Qantas Club at Darwin opening hours

[ian jarvis]

I have issues with arriving in Darwin from Gove at 2130, booked to go south, with the next flight not untill after midnight. The QC is closed untill 2300 and all the pax that are QC members are forced to just sit around the airport untill 2300. I have telephoned the Qantas Darwin Airport Manager and I was given the impression that they didnt think it was a real problem and that staff rostering was the issue. She would see what could be done. This was six months ago and when travelling yesterday I was forced to sit around outside the Club with nearly 10 other QC members from the Gove flight.
Anyone else have this problem or am i being to fussy?

 

[QF WP]

I think it's a very valid complaint, ian jarvis. They should know (and/or anticipate) the level of members who need to use the lounge. Is the flight (QF1944) the only flight that comes in at that time? If it isn't, even more reason for you and other regular commuters to be unhappy, as it would be an ongoing issue for multiple flights pax.

Their reasoning is staffing? Hmmm, I'd like to know how they can't get somebody who wants to sit in air-conditioned comfort at night looking after some regular QC members...

what's confusing is the QF web site information for the Darwin QC Loungehttp://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/qantasClub/loungeLocations/australia. What kind of response is "Before Qantas departures" to the "hours of operation" question?? It doesn't specify how long "before" QF departures.

 

[Platy]

Darwin QF not open!!!!

I also went to DRW a few weeks ago and wanted to access the QF lounge for a 9am airport-based meeting - it was shut until after 11am!!!

Heaven help me if I had come off one of the overnight arriving international flights!!!!!

It appears they open for a small window for the 6am (or thereabouts) for Cairns flights and then lock the place up until opening again for a small window for some lunchtime flights.

This is extremely poor customer service!!!

Also a shame because the lounge refurbishment has come up very well.

I have passed this feedback onto senior CRM management at QF.

Incidentally, the small lounge at Ayers Rock has disappeared and so on departure flight upgrades out of Ayers Rock can't be accommodated, even if you are travelling say Perth to Cairns with a refuel at Ayers.

Note also the 717s are starting to replace the ageing 146s and they are one class, not two, so we are losing business class from some routes, such as PER-AYQ (-CNS) at the same time as seeing a reduction from 3 to 2 weekly direct 2 class flights PER-CNS (on 737-800s).

 

[markis10]

The DRW lounge has very restricted opening hours, I arrived at 5Am for the Cairns flight and enjoyed by 30 minute wait in the general area for my 5 minute toast fix before boarding the Cairns based flight. Not very good service but I suppose DRW is hardly a high traffic priority.

 

[dajop]

Re: Darwin QF not open!!!!

Incidentally, the small lounge at Ayers Rock has disappeared and so on departure flight upgrades out of Ayers Rock can't be accommodated

Check in agents should be able accomodate ODU's at ports that do not have QC's (that's what I was told by phone). Which I can confirm, as I recently upgraded BME-PER using some status credits by simply asking at check in.

 

[Platy]

My experience at travelling PER-AYQ-CNS:

PER QF club refused to upgrade the AYQ-CNS leg on the basis there was no club at AYQ

At AYQ the staff at check refused also to upgrade AYQ-CNS on the basis there was no club

Meanwhile, QF staff in economy were blatantly upgraded by their cabin crew mates once onboard

So, you were lucky if check in staff were prepared to arrange the upgrade!

 

[Warks]

Have had this problem with flying out of Darwin - started a thread a while back. There are no flights out of Darwin between about 6am and midday. To get back to Sydney the first option is a midday flight to ADL with a BNE flight a bit later. As there SFA to do in a few hours between checking out of the hotel and flying it'd be nice to be able to get some work done in the QC. BUT it doesn't open until 11! It's a good laugh to sit there in the lounge and watch frustrated QC members walk up to the door, push on it and then read the notice, swear and walk away to the cafe.
10 am opening would be handy. The QC is only tiny with about 2 workstations as I recall.