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

[encryptededdy]

this must be relatively new

Maybe others may know but I'm pretty sure you always needed to book QF flight numbers on EK metal to get Status Credits. I do not believe this is a new thing.

 

[justinbrett]

You seem determined not to consider the particular circumstances I was describing, which include "And an auntie who lost her husband, who used to organise everything and now she's a bit lost in the airport process" and "someone who is a bit frail or likes company but otherwise can fly by themselves".

But for the benefit of others, I'll say it again - yes, an airline can look after 'disabled' pax (and I'm describing circumstances where the pax may not be viewed as 'disabled' by the airline), but it can be a matter of whether the flying pax would prefer that assistance by someone they know - even if its a matter of re-assurance and peace of mind.

That can still happen at the airport, but the thread is about lounge access by non-flyers. Right now, if the flying pax has QP access, the helper can too. That's going to be stopped, because, you know, the Spirit of Australia wants things "simpler", so the flying pax would probably self exclude. Again - yay! Less crowding!

And as for it being 'my choice' - geez, I would hope anyone with a shred of empathy and compassion would make the same choice, in the circumstances.

Again, I refer you to the last line of my post you first replied to.

 

[Kendall Roy]

I can't see huge numbers of people being affected here, but I do understand it's a devaluation

Enough to trigger a refund for those who no longer have any use for QP?

 

[Kangol]

Enough to trigger a refund for those who no longer have any use for QP?

Over 10 years ago when BA Galleries lounge access was removed for QP members, they did not refund QP memberships.

If QF wanted to address overcrowding, they should stop closing the QP and directing everyone to the J lounge.

 

[RichardMEL]

Clearly QF *have* noticed enough to be bothered to make a policy change I doubt they would have thought it up just on a rainy Wednesday at Mascot without prompting.

I do understand some have experienced "waving of guest(s)" into domestic lounges. I am in the category of those who have experienced scanning of guestee's BP's (at MEL J in most recent experiences). Now (prior to June 15 anyway) I guess if I had said they're not flying they have no choice but to wave them in, but I suspect post June 15 the instruction will be to scan everyone through.

I'd note though that MEL has probably been far more about scanning BP's - even moreso since covid when one had to scan the check in (remember that?! it was also briefly a thing in NSW and QLD< but for a long time in Vic) and then scan at the entrance as QF did have capacity limits per the covid rules (iirc) so they did need to know from that point of view.

Anyway yes I'm sure there will be renewed emphasis on scanning of all pax at lounges. The interesting part will be those peak crush times at receptions at the big lounge entrances when it's slammed and how that will be handled (those where the days of flashing the white card and walk on in) - those were the times when there was often "just go on in" to save time going on.

Even at MEL on arrival I'm required to scan (so use my card barcode in the app) and no issue.

 

[GoldenTouchdown]

I'm surprised how many people on here this seems to be affecting. I can't imagine parking, bringing a family member through security, walking a billion miles to the lounge, just to sit in a coughpy IKEA chair and maybe get a tiny plate of cafeteria butter chcken and a bread roll. The only time I can think of guesting non-QF flying pers was some work colleagues flying back to a different city on VA about five years ago. Hardly a massive loss, but also I question how much saving in either cost or space there would be from this.

Pretty big load of "meh" from me...

Yeah it can get same same, but this benefit allowed for a ritual that will be dearly missed, it was practically our family Sunday dinner!

The parking never bothered us, baggage can keep spinning round, right’ round on the carousel.. it’s always somewhere there when we go down, when we go down, down…

 

[nlagalle]

I don't see the point of spending around $50,000 per year to maintain WP. I'm almost done with the constant flying game anyhow.

Just saying that you can obtain WP for a lot less than that..

Also, I am disappointed to learn that there are no status credits for the EK flights - this must be relatively new. I made a mistake and booked EK rather than QF. My partner {QFF Gold Details} will probably miss out on Gold by 5 SC and now I think maintaining Platinum is not worth it for me.

Need to book a QF codeshare to get full points and SC. It’s been like that since day 1

 

[Hobbsy4]

Just saying that you can obtain WP for a lot less than that..


Need to book a QF codeshare to get full points and SC. It’s been like that since day 1

Ah well. Yes, I got a couple of things wrong. And I made the mistake of booking an EK rather than QF. But all up, the Emirates First Lounges were amazing, and the flights were good.

 

[whughes3]

Even at MEL on arrival I'm required to scan (so use my card barcode in the app) and no issue.

On arrival at MEL I never have my BP scanned in recent times...they want to sight it of course but no scanning. I am almost always coming back from o/s and have a hard-copy BP.

 

[NM]

15-20+ years ago, I used the non-flying guest benefit regularly when traveling for work and my wife would drop me at the airport (generally with kids in tow). The company would happily pay for the car parking fees as they would otherwise be paying more for a taxi. Kids enjoyed the snacks/food/soft drinks and the process became a bit of a family outing for us before I was away for a few days. The kids knew what behavour was expected in an airline lounge and always complied - they knew any breach of trust would mean the lounge visits would cease. They looked forward to taking daddy to the airport rather than resenting the "separation".

But I have not used this benefit for many years as the family needs have changed and they would just wave goodbye (or send a text message) when I was leaving on a trip.

So this change has minimal impact on me now, but I do understand that others are in a different life situation to me and that it is a disappointment to some people.

 

[Austman]

I remember a flight in 1985, QFi SYD-LHR.

There were 4 of us travelling in business class. We could guest a non-travelling person, who took us to the airport, into the Qantas international lounge at SYD T1!

Lounges have since moved and security has been tightened.

But Qantas has been allowing non-travelling guests into its lounges, in various forms, for at least 40 years!

Why the need to change it now? Is it suddenly an issue?

It really has been around for a very long time.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I remember a flight in 1985, QFi SYD-LHR.

There were 4 of us travelling in business class. We could guest a non-travelling person, who took us to the airport, into the Qantas international lounge at SYD T1!

Lounges have since moved and security has been tightened.

But Qantas has been allowing non-travelling guests into its lounges, in various forms, for at least 40 years!

Why the need to change it now? Is it suddenly an issue?

It really has been around for a very long time.

But double SCs and $399 QF Club membership fees (in relative terms) haven’t, memberships with points club, and credit card lounge passes haven’t (been around a long time)

So many elites now.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Apart from capacity constrints, in the QF domestic airport lounges, ...
All flyers in Aust have to pay a domestic security screening tax, ((they call it levy)).
Those not flying, do not pay it, but they get a free run through Aust domestic security, and ergo, the flyer/s are financially backing that expense.
Not directly related to QFF, but slightly, it does affect it.
Aust domestic airport security screening makes up about $3.30 to $3.50 per pax in the airline's ticket charge, what QF passes onto the airport authorities would probably be less a bit, they probably keep a few cents per pax.
Those not flying, QF does not collect, and does not pay the airport authorities, but QF does have to bear the cost of the guests not flying.
There is a background reason to them tightening the rules/"screws" of access to the lounge, not that they would admit it, they would say its "fairer".

 

[dajop]

Apart from capacity constrints, in the QF domestic airport lounges, ...
All flyers in Aust have to pay a domestic security screening tax, ((they call it levy)).
Those not flying, do not pay it, but they get a free run through Aust domestic security, and

I doubt they’re getting a “free run”, I bet the airports themselves are happy to eat that cost because the longer someone spends at the airport (seeing someone off or picking someone up) the more parking fees they get and the more viable airside retail/eateries become.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Hmm, yep, forgot about the car parking side of things, esp MEL/SYD/BNE/PER where its impossible to sneak a freebie car park.
People do play around for/in ADL, where there is the business park close by to the terminal, walkable to the terminal, but for the other capital cities, yep, not walkable for a freebie car park.
To come back to it, tho, wonder who made the ultimate decision to tighten up guesting in the lounges, AJ befoe he departs, or VH before she commences as CEO, but she is still CFO, or was it "suggested" by Accor and approved by someone midrange/upper execs at QF.
Someone high up would have needed to approve it tho.

 

[MooTime]

Hmm, yep, forgot about the car parking side of things, esp MEL/SYD/BNE/PER where its impossible to sneak a freebie car park.
People do play around for/in ADL, where there is the business park close by to the terminal, walkable to the terminal, but for the other capital cities, yep, not walkable for a freebie car park.
To come back to it, tho, wonder who made the ultimate decision to tighten up guesting in the lounges, AJ befoe he departs, or VH before she commences as CEO, but she is still CFO, or was it "suggested" by Accor and approved by someone midrange/upper execs at QF.
Someone high up would have needed to approve it tho.

There are 4hr even all day free parking in mascot if ones prepared to walk to SYD airport for this free lounge access.

I used to work in mascot & fly in fly out from Melbourne every week, walking around at lunch I found plenty of free parking, but only if ones prepared to walk say 20-30mins.

MEL value carpark just $12 per 24hrs, easy walk to lounge if ones prepared.

 

[justinbrett]

There are 4hr even all day free parking in mascot if ones prepared to walk to SYD airport for this free lounge access.

I used to work in mascot & fly in fly out from Melbourne every week, walking around at lunch I found plenty of free parking, but only if ones prepared to walk say 20-30mins.

MEL value carpark just $12 per 24hrs, easy walk to lounge if ones prepared.

BNE you can park for free at DFO and get the shuttle bus to the terminal

 

[Austman]

But double SCs and $399 QF Club membership fees (in relative terms) haven’t, memberships with points club, and credit card lounge passes haven’t (been around a long time)

So many elites now.

Not disagreeing.

But most here think the non-travelling guests would be a very small percentage of those in a domestic Qantas lounge.

So it's really just a capacity restriction exercise of a very long established benefit because there are now too many actual travellers who have access for other reasons?

A capacity restriction exercise which won't make much of an impact anyway?

Brilliant!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Not disagreeing.

But most here think the non-travelling guests would be a very small percentage of those in a domestic Qantas lounge.

So it's really just a capacity restriction exercise of a very long established benefit because there are now too many actual travellers who have access for other reasons?

A capacity restriction exercise which won't make much of an impact anyway?

Brilliant!

Well yes.

Airlines can monetise all the other entries. Can’t directly monetise the guests?

If capacity was an issue it could be ‘subject to availability’ or only applicable at peak times.

Like exit rows… could never be assigned before checkin for safety reasons. Until they worked out they could charge for it. Then the safety ground went out the window. Overnight.

 

[Bolt]

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

Just like the frequent flyer members that need to read cough like "simplifying our lounge access policy" spin? Yeah.