No more flight announcements in the Qantas Club [Repudiated by Red Roo]

[simongr]

I would be surprised if the boarding time is updated in real time. I am also finding boarding is starting 30 mins before departure.

 

[oz_mark]

So, how do people survive at the silent lounges?

(like some CX lounges I've been in)

 

[Archphoto]

So, how do people survive at the silent lounges?

(like some CX lounges I've been in)

Lots of board watching. . . . . . rather annoying if you can't see the board from your seat (but at least I get a lot of exercise!)

 

[simongr]

So, how do people survive at the silent lounges?

(like some CX lounges I've been in)

You get up every five minutes to make sure no changes have occurred - not a real enhancement to the lounge experience.

I am on the fence on this one. On one hand the calls make it easier (but I do monitor the boards anyway - and I sit in one of 3 or 4 seats in MEL which are near the boards) but I do find them loud and annoying.

 

[Limewood]

Where are you Red Roo this needs to be clarified.

 

[tuapekastar]

Looks like the point is moot now, but while I don't mind the announcements, I do not rely solely on them (I'm not going to gain much comfort watching my plane departing, from the knowledge that the airline stuffed up by not calling the flight). If the flight is not announced around the scheduled boarding time (and especially when the status displayed on the FID is 'Now Boarding') I get a bit antsy and depending on the situation and my mood, I'll either check at the front desk, or just go to the gate anyway. If it is a short 5 to 10 minute delay, no big deal. If I can establish that it will be a long delay (can be difficult though, as they generally seem to like to keep people at the gate once they have them there) I may return to the lounge.

Cessation of announcements would not overly bother me either, I'd probably set my phone alarm for the appropriate time for me to be packing up and leaving the lounge, then check the FID (maybe the noise generated by flight announcements would be replaced by the noise of hundreds of iPhone alarms going off :shock.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

You get up every five minutes to make sure no changes have occurred - not a real enhancement to the lounge experience.

I am on the fence on this one. On one hand the calls make it easier (but I do monitor the boards anyway - and I sit in one of 3 or 4 seats in MEL which are near the boards) but I do find them loud and annoying.

thE flight is not delayed why are you up every 5 minutes?

 

[simongr]

Because I have experienced a fair amount of delays recently - many of which haven't been announced until after boarding should have commenced.

It makes a difference as to whether I get some food and things like that.

 

[anat0l]

So, how do people survive at the silent lounges?

(like some CX lounges I've been in)

Quite easily, and I've never missed a flight in a silent lounge, nor have I ever held up a flight or had to rely on the lounge staff to relay a message to the gate telling them that I'm running late. I use the same approach even in lounges where boarding announcements are made. Might as well help myself when it comes to making the flight, as I know it's always my ultimate responsibility anyway.

Do I get extremely stressed over all of this? No! Which is why I'm having a real hard time understanding why people think this is (or rather, this would be) the worst thing to happen since ATA disappeared.

 

[TSVflyer]

I fly frequently with BA out of LHR and LGW, they do not call flights in the Galleries lounges. It makes for a more restful experience than the eternal ding dong of flight calls. Checking the flight monitors does not seem to be problem.

 

[simongr]

the worst thing to happen since ATA disappeared.

Oh please god no!

 

[anat0l]

I fly frequently with BA out of LHR and LGW, they do not call flights in the Galleries lounges. It makes for a more restful experience than the eternal ding dong of flight calls. Checking the flight monitors does not seem to be problem.

There is no ding-dong or tone calls in the lounges in Australia, but suffice to say no boarding calls in those lounges as you say.

Checking the flight monitors there are indeed not an issue, since they are always accurate!

 

[clifford]

A backward step IMHO, particularly when the boards are so often wrong.

No more lounge announcements.

Yes, absolutely. As a case in point, I flew Hobart-Sydney-Canberra yesterday and both flights were at least 30 mins late, which was not accurately displayed on the indicator boards. So what this means is that in future you will be leaving the Qantas Club very early and sitting with the hoi polloi for much longer (if you can find a seat).

Great stuff Qantas (so what are the lounge girlies going to be doing when they're not making announcements?)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

sorry sorry sorry... hang on... I'm totally confused...

we have lounge staff (another thread) saying there are restrictions on FF numbers and benefits (now clarified by red roo), we have qantas twitter staff appearing to confirm the cessation of boarding calls... (now possibly clarified by qantas as well)...

What is going on from a communications perspective? who is running the show?

all major companies have a single senior executive through whom all external communications and communications messages are approved before release. what is this person doing if we get continued messages which then need to be clarified or denied or modified (or blamed on junior staff).

maybe the end of boarding calls is true, but the spokesman speaking to ABT was wrong? we just don't know anymore!!!

there seems to be a vacuum at the moment...

 

[Red Roo]

While I can confirm there are no plans to stop boarding announcements in our lounges, it's been interesting to note the mixed sentiments and preferences. All feedback, especially the importance of updated and accurate FIDs, has been passed on to the relevant areas for their reference and further consideration. Thanks for sharing your first hand experiences.

 

[boomy]

Maybe just create "quiet zones" in lounges where the PE won't be as loud and put good size screens there that are seen from any angle.

 

[anat0l]

Maybe just create "[-]quit[/-] quiet zones" in lounges where the PE won't be as loud and put good size screens there that are seen from any angle.

I think most if not all lounges already have a designated "quiet" zone. The announcements aren't as loud there for sure, but really those zones are actually more for people that want to get away from those who like to talk or talk on their mobile phones.

Red Roo thanks for piping in on this thread, and definitely send the notice to have updated and accurate FIDS to all relevant departments and stations posthaste. (They can start with BNE, where the screens need to be changed so they have only one line per operating flight (rather than five lines for one flight with five different flight numbers)...)

 

[JohnK]

That's all that's needed, no need for boarding announcements.

Going back 10+ years I would wait until the monitors indicated final call, but have no done so deliberately for the last decade.

In fact I'll probably notice little change as these days if I am still in the lounge when my flight gets called I would consider I had failed myself.

All of that is fine if flight is on time and boarding is close to scheduled boarding time.h

Wen flights are delayed I need to look at departure boards every minute or 2. OK, another 5 minute delay. Look again 2-3 times and then another 5 minute delay and another 5 minute delay and then no updates for a few minutes and in the mean time I have looked at board 22 times. That is fine if departure board is visible if you are sitting nearby.

So what are we trying to achieve with the no boarding announcements? Quieter lounge? Then get rid of those people who think they are so important that everyone around them needs to know how important they are and listen to all their phone calls.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

So what are we trying to achieve with the no boarding announcements? Quieter lounge?

that's fairly obvious, you have even answered your own question. Yes, for some peace and quiet.

 

[JohnK]

that's fairly obvious, you have even answered your own question. Yes, for some peace and quiet.

Don't selectively quote my post then.

Lounges would be much quieter if we did not have to sit through all DYKWIA's conversations on phone barking out instructions to subordinates of what needs to happen and how and when.

All lounges should be mobile phone free zones and if you feel the need to talk then go out into the terminal for a few minutes.

There quiet lounges again.