QF to sell lounge passes

[DavidFlynn]

If they're extending the invite only 2-3 days prior to travel, I wonder if this is a move towards e-vouchers like VA use? It would stop the gumtree/ebay sellers, and simply move the revenue to QF.

Looks like it's all done online, no physical passes involved: the QF 'lounge pass' invitation web page outlines the following four steps

1. Purchase lounge access for yourself or, if there are other passengers in your booking, choose which eligible passengers you'd like to purchase access for.
2. If you choose to purchase separately, forward this email to the other passengers.
3. Pay with cash or use Qantas Points for lounge access.
4. Check in and present your boarding pass at the lounge entrance. Keep a copy of your confirmation email handy just in case.

 

[under the radar]

Looks like it's all done online, no physical passes involved: the QF 'lounge pass' invitation web page outlines the following four steps

1. Purchase lounge access for yourself or, if there are other passengers in your booking, choose which eligible passengers you'd like to purchase access for.
2. If you choose to purchase separately, forward this email to the other passengers.
3. Pay with cash or use Qantas Points for lounge access.
4. Check in and present your boarding pass at the lounge entrance. Keep a copy of your confirmation email handy just in case.

I am loving and laughing at all the outrage here and on ABT, from those who are seeing/reading/assuming things that aren't there. especially how it seems to have already impacted peoples 'lives', and it has only just been announced no surprises that its 'outrage for outrage sake' on social media

 

[DavidFlynn]

Indeed. Why can't people read, think and then form a considered and informed opinion, instead of "OMG Qantas, I have been a fully-paid QC members for decades and now you have ruined my life!"...

 

[medhead]

I am loving and laughing at all the outrage here and on ABT, from those who are seeing/reading/assuming things that aren't there. especially how it seems to have already impacted peoples 'lives', and it has only just been announced no surprises that its 'outrage for outrage sake' on social media

Indeed. Why can't people read, think and then form a considered and informed opinion, instead of "OMG Qantas, I have been a fully-paid QC members for decades and now you have ruined my life!"...

I've not seen any outrage of that type, or even approaching that level on here. Perhaps it'd be good to make such comments where the outrage is happening, rather than distracting AFF.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am loving and laughing at all the outrage here and on ABT, from those who are seeing/reading/assuming things that aren't there. especially how it seems to have already impacted peoples 'lives', and it has only just been announced no surprises that its 'outrage for outrage sake' on social media

We are here for your enjoyment. If you think the comments in this thread constitutes 'outrage' then you may have missed the threads on Qantas bumping elderly pax, amongst some others.

Can you tell us how the invitations will be issued and who they will be targeted to, by any chance?

Indeed. Why can't people read, think and then form a considered and informed opinion, instead of "OMG Qantas, I have been a fully-paid QC members for decades and now you have ruined my life!"...

So that's a quote. What's the source of the quote, please? Or was it just made up?

 

[under the radar]

I've not seen any outrage of that type, or even approaching that level on here. Perhaps it'd be good to make such comments where the outrage is happening, rather than distracting AFF.

no probs medhead

 

[JohnK]

Looks like Qantas is struggling to fill the lounges again.

I can just about see all hell about to break loose.

- You are invited to purchase lounge passes for your LAX-SYD flight so you purchase 4 passes for the family but when you get to LAX you are turned away as the lounge is full
- You are invited to purchase lounge passes for your LAX-SYD flight so you purchase 4 passes for the family but you have a connecting flight from MSP which is delayed and when you arrive in LAX they have held the flight and you are lastcto board
- You are Platinum and are turned away from LAX lounge as the lounfe is full again

 

[Princess Fiona]

Looks like Qantas is struggling to fill the lounges again.

I can just about see all hell about to break loose.

- You are invited to purchase lounge passes for your LAX-SYD flight so you purchase 4 passes for the family but when you get to LAX you are turned away as the lounge is full
- You are invited to purchase lounge passes for your LAX-SYD flight so you purchase 4 passes for the family but you have a connecting flight from MSP which is delayed and when you arrive in LAX they have held the flight and you are lastcto board
- You are Platinum and are turned away from LAX lounge as the lounfe is full again

Last one won't happen, no way in the world

 

[njba]

I can just about see all hell about to break loose.

I suppose they are going to use their great store of data vis-a-vis lounge access to only make offers for access in predicted quiet periods? If done well, this will avoid most of the scenarios you envision. And for when worst comes to worst, at least people will get a points/money refund.

Of course, we all seem to agree that in anything involving smart use of data (and particularly, anything involving targeted offers), QF sometimes falls down.

 

[Katy]

Looks like Qantas is struggling to fill the lounges again.

I can just about see all hell about to break loose.

- You are invited to purchase lounge passes for your LAX-SYD flight so you purchase 4 passes for the family but when you get to LAX you are turned away as the lounge is full
- You are invited to purchase lounge passes for your LAX-SYD flight so you purchase 4 passes for the family but you have a connecting flight from MSP which is delayed and when you arrive in LAX they have held the flight and you are lastcto board
- You are Platinum and are turned away from LAX lounge as the lounfe is full again

Um, none of these scenarios are likely because the LAX lounge isn't a Qantas Lounge - it's a Oneworld Lounge - and passes aren't valid here anyway

 

[Ansett]

Um, none of these scenarios are likely because the LAX lounge isn't a Qantas Lounge - it's a Oneworld Lounge - and passes aren't valid here anyway

It is a Qantas Lounge operated for OW even in AUSBT article it refers to LAX lounge being available. However in reality on the basis the invites are for non peak periods one would think the likely hood of there being a non peak period at LAX to be rather minimal.

How to buy a Qantas domestic international lounge access pass - Australian Business Traveller

 

[drewbles]

Looks like it's all done online, no physical passes involved: the QF 'lounge pass' invitation web page outlines the following four steps

1. Purchase lounge access for yourself or, if there are other passengers in your booking, choose which eligible passengers you'd like to purchase access for.
2. If you choose to purchase separately, forward this email to the other passengers.
3. Pay with cash or use Qantas Points for lounge access.
4. Check in and present your boarding pass at the lounge entrance. Keep a copy of your confirmation email handy just in case.

Thanks for that David. I wonder if that means the bank issued ones and complimentary ones for PS will now only move towards being electronic? I'm willing to bet QF is keen to cease the sale of vouchers in general.

 

[eastwest101]

A few factors at play here:

- take-up or successful sales at those price levels will be interesting to see, though I doubt that QF will make it easy/transparent to see what the exact revenue gain/loss is

- at $49 per person for a visit to a typical QP for a beer and a sandwich I can't see them being rushed off their feet with demand.....

- obviously QF was getting sick and tired of trying to play "whack a mole" with the selling of complimentary lounge passes on Ebay and Gumtree. Going to all online management an obvious way to kill off the Ebay/Gumtree physical scalping.

- way to monetise lounges and in keeping with the "sweating the assets" school of thought that we have seen from airlines (empty lounges don't make money but cost rent and staff overheads).

- an aspirational/marketing tool that also could draw in some revenue, makes sense to try to lure the punters in with a look at the inside of some lounges, even better if you can "make-em pay to have a look"!

- another (bad value) way of burning QFF points - I think we get the hint by now.

- seems to be a further devaluation of the annual QC membership depending on your frequency of QF flights these new one day passes may even cannibalise sales of QC annual membership? Interesting that QF never considered dropping the astronomical price of the annual QC membership. For may travel patterns it may make sense to me but at the end of the day, for domestic flying the price is still a bridge too far.

 

[cmon0005]

Looks like they are not selling F lounge access, or passes for peak times.

Thank god for that!

 

[njba]

- at $49 per person for a visit to a typical QP for a beer and a sandwich I can't see them being rushed off their feet with demand.....

- an aspirational/marketing tool that also could draw in some revenue, makes sense to try to lure the punters in with a look at the inside of some lounges, even better if you can "make-em pay to have a look"!

- another (bad value) way of burning QFF points - I think we get the hint by now.

You can see it backfiring though: "this is all that there is? And they want me to pay $xx_ a year for the privilege?"

 

[JohnK]

I suppose they are going to use their great store of data vis-a-vis lounge access to only make offers for access in predicted quiet periods? If done well, this will avoid most of the scenarios you envision. And for when worst comes to worst, at least people will get a points/money refund.

Good luck with the refund if anything like the refund you get when downgraded from business to economy.

Um, none of these scenarios are likely because the LAX lounge isn't a Qantas Lounge - it's a Oneworld Lounge - and passes aren't valid here anyway

The LAX lounge is mentioned earlier in the thread as an example of a Qantas international lounge where one could in theory purchase lounge access passes.

 

[russ]

I wonder if they will sell status next? e.g. "Platinum status for $xx_ pa"

 

[njba]

I wonder if they will sell status next? e.g. "Platinum status for $xx_ pa"

Perhaps more likely $xx_X pa!

If they can just give away OWE through the CL program, is there anything in the OW rules that prohibits airlines selling outright status?

 

[kermatu]

I am usually in very crowded lounges but have been a bit surprised in the last fortnight how some have actually been quite empty (ADL, CNS, MEL J and QP; BNE J, AKL). I can see the value in trying to make some cash and a profit during downtimes.

But prices are very steep per person. Would only be valuable if you had a long transit, in my opinion. Or as a treat / one-off as others have suggested.

While targeting it to non-peak periods is fine, presumably there's no restriction on time you can actually enter though? If you are paying for it there may be more incentive to get there early.

Presumably there will be a thread in due course to document who gets offers and when.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

$49 is way too cheap. Many people will be better off buying 1 time passes instead of renewing QC each year.

This move also legitimises a way for reception to not allow you more wiggle room on additional guests.

It does feel like they're eroding brand value by selling access - especially at such a low rate.