Ladies , is a solo female FF who frequents First Lounges a rare breed indeed?

[Janflyer]

I'm another lady that travels regularly as a solo - both for business and leisure - and have no reservations in doing so. I'm mostly limited to the Y cabin, but I have recently managed to get to WP on the back of all that Y travel, so I do enjoy the flounge. Being one of only a few in the flounge is not threatening - you get the odd curious look, but generally everyone is doing their own quiet thing.

I think, as others have mentioned, the main reason for the lack of solo female travellers is the family issue - whilst their blokes are out on the road, the Mums are at home with the kids. This not only means they are tied to the kids at home, but their careers are also affected, meaning the number of ladies in higher level roles is reduced - hence fewer numbers of solo ladies travelling for business.

 

[Datum]

When I visit the Q-Club lounge I often count the number of women that I can see from my seat. Often it will be 5-10 women per ~ 100 men. This is likely a little skewed for FIFO out of Perth, but the % is not much higher for east coast Q-clubs. I also often do a rough %men/women as I walk through J to my usually-Y seat, and it is almost always men. These rough-% are based on my experiences in business travel.

 

[Katie]

I'm sitting in the QF F cupboard at BNE Intl at the moment. I was the only woman with ~8 men around, but then another woman just entered the lounge. There's probably only pax here for QF8 at the moment; not sure how this would compare to say before QF15 or a "regular" ex-BNE to Intl destination flight. In ky experience, not wildly different.

FWIW, voth women in the lounge are travelling solo.

 

[avstand]

WP woman here. Under 35 (let's say "early 30s"), frequenter of Dom J-lounges. I occasionally pop up in the International FLounge. Got to P with work travel - I'm a manager in a remote location, and can usually get work to cover flexi tickets. Some personal travel too, and a strategic user of the (soon to be defunct) MASA.

I certainly don't fit the stereotype WP. There have been occasional DYKWIA moments - I once went to the express check-in at Darwin airport and had the FA cheerfully ask if I was QP. I looked at her steelily and said no, I'm flying business today. (That was a JASA, and I was WP besides!)

 

[Pushka]

Is there something wrong with just being a QP member?

 

[avstand]

Of course not! I put that poorly. Reading back on it, in fact I put it pretty obnoxiously, so apologies to our esteemed QP colleagues (and everyone else, for that matter - before I had a job with frequent travel, I was NB for a loooong time).


Just trying to highlight that I don't fit the stereotype - and thus encounter occasional incorrect assumptions. This probably happens to everyone to some degree.


FWIW I also travel alone, almost always, which I love.

 

[Pushka]

Ok. I get that. The steely look was because it was assumed you couldn't possibly be travelling alone in J.

 

[robd]

Of course not! I put that poorly. Reading back on it, in fact I put it pretty obnoxiously, so apologies to our esteemed QP colleagues (and everyone else, for that matter - before I had a job with frequent travel, I was NB for a loooong time).


Just trying to highlight that I don't fit the stereotype - and thus encounter occasional incorrect assumptions. This probably happens to everyone to some degree.


FWIW I also travel alone, almost always, which I love.

Smiley faces etc. can help to infer the correct tone.

 

[Milboo]

I have had a number of flights between SYD and MEL where I am the only female in J or in the first 5 rows or so of Y and I've noticed the BNE VA lounge seems to have fewer solo female travellers in it.

I have no issues travelling solo - international or domestic and this is the norm for me. I actually prefer it flying long haul and with the whole airport process.

 

[blackcat20]

I have no issues travelling solo - international or domestic and this is the norm for me. I actually prefer it flying long haul and with the whole airport process.

I've always travelled solo internationally, and this trip with my mum is reminding me why. The whole process is so much easier on your own.

 

[kpc]

I've always travelled solo internationally, and this trip with my mum is reminding me why. The whole process is so much easier on your own.

Oh dear...I fear the same. Along with +1, I'm taking my mother to Russia with us in September. ..just getting her Russian visa is already causing dramas!

 

[Pushka]

Try to remember why you are travelling with your mum. That helps when the going gets tough. . And the mantra "this too shall pass".

 

[get me outta here]

So true, whether travelling w' your mum or your daughter, it is a different generation doing things differently. In the end, only the good memories count, and the remember whens .

Try to remember why you are travelling with your mum. That helps when the going gets tough. . And the mantra "this too shall pass".

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks to this forum I have managed to gain and maintain platinum for the past few years off the back of an annual trip to the US plus a few other short international adventures, and achieved by a combination of circuitous routes , ASAs before their demise and occasional tickets purchased in Biz including to the USA ex various cheap Asian cities on one world carriers. There is not much domestic travel and my trips are entirely for leisure not business.
I am nearing the end of a whirlwind trip that has included FLounging in SYD, HKG (x2) JFK (various terminals) and NRT (x2).I had not really noticed that first lounge clients are so overwhelmingly male until this trip due to the pondering time afforded by a couple of long connections, but I presume that is a statistical fact anyway, and the solo female FF is not that common?

maybe female FFers are smarter than their male counterparts and manage to escape having to fly so much

 

[Sprucegoose]

OT but I avoid family travel (broader) where I can.

There should be more females represented in the pointy end, makes life more enjoyable.

 

[artemis]

I've just returned from a trip to the states.

Flew UA first returning from conference in MCO (yuk!) to SFO, and pretty much everyone in F (from this conference) was male, except me.

I don't mind being in the minority. I love travelling solo - you meet all manner of interesting people that I otherwise wouldn't meet since I'd be sitting with Mr Artemis.

The only downside to gender is I hate being referred to as "Miss Artemis" by the cabin crew. It's Dr Artemis, for pete's sake. It's there on my boarding pass. I guess I should be grateful they don't call me Mrs Artemis.

But the majority of my colleagues who travel are men. That could be because the majority of my colleagues are men. (<10% women in my specialty).

I have to say though, the recent VA J flight from LAX - lots of attractive male cabin crew and only one female cabin crew (also attractive).

 

[blackcat20]

The only downside to gender is I hate being referred to as "Miss Artemis" by the cabin crew. It's Dr Artemis, for pete's sake. It's there on my boarding pass. I guess I should be grateful they don't call me Mrs Artemis.

It seems to be their "safe" option, though I've had one FA correct themselves midway and apologise :shock:

 

[artemis]

It seems to be their "safe" option, though I've had one FA correct themselves midway and apologise :shock:

I would've thought the "safe" option is to read the title on the boarding pass! I'm always impressed when they manage to do that - it's the little things!

A number of my female colleagues also prefer to be addressed as Dr, rather than a title predicated on marital status...

 

[blackcat20]

I would've thought the "safe" option is to read the title on the boarding pass! I'm always impressed when they manage to do that - it's the little things!

A number of my female colleagues also prefer to be addressed as Dr, rather than a title predicated on marital status...

I guess given the relatively few Drs (compared with Miss/Mrs etc) on board then it's safe. But yes, it is nice when they get it right. I'm getting too old to be a Miss, and I'm certainly not a Mrs.

 

[Janflyer]

Yes, have to agree - after working so hard to gain the title, it is nice to be acknowledged as Dr. I must say though, that as a WP, when they come round to do the personal hello, they usually get it right. It's usually the ones at the gate or door that are too rushed in getting everyone on board that don't look properly at the boarding pass.