Galleries access... NOT quite 'reinstated'?

[Danger]

While not trying to inflame already raised emotions or the like, but may as well dive into the lion's den: I wonder how many of the posters to this and the original thread are talking about their loss of lounge access, and how many others being concerned, supportive for others and not themselves as they aren't affected at all? (having OW status of Emerald or Sapphire, or fly J/F, etc)?

I'm one of those fighting the good fight for others. I'm oneworld Emerald and, God willing, will secure lifetime oneworld Sapphire this year so for me it's about supporting others.

FWIW, in my opinion, BA is the one people should be getting up for unilaterally changing the conditions of lounge access for those with QP membership only, without, it might turn out (and sounds to me to be the case) informing their 'shake my hand' friends that they had done so. Nothing out of character for BA there.

As medhead points out below, our beef must be with QF, not BA, as we (Qantas Club members, of which I'm not one, just talking in the collective sense) have entered into a relationship with Qantas, not British Airways.

If I purchase a Toyota from John Doe Motors that comes with five years of scheduled servicing, then Toyota goes belly-up, I take my issue to John Doe Motors as that's who I entered into the relationship with. It's then up to John Doe Motors to find a solution.

Maybe so, but QC members have the relationship with QF and QF have the arrangement with BA. QF and BA have to deal with the issue between them. A QC member getting up BA is useless. I am also amazed at the number of people here who think that partner lounge access was based only on a hand shake. Ya reckon the lawyers would have said "hand shake? yep all is good"?

From my perspective the suggestion that it seems like a handshake agreement is more about trying to find a reason why QF (Red Roo) could have thought one thing and BA another.

 

[simongr]

I must be a bit slow - but it just occurred to me that we must be talking about a LOT of qantas club members using BA lounges... if it was just one or two a day then why would BA care? They'd get a few pounds for the entry fee and the benefit of the member taking a BA flight rather than one of their competitors. If it was just a few people here and there then negotiations could have been done fairly quickly.
Something just doesn't seem to add up here. Maybe BA/QF are having a bigger fight about something??

I think this is the nub of the issue - I suspect the root cause of the drive for clamping down is people buy QP membership in the US and using it to access US based BA lounges.

FWIW, in my opinion, BA is the one people should be getting up for unilaterally changing the conditions of lounge access for those with QP membership only, without, it might turn out (and sounds to me to be the case) informing their 'shake my hand' friends that they had done so. Nothing out of character for BA there.

I completely agree.

If I purchase a Toyota from John Doe Motors that comes with five years of scheduled servicing, then Toyota goes belly-up, I take my issue to John Doe Motors as that's who I entered into the relationship with. It's then up to John Doe Motors to find a solution.

It would depend on who promised the servicing. This is the problem with one party promising something on behalf of another party - you are always at risk of the third party not being able to provide the service - this is exactly what has happened with this issue.

Let's look at this from another perspective. What would have happened if BA had gone bankrupt and the BA lounges weren't there - would people be demanding QF build new lounges?

Again though I don't think QF have communicated and handled this well - but I also don't think that it is all under QF's control.

 

[BD1959]

Let's look at this from another perspective. What would have happened if BA had gone bankrupt and the BA lounges weren't there - would people be demanding QF build new lounges?

In all likelihood, would be less of an issue, since there would be no BA flights to connect to!

Can people proposing QF enter into an agreement with another Lounge provider suggest who that might be at T5?

Regards,


BD

 

[simongr]

In all likelihood, would be less of an issue, since there would be no BA flights to connect to!

Can people proposing QF enter into an agreement with another Lounge provider suggest who that might be at T5?

That's the problem with analogies - they don't really work as you can not replicate the circumstances...

 

[eastwest101]

I personally have not been affected yet as I haven't travelled through LHR or another affected port yet, but as a QC member I'm happy to jump up and down to protect other QC and QF members/passengers from a loss of benefits/access. Just as I would expect other members would protect my access.

 

[simongr]

People do that frequently - the difference here is that there isn't much that QF can actually do to rectify the situation and people keep demanding that they reinstate access.

 

[medhead]

People do that frequently - the difference here is that there isn't much that QF can actually do to rectify the situation and people keep demanding that they reinstate access.

Surely the problem is lack of communication to say the benefit has ended or otherwise. Namely what's happening with terraces and exec club lounges: is access still available or has it been canned entirely and replaced with this limit LHR T5 arrangement? Certainty, in other words.


Sent from the Throne (80% chance) using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[dk4]

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

... the difference here is that there isn't much that QF can actually do to rectify the situation...

Might I suggest, that if the rumours around the city regarding Emirates are true, they ensure Emirates lounge access (& at their contractors lounges as well) for QP card holders travelling on any potential new JSA between the two airlines.

 

[owen2010]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Hi,

I am a QP member based in London.

Has there been any update to this situation? I am currently looking at booking some flights from London and I am trying to decide whether it is worth booking with BA or finding a cheaper flight on another airline. It doesn't look like I'll earn enough status credits to make silver before my status year ends in July so that is not a consideration.

Thanks.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Hi,

I am a QP member based in London.

Has there been any update to this situation? I am currently looking at booking some flights from London and I am trying to decide whether it is worth booking with BA or finding a cheaper flight on another airline. It doesn't look like I'll earn enough status credits to make silver before my status year ends in July so that is not a consideration.

Thanks.

nope. don't hold your breath either. could take weeks or months. if you are planning a trip originating in london (and not going to asia), then fly another airline if it's cheaper.

 

[owen2010]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

It's a shame because while I know in the scheme of things I'm not really an important customer of either Qantas or BA, Lounge access in London is a big factor in my decision to retain QP membership. I really don't think the price of QP membership is worth paying just to use the lounge once (if I'm lucky twice) on the annual trip home.

Without QP membership the decision about who I fly home with to Australia once or twice a year will come purely down to price. I guess if this doesn't get resolved before my QP membership year ends both Qantas and BA could end up missing out on my meager custom. They are certainly not the cheapest airlines on that route.

 

[HumptyBK315]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Same boat (Plane). Flying this weekend but won't bother with BA, as much as I hate the budget airlines, I'm also a sucker for lounge access. I too provide meager custom but would have thought it would be in BA and Qantas's interest to get this working to ensure we as a group always fly BA and retain our Qantas Club membership, how much does my handful of accesses to the BA lounge cost them? I usually only have time for a beer and quick bite.

Having said that I have read some threads about UK based people buying QP membership just to get access to the BA lounges so I can see why BA might have drawn a line. Perhaps some conditions on minimum Qantas flights before you can access partner lounges, although that would be a nightmare to manage.

 

[Flashback]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

I've been happy flying carriers like U2 and just using priority pass (can get it for 'free' with a few paid for credit cards in the UK ; check AMEX Platinum, Barclays Angel or Natwest Black).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

...

how much does my handful of accesses to the BA lounge cost them? I usually only have time for a beer and quick bite.

Having said that I have read some threads about UK based people buying QP membership just to get access to the BA lounges so I can see why BA might have drawn a line. Perhaps some conditions on minimum Qantas flights before you can access partner lounges, although that would be a nightmare to manage.

it doesn't cost them anything!! they get paid by qantas for every visit you make.

looking at the economics... you either fly lots with BA, and they give you free lounge access (because you make silver or gold), the you buy a £45 airfare and the cost of the lounge is paid by them... so they end up with £45 less a beer and bacon butty.

if you only fly a few times with BA and use the qantas club card, they end up with the full £45 AND the cost of the lounge access.

does qantas lose? not really... you've paid $300 a year, some of that goes to paying BA for lounge access. if you were flying a lot with qantas, and accessing lounges the whole time, then you'd have status and get into the lunges for free anyway...

so something bigger is going on here...

 

[The Rok]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

it doesn't cost them anything!! they get paid by qantas for every visit you make.

looking at the economics... you either fly lots with BA, and they give you free lounge access (because you make silver or gold), the you buy a £45 airfare and the cost of the lounge is paid by them... so they end up with £45 less a beer and bacon butty.

if you only fly a few times with BA and use the qantas club card, they end up with the full £45 AND the cost of the lounge access.

does qantas lose? not really... you've paid $300 a year, some of that goes to paying BA for lounge access. if you were flying a lot with qantas, and accessing lounges the whole time, then you'd have status and get into the lunges for free anyway...

so something bigger is going on here...

Never try to over simplify a complicated matter, it just becomes too complicated.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Re: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

so something bigger is going on here...

I gave up trying to understand the logic about 1000 posts ago......

 

[simongr]

so something bigger is going on here...

as has been reported over and over again BA and their elites don't want people with paid membership in their exclusive club. It is only through historical ties between BA and QF that this exists at all.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Maybe so, but QC members have the relationship with QF and QF have the arrangement with BA. QF and BA have to deal with the issue between them. A QC member getting up BA is useless. I am also amazed at the number of people here who think that partner lounge access was based only on a hand shake. Ya reckon the lawyers would have said "hand shake? yep all is good"?

If BA weren't legally allowed to do this, I doubt they would have gone ahead. And if they had, I doubt QF would have let them. My guess is that either BA is allowed to do this under the current contract, or did so under a new contract.

If BA is spending significant amounts of money on new lounges, then they may simply be deciding that they dont' want people in there that simply pay a fee per year. That doesn't necessarily mean legitimate Australian QC members - but might include BA residents buying QC memberships to have a fairly cheap (compared to gaining status on BA) way of getting access to new lounges.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

as has been reported over and over again BA and their elites don't want people with paid membership in their exclusive club. It is only through historical ties between BA and QF that this exists at all.

I have read plenty of speculation... but I have not seen anything official to support what you say.

something else has happened... like maybe not reaching agreement on how much to pay per entry... the length of time this is dragging on suggests there has been a stalemate reached, and one party is not willing to compromise somewhere...

 

[ReLoad]

I have read plenty of speculation... but I have not seen anything official to support what you say.

something else has happened... like maybe not reaching agreement on how much to pay per entry... the length of time this is dragging on suggests there has been a stalemate reached, and one party is not willing to compromise somewhere...

Red Roo has been conspicuously silent since the issue was "Solved" - I dont envy Red Roo's position on this topic.