Qantas Chairmans Lounge

[kermatu]

I personally think all public servants including politicians should be prohibited from accepting CL membership. It is basicailly a bribe!

But they also get Virgin Club membership. Surely being bribed equally by all competitors makes it OK.

 

[Justinf]

My sister is a member and even she won't talk much about it except to say that it is two rungs up from the F Lounge.

 

[opusman]

My sister is a member and even she won't talk much about it except to say that it is two rungs up from the F Lounge.

Considering the people you're likely to run into in there I'd call it two rungs down!

 

[wanderer_au]

I am not a CL member but I know many people who are, and have been a guest in the CLs in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

They are nice, but I think people can over-hype what is essentially a waiting area.

The brown and green theme of the Sydney CL looks a little dated too, I think.

I'm not sure how non-listed companies get allocated CL spots, but for ASX listed companies, the number of CL slots they get is determined by market cap, I think. I once worked for a company in the mid-40s on the ASX and it got more spots than the company I work for now, which is in the wrong half of the ASX200. It's not unknown for board meetings to become caught up by directors duking it out (metaphorically speaking) about who gets the CL access! :shock:

 

[Pushka]

I think the thing about the lounge is space and quiet. And in an airport that is highly sought after.

 

[moa999]

Having worked for some large, but non-ASX listed orgs, I thought it came down to $ spend determining the numbers per corporate.
Eg. If BHP switched to VA I suspect slots would go, despite market cap

 

[kermatu]

I think the thing about the lounge is space and quiet. And in an airport that is highly sought after.

Plus a little less gawking from us riff-raff in the J lounges.

 

[Groundfeeder]

"I'm sure it's just a matter of time" ...... and political donations.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Interesting that they allow access even when flying on another airline.

It's any time access - they don't need to be flying at all.

Considering the people you're likely to run into in there I'd call it two rungs down!

They're not all politicians and corporate fatcats - some CL have actually made a contribution to society

There are also all the spouses/partners.

 

[serfty]

There was a member of this site who I believe was provided with CL basically on personal spend. It was 5 figures annually.

 

[puppysparkes]

Well normal public servants, not MPs or military, would be fired for accepting a gift like this. I think as normal public servant you can accept an office made coffee anything more an you could be fired.

At the end of presentations APS staff might accept a bottle of wine in front of the crowd but generally hand it back in private or ask for it to be donated to someone else. But the very senior public service, MPs, senior military etc have different rules.

Very true. In Qld anything above $100 must go on a register.

 

[kpc]

There was a member of this site who I believe was provided with CL basically on personal spend. It was 5 figures annually.

Would it be 6 (or 7)? A lot of us, myself included, spend 5 figures annually with Qf and we are not CL members

 

[puppysparkes]

Bossreggie?

There was a member of this site who I believe was provided with CL basically on personal spend. It was 5 figures annually.

 

[cove]

Oh no you may have to buy tickets! That is quite a barrier in my mind. I just do enough to stay Platinum for Mrscove and myself and hope for a double status credit offer. If all else fails we may drop back to Lifetime Gold.
Getting to know the local Qantas manager in your State would probably be a help.

 

[sfennell]

I wonder what the cost of the Chairmans Lounge is every year to Qantas? Considering they don't charge fees, does it get reported to Shareholders? You would want to know that the Chairmans Lounge brings some tangible benefit to the business rather than being a left over relic from a time gone by.

 

[coolkid101]

I wonder what the cost of the Chairmans Lounge is every year to Qantas? Considering they don't charge fees, does it get reported to Shareholders?

From smh a few days ago, interesting read though nothing new.
The Qantas Chairman's Lounge - a look inside Australia's most secretive club
Right down the bottom they write

So how much does this generosity cost Qantas shareholders? It's impossible to say because — in yet another indication of the operation's secrecy — the Chairman's Lounge doesn't get a mention in the Qantas annual report.

Qantas says the cost of running the lounge is "commercial in confidence", an indication on how important the airline sees the lounges to building and maintaining its business.

 

[craven morehead]

Would it be 6 (or 7)? A lot of us, myself included, spend 5 figures annually with Qf and we are not CL members

A very good mate of mine is CL and averages 5000+/- SC's every year so guessing that would be a mid to high 6 figures. Noted however that this is achieved through business with only a portion personal spend.

 

[kermatu]

I wonder what the cost of the Chairmans Lounge is every year to Qantas? Considering they don't charge fees, does it get reported to Shareholders? You would want to know that the Chairmans Lounge brings some tangible benefit to the business rather than being a left over relic from a time gone by.

I'd be quite surprised if it cost too much - certainly in comparison to having lounges at all. The main costs would be extra staff and running a separate space. Given space isn't such a premium when QF has it's own terminal or side of one, it can't be that costly. But probably a good guide as to why there aren't CLs in the international terminals.

Most 'true' CLs (by my definition, those that actually fly a lot or direct a lot of business their way) would be in the J lounge if not in a CL. In my limited experience / and knowledge of a few CLs most don't occupy the lounge for fun or indulge too much. Even I have been far more restrained when guested into a CL as opposed to when travelling for leisure or work in the J lounge...

If it was costly they would surely clamp down on the overly generous list (public service deputy secretaries just one example), and benefits such as partner status, anytime access and unlimited guests. Pretty easy to cut these in my view if the program was a big problem.

 

[moa999]

Very true. In Qld anything above $100 must go on a register.

I suspect they get away with it by claiming each visit is less than $100. After all if you don't fly then no value in the card

 

[Forg]

I suspect they get away with it by claiming each visit is less than $100. After all if you don't fly then no value in the card

Acces to the CL doesn't directly cost anything, does it? Doesn't Qantas decide you're good for business, and offer you entrance ... for no direct cost?
So in theory it's free.

My better-half is a federal public servant, she's not allowed frequent flyer points when flying for work. But it took the Full Time Taxpayer Funded Red Tape Generators quite a few years to decide it was a Thing. These red-tape people in Canberra are always looking for ways to justify their jobs, so CL memberships will probably be banned before too long.