Qantas Domestic Lounges from 15/06/23 Guests Must be Travelling on Qantas/Partner Airline

[RichardMEL]

re JQ pax. They should be entitled to bring guests in per their status level, since IIRC no domestic JQ bundle includes lounge access(correct me if I'm wrong?) and thus the only JQ pax getting into lounges are those with Gold+ status. Given the routes ceeded to JQ and/or on mixed routes between QF and JQ why not allow them? as someone else noted they've paid for that by virtue of the status spend over the membership year(s)/life so sure. Now if that JQ pax's guest isn't flying JQ but Rex or VA or Scoot.. well it would be a consistent policy and I still have no problem with that.

Now, I do see the point of view of folks with family member(s) dropping off at the airport, come in for a cuppa or something. I get that. If I was using my MEL-centric vision I'd suggest the cost to park the car would be far more than a drink and toastie in the lounge would be - but hey they could take PT, bus etc... so sure. I respect and agree in those situations it would be a devaluation of amenity. Having said that I think the last time someone drpped me at the airport was in the early 1990's, and even then it was "get out!" at the curb lol.

now, I'm going to put on my fire proof suit, but I'd say for once it kind of does more simplify the rules because it does bring things more in line with international access rules (as complex as those are though and I agree they're crazy, specially when partners get involved, let alone FJ, but I digress). Point being if I'm flying out of MEL international, I need to guest in someone on the same flight or ow (depending on my flight number) - if that is mirrored more or less for domestic, then that does bring the rule broadly into line. Not defending the echoes of "simpler and fairer"(which weren't as we all know) but from that perspective that does make SOME sense imo - even if it is marketing spin for a commercial decision that's clearly been prompted by QF clarly seeing enough non flying guests for it to register as an issue.. and I think that's a point to be aware of. While I agree that I don't see it making a huge difference to lounge crowding levels - specially at peak times - it's seemingly been more than a bip on the radar for QF to bother to change the policy imo.

 

[encryptededdy]

If it's purely about fairness, I don't think that saying 2 x sapphire/emeralds with 3 kids should not be able to enter the lounge because 1 x sapphire/emerald can't bring their spouse and uncle tom so we limited it to 1 guest only, but that's how Cathay and other OW carriers do it.. meaning a lot of families can't access the lounge which I'm sure many people love, but they clocked up those SCs just like anyone else did so... fair? dunno. it is what it is. I've heard enough opinions on these forums about kids on planes and in lounges to know that there won't be a lot of commiserations.

I think the 1 guest limit as a oneworld-wide rule is fine, but I'm more talking about a carrier's own lounges.

This one would be more about cost than capacity... an adult vs a child in terms of seating is no different, but a child won't go getting into the Taittingers for 3 hours prior to their flight! Maybe works better for Cathay without a JQ equivalent in the mix to drag down margins (actually - there's HK Express... not sure how much this eats into mainline like the orange cancer at QF).

Yeah, that's fair I guess. I don't really drink alcohol so I didn't consider this. Alcohol aside though, I'd imagine the cost of hosting two children vs. one adult is more or less the same.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

This could be a very good policy change in the sense that if I'm travelling JQ I could potentially guest in someone who is flying QF/Partner whereas before they would have to be on the same JQ flight as I. On the other hand, if this policy change limits access to QF lounges when flying JQ for Golds and above then that wouldn't be so good.

Will be interesting to see how the changes work themselves out in the coming weeks ahead.

 

[oz_mark]

On the other hand, if this policy change limits access to QF lounges when flying JQ for Golds and above then that wouldn't be so good.

It doesn't affect this - it is only about the guest access.

 

[Mattg]

FWIW - this is a benefit I use very rarely. But when I do use it, I really value it.

For example, a family member might occasionally join me in the lounge to see me off ahead of a long overseas trip. Or I might occasionally guest in a colleague who is flying on a different airline.

I don't think this is a great change and will miss having this option.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

FWIW - this is a benefit I use very rarely. But when I do use it, I really value it.

In fairness to QF, how often do people go through security to access a lounge as a guest when they're not flying? Maybe it could be useful for lounges in the international section, but then again how many Australian airports with an international QF lounge can be accessed without a valid boarding pass? I reckon that could be counted on one finger!

For example, a family member might occasionally join me in the lounge to see me off ahead of a long overseas trip. Or I might occasionally guest in a colleague who is flying on a different airline.

I don't think this is a great change and will missing having this option.

What matters at the end of the day is whether it impacts lounge crowding. If it means a few extra spare chairs in the QF lounge, I'm all for it, especially in ports like SYD Domestic where the lounge hasn't been updated since the George Bush administration.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Quickstatus]

In fairness to QF, how often do people go through security to access a lounge as a guest when they're not flying

Maybe enough for them to take notice?
I dont' believe QF when it says it only affects a small minority of passengers.
I suspect it is a little more than just a small number.

The one guest group that has been left out in this thread is the guest/s of the road warriors. The business meetups before flying off?.....

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Maybe enough for them to take notice?

I don't think they can notice. When I've guested people in the past there was no question about showing a boarding pass. They could've been flying QF or they could've been someone passing by.

I dont' believe QF when it says it only affects a small minority of passengers.

What they do know (potentially) is how many guests are let in which could contribute to the overcrowding issue in the lounge.

The one guest group that has been left out in this thread is the guest/s of the road warriors. The business meetups before flying off?.....

But again it begs the question would you go through security just to use a lounge and eat some stale bagels at the lounge?

 

[Quickstatus]

just to use a lounge and eat some stale bagels

Who eats stale bagels in a pub

 

[Quickstatus]

I don't think they can notice

What they do know (potentially) is how many guests are let in

Guests with boarding passes for QF/JQ/OW would get scanned??
And guests without BP don't get scanned but counted

With the change in policy, all guests now will be scanned??

Any establishment would be foolish not to know the number of lounge customers

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Guests with boarding passes for QF/JQ/OW would get scanned??
And guests without BP don't get scanned but counted

Any establishment who does not count their patrons would be foolish

This has not been my experience guesting people in at QF Pubs in SYD and BNE. Usually it's just scan my boarding pass and they wave the other person in who I say is guest (irrespective of what boarding pass they hold).

-RooFlyer88

 

[jase05]

This has not been my experience guesting people in at QF Pubs in SYD and BNE. Usually it's just scan my boarding pass and they wave the other person in who I say is guest (irrespective of what boarding pass they hold).

-RooFlyer88

And you could bet your bottom dollar that the staff would be counting that person or marking it off

 

[Quickstatus]

Usually it's just scan my boarding pass and they wave the other person in

staff would be counting that person or marking it off

I suspect after the change comes in everyone gets scanned.

 

[SydneySwan]

I feel sorry for the poor soul who has to read through this.

There is an assumption that it will be read. I doubt very much that Qantas actually reads all their incoming emails.

 

[SydneySwan]

I can't seem to find any reference that these changes have been implemented following customer requests. I thought that was standard protocol for all enhancements.

 

[Rich]

I have to side with Qantas here.

a family member might occasionally join me in the lounge to see me off ahead of a long overseas trip. Or I might occasionally guest in a colleague who is flying on a different airline.

I hate the political "simpler" rubbish (it has crept in everywhere, not just Qantas) and it is unfortunate for the family member example, but really why should QF provide a benefit for someone flying on a different airline?

 

[OATEK]

Don’t be surprised if they use ChatGPT to reply! You’d be lucky if they do, seems they’re not known for frequently answering beyond perfunctory ‘Thanks for your feedback’ unless execs get involved.

I received a very full reply about my last query which demonstrated that they understood my issue - I just had to wait 3 months to receive it.

Maybe enough for them to take notice?
I dont' believe QF when it says it only affects a small minority of passengers.
I suspect it is a little more than just a small number.

The one guest group that has been left out in this thread is the guest/s of the road warriors. The business meetups before flying off?.....

I once attended a business meeting in a room off the Domestic QF J lounge in Sydney. I was consulting to National Rail and their Ops manager was based in ADL and flying to BNE via SYD. So I had an hour with him at SYD before he hopped on his connecting flight. That's once in the last 25 years that I made use of the non-travelling gust rule.

 

[SydneySwan]

A couple of times when I was WP I met up with a business colleague, also a WP, for a meeting in the Sydney domestic lounge when he was flying into Sydney and I was flying out. So we met after his Qantas flight but before mine. Would this still be permitted or would the arriving pax now be denied entry?

 

[dairyfloss]

A couple of times when I was WP I met up with a business colleague, also a WP, for a meeting in the Sydney domestic lounge when he was flying into Sydney and I was flying out. So we met after his Qantas flight but before mine. Would this still be permitted or would the arriving pax now be denied entry?

Both scenarios are fine, and either of you could have guested the other, as well. Both had same day travel on Qantas or a partner airline. Arrivals access is not changing…. Yet…

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[UP4014]

For all who say this change makes the rules more simple, QF could of course make the rules more simple by going the other way and allowing Plat and above to always be allowed to bring in guests not travelling to all lounges.