Qantas offered Cathay SFO lounge to WP on check in

[durbrain]

For those interested, given the repeated stories of lounge entry denial by Cathay, I just flew QF 74 from SFO and was told by check-in "Thank you for being platinum, you are welcome to use the Cathay Pacific lounge". Others in the line were being directed to the coughhole Air France.

Suspect they might be directing WP to Cathay and all others to AF.

That said, 'cause of the current 8.35 pm departure, the lounge isn't full service - no noodle bar, extended area closed, only sandwiches but at least the showers are available!

 

[mviy]

Looking at the flight times you’d have to leave by the time Cathay passengers would start to arrive anyway.

SGs should have Access per Oneworld rules. Capacity constraints are cited to deny entry typically on nights with a few early morning departures.

Perhaps there’s a bigger gap between QF and CX flights at this time of year.

 

[Himeno]

For those interested, given the repeated stories of lounge entry denial by Cathay, I just flew QF 74 from SFO and was told by check-in "Thank you for being platinum, you are welcome to use the Cathay Pacific lounge". Others in the line were being directed to the coughhole Air France.

Suspect they might be directing WP to Cathay and all others to AF.

That said, 'cause of the current 8.35 pm departure, the lounge isn't full service - no noodle bar, extended area closed, only sandwiches but at least the showers are available!

It seems that all the AF NA lounges are cough.
RJ and QR use the AF lounge at ORD. Last time I was there, I was able to get into the BA lounge after they tried the capacity limit line by pointing out that I was OW Emerald on a Oneworld flight in J, that I'd be leaving before the bulk of the BA pax arrived, and that the BA lounge was better then the *shudders* AF lounge.
Didn't have much option with JL at JFK though. JFK T1 lounge is AF or nothing.

 

[DeKa]

I’ve had no issues using the CX SFO lounge as a Qantas SG at around 6pm local time twice in the last 6 weeks.

 

[mviy]

I’ve had no issues using the CX SFO lounge as a Qantas SG at around 6pm local time twice in the last 6 weeks.

If it’s a busy night they’ll turn people away who don’t come early. It may be say 10 passengers plus any CL.

 

[Daver6]

It seems that all the AF NA lounges are cough.
RJ and QR use the AF lounge at ORD.

QR also use the AF lounge in BOS...and it is really cough.

 

[serfty]

...
Didn't have much option with JL at JFK though. JFK T1 lounge is AF or nothing.

At JFK if you have time you can access T8 lounges as a same day JFK BP gets you airside in any terminal.

 

[Himeno]

At JFK if you have time you can access T8 lounges as a same day JFK BP gets you airside in any terminal.

First I've heard that JFK does the same as LAX.
At any rate, with no JFK airside connections, changing terminals for lounge use would require 2 rounds through TSA and using the airtrain.

 

[Danger]

CX Lounge entry denied (SFO)

 

[serfty]

... At any rate, with no JFK airside connections, changing terminals for lounge use would require 2 rounds through TSA and using the airtrain.

This is true ... but I have done it before QF12 (used AA Flounge).

I believe at any USA port it can be done; I did it at ORD in 2016 as well.

 

[Lendav Orav]

This is true ... but I have done it before QF12 (used AA Flounge).

I believe at any USA port it can be done; I did it at ORD in 2016 as well.

I once left hand luggage in the AA lounge in T4 at LAX while I went out for a smoke. My next flight was on AS from another terminal. I had all sorts of problems trying to get back into T4 with my AS boarding pass! They had to issue a special permit at the AA checkin so that the TSA would let me through.

 

[serfty]

This changed May 1st 2015 ... It did take some time before it sunk in to the TSA staff to become general knowledge.

 

[sweens]

Flew on QF 74 from SFO last week , I am LTG and was flying in paid J , so I checked out the CX lounge which looked very quiet indeed , it was early around 7pm but I was refused entry as I was not one of the 15 names on the list supplied by QF.

Not sure of the criteria to be “listed” but the CX lounge attendant just said no...so it was of to the AF lounge which as everyone has said is basically cough , totally underwhelming at best!

I can only think that QF pays CX a bunch more moolah than they pay AF per lounge entry and they have a interesting formula to rate each FF’s customer value as I overheard another QF Gold bragging to his buddies that he got access to the CX lounge but he got lonely and came to the AF lounge for company...Dah so QF must have paid twice for him!

 

[serfty]

There's a report of the list today on FT:

Originally Posted by LifeTimeBronze
Currently in SFO Cathay lounge awaiting QF74.
At checkin was told to go to Cathay Lounge. On arrival, BP scanned and name ticked off on a printed list. I presume this was a list of WPs on QF74 provided by QF.
Made to feel very welcome. Arrived about 2000. Lounge very airy and bright. good selection of food & drinks.

 

[Sdtravel]

I did wonder how people on the list know to go there.

I have a trip planned on QF74 next month. Wonder if I will get in. Previously I thought it was only WP1 and CL's let in. Interesting that perhaps WP's might make the cut
Do you think pax on the list can bring a guest?

 

[mviy]

I was in the lounge in 2016 as a SG (got to SG from the flight over to SFO) that had successfully upgrade to J and in 2017 as a WP that had successfully upgraded to J.

I flew on a night that only has the one CX flight. That helps. The CX flights go in the early hours of the morning. So if there's two early hours of the morning flights it's best to avoid flying out in the late hours of the evening on the day (just hours) before that. With two CX flights they'll expect more CX passengers and be less willing to welcome QF passengers into the lounge.

Edit: at this busy time of the year they might not have any nights with just the one CX flight, but at less busy times of the year at least they used to.

 

[Sdtravel]

Currently in the CX lounge. Flying out on QF74 on the Friday night departure.
At Checkin the agent said for WP's its the CX lounge. At the door i had no issues. Was advised they dont make boarding calls and reminded of the boarding time.
It was 9pm when i got to the lounge.

 

[Pushka]

Currently in the CX lounge. Flying out on QF74 on the Friday night departure.
At Checkin the agent said for WP's its the CX lounge. At the door i had no issues. Was advised they dont make boarding calls and reminded of the boarding time.
It was 9pm when i got to the lounge.

Just booked a flight out of SFO today but for next year. Will keep watching with interest.

 

[RooFlyer]

As I noted in another thread, a year or so ago (but also when this was a contentious issue) I got into the CX lounge as WP travelling J on QF ... I wasn't specifically directed to go there, but turned up, welcomed in, no list, no dramas. Got chatting with the lounge guy - he said that they were advised daily of how many QF pax they could admit (it was changeable), after that, no dice and it was monitored by 'those above' so they had no discretion to vary once the magical number had been reached. I guess with increasing pressure, a numerical limit has sometimes become a specific list of names.

 

[coriander]

Mrs C and I are on the 787 SFO-MEL QF50 in September departs 2200h (about same time as QF74) so we are watching this as well. Number 1 son (also WP) had no difficulty in accessing CX last year and was flying Y.in QF74 (he arrived at lounge at about 1800h).