Excuse me for stating what may be obvious. Qantas hasn't announced
anything regarding WP First Lounge access in DXB nor have they mentioned any access for any status level. I really think AUSBT should just keep their mouth shut until QF actually announce something. If you refer to this part of their article:
'
Lounge access
A Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum or Gold card will get you through the doors of the Emirates Business Class Lounge in Dubai Airport and other Emirates Business Class lounges around the world.(The Emirates First Class Lounge is currently restricted to travellers holding a first class ticket.)Qantas says that a Silver frequent flyer card or Qantas Club card will provide entry to "the Emirates lounge in Dubai Airport" and that it’s still working on the issue of access to Emirates Lounges around the world.'
There is no source sited, no spokesperson nothing. I am more than willing to be proven wrong with some actual evidence but until then they shouldn't be getting everyone stirred up.
That's nice... but we all know that there's a bit of journalistic licence here. They are meant to be speculating; it could have been better qualified that way. (One time I made a comment on an AusBT article which sounded a bit alarmist, and their defence / rebuttal was that it was only
I who had assumed it was alarmist and in no way did they mention that these are finalised reports, and the article text remained unchanged.)
To put another view forward, the article doesn't actually say that Qantas Platinums will
not have access to the EK First Class Lounge in DXB. They don't have it at current (in fact, they have nothing at all), and the fact that they can say that they will have access to the Business Class Lounge in DXB even though it hasn't happened yet is because it would be silly to the point of fatally stupid if Platinums
did not have access to the J Lounge in DXB (because then it would near boil down to QF having no lounge at DXB, short of possibly the small and inadequate BA lounge, or the no-announcement-and-improbable QF building their own lounge in DXB).
I know many people will not have the same reasoning I have here and
will be stirred up. Mind you, as I said before, there are several EK loyal - 4th tier or no 4th tier on their programme - who are
not looking at all forward to non-F passengers occupying the EK First Class Lounge.
In a way, look at VA and EY. VA Platinums only have access to the EY Business Class Lounge in AUH; VA Golds to the Al Reem Lounge. (I'm assuming here that the EY Business Class Lounge is better than the Al Reem Lounge, as is the EK Business Class Lounge is better than the Marhaba Lounge). I know VA Platinums are not given
any First Class Lounge benefit and thus don't know any better, unlike QF, but there you have it.
If EK give their 4th tier members access to the F Lounge, then I think that will give some key thrust to the lounge access for QF Platinums consideration. In a parallel data point, EY Gold Elites (their 4th and highest elite tier)
do have access to the EY First Class Lounge in AUH regardless of class of travel (albeit they are not allowed a guest at all if they go to the First lounge; they are allowed guests only if they go to the Business or Al Reem Lounges).
Interesting that QF Silvers may benefit in DXB with lounge access (fancy having lounge access to only one lounge located not even at home!), to reflect the Skywards Silver member benefit.
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