Qantas Loyalty; [QP@EK] lounge rules change [after booking] - Tough luck

[roomer]

Really enjoying following this thread, so yes please keep the updates coming. There's a real vicarious suspense factor now: will Qantas make our day, and actually come good on this, or are we all going to have to share the feeling of being let down?

As promised, I am here to advise of the final outcome. But first, remember the curse " may the fleas of a 1000 camels infest your armpits" ? . Probably not, but I did when it turns out from speaking with the lovely lady Red Roo, that it's not Qantas that is unable to arrange access for my wife and I into the Emirates lounge, it's Emirates themselves that are not coming to the party.

So as, I mentioned before, at least I now have the consolation prize of having a two month extension of my Qantas Club membership ( something that would never have occurred if I were not an AFF member) which, drum roll please, I will get the use of because we are off to the USA later in the year ( and no doubt the next ) for the occasion of visiting our soon to be very first grandchild!

 

[rocketboy]

So the case is closed and I am glad the consolation prize is a useful outcome for the OP. But frankly I find it absurd that a business partner would not grant a one off favour for something that in the grand scheme of their operation is trivial, almost without cost and can no longer set a precedent. Not to mention the goodwill such a gesture could create while also resolving a contractual obligation for the requesting partner. Very mean spirited on the part of Emirates.

 

[por930]

As promised, I am here to advise of the final outcome. But first, remember the curse " may the fleas of a 1000 camels infest your armpits" ? . Probably not, but I did when it turns out from speaking with the lovely lady Red Roo, that it's not Qantas that is unable to arrange access for my wife and I into the Emirates lounge, it's Emirates themselves that are not coming to the party.

So as, I mentioned before, at least I now have the consolation prize of having a two month extension of my Qantas Club membership ( something that would never have occurred if I were not an AFF member) which, drum roll please, I will get the use of because we are off to the USA later in the year ( and no doubt the next ) for the occasion of visiting our soon to be very first grandchild!

Hi Roomer, Thanks for giving us the final chapter in the saga. Pity that QF and EK could not get their act together better. I am sure they both have some 'very good' commercial reasons why the lounge access was revoked at short notice. Anyway, **** happens, and mere mortals like us carry on the best we can. Great that QF gave you 2 months extension to your Qantas club, it all helps.

Great news about first Grandchild.

 

[SpudOz]

While Qantas staff are to be commended for providing a 2 month extension to your QC membership, for many joining/maintaining QC membership was to be able to travel using the code share arrangement. There are many of us who did so in the belief that we could use Emirates lounges with an EK boarding pass. For us suckers in Perth, should we avail ourselves of FF awards, the flights end up being EK so no access to lounges.

Sadly it appears that the EK/QF tie up only favours one side and it aint Qantas!

 

[maninblack]

Qantas castrated...

 

[knasty]

It's good Qantas came to the party for you, but the underlying issue is the lack of 'grandfathering' existing T&Cs which is in their control when negotiating the lounge entry provisions with Emirates. So I would say the front line staff have done their best to fix a back room stuff up.

 

[scwappy]

Could QF not offer the OP Gold status and therefore entitling lounge access?

 

[katiebell]

I think it is wrong that an agreement (lounge access for QC) is not honoured after such careful enquiries to confirm it.
Furthermore this damages the EK brand too. If they are unwilling to honour such a minor (to them at least but major to pax) aspect of the agreement then who knows what else they will not honour.

Another reason not to fly EK, whether a code share or not.

Does anyone know how long the eK/QF deal is for? (too long IMHO)

 

[SpudOz]

I think it is wrong that an agreement (lounge access for QC) is not honoured after such careful enquiries to confirm it.
Furthermore this damages the EK brand too. If they are unwilling to honour such a minor (to them at least but major to pax) aspect of the agreement then who knows what else they will not honour.

Another reason not to fly EK, whether a code share or not.

Does anyone know how long the eK/QF deal is for? (too long IMHO)

I can't see the partnership going the distance and EK will hope to have snared QFF along the way.

From a personal point of view, I travelled with EK to Cairo and back; and I don't think highly of them. On the last leg, Dubai to Perth, the IFE did not work. The FA offered all the passengers in my row the opportunity to use the FA seats to watch a movie while they were serving meals. 20 minutes from the end of the movie, we were all unceremoniously kicked out of the seats and told to go back to our own seats.

Pffft!

 

[OATEK]

I think it is wrong that an agreement (lounge access for QC) is not honoured after such careful enquiries to confirm it.
Furthermore this damages the EK brand too. If they are unwilling to honour such a minor (to them at least but major to pax) aspect of the agreement then who knows what else they will not honour.

Another reason not to fly EK, whether a code share or not.

Does anyone know how long the eK/QF deal is for? (too long IMHO)

"The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has decided to grant authorisation, subject to a condition, for an alliance between Qantas Airways Limited and Emirates until 31 March 2018." So a way to go before a regulatory review.

 

[opusman]

There is a paid lounge in Dubai, could QF not have offered to reimburse you for that since they are unable to sway their "partner" EK?

 

[por930]

As promised, I am here to advise of the final outcome. But first, remember the curse " may the fleas of a 1000 camels infest your armpits" ? . Probably not, but I did when it turns out from speaking with the lovely lady Red Roo, that it's not Qantas that is unable to arrange access for my wife and I into the Emirates lounge, it's Emirates themselves that are not coming to the party.

So as, I mentioned before, at least I now have the consolation prize of having a two month extension of my Qantas Club membership ( something that would never have occurred if I were not an AFF member) which, drum roll please, I will get the use of because we are off to the USA later in the year ( and no doubt the next ) for the occasion of visiting our soon to be very first grandchild!

Still annoys me about Qantas simply changing the contract between parties and simply saying..not our fault, our partner airline changes their rules...Well this maybe the case, but Qantas still legally have to provide the service as promised..refer...https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees. Qantas supplied the ticket, your recourse is with them and they can not get out of it saying it is the fault of others...

I suppose though, you have to weigh up the consequences of these actions. By this I mean, you can demand a refund, and I presume Qantas would oblige, with a bit(lot) of prodding by the ACCC, but, then what do you do. You have many choices for flights with other airlines, though maybe not as convenient or for the price originally paid. This would then open the door for compensation due to lost monies while resolving this issue. I would imagine Qantas considers by giving you 2 months longer membership worth about $85.00, then have complied with the law. You can decide if this amount applied to your membership is sufficient compensation. When you look at the pay per visit lounges, I think their costs are more than the amount you have been compensated, which would bring the amount offered by Qantas into question.

 

[roomer]

Still annoys me about Qantas simply changing the contract between parties and simply saying..not our fault, our partner airline changes their rules...Well this maybe the case, but Qantas still legally have to provide the service as promised..refer...https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees. Qantas supplied the ticket, your recourse is with them and they can not get out of it saying it is the fault of others...

I suppose though, you have to weigh up the consequences of these actions. By this I mean, you can demand a refund, and I presume Qantas would oblige, with a bit(lot) of prodding by the ACCC, but, then what do you do. You have many choices for flights with other airlines, though maybe not as convenient or for the price originally paid. This would then open the door for compensation due to lost monies while resolving this issue. I would imagine Qantas considers by giving you 2 months longer membership worth about $85.00, then have complied with the law. You can decide if this amount applied to your membership is sufficient compensation. When you look at the pay per visit lounges, I think their costs are more than the amount you have been compensated, which would bring the amount offered by Qantas into question.

Thanks por930, you and me both! What really bugs me is the lack of QC functionality bought about by Emirates supposedly calling the shots. So they change the rules on me insisting that in Dubai lounge access can only be had if flying on Qantas codeshare , yet bizzarely if you do fly on Qantas codeshare to Dubai, you are not permitted acess to the Emirates lounge in Paris and whilst the Emirates and AA lounges are in close proximity ( at least as I understand it) Qantas does not have reciprocity with AA in CDG! Yet if you read the website it says if your next flight is with Qantas (as is the case with us) then you have lounge access!

So it's really just having to take what's on offer or a big fat nothing, with less than 3 weeks to go and having gone back and forth with Redroo et al over the last 4 weeks, it's really all I can do. Yes it is a disappointment having anticipated this trip since July last year but as you might appreciate it not worth the hassle.
That in the midst of this saga, we find out that we are expectant grandparents for the very first time has at least given us some opportunity to make use of a the consolation prize, it would be a different story otherwise.
But you know what, having explained the unplanned trip to the USA to the female Redroo as being to see our grandchild to be, wouldn't you think Qantas would be saying, hey if we play our cards right , we could be getting a constant revenue base from these people if they plan to visit their grandson every year, let's go out of of our way to make this France trip a memorable one and give them lounge access to Dubai and CDG, at which point of course I wake up and realise I'm dreaming!

 

[por930]

Roomer, We recently traveled to the States and can confirm if you have a Qantas Club membership(we have life membership), AND you are traveling on AA for the next leg, you have access to the AA lounges regardless of the class flown. Show them your AA boarding passes and QF club card, and they will also give you some vouchers for top shelf drinks from the bar. In our case, we broke the journey at DFW and flew to KDCA the next day, which means we were unable to use the Qantas Club in DFW, despite being members due to AA flight number.
In the states, even flying F on AA metal (which we did) does not give you access to AA lounges, you need to be members of the AA club for access. OR our Qantas Club membership got us in with no issues at all.

 

[nonscenic]

Roomer, We recently traveled to the States and can confirm if you have a Qantas Club membership(we have life membership), AND you are traveling on AA for the next leg, you have access to the AA lounges regardless of the class flown. Show them your AA boarding passes and QF club card, and they will also give you some vouchers for top shelf drinks from the bar. In our case, we broke the journey at DFW and flew to KDCA the next day, which means we were unable to use the Qantas Club in DFW, despite being members due to AA flight number.
In the states, even flying F on AA metal (which we did) does not give you access to AA lounges, you need to be members of the AA club for access. OR our Qantas Club membership got us in with no issues at all.

The access details on the QF website Lounge Locations | North America | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | Associated Lounges seem to say slightly differently and seem to be consistent with my past experience. That is if you want to enter a lounge of a partner airline as a Qantas Club Member then your flight has to have a QF or JQ flight number. Only if you are Gold / Platinum does one have access according to the QF website if you are flying on a partner (or other OW airline) flight number.

It seems unfair that airline club members who have paid for their membership should be disadvantaged compared to those who have achieved Gold status, given the rather random allocation (as far as the passenger knows) of codeshare flight numbers and in some cases lounge access can be permitted or denied depending on whether the TA ticketed the flight with the QF or other airline flight number for the same plane.

 

[katiebell]

Still annoys me about Qantas simply changing the contract between parties and simply saying..not our fault, our partner airline changes their rules...Well this maybe the case, but Qantas still legally have to provide the service as promised..refer...https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees. Qantas supplied the ticket, your recourse is with them and they can not get out of it saying it is the fault of others...

.

They did this last time I booked a hotel through the QF website: the room was rubbish and nothing like that described on the QF website. We called QF and they said "not our problem: we are not responsibile for the hotel"… So we pointed out that our contract was with them as they were acting as the agent for the hotel and, therefore responsible (& it was a prepaid) and not the hotel directly. We eventually, after talking with the hotel management got the room cost back but not he QF CC fee. That was in 2008 and I have not booked a room via QF since.

Rubbish customer service should not be supported and the OP is another example of this. It is pathetic to blame thier problems on others.

And then AJ is quoted in teh Australian on 27 Feb as saying that customer satisfaction is at a record high!!!

 

[katiebell]

rather than QC membership would priority pass be a better option? If paying for lounge access perhaps it would be better not to be tied to 1 airline

 

[por930]

The access details on the QF website Lounge Locations | North America | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | Associated Lounges seem to say slightly differently and seem to be consistent with my past experience. That is if you want to enter a lounge of a partner airline as a Qantas Club Member then your flight has to have a QF or JQ flight number. Only if you are Gold / Platinum does one have access according to the QF website if you are flying on a partner (or other OW airline) flight number.

It seems unfair that airline club members who have paid for their membership should be disadvantaged compared to those who have achieved Gold status, given the rather random allocation (as far as the passenger knows) of codeshare flight numbers and in some cases lounge access can be permitted or denied depending on whether the TA ticketed the flight with the QF or other airline flight number for the same plane.

Hi nonscenic,

Ummm, my post said it was referring to the AA lounges, not the Qantas Lounge. Because we booked AA and not though Qantas, and flying domestically, the restrictions you refer to caused us to have to use the AA lounges(which were great) When you look at this...http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/qantas-club-benefits/global/en#in-the-lounge

Also, the AA people sent me an email advising what the rules of entry are for Qantas Club members.

"We have an agreement with Qantas that allows our members to use their lounge space when traveling in cities where we do not have a location. In order to access their lounges, you must have an Annual or 30-Day Admirals Club membership and present a boarding pass for same day travel on a Qantas-operated flight. And yes, Qantas Club members may visit the Admirals Clubs when traveling on American Airlines operated flights. Please present your Qantas card and ID. We look forward to serving you".

At the time I was thinking about the 30 day pass for the AA lounges, but, never needed it.

When we returned to DFW three weeks later, we were on a Qantas flight out and in J, so entry to the lounge was ok.

 

[Flying mermaid]

The access details on the QF website Lounge Locations | North America | Dallas Fort Worth International Airport | Associated Lounges seem to say slightly differently and seem to be consistent with my past experience. That is if you want to enter a lounge of a partner airline as a Qantas Club Member then your flight has to have a QF or JQ flight number. Only if you are Gold / Platinum does one have access according to the QF website if you are flying on a partner (or other OW airline) flight number.

It seems unfair that airline club members who have paid for their membership should be disadvantaged compared to those who have achieved Gold status, given the rather random allocation (as far as the passenger knows) of codeshare flight numbers and in some cases lounge access can be permitted or denied depending on whether the TA ticketed the flight with the QF or other airline flight number for the same plane.

Master FM is living in the USA and has QC membership. He gets access to the Admirals Club without any problem with AA flight numbers.

 

[nonscenic]

My latest skirmish with a Lounge Dragon was in the Shongololo lounge in JNB. QF uses this associated lounge. I was flying on QF64 JNB-SYD as a QC member in Y. The Lounge Dragon claimed I had to be flying J for access (!). However some persistence on my part in reciting the QF access policy finally made her back down and let me in. Presumably the complex access rules across multiple airlines and alliances is too much for the Dragons to understand.