RSA MEL F Lounge Qantas Official Response (Refused Drinks)

[Mr_Orange]

This sounds like Sofitel (is it them who run the F Lounges) penny pinching by restricting access to the expensive Champagne and wines.

It seems like a bona fide QF employee needs to run the lounge to keep the over-zealous Sofitel employees in check. After all, what do Sofitel care if they p1ss off some QF customers, they are not Sofitel customers!!

 

[medhead]

Hi Medhead

Excellent post if I may say so I would like to point out that it wasn't Red Roo that made these comments it was indeed a representative from Customer Care.

Whoops. My misread. Sorry Red Roo.


And to think I didn't write the first set of less nice words that came to my head because I thought it was from red roo.

 

[RichardMEL]

Fascinating response given on some domestic flights I've been given refills of fine (sometimes without asking ) way more than 3 standard drinks

oh and maybe I could say to the staff "Well I'll never drive a car [ due to poor eyesight ] so I can have another Taittinger right?" - it is also ironic that yes you can leave that lounge, go somewhere else, or onto your F flight and start anew.


Don't get me wrong I am fully behind RSA specially when some guests who can not hold their alcohol can become unruly and offensive, and the rest - absolutely. However politely sharing a few wines over a couple of hours? Seems a bit odd.

On first glance it does appear that some form of limiting by stealth/cover of RSA was in action. I do think common sense by all involved should be applied, of course.

 

[RichardMEL]

This sounds like Sofitel (is it them who run the F Lounges) penny pinching by restricting access to the expensive Champagne and wines.

It seems like a bona fide QF employee needs to run the lounge to keep the over-zealous Sofitel employees in check. After all, what do Sofitel care if they p1ss off some QF customers, they are not Sofitel customers!!

Surely though Sofitel (yes I htink that's who run the F lounges) wouldn't care as they'd charge back to QF whatever costs, unless it was a fixed price contract to provide the service, but I doubt that too tbh. With that in mind, it is probably more something come on from QF itself - if there indeed is a "hidden" policy to limit service due to cost as opposed to reasonable application of RSA. IMHO

 

[MEL_Traveller]

While I'm dubious about the linking of alcohol service to driving (especially before an international flight), I guess Qantas had to set its own guidelines and was wondering... 'what measure shall we use?'.

They came up with the BAC for driving and decided if you were able to drive a car, you should be able to board a plane and function in the event of an emergency.

Thinking about this, I suppose Qantas is covering itself in two ways:

• because F lounge service is by waiter, if the waiter served you too many drinks and you were later denied boarding, you could have an argument to blame Qantas. In the business class lounge, you serve your own drinks, so a denied boarding you'd have no one to blame but yourself.

• you might injure yourself somehow on the journey from the lounge to the aircraft. QF wants to avoid any claim on that basis.

There might be a third reason - although it's pretty thin me thinks.... perhaps QF is worried that in the unlikely event of an emergency, and your reflexes were impaired, you might point the finger at the service of alcohol in the lounge. Although that would somewhat be countered by the offer of pre-departure beverages by the cabin crew. I guess it might be feasible for lounge staff to notify cabin crew of passengers who have been refused drinks so the cabin crew does the same.

 

[boomy]

While I'm dubious about the linking of alcohol service to driving (especially before an international flight), I guess Qantas had to set its own guidelines and was wondering... 'what measure shall we use?'.

They came up with the BAC for driving and decided if you were able to drive a car, you should be able to board a plane and function in the event of an emergency.

Thinking about this, I suppose Qantas is covering itself in two ways:

• because F lounge service is by waiter, if the waiter served you too many drinks and you were later denied boarding, you could have an argument to blame Qantas. In the business class lounge, you serve your own drinks, so a denied boarding you'd have no one to blame but yourself.

• you might injure yourself somehow on the journey from the lounge to the aircraft. QF wants to avoid any claim on that basis.

There might be a third reason - although it's pretty thin me thinks.... perhaps QF is worried that in the unlikely event of an emergency, and your reflexes were impaired, you might point the finger at the service of alcohol in the lounge. Although that would somewhat be countered by the offer of pre-departure beverages by the cabin crew. I guess it might be feasible for lounge staff to notify cabin crew of passengers who have been refused drinks so the cabin crew does the same.

Somehow all these reasons seem to fade away when it comes to domestic flights.

 

[Austman]

Somehow all these reasons seem to fade away when it comes to domestic flights.

Where you are more likely to drive after a usually much shorter flight. Or driving after no flight at all if a non-flying guest (allowed dometically).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Somehow all these reasons seem to fade away when it comes to domestic flights.

except for domestic flights it is self service alcohol... the liability transfers from the airline to the passenger. Denied boarding and you have no one to blame but yourself.

I agree though that once you're on the plane, the crew serve some pretty stiff drinks! Not sure how RSA fits in to that.

 

[amaroo]

Somehow all these reasons seem to fade away when it comes to domestic flights.

Looks like it doesn't apply if you're boarding the same plane from the J Lounge.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

That waiter was likely worried about losing their job/being fined. It's starting to become cultural in Australia.

In fact in the air most airlines keep the unlimited flow of booze coming. Had a flight recently where I said no to more top-ups but crew kept topping it up every 10mins for nearly 2 movies worth. The booze put me to sleep and there was one less passenger to look after. Happy me + happy crew ;-)

 

[Austman]

except for domestic flights it is self service alcohol... the liability transfers from the airline to the passenger. Denied boarding and you have no one to blame but yourself. .

Only some of it is self serve - it depends on the domestic lounge. And there is self serve always available in the F-lounge too. Only beer in MEL but still it's self serve.

 

[Pushka]

Interesting that "legal limit" is being used as an excuse for RSA. Most people are about to board a long haul flight, not drive.... And I thought RSA was about making a judgement about the individual, rather than a one rule for all policy.

Exactly. The two drinks per hour then one per hour thereafter is RSA for operating machinery (inc driving) and nothing else.

 

[Anna]

Every year for one of my jobs I am required to fill in a short alcohol dependence questionnaire.

Every year one of the questions is "does it annoy you if someone suggests you should drink less?".

Just sayin'.

 

[kevrosmith]

JessicaTam reported a very similar occurrence back in November last year...
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....program/mel-first-lounge-joins-per-64500.html

Sounds like it's limited to the MEL F Lounge, as I haven't seen anyone else making similar comments about the SYD F Lounge or elsewhere.

I'm not liking the sound of this... I've got a possible F Lounge visit in MEL in late May.

 

[blackcat20]

JessicaTam reported a very similar occurrence back in November last year...
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....program/mel-first-lounge-joins-per-64500.html

Sounds like it's limited to the MEL F Lounge, as I haven't seen anyone else making similar comments about the SYD F Lounge or elsewhere.

I'm not liking the sound of this... I've got a possible F Lounge visit in MEL in late May.

the three of us that we're RSAd in MEL as per that thread had no such issues in SYD last week. Unless you count being denied decanter wine early on due to it having 'run out'.

 

[kevrosmith]

I guess the question I'd like to put to Qantas is: should I expect a different level of service or experience at the MEL F Lounge compared to the SYD F Lounge? Why is there anecdotal evidence that such RSA-based denials are being reported from the MEL F Lounge and not the SYD F Lounge?

 

[serfty]

That reply was bulldust!

Here's the act:

www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/W...7B4200031872/$FILE/09-134sr010bookmarked.pdf

Here the pertinent definition:

3AB What is intoxication?

(1) For the purposes of this Act, a person is in a state of intoxication if his or her speech, balance, co-ordination or behaviour is noticeably affected and there are reasonable grounds for believing that this is the result of the consumption of liquor.

Here's the actual regulation:

4. A licencee or permitee -

(a) must not supply liquour to a person who is in a state of intoxication. ...

There is nothing i can see regarding anticipation of a guest becoming intoxicated ... nor of counting drinks.

 

[Flying mermaid]

This sounds like Sofitel (is it them who run the F Lounges) penny pinching by restricting access to the expensive Champagne and wines.

It seems like a bona fide QF employee needs to run the lounge to keep the over-zealous Sofitel employees in check. After all, what do Sofitel care if they p1ss off some QF customers, they are not Sofitel customers!!

Sounds like it might be particular people doing it not all Sofitel people. I was in the lounge for a 10:30 flight a few weeks ago and had two glasses of Moet in a fairly brief time - I was offered a third which I refused as two is my limit (before I board anyway) and we had a bit of a conversation about living on the wild side and breaking my rule. I have no doubt if I had accepted the third drink, I would have been offered a fourth as well....Ps this was in Sydney, so maybe it is a Mel problem....

 

[Ansett]

Thanks Serfty

Wonder how the customer care representative would counter that?

 

[Princess Fiona]

I'm in the MEL F Lounge next Sat evening. I will try to keep an eye out and see if I witness any of the special RSA service in action - including but not limited towards myself of course.