling on the routes listed below are now permitted access to the BA Galleries Club lounges in LHR T3 & T5 .
QF Club members are entitled to bring one guest into the lounge.The card holder and guest must be travelling together.

Eligibility as follows:

QF Club members plus 1 guest travelling together on any BA or QF operated flight LHR to: BKK, HKG, MEL, SIN or SYD
QF Club members plus 1 guest arriving together on any BA or QF operated flight from BKK, HKG, MEL, SIN or SYD and through connecting at LHR to any BA operated flight
Access to the Arrivals lounge is not permitted

BD1959 - would be against oneworld COS rules.
simongr - I agree with you. It is a Qantas Club membership... Any other benefits (BA, AA or whoever else should be seen as a bonus and more likely to change)
Anyhow, I will just get a moveon to LTG and not worry about my remaining six months QP

 

[anat0l]

Methinks, time for reciprical action ....

QC Lounge Person: Sorry, sir, under oneWorld rules you're only allowed access if you're flying Business Class.
BA J pax: But everyone knows that ClubWorld is BA's Business Class by another name.
QC Lounge Person: Sir, if that were true, everyone would know that BA Galleries Lounges are BA Terraces, by another name.

Sounds like a nice idea but I think we won't have a leg to stand on on that one, unfortunately. And those Brits can be a vocal group, too, them having the whole "Motherland quality" and all that jazz.


Your idea sounds like an excuse from The Simpsons:

Kid: "Sorry, not you, Homer" [you're not allowed inside]
Homer: "Why not?"
[kid points to "No Homers Club"]
Homer: "But you let in Homer Glumpett?"
Kid: "It says, 'No Homers'. We're allowed to have one."

 

[oz_mark]

Any one got a pdf of that page? I can only get a 404 now

Google is your friend

British Airways' Speedbird Club: QF Club members - access to BA Galleries Club lounges

 

[BD1959]

I don't see why BA shouldn't be allowed to allow access to their lounges as they see fit. CX, MA, IB, RJ, Ay don't allow QP members access to their J lounges.

No-one is saying BA shouldn't. What is at issue here is that BA and QF had an agreement whereby QP were allowed access to BA Lounges. QF continued to charge for QP membership including access to BA Lounges.

That access has now been removed.

What is at issue is:

1) The lack of notice - and continued charging of the same price by QF (in breach of the QP rules)
2) The feeble excuse of a rename of those same Lounges - by both BA and QF


Regards,

BD

 

[anat0l]

I don't see why BA shouldn't be allowed to allow access to their lounges as they see fit. CX, MA, IB, RJ, Ay don't allow QP members access to their J lounges.

Good point, though if that were the case, then BA should at least be upfront in saying, "Sorry QPers, we know it's been a while, but see you later and thanks for all the fish."

I mean, BA stopped Open Doors for their Gold members some time ago, and they had the dignity of being told through an email.

I know QF comms can be a funny beast at times but I'm sure that if BA 'terminated' their agreement to accommodate QP members then they would've sent an email at least to that effect, or put it in the latest QF newsletter. (We'd still have an angry thread about the 'enhancement' but at least we could've been clear on what exactly was going on).

I agree that the QP access terms was pretty much just a gentleman's agreement at best that happened to get enshrined into the business somewhere. It's not as binding as the oneworld agreements or even the QF/BA JSA (the former of which BA has only recently fully learned to respect, mind you). So yes BA are in full rights to stop giving access to QP members, but at least have some dignity about it.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Slow down there, Princess What about the Kiwis? (Who, like us, also have to put up with a joining fee for QFF, though it can be worked around)

Ok I'll concede that point

 

[BD1959]

BD1959 - would be against oneworld COS rules.
simongr - I agree with you. It is a Qantas Club membership... Any other benefits (BA, AA or whoever else should be seen as a bonus and more likely to change)
Anyhow, I will just get a moveon to LTG and not worry about my remaining six months QP

Hi moa999,

No, BA and AA Lounge access is not a BONUS it is (or rather was) a prescribed BENEFIT.

.... But it would be fun to deny BA J Pax (not status pax) for a day - might just get the message through to BA.

Regards,

BD

 

[simongr]

1) The lack of notice - and continued charging of the same price by QF (in breach of the QP rules)
2) The feeble excuse of a rename of those same Lounges - by both BA and QF

I agree that QF selling the QP membership on the back of the access being removed is bit rough and they should have been more up front in that.

Charging - QF can set whatever price it likes for QP membership - so now that the BA access is out they might find they can still sell the QP membership at the same price.

Good point, though if that were the case, then BA should at least be upfront in saying, "Sorry QPers, we know it's been a while, but see you later and thanks for all the fish."

I mean, BA stopped Open Doors for their Gold members some time ago, and they had the dignity of being told through an email.

I know QF comms can be a funny beast at times but I'm sure that if BA 'terminated' their agreement to accommodate QP members then they would've sent an email at least to that effect, or put it in the latest QF newsletter. (We'd still have an angry thread about the 'enhancement' but at least we could've been clear on what exactly was going on).

I agree that the QP access terms was pretty much just a gentleman's agreement at best that happened to get enshrined into the business somewhere. It's not as binding as the oneworld agreements or even the QF/BA JSA (the former of which BA has only recently fully learned to respect, mind you). So yes BA are in full rights to stop giving access to QP members, but at least have some dignity about it.

Had to read that twice to make sure you weren't saying that BA should have told the QP members.

I really think that this is a position that BA want to take - they don't have a paid lounge scheme so only their elite members and J/F pax should have access. Even if the QP members win now I see these benefits being eroded away over time until they do disappear.

If I was QF management I would do what they did during the industrial relations - cease all access to BA lounges and let the members invoke clause 4.1 of the T+C and refund anyone who has been materially impacted - for me a reasonable material impact would be for anyone who has over 50% of their upcoming flights from a BA port.

 

[The Rok]

I don't see why BA shouldn't be allowed to allow access to their lounges as they see fit. CX, MA, IB, RJ, Ay don't allow QP members access to their J lounges.

Agreed. Why is everyone blaming BA? They own the lounges and can do with them whatever they see fit. BA did not sell you all life time memberships to the QC, Qantas did. This is a Qantas problem, not a BA one.

As per my post in the previous thread, I suspect this issue is never going to be resolved fully to the satisfaction of all QC members.

 

[simongr]

Methinks, time for reciprical action ....

QC Lounge Person: Sorry, sir, under oneWorld rules you're only allowed access if you're flying Business Class.
BA J pax: But everyone knows that ClubWorld is BA's Business Class by another name.
QC Lounge Person: Sir, if that were true, everyone would know that BA Galleries Lounges are BA Terraces, by another name.

Check out this link:

British Airways - Travel classes

Scroll down past the economy travel class to the BUSINESS CLASS section - titled BUSINESS CLASS and rad these words:

Travel in comfort and style with our range of business class services

BA call their business class - business class.

 

[samh004]

I don't see why BA shouldn't be allowed to allow access to their lounges as they see fit. CX, MA, IB, RJ, Ay don't allow QP members access to their J lounges.

But CX, MA, IB, RJ, Ay never had agreements with QF to allow access for QP members, so that’s not really the point.

I think BA has every right to choose who has access and who doesn’t, however you’re splitting hairs if you really believe that rebranding a lounge a gallery instead of a terrace makes a difference. Yes, per the contract it might make all the difference in the world, especially if those terms were clearly defined, but if you don’t think they’re pulling a fast one here then I really don’t know…

The issue really is with QF, they sold a product, and yes while the T&C’s say the product is subject to change, it’s really taking the cake to almost completely disallow access now, mainly because of a name change. The ball is in QF’s court, not BA’s, though BA has all the chips and can negotiate as hard as they want.

 

[simongr]

I don't believe the rebranding is the real reason for the change - i think that is just weasel words.

In essence:

- BA DID build brand new flashier lounges
- BA don't provide paid lounge access
- BA decided not to provide lounge access to paid lounge guests
- QF have negotiated access to lounges on what are likely to be the most frequently travelled flights

The environment did change and QF didnt handle it that well.

 

[samh004]

The environment did change and QF didnt handle it that well.

At least we agree on something

 

[eastwest101]

I think that when BA rebranded their Terraces as Galleries, and this was not done overnight, then surely QF could/should have asked BA if this was going to affect QC members.

If BA's answer was no - then the current situation is BA's problem.
If BA's answer was anything else then the current situation is QF's problem.

 

[simongr]

I am not sure why QF would even be prompted to ask the question - did anyone here?

 

[dfcatch]

Easily fixed....

QC members simply need to be on a PNR that included QF. Doesn't need to be same day.

 

[BD1959]

Easily fixed....

QC members simply need to be on a PNR that included QF. Doesn't need to be same day.

Not if that PNR has an Itin such as LHR-DFW-BNE ... BA website states must be "on any BA or QF operated flight LHR to: BKK, HKG, MEL, SIN or SYD" ... or it did before it 404-ed.

Regards,

BD

 

[JohnPhelan]

Why is everyone blaming BA?

Because it is BA who have changed the rules; not QF.

BA changing the rules has now become QF's problem, but it is certainly not a problem of QF's creation.

It puts QF - and QP members - in a difficult situation.

People here are saying "well QF should just fix it". How, pray tell?? QF has to convince BA to revert to its previous rules for QP members to access BA lounges. If BA simply refuses to do this, what does QF do? Even if it were to build its own lounges in places like LHR (highly unlikely, if not impossible), they would serve only those people already now admitted to the BA lounges under the modified entry rules.

Yes, QF should remove any references to BA lounge access from the Qantas Club membership info, but that doesn't fix the situation for all of of us who joined up when the conditions did include access to BA lounges. The offerings are now reduced, but through no fault of QF's.

Indeed, it seems QF has been deliberately deceived by BA on this - as Red Roo made abundantly clear, QF believed that BA had agreed to revert to the old system of access to all of its lounges worldwide to QP members. The villain in all of this is clearly BA - that is why people are blaming BA!!

 

[eastwest101]

thewinchester dragged this BA documentation out in a thread in 16th July 2010

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/7010/qfffsyf4.jpg


I am sure that this will be a learning experience for us all - and maybe QF - that our antennae should be well and truly raised whenever any benefit/lounge are re-named or re-launched...

 

[BD1959]

Check out this link:

British Airways - Travel classes

Scroll down past the economy travel class to the BUSINESS CLASS section - titled BUSINESS CLASS and rad these words:

Travel in comfort and style with our range of business class services

BA call their business class - business class.

... and Galleries are their Business Class Lounges at T5, just as Terraces were their Business Class lounges previously ... and I think if you look at any BA Itinerary - including BA.Com it's called Club World. I'll double check my last BP when I'm next home.

Regards,

BD