Possible lounge overcrowding remedy

[11sjw]

Yes the answer to all our problems is to make sure everyone who's not me is excluded from the lounges, why didn't I think of this before!

This seems to sum it up perfectly.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hobart QP: Tiny, no fluoros but always packed to the gills (and I mean packed) for 1hr to 1/2 hour prior to flight. Our recent upgrade was .. a different entrance way.
Add half a cricket team and your getting ridiculous.

Usually means a number of QP patrons camp in the also-overcrowded departure area.

Thank-you Macquarie Bank and Qantas.

 

[simongr]

What about the salary you're paid?

I've been a constant business traveller for my entire career and have always been paid at a level that represents my role, that role has always included a significant travel component.

For me though the ability to earn points and status and enjoy those benefits is part of why the position might be attractive - it may not be part of my remuneration but it is a consideration as to whether I would accept the job. For example in my two most recent jobs I wouldn't have accepted them if the int'l travel was not business class. For any future role I wont accept a job with extensive domestic whY travel - I have done that for the past two years and don't intend to do it again.

 

[yohy?!]

wouldn't a simpler solution be: if you dont like the number of people in the lounge to either use the terminal instead?

 

[harvyk]

wouldn't a simpler solution be: if you dont like the number of people in the lounge to either use the terminal instead?

I've used that solution once before myself in MEL... The QP was pretty crowded, and yet the terminal down stairs had only a few ppl down stairs in the food court, and there was only about 2 or 3 others up around gate 11, so no problem finding seats.

 

[RooFlyer]

wouldn't a simpler solution be: if you dont like the number of people in the lounge to either use the terminal instead?

see #42 . But not really a solution. if its not crowded due to people not using the lounge, then I guess the lounges won't be expanded ...

Here's a solution no-one has thought of. Let me into the CL and I'll guarantee the QP is less crowded whenever I'm in the terminal.

 

[JohnK]

So what about paid Qantas Club membership? Ditch that too?

I think they should also ditch lounge access for Platinums. Way too many of them around now with double SCs offers every week....

 

[Mal Ware]

Where are lounges overcrowded?

What airline do you fly with? If you have not seen constantly over crowded lounges then you do not fly that often. The last 6 months more times than not I have not been able to get a seat. At Perth now I don't even bother trying, just get a coffee and go outside.

I could not find a seat at all in the BNE QP on last Monday at 7.45 am. No big deal, I stood at the large table near the magazine rack and drank my skinny latte (which was not as good as those made by Virgin's baristas I might add).

They are nearly at the stage where the terminal should be the lounge and anyone without access should be made to sit in the Qantas lounge until their flight is ready.

 

[mannej]

Mal, out of interest what times do you fly out of PER?


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[straitman]

I think they should also ditch lounge access for Platinums. Way too many of them around now with double SCs offers every week....

You could get burnt at the stake for comments like that JohnK




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[oz_mark]

I think they should also ditch lounge access for Platinums. Way too many of them around now with double SCs offers every week....

An excellent idea! Gold only I say :mrgreen:

 

[Mal Ware]

Mal, out of interest what times do you fly out of PER?


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Various but mostly around mid morning or lunch time, never during the morning rush.

 

[JohnK]

You could get burnt at the stake for comments like that JohnK

At least I did not think of a system that also continued to allow me access while excluding others.

And lets face it one of the issues of overcrowding is gifting status via double SC offers. Qantas wants more people to have status, overcrowd the lounges but then not spend money to increase the size of these lounges.

An excellent idea! Gold only I say :mrgreen:

How about we upgrade all Golds to Platinum first?

 

[ajw373]

At least I did not think of a system that also continued to allow me access while excluding others.

And lets face it one of the issues of overcrowding is gifting status via double SC offers. Qantas wants more people to have status, overcrowd the lounges but then not spend money to increase the size of these lounges.

It's not just double status, it is status in general. In particular more and more people are flying and getting status. As mentioned before people are constantly carping on about the loss of benefits in the FF program, you know platinum is the new gold, gold the new silver etc, well one of the reasons is because status is no longer as exclusive as it was say 10 years ago. Of course this means more now get into the lounges. The the answer is to build bigger lounges or make things more exclusive. And BTW this is coming from someone who was a QC member up to 1999 when I became gold, then platinum in 2003, and this year dropped back to gold, and in Feb next year will go back to QC (but with LTS). Now all I need is 500 more points for LTG.

 

[FrustratedQP]

Nlagalle, sorry, I failed to add the QP membership into the lounge discussion, perhaps they/we could be included into the ‘Status Lounge’ I don’t have anything against QP members, in fact SWMBO and I are lifetime members of the QP. When we travel to locations not served by an airline with Business Class we would be using this membership to gain lounge access.

Blinky & simongr, It’s not up to Qantas to compensate you for your work conditions, that’s your employers responsibility. As I indicated, your employers would be able to allocate SC’s and FF points if they so desired.

Opusman, 11sjw & JohnK, other than my mistake of not catering for QP members (see above) who have I excluded from the lounges?

Harvyk, to whom are you granting the brand loyalty? The person who flies at the behest of their company or the identity that selects the airline and pays the bills?

Pleb Status, I’m not trolling, I just want a nice place that I can go to before my flight. I want to know that I can access the lounge, not be turned away due to overcrowding, something I’ve paid for through my Business ticket or my Lifetime QP membership and if I’m travelling with another they too can access the lounge with me.

 

[Archphoto]

I've used that solution once before myself in MEL... The QP was pretty crowded, and yet the terminal down stairs had only a few ppl down stairs in the food court, and there was only about 2 or 3 others up around gate 11, so no problem finding seats.

MEL can be a nightmare, especially on a Friday afternoon/early evening. On several occasions, my team and I have walked in, strolled through, thought we'd walked in a front bar that had expanded exponentially, and walked back out - not a spare seat (or standing room) to be found.

We decided that next time, we'd remain at the (Former Hilton Melbourne Airport) bar, and walk across to our flight instead. Less of a crowd, more food on offer and a fair selection of alcohol.

That being said, travelled on a Good Friday, and we were amongst the 10 lonely souls tucking into beef pies with sauce - oh the calamity of it all. (Pies were fantastic though!!!)

 

[JohnK]

Opusman, 11sjw & JohnK, other than my mistake of not catering for QP members (see above) who have I excluded from the lounges?

I was not having a go at you or this thread. We know the lounges are overcrowded. I see it every week.

Remember the recent debate on First lounge overcrowding? The solution proposed was that First lounges are for First customers only and Chairmans Lounge and Platinum One are also allowed entry. Why Platinum One? The person making the proposal was Platinum One.

And when reading these threads one sees many posts where people propose solutions but allows entry for them.

Personally I think status is way too easy to achieve. I would make it a lot harder to get both Gold and Platinum not just to earn SCs but have strict number of QF flight criteria. But obviously those at Qantas do not agree and we are now in this situation.

 

[Archphoto]

. . . . . . . Personally I think status is way too easy to achieve. I would make it a lot harder to get both Gold and Platinum not just to earn SCs but have strict number of QF flight criteria. But obviously those at Qantas do not agree and we are now in this situation.

If the big Q decided on taking this (huge) step, do you think it would have any negative impact on the current flying patterns of the big Red Q Army of fliers? I'm thinking back to when I was WP - flying out of AU approximately every 2-3 weeks after returning from the trip before. Being based in ADL, gaining the required number of QF metal flights was an easy exercise (on domestic flights alone!), and 95% of the rest of the flights were also on QF, unless we had no other option.

I'm just wondering how many other AFFs, and other FFs who use the lounge, are actually flying QF metal, for almost all of their flights? I think the overcrowding is simply a case of more people flying (akin to catching the bus) and the lounges, when originally built, weren't built with the "daily commute" in mind, hence the explosion of new FFs, QP members etc. Upping the number of flights required on QF metal (for possibly 80% of the people in the QP in MEL on a Friday afternoon, as an example) would probably be a moot point - they use QF like many use a Greyhound bus: get me from point A to point B 3-4 times a week.

The only solution I can see QF coming up with is to expand the size of their lounges; if I couldn't make status on the number of flights needed, what's to stop me purchasing QP membership? Increasing the number of eligible flights doesn't seem to be a viable way to remedy the situation, as QP membership would still allow people in; it would probably just empty out the WP lounge of all those who don't actually fly that much QF metal to get their Emerald Status, and unload them into the regular QP.

Front bar of the local instead anyone?? :mrgreen:

 

[The Rok]

I think that 700 SC's is fair for Gold, but increase the Qantas Sector Requirement to 8 or even 10.

 

[JohnK]

I think that 700 SC's is fair for Gold, but increase the Qantas Sector Requirement to 8 or even 10.

One run to NAN with a double SCs offer and you have Gold in the bag. I think that is too easy.

I think I proposed something like 2,100 SCs to attain Platinum and 1,800 to retain with 16 QF flight minimum and then something like 1,050 to attain Gold and 900 to retain with 8 QF flight minimum.

I would struggle to get to the new Platinum level but it should be a challenge to get Platinum not just do a couple of NAN runs and some cheap Any Seat Awards and presto.