QF lounge access for unaccompanied 17 yr old

[Vic]

Its about perceived levels of safety. She can do it but think girls might be more wary of what asking a stranger at an airport might mean. She may feel safer asking a female.

I agree about perceived safety.
But this sets a different standard for girls compared to boys. Message: You can't do something because your a girl.
anyway, enought from me

 

[Pushka]

I agree about perceived safety.
But this sets a different standard for girls compared to boys. Message: You can't do something because your a girl.
anyway, enought from me

Of course you can do anything if you are a girl . But whether you choose to do so is another story.

 

[Deleted member]

That is an interesting angle. Had not thought of that.

A few more basics about the situation - (1) I am unable to accompany her into lounge to get her in as I will be merrily flying inbound back to Australia at that time. (2) It is no huge thing if she cannot get in, but as she has to get a long transfer down to Brisbane, and to prevent traffic problems causing grief, she is going early so has a couple of hours waiting. So would be nice to be in the lounge. (3) The tactic of guesting in a random adult is just not going to happen. But thanks for the attempt to help

Do “random” adults include another slightly older unaccompanied female?

 

[Deleted member]

My eldest daughter is asked for her ID almost always in every lounge and onboard if she asks to order alcohol.

I thought that was you being asked for ID (LOL)

 

[Princess Fiona]

I thought that was you being asked for I’d (LOL)

Ah no, only by those who should have gone to Specsavers

 

[JohnK]

It is possible to sign up people under 2 years of age. an eligilble airfare will earn.

Trying to avoid paying as long as possible.

 

[Pushka]

Ah no, only by those who should have gone to Specsavers

Our EA was asked for ID last year at a pub. She is tiny. Quite attractive but she is 57!! She was so excited I think she almost kissed him

 

[JohnK]

Of course you can do anything if you are a girl . But whether you choose to do so is another story.

No one is saying girls can't do anything they want but while my daughter is under 18 I would not want her soliciting any adult to enter a lounge. But she'll know these things as she is growing up.

 

[Hvr]

Our EA was asked for ID last year at a pub. She is tiny. Quite attractive but she is 57!! She was so excited I think she almost kissed him

Maybe they wanted to offer her the senior's discount?

 

[Pushka]

Maybe they wanted to offer her the senior's discount?

Oh. I won’t burst her bubble but you might be on to something

 

[Jack_OC]

I have been asked for ID when entering Domestic lounges before and they’re fully within their right to ask that. In the int F lounge I’ve either been asked for ID by the roving staff or had the first hosts check my details on the computer to check my age. I can also say I’ve been asked for ID once on a QF flight too

My eldest daughter is asked for her ID almost always in every lounge and onboard if she asks to order alcohol.

I wasn't doubting that someone might ask to see ID, and of course they are within their rights to do so. However, in at least some of these examples, it seems that alcohol had been ordered. I would fully expect that to prompt an ID check, if the person ordering looks like they might be underage - and that applies whether or not they had been accompanied into the lounge by a responsible adult.

As for the F Lounge staff checking your age on the computer on the way in - did they actually tell you that's what they were doing? It's pretty standard on entry to international lounges that they scan your BP and/or type info into the computer as you go in. That happens all the time with me - I must admit that I don't know exactly what they are doing, but I'm pretty sure they are not trying to verify that I'm over 18!

Anyway, my point was simply that if they don't ask for ID all the time, then it's worth a try. And they clearly don't ask everyone for ID on the way in, so presumably it relies on the lounge staff suspecting that someone is underage, and bothering to act on that suspicion. IMHO, there is nothing to lose by trying.

 

[Supermummy]

Interesting. My son entered the QF business class lounge unaccompanied in Sydney as a 16yr old. It was a few years back so maybe the rules have changed since then. I remember him texting me to say he had a chat to Barry O'Farrell on the way in who was really curious about why he was travelling alone and where he was going (he was going to do volunteer work in a village in Fiji).

 

[mannej]

Interesting. My son entered the QF business class lounge unaccompanied in Sydney as a 16yr old. It was a few years back so maybe the rules have changed since then. I remember him texting me to say he had a chat to Barry O'Farrell on the way in who was really curious about why he was travelling alone and where he was going (he was going to do volunteer work in a village in Fiji).

The rules haven’t changed, however like most licensed premises enforcement isn’t consistent.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yep. Definitely not a thing for a girl to do. That’s probably considered a sexist thing to say in these PC days.

Sorry but why not?

Easy enough for a 17 yr old girl to approach another female. Particularly another youngish one who is over 18, or an elderly woman. I and/or my wife have often invited various elderly people into a lounge when they who looked liked they were struggling a bit, or needed a lift. They have always been very appreciative, and a bit of kindess makes the world a better place IMO. My eldest daughter who now is only 25 often does it as well when she flies, and has done so since she was 18.

 

[Pushka]

Sorry but why not?

Easy enough for a 17 yr old girl to approach another female. Particularly another youngish one who is over 18, or an elderly woman. I and/or my wife have often invited various elderly people into a lounge when they who looked liked they were struggling a bit, or needed a lift. They have always been very appreciative, and a bit of kindess makes the world a better place IMO. My eldest daughter who now is only 25 often does it as well when she flies, and has done so since she was 18.

In theory of course.

What you discussing is very different though. In this situation the under 18 needs someone to help her get in. Your daughter is simply being generous. And refusal doesn’t mean anything, she can still just walk in.

Some scenarios.
Of course she could ask a young girl about her age in. But she would then need to make sure the girl she approached was over 18 and so she would need to ask her age, wouldn’t she. But that’s kind of a random thing to do in an airport and that stranger girl being approached might not appreciate nor understand why a random stranger was asking her how old she was. And even explaining the situation it may not click with her. And you’d have to trust that she was saying the truth. And be expected to show her ID at the desk.

So we get to the older woman obviously over 18. Would need to be travelling on her own. That’s possible. And would need to understand exactly what she was being asked to do - we assume here on AFF that everyone knows that once inside the door you can do your own thing. But the older person might think she had to chaperone her. Or - well non club members just don’t know, do they unless they’d been one before.

I just think there’s a lot of pfaffing going on to do this, potential embarrassment on all sides, unknown outcome, just to get into a lounge. When in the midst of travelling. Of course some might go to the bother, I just wouldn’t. Not that at 18 I’d even flown. Those were the olden days. As a parent I wouldnt suggest to my daughter that she do this. The lounge just isn’t that great.

 

[mviy]

I think it's up to everyone to determine what they're comfortable with doing.

At the end of the day whilst lounges are nice they are not the most important thing about the experience.

As she's 17 she's got less than a year till she's 18 and can provide I.D. to prove her age (if asked to do so) and enter the lounge on her own

 

[Jack_OC]

Something else to bear in mind about inviting a random stranger as a guest - the requirement isn't that a minor is accompanied by any random adult, or even an adult that they know, it's that they are accompanied by a responsible adult. In Victoria, that is defined as "a person who is of or over the age of 18 years and is: (i) the minor's parent, step-parent, guardian, grandparent, or; (ii) the minor's spouse, or; (iii) a person who is acting in place of a parent and who could reasonably be expected to exercise responsible supervision of the minor".

Definitions in other states might be slightly different, but I would imagine the meaning is similar. The intention is that the responsible adult will supervise the minor and ensure that they do not drink alcohol. As such, staff are supposed to satisfy themselves that the accompanying adult meets the definition of "responsible adult". As an example, a 17 year old isn't allowed into a pub just because he shows up with an 18 year old mate.

If the adult has a different name to the accompanying minor and is not on the same flight, it would immediately seem doubtful that they meet the definition of a responsible adult, so at a minimum I would expect that to prompt some questions. Also, if the adult is younger than about 35, they are probably not a parent/guardian or someone "acting in place of a parent". Again, the lounge staff might not care or bother to check, but if they are going to be strict about age, they should be strict about this too - as admitting a minor accompanied by someone who is not a "responsible adult" is no different to admitting an unaccompanied minor.

 

[calmelb]

I wasn't doubting that someone might ask to see ID, and of course they are within their rights to do so. However, in at least some of these examples, it seems that alcohol had been ordered. I would fully expect that to prompt an ID check, if the person ordering looks like they might be underage - and that applies whether or not they had been accompanied into the lounge by a responsible adult.

As for the F Lounge staff checking your age on the computer on the way in - did they actually tell you that's what they were doing? It's pretty standard on entry to international lounges that they scan your BP and/or type info into the computer as you go in. That happens all the time with me - I must admit that I don't know exactly what they are doing, but I'm pretty sure they are not trying to verify that I'm over 18!

Anyway, my point was simply that if they don't ask for ID all the time, then it's worth a try. And they clearly don't ask everyone for ID on the way in, so presumably it relies on the lounge staff suspecting that someone is underage, and bothering to act on that suspicion. IMHO, there is nothing to lose by trying.

At the F lounge she told me that’s what she did. “I wasn’t sure if you were over 18 so I had to look you up on the computer!” Was said as I was talking to her before boarding.

I’ve also been asked for ID to confirm that it is my QF WP card when entering the lounge on more than one occasion at MEL (they don’t seem to care in CBR). She then used that as a way to determine how old I was (though somehow managed to read it as under 18 and was about to pick up the phone to ring someone... but that’s a different story)

 

[JohnK]

As she's 17 she's got less than a year till she's 18 and can provide I.D. to prove her age (if asked to do so) and enter the lounge on her own

Correct. I don't care what spin people put on it but in my opinion it's not right for a minor to be soliciting adults to enter a licenced area.

Why are we keen to make children adults quicker?

 

[Spacetravel]

A little bit different. I started travelling SYD > LAX solo in business class when I was 18. I was and still now checked for ID ALL the time in Aus lounges and aircraft. I accessed Sydney lounges which is allowed but I also accessed LAX, LAS and FLL lounges under 21 without even a thought until reading this thread it could have been an issue. No one checked ID outside of Australia.