Platinum "anytime" lounge Access ceases from 1 February 2011

[Danger]

I Guess "travelling the same day" can easily mean departing OR arriving that day.

Still, it's somewhat ambiguous.

And hopefully the lounge staff will exercise commonsense when travelling PER-MEL/SYD/BNE on the red-eye that, during daylight saving at least, departs PER the day before.

 

[Keith009]

Welcome to AFF Red Roo. Whilst the amended policy may not please everyone, I am happy to see QF respond to feedback by coming up with a compromise that attempts to balance competing concerns.

 

[medhead]

On balance, we’ve received good feedback on the changes overall, however it’s fair to say that there has been some vigorous discussion on the change in Platinum lounge access policy. The challenge we face is striking a balance between offering reasonable lounge access, whilst not overcrowding the lounges.

One issue we see is when Members use Qantas lounge facilities and then fly with competitors on the same day. This increases crowding for Members who are flying with us on the day and also gives our competitors a free kick. As you know, anytime lounge access is a particularly unique feature within our program.

Welcome to AFF

Thanks for the feedback. It's good to see a response to the concerns raised.

I have to wonder about the idea of overcrowding in the lounges. The only siginificant overcrowding that I've seen in a lounge has been in Brisbane recently. Certainly the lounge in T3 at Sydney can be busy at times, but since January I have never had an issue getting a seat.

I would also suggest that overcrowding would be better addressed by reconsidering the guest arragenment. I will end up with about 80 odd qantas flights this year, that means I can take something like 80 guests into the lounge. Next year as a platinum that potentially jumps upto 160 guests. That is a large number of guests. I would have thought that a greater impact would be made on overcrowding by putting more value on those guest spots, not having an automatic blanket guest allowance. One suggestion would be reintroduction of guest passes.

A guest pass would also address the problem that on the few occassions that I travel with my family technicially I have to leave one or two of them outside. So my experience with Qantas during my holiday travel is one of begging to access the lounge. That doesn't make me feel good and it also doesn't take into account that I haven't used my allowance of 80 or 160 guests during the rest of the year.

I would end by questioning this assertion that anytime access gives a free kick to your competitors. Far from giving them a free kick anytime access encourages loyalty. I have 103 flights booked for this calendar year 16 are booked on your competitors. The first 30 of my flights would have got me to gold status. Anytime access for me during those 16 flights rewards my loyalty in giving those extra 57 flights to Qantas.

As it stands now I seriously doubt that Qantas values those 57 extra flights, if Qantas is not prepared to give me 16 muffins and 16 cups of coffee at 5:30am.

 

[thewinchester]

Hi Everyone,

I’m from Qantas Marketing and wanted to make a few points in regards to the latest changes to Qantas Frequent Flyer and specifically for our Platinum Frequent Flyers.
<snip>

Thank you Red Roo, and welcome to AFF.

It's good to see that QF Marketing have posted here on this specific topic, and I'm sure that we'd all hope this is the start of your ongoing participation and engagement with us here as appropriate (and corp. policy permits).

Please don't be a stranger

 

[dajop]

Personally, I still don't feel any-time access adds that much stress to the system. I'm sure QF have numbers that justify their change of policy in the first place.

I imagine it doesn't add too much stress for international lounges, eg, SIN several times I've been one of only three or four people in the lounge (flying 3K twice, and once on AK). For domestic again at MEL & SYD T3 it is hardly worth the bother if flying DJ, but for SYD T2, ADL, CBR, BNE, HBA, DRW it may indeed be a factor.

However Red Roo, as a SIN based flyer glad that access will be granted when flying VF or 3K. Still disappointing that we overseas resident members don't seem to have been forwarded an email.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Thanks for the post from Red Roo, good to see that they read some of our ramblings on AFF and FT.

Good that you have taken some of our ideas on board.

 

[cjg]

I am still very disappointed that 'anytime' access to the Qantas Club will be removed as a Platinum benefit.

However, I am pleased that Qantas has responded in some way to feedback and customer reaction and made a compromise that will allow Platinum FF's to use the lounges on arrival.

 

[markis10]

Glad to see the clarification of the access policy, including the removal of the 3K blimp!

 

[Alanslegal]

One issue we see is when Members use Qantas lounge facilities and then fly with competitors on the same day.

This is slightly OT, but it is a bigger kick in the face to an elite QF frequent flyer when he/she cannot find an award ticket 100-200-300 whatever days out before flying because QF has decided to release only 1 premium seat, which was already snapped up the first minute of its release some 350 days ago! Yes I realise that there is the Any Seat Award but paying upwards of 2million points for that same flight is extortion-like.

And then the winning kick in the face, is when I hear QF staff and/or their family/friends flying in the premium cabin when I and many other 'real' flyers cannot even get access to that seat.

 

[Danger]

Some excellent points, medhead. It seems strange to me that the top flyers/top yielders/most loyal flyers, whatever you call them, are the ones being punished.

 

[DC3]

... One issue we see is when Members use Qantas lounge facilities and then fly with competitors on the same day. This increases crowding for Members who are flying with us on the day and also gives our competitors a free kick ...

Red Roo.

The review of the decision to end 'anytime access' by Qantas is appreciated, and thanks for the heads-up on same-day access.

Would there be any statistics available that support the idea that overcrowding of lounges is the result of 'anytime access', rather than the number of guests permitted?

I still hope that 'anytime access' for platinum status will be reinstated, even if a cap was applied.

 

[Australian]

this type of response/engagement (ie, listening, and at least offering a response or compromise) is a real, genuine marker of attentiveness to their customers and client base ... that, itself, at least demonstrates something of the quality/respect within the relationship towards its customers, and most loyal clients in particular.

true, while not the 'best' one could have hoped for (ie, the former conditions to be retained), and i suspect this will still mean a number of WP ultimately decide that rather than striving to attain 2xGold in any one year to hit WP now with QF a single "base" carrier as they'll probably see greater benefit in gaining Gold status split over both QF/DJ (esp if DJ does offer Gold incentives such as arrivals access, upgrade scheme, etc), it's a realistic compromise given what they they at least see to be their capacity constraints to offer anything greater. i guess if ppl still choose to go Gold 'across' two carriers rather than WP with one 'home' carrier, that's their choice - loyalty's give and take, and at least this is an offer on Qantas's part that appears to be a genuine compromise to meet somewhere in the middle, given what they see as their limitations given current lounge sizes, etc.

 

[straitman]

Red Roo,

Welcome to AFF.

I have been very quiet about the enhancements to lounge access and other benefits as there have been plenty of others stepping up to have their swing at QF.

I see this as a small change that offers a huge improvement in the eyes of many. I understand your concerns with people using the lounge and then flying with the opposition and I understand the balance required with lounge numbers.

IMHO the kicker to make this just that little better for Platinum's and still achieve your aims would be to still allow the Platinum FFs into the lounge if their guests were travelling on that day. ie I take my mother/daughter or whom ever to catch a flight and I can take them into the lounge whilst waiting for their QF (or affiliated) flight.

I have in the past used any time access to the QF lounges but only of an evening, primarily to use the computers, at MEL when I have been staying over the road at the Airport Hilton. With Hilton's recent change to give free internet to their status members the only thing I now miss out on is a couple of free drinks. I guess I can survive that :!:

 

[PeteJ]

Welcome Red Roo and thank you Qantas for listening.

I agree with straitman, "the kicker to make this just that little better for Platinum's and still achieve your aims would be to still allow the Platinum FFs into the lounge if their guests were traveling on that day".

I'd still prefer anytime access to be restored though.

Regards,

PeteJ.

Red Roo,

Welcome to AFF.
......
I see this as a small change that offers a huge improvement in the eyes of many. I understand your concerns with people using the lounge and then flying with the opposition and I understand the balance required with lounge numbers.

IMHO the kicker to make this just that little better for Platinum's and still achieve your aims would be to still allow the Platinum FFs into the lounge if their guests were travelling on that day. ie I take my mother/daughter or whom ever to catch a flight and I can take them into the lounge whilst waiting for their QF (or affiliated) flight. ..... :!:

 

[nlagalle]

Hi Everyone,

I’m from Qantas Marketing and wanted to make a few points in regards to the latest changes to Qantas Frequent Flyer and specifically for our Platinum Frequent Flyers.

It’s probably not too much of a surprise for you that we often monitor the frequent flyer forums and in the light of the changes we announced this week, we’d like to clarify a few points here on AFF.

Firstly I’d like to thank you all for your honest and candid feedback. The collective knowledge here on loyalty programs here is arguably worth at least a few PhDs You might be interested to know that online feedback is also provided in regular updates to senior management at Qantas.

On balance, we’ve received good feedback on the changes overall, however it’s fair to say that there has been some vigorous discussion on the change in Platinum lounge access policy. The challenge we face is striking a balance between offering reasonable lounge access, whilst not overcrowding the lounges.

One issue we see is when Members use Qantas lounge facilities and then fly with competitors on the same day. This increases crowding for Members who are flying with us on the day and also gives our competitors a free kick. As you know, anytime lounge access is a particularly unique feature within our program.

However, we have taken your feedback onboard and are happy to make adjustments to this policy and we’re also pleased to let you know about it first!

From 1 February 2011, to access Qantas Domestic or International lounges, Platinum Members must be travelling the same day on a flight that shows on a Qantas (QF), a Jetstar Airline (Jetstar (JQ), Jetstar Asia (3K) or Valuair (VF)) or a oneworld® flight number on your ticket. Other lounge access conditions apply. See Qantas Club Terms and Conditions.
​

In doing so, Platinum Frequent Flyers will continue to be welcome to use our lounges to freshen up or whilst waiting for colleagues or friends arriving on other flights. We have also specifically noted Jetstar Asia (3K) and Valuair (VF) as included carriers in the definition.

We believe this is a good outcome for our Platinum Frequent Flyers. I understand that this may not fully satisfy all, however we feel this is fair and reasonable overall. Qantas.com will be updated later today with the revised policy.

Thanks for flying with us.

Red Roo.

Hi Red Roo,

like everyone else, welcome to AFF. I hope we will see you here more often.

I'm currently a Gold frequent flyer, aiming to be platinum by the years end. I try and fly QF where I can for the benefits. You made a point about Platinums using the lounge before boarding another carrier. There may be reasons why - QF don't service that destination on a regular basis.

On the anytime access, yes it was one thing I was looking forward to only so I could take a friend to the lounge before their QF flight. as serfty suggested perhaps access if they are flying QF would satisfy most people. Personally I can't see myself driving to MEL just to go to the Qantas Club on a whim! Generally I am flying!

Nick

 

[Tooner]

I'd also like to welcome Red Roo and add that it may be a second best outcome, it is a result nonetheless. I also want to thank everyone who posted here, sent emails and gave feedback via the site (unlike me ) for helping get this change.

Now, whats next....

 

[medhead]

You made a point about Platinums using the lounge before boarding another carrier. There may be reasons why - QF don't service that destination on a regular basis.

Or the platinum may not be paying for the fare.

 

[DownUnderFlyer]

Umm, and so this explains the lose of anytime access. No flight to be checked into, NGCI not programmed to look for status as well as being checked in for an "onward flight on that day". Hence anytime access would require real people to check cards and reduce efficiencies.

Only a theory....

Well, LH has just started to install automatic readers to gain access into lounges and also got rid of the anytime lounge access.

 

[mikew]

Welcome Red Roo

Good too see some common sense has finally prevailed here.
Would like to see put up/support the following 2 ideas though:

Retain use if a a family member (say last surname) was flying QF/JQ on the day

If you were flying any of their partner airlines that earn points in the scheme (e.g SA,SK,9W,LY,MU,FQ,AZ,AS,NF,FJ,TL,OT,EI)

Cheers,
MW

 

[marki]

Some excellent points, medhead. It seems strange to me that the top flyers/top yielders/most loyal flyers, whatever you call them, are the ones being punished.

I agree totally with this