Hats off to Qantas

[Snowmoo]

I recently had a disagreement with access to the F lounge at Syd airport when booked onto a Air Pacific flight that was a Qantas codeshare flight. We weren't allowed into the F lounge because it was marked as a FJ flight even though it was sold to us as a QF flight.

I was going to let it slide, but my lawyer wife got antsy and wrote a letter of complaint outlining the T&C's and where they went wrong. Attached evidence and got me to sign the letter and posted it off.

Here I was thinking they would come back with some standard response. Anyway got a nice call from Con at Qantas who apologised and said yes we were in the right and has taken down the details for my next int flight (next month) to organise additional passes for entry into the F lounge. Not really worthwhile to me as I get them anyway, but as we are travelling with an additional guest they'll also be able to get in.

So hats off to Qantas for admitting they are wrong and making up for it.

Although a free RW trip would have really made up for it!

 

[munitalP]

What you saying you didn't get the free RTW?


Good work - I think QF like being told about their mistakes in a factual manor (not a wine and a moan like most do). Us as a company take customer complaints and use them to better our service - I am sure QF do as well...


munitalP

 

[winetraveller]

I recently had a disagreement with access to the F lounge at Syd airport when booked onto a Air Pacific flight that was a Qantas codeshare flight. We weren't allowed into the F lounge because it was marked as a FJ flight even though it was sold to us as a QF flight.

I was going to let it slide, but my lawyer wife got antsy and wrote a letter of complaint outlining the T&C's and where they went wrong. Attached evidence and got me to sign the letter and posted it off.

Here I was thinking they would come back with some standard response. Anyway got a nice call from Con at Qantas who apologised and said yes we were in the right and has taken down the details for my next int flight (next month) to organise additional passes for entry into the F lounge. Not really worthwhile to me as I get them anyway, but as we are travelling with an additional guest they'll also be able to get in.

So hats off to Qantas for admitting they are wrong and making up for it.

Although a free RW trip would have really made up for it!

That's a very nice outcome, sometimes I err on the side of just letting things go, but you should really complain, in a polite manner, for you and for them.

A couple of years ago I had Lufthansa cough up some bookings of mine. I rang them to arrange an upgrade and was told that my tickets had been cancelled. I was due to fly out of JFK to FRA and my Visa was due to expire the next day. so any delay was a problem. I complained bitterly about the stress of potentially overstaying my visa and the potential implications for my work.

To cut a long story short they rebooked me in F (and I got the points for F) for my flights back to Oz, on LH and SQ, and gave me 10 eVouchers, which are equivalent to ten short haul or 5 long haul upgrades.

I'm sure they look closely at each invidual case, and in this instance they probably noted that I had spent a lot of money with them over the past few years, and have done so subsequently, but may not have if they hadn't made this right.

 

[simongr]

I actually don't think this si much of an outcome unless the passes are for when you are not travelling on QF in the future (but it is interesting to note that F lounge passes do actually exist - they have not been mentioned previously).

if flying on QF (or other OW) you will get F lounge access with a reasonable chance of getting extra guests in so this I think is not enough.

I do not know what is the right outcome but I think they could gone a little further...

 

[NM]

I actually don't think this si much of an outcome unless the passes are for when you are not travelling on QF in the future (but it is interesting to note that F lounge passes do actually exist - they have not been mentioned previously).

Will we start to see them on eBay soon?

 

[Mal]

(but it is interesting to note that F lounge passes do actually exist - they have not been mentioned previously).

The 'passes' mentioned are probably just an annotation in the diary for the Lounge Entry staff to allow entry on that date.

 

[Platy]

I successfully gained access for myself and Ms Platy to the FLounge a few days ago even though we were travelling on separate flights (myself QF019 to BNE and she to SCL on LAN) - strictly speaking we were supposed to be on the same flight based on my WP status (although not apparently for OneWorld Emerald meaning you are potentially worse off being Qf Emerald rather than another airline Emerald - go figure!).

Mind you I did what I could to encourage success - upgraded my flight so had a business boarding pass and put her economy pass under it and into the same wallet to make it appear we were travelling together...

Breakfast was as scrumptious as ever, the Deveaux champagne a delight and I even had time for a glass of yummy Yering Station Pinot Noir with some cheese when the food buffet selection changed over at around 1120-1130.

Unfortunately she had developed a nasty case of shingles on one side of her face a day or two before her return to Brazil and was too icky and drugged up for the flight to really appreciate the experience!

 

[Danger]

if flying on QF (or other OW) you will get F lounge access with a reasonable chance of getting extra guests in so this I think is not enough.

No such luck for me. I tried twice to get access for an additional guest to the F Lounge. First, I spoke to the lounge reception staff about a month before (on another trip, in which I was travelling alone) and then, the night before the flight where I was travelling with two people, I phoned the premium desk who contacted the F Lounge. Both advised 'No, only one guest. We're very strict on that.'

Hopefully others have had better luck.

 

[Dave Noble]

No such luck for me. I tried twice to get access for an additional guest to the F Lounge. First, I spoke to the lounge reception staff about a month before (on another trip, in which I was travelling alone) and then, the night before the flight where I was travelling with two people, I phoned the premium desk who contacted the F Lounge. Both advised 'No, only one guest. We're very strict on that.'

Hopefully others have had better luck.

I have seen recently that they are being strict on the one guest means one guest rule, though the worging used was one adult guest, so it sounds like that they may make an exception for brats

Dave

 

[munitalP]

Personally I feel that if traveling with "Brats", your lounge experience unless actually in F should be downgraded to the QP.

The experience of the FLounge or even the QP-J lounges for me is ruined by children who's parents don't give a rat's ar%^ and let the brads help themselves to food, go to the bar for drinks or run around uncontrolled :evil:

Mr!

 

[Platy]

Having no kids myself I also get very irritated by such uncontrolled behaviour. I'm not sure , however, whether conscientious parents with well heeled sprogs should be disadvantaged because of the errant behaviour of others.

Maybe a quiet word to lounge staff is the answer? What would one do if one or two adults were inappropriate (ignore or complain?). I dunno.

Does the serving of alcohol have any effect on entry of minors (I guess not?)?

I would love to see the lounges kid free, but I'm not sure that is a fair and reasonable expectation.

 

[munitalP]

Having no kids myself I also get very irritated by such uncontrolled behaviour. I'm not sure , however, whether conscientious parents with well heeled sprogs should be disadvantaged because of the errant behaviour of others.

Maybe a quiet word to lounge staff is the answer? What would one do if one or two adults were inappropriate (ignore or complain?). I dunno.

Does the serving of alcohol have any effect on entry of minors (I guess not?)?

I would love to see the lounges kid free, but I'm not sure that is a fair and reasonable expectation.

Lounge free of kids is not a fair option, but as I previously posted, put kids (unless traveling in a paid J or F) into the QP lounges - I have travelled with Mrs! and Sister! and been unable to use the FLounge, where is the line and how is it drawn? My sister is zero ststus, Mrs! was comp Gold - no entry for 3 of us. A family behind us gained entry - WP with wife and child (6 or 7 y/o) on Y DOM fares - a huge discrepency that needs fixing. :evil:

I was sent in the direction of the QP and mr WP in the FLounge. I didn't give the dragon the good news - what was the point - she was only doing what she believes her job.... hmmmm :shock:

I have also had a similar instance in the QP-J lounge in SYD (mentioned in a previous post) where guest 3 wasn't allowed in on a Saturday morning with me yet while speaking to the lounge dragon, mum, dad and kids gain entry :evil:

Again, in my opinion, if rules are in place, they must be upheld - unless kids are flying in the class of lounge entry wanted, keepo them in the QP lounges :-|

Mr!

 

[Platy]

Lounge free of kids is not a fair option, but as I previously posted, put kids (unless traveling in a paid J or F) into the QP lounges - I have travelled with Mrs! and Sister! and been unable to use the FLounge, where is the line and how is it drawn? My sister is zero ststus, Mrs! was comp Gold - no entry for 3 of us. A family behind us gained entry - WP with wife and child (6 or 7 y/o) on Y DOM fares - a huge discrepency that needs fixing. :evil:

I was sent in the direction of the QP and mr WP in the FLounge. I didn't give the dragon the good news - what was the point - she was only doing what she believes her job.... hmmmm :shock:

I have also had a similar instance in the QP-J lounge in SYD (mentioned in a previous post) where guest 3 wasn't allowed in on a Saturday morning with me yet while speaking to the lounge dragon, mum, dad and kids gain entry :evil:

Again, in my opinion, if rules are in place, they must be upheld - unless kids are flying in the class of lounge entry wanted, keepo them in the QP lounges :-|

Mr!

All sounds reasonable to me. But I must confess that I'm sick of making allowances for other people's miscreant progeny. Even in the local cinema the other day several toddlers turned a row of seats into a makeshift playground and climbing frame. Apart from the fact youngsters should not be subjected to "violent" movies like Quantum of Solace, prodding other patrons (I growled when the little proto-vixen came too close - stirred but not shaken) and disturbing cinema patrons with such eminent good taste as to go to watch a JB movie is quite unacceptable! For the record, several folk spoke up to tell the taciturn parents to take charge, but were ignored.

Less miscreant but also annoying, when minors are allowed in the lounges one of the classic ways for parents to keep them quiet is to put them on the computers/internet machines. This clogs up the availability of such resources as these kids will sit there for "hours". This happened in the BNE J lounge last week (I hate travelling in school holidays). Best response seemed to be to sit and have another Crownie and worry about the email once home!

On the subject of travelling kids, sat in the back row of a 737-800 last week and across were two solo minors. One repeatedly asked for his tray to be removed and each time the cabin cew told him they'd get to him (they were determined to keep on routine and only take the tray when doing the collection trolley run). I finally realised the poor kid was busting and helped him out of his seat before he peeed in his pants.

(As a side note - with the current obsession to doubt the intentions of any adult (especially male) within a cooee of a child these days, I am very conscious of not going anywhere near other folk's sprogs and was very reluctant to help that poor kid).

Now I do believe it is time to liberalise the entry of companion animals into terminals and club lounges!!!!! My Basenji puppy is far better behaved than most kids....

 

[simongr]

Now I do believe it is time to liberalise the entry of companion animals into terminals and club lounges!!!!! My Basenji puppy is far better behaved than most kids....

Now we are talking turkey. Pudding and moomoo (not their real names) want to travel but I couldnt put them in checked luggage and they are only tiny.

Question for the hard hearted - babysimpending will be 6 months for his first flight (currently -3 months) - would he class as a guest? I want to sit with him at my regular table...