Platinum "anytime" lounge Access ceases from 1 February 2011

[medhead]

Depends on which city pair.

I just had a quick look SYD-BNE return on March 28 and there is one flight available in morning SYD-BNE at $89 and a least 7 flights in afternoon/evening BNE-SYD at $89.

Also had a look at SYD-MEL return on March 28 and the same story going both ways with more than enough flights throughout the day to take advantage of the $89 spevial.

Obviously some days like Fridays the special may not exist or be very limited but we are talking about a special for airfares in the next Month.

It certainly does depend on which city pair. For the routes mentioned are 8 flights a large percentage of the available flights per day? For a route like ADL-SYD (yes I am boring, but I know that route) the sale fares are only available on a limited number of the flights per day. This affect is probably more pronounced on that route due to the lesser number of flights. I'm just saying that while they are having sales they are not as widespread. (if that makes sense)

Well to answer my own question, I just did a search for a random day next month and I see there are something like 23 flights each way between SYD-BNE and 35 each way SYD-MEL. IMHO 8 flights doesn't really indicate a widespread sale, more like mopping up and getting some more bums on seats.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how this progresses during the year.

 

[Yorik]

For the second time in my 13 years with Qantas I will want to use the QP without flying on Qantas. The first time was in December when I was in LAX after my Qantas flight was delayed some 5 hours, missing my connecting Qantas flights, so I subsequently booked Delta to get where I needed to. Qantas were going to get me to my destination some 3 days late. I was rejected getting access to the Club, due to the rules about getting "airside" in the US. I was annoyed, but I dealt with it.

Now, I will want to use the QP in PER in a few weeks time when my partner flies in from the US. I would like to sit in the QP for a short time before she arrives just to relax. But now I can not get in there. Not that the PER QP is that great in PER these days, but it would be nice to get some benefit out of my WP status.

Annoyed? Kinda... Expect much from Qantas? Not really.

I really must find a way to use my 800k points soon. Before they find a way to take them from me.

 

[straitman]

Now, I will want to use the QP in PER in a few weeks time when my partner flies in from the US. I would like to sit in the QP for a short time before she arrives just to relax. But now I can not get in there. Not that the PER QP is that great in PER these days, but it would be nice to get some benefit out of my WP status.

Have a look at who might be flying at that time and could guest you in.

 

[ajw373]

Now, I will want to use the QP in PER in a few weeks time when my partner flies in from the US. I would like to sit in the QP for a short time before she arrives just to relax. But now I can not get in there. Not that the PER QP is that great in PER these days, but it would be nice to get some benefit out of my WP status.

Annoyed? Kinda... Expect much from Qantas? Not really.

I really must find a way to use my 800k points soon. Before they find a way to take them from me.

Here is a simple solution. Use some of those points (before they take them) to fly somewhere, then you can use the lounge. So double benifit. Failing that if you want benefit out of your membership how about buying a ticket to somewhere? After all it is an AIRLINE not a club.

 

[reductionist]

Here is a simple solution. Use some of those points (before they take them) to fly somewhere, then you can use the lounge. So double benifit. Failing that if you want benefit out of your membership how about buying a ticket to somewhere? After all it is an AIRLINE not a club.

That's a little short sighted. If I go to pick up SWMBO at the airport I don't think it's unreasonable to have access to the QP whilst waiting for her to arrive, especially if her flight is delayed. An "AIRLINE" ticket was still purchased AFAIC (usually by me, but that's not particularly relevant).

This is basically the only reason I'd want anytime access. I'd be happy with either a small amount of annual anytime passes, or if there was some way to link SWMBO's QFF account to mine so the dragons could check that she was in fact on an inbound flight - I think that's a decent compromise.

 

[simongr]

For the second time in my 13 years with Qantas I will want to use the QP without flying on Qantas.
.
.
.
Annoyed? Kinda... Expect much from Qantas? Not really.

I really must find a way to use my 800k points soon. Before they find a way to take them from me.

This is where I guess I am sort of bipolar on this whole question. For you exemplify why this is such an irrelevant benefit that has been lost. Twice in 13 years from someone who obviously flies a lot (given WP status over that same period) shows that no one really uses this benefit so why bother providing it when in fact it does allow people to fly other airlines and still use lounges.

Conversely as it must be such a low used benefit I cant see the point in removing it. Like I said bipolar on this whole issue.

 

[Danger]

The honeymoon period may well be over in Perth. Departing from there this morning I attempted to enter the lounge by simply showing m Platinum card but a new lounge agent asked me to scan it and I had to wait (a couple of seconds) for it flash green to verify access.

Then in Canberra, just a few minutes ago, not happy. There was a lounge agent sort of 'ushering' passengers into the right change and kind of 'pre-screening' (ie. she was standing just a few steps back from the escalators and wasn't at one of the desks). I walked towards the J Lounge and she said "do you have your boarding pass, sir?" to which I said "no, I'm using arrivals access. I've just landed." She said "where have you come from?" and I said "Melbourne". She looked at the monitors behind her to verify that a flight had just come in from Melbourne and then said that was fine. I said "arrivals access is supposed was supposed to be a concession for the removal of anytime access", as if suggesting 'what's the problem?' Her response was "yes, I understand, but it's only on arrival'. I asked her where this was written in the rules and she politely ignored the question and simply said it was fine for me to enter. I said "So there's a time limit on when you can access?" and she said, somewhat matter-of-factly, "about one hour". What?

So I've just printed off the access rules that in no way refer to a time limit or something similar. If the same agent is there when I leave, I'll be politely giving it to her.

 

[simongr]

I said "So there's a time limit on when you can access?" and she said, somewhat matter-of-factly, "about one hour". What?

So I've just printed off the access rules that in no way refer to a time limit or something similar. If the same agent is there when I leave, I'll be politely giving it to her.

Just be careful as in a week or so the rules might say "one hour"... Mind you that might not be enough time to get off the aircraft sometimes...

 

[toronto]

Just be careful as in a week or so the rules might say "one hour"... Mind you that might not be enough time to get off the aircraft sometimes...

Agrree,like yesterday I tried to find in the rules that Platinum member must be provided on the airplane the priority arrival immigration card but it's dissappeared from the rules or maybe I not looked properly.

 

[Danger]

Just be careful as in a week or so the rules might say "one hour"... Mind you that might not be enough time to get off the aircraft sometimes...

Sadly, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

Agrree,like yesterday I tried to find in the rules that Platinum member must be provided on the airplane the priority arrival immigration card but it's dissappeared from the rules or maybe I not looked properly.

I'm not sure that was ever in the rules, more one of the unwritten benefits and one that wasn't always provided anyway.

 

[Hvr]

Agrree,like yesterday I tried to find in the rules that Platinum member must be provided on the airplane the priority arrival immigration card but it's dissappeared from the rules or maybe I not looked properly.

Sadly, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.



I'm not sure that was ever in the rules, more one of the unwritten benefits and one that wasn't always provided anyway.

Try this link.

Sydney International Terminal redevelopment: A new Customs entry point will open on the departures level, opposite check-in counter E. In addition a new separate entry for eligible Express Path passengers will open the entry is located opposite check-in counter D*. For more information on the redevelopment project visit the Sydney Airport website.
* Eligible Qantas passengers travelling in First or Business and Platinum Frequent Flyers and oneworld Emerald Frequent Flyers.

 

[JohnK]

Please don't tell the QF lurkers especially Red Roo but I have managed to get arrivals access to an international QF lounge.

Sitting in a QF business lounge using one of 6 desktops (seriously that is very small number of desktops for the number of people in a very busy and crowded lounge :shock having a couple of slices of pizza (the person before me stuffed 6 slices on his plate when there were only 10 slices in the tray :shock a couple of curry puffs and a couple of beers.

Will head down through immigration soon and collect my luggage and check-in for next flight.

 

[toronto]

Try this link.

This is a departure card but I am talking about arrival.

 

[Mal]

Agrree,like yesterday I tried to find in the rules that Platinum member must be provided on the airplane the priority arrival immigration card but it's dissappeared from the rules or maybe I not looked properly.

Not sure if it's online, but was publicised in Oct 2007 in the "Points Balance and October Offers" email as an official benefit:

___________________________________________________________

New fast track through customs
___________________________________________________________

Our premium travellers will soon be able to get on their way
more quickly. From 1 November 2007, Qantas First, Business
and Platinum Frequent Flyers arriving at Sydney, Melbourne
and Brisbane international terminals can take an Express
Path lane through customs and quarantine checks. Travellers
will be handed an Express Path 'invitation' by cabin staff
before disembarkation and will need to present this
invitation at customs and quarantine. To qualify to use the
Express Path, you must have declared no to questions 1-10 on
the inbound passenger card and have only two pieces of
checked luggage (not including carry-on).

The Australian Government is trialling inbound express
immigration lanes as an extension of the current outbound
express immigration trial in Sydney and Melbourne.

 

[toronto]

Not sure if it's online, but was publicised in Oct 2007 in the "Points Balance and October Offers" email as an official benefit:

A few month ago it was on the website and now vanished

 

[JohnPhelan]

Agrree,like yesterday I tried to find in the rules that Platinum member must be provided on the airplane the priority arrival immigration card but it's dissappeared from the rules or maybe I not looked properly.

I think that's a benefit that is dependent on class of travel (F, J), rather than FF status.

 

[toronto]

I think that's a benefit that is dependent on class of travel (F, J), rather than FF status.

It was published platinum benefit.

 

[TonyHancock]

Are we in for another enhancement? (Has it already arrived?)

I did receive an express card last week when returning to Australia in Y.

 

[Archphoto]

I think that's a benefit that is dependent on class of travel (F, J), rather than FF status.

I flew almost my entire WP life Y and whenever I flew QF, always received an arrival Express card.

 

[simongr]

I flew almost my entire WP life Y and whenever I flew QF, always received an arrival Express card.

They have only been around a few years