Singapore QF/BA lounge new changes

[Ansett]

Forgive me for sounding like a DYKWIA.

I travel F regularly and I also know many who fly F as well on a regular basis these are all full fare paying customers no FASAs or Point Upgrades just cold hard dollars. Each and everyone of them (~10-15 in total) would say what I am saying. QF Premium service is some of the best in the industry and they are working to get things right and should be given a bit of lee way whilst this is resolved. In the grand scheme of things most travelers won't notice much change and most aren't there for more than 2 hours. Miscommunications always occur. As someone who is traveling through in the near future and who is affected by these changes I have the utmost confidence that QF will get it right.

Foregiven

And may I say when Qantas get F right then yes I agree they are as good as if not better than others BUT Singapore has been a basket case for years and they consistently seem to screw it up.

AJ confirming Lounge to be Upgraded

AJ makes passing comment that it is on Hold

Announcements made as to variations in access policy

Access policy changed

the access policy changes again

Then the information re opening times provided by QF is also incorrect.

I will now contradict a statement I made earlier asking for consistency. Seems that we do indeed have consistency ------ Consistently changing

 

[sometimeflyer]

That's not good at all, pretty poor! This reminds me of the BA lounge fiasco and changing of the rules.etc.

I just hope this is not a glimpse of what we're going to see when the EK/QF partnership starts.. eg. stinginess with lounge access, staff not knowing about the partnership and getting denied said benefits (priority checkin for QF elites, boarding, lounge.etc).

Having been through it all today, FWIW, my feeling is that this is just a stand-alone issue. I think it arises from the fact that all Qantas metal flights depart in the evening, full check-in doesn't open until later in the afternoon, and the tie-up with Emirates hasn't yet been finalized/commenced operation.

But I agree with Princess Fiona, in that execution has had surprising and disappointing hiccups, in the circumstances.

 

[amaroo]

Forgive me for sounding like a DYKWIA.

I travel F regularly and I also know many who fly F as well on a regular basis these are all full fare paying customers no FASAs or Point Upgrades just cold hard dollars. Each and everyone of them (~10-15 in total) would say what I am saying. QF Premium service is some of the best in the industry and they are working to get things right and should be given a bit of lee way whilst this is resolved. In the grand scheme of things most travelers won't notice much change and most aren't there for more than 2 hours. Miscommunications always occur. As someone who is traveling through in the near future and who is affected by these changes I have the utmost confidence that QF will get it right.

What's the method of payment got to do with it?

QF have a hand full of FC lounges in their shrinking Int network so managing them shouldn't be very difficult! Gees, it's not like they are controlled by the clowns in CBR anymore.

 

[yohy?!]

Forgive me for sounding like a DYKWIA.

I travel F regularly and I also know many who fly F as well on a regular basis these are all full fare paying customers no FASAs or Point Upgrades just cold hard dollars. Each and everyone of them (~10-15 in total) would say what I am saying. QF Premium service is some of the best in the industry and they are working to get things right and should be given a bit of lee way whilst this is resolved. In the grand scheme of things most travelers won't notice much change and most aren't there for more than 2 hours. Miscommunications always occur. As someone who is traveling through in the near future and who is affected by these changes I have the utmost confidence that QF will get it right.

With all respect whether you pay or redeem for F is irrelevant to the validity of your opinion.

I'll see your sample size of 15 and raise the AFF membership

 

[zachary.august]

What's the method of payment got to do with it?

QF have a hand full of FC lounges in their shrinking Int network so managing them shouldn't be very difficult! Gees, it's not like they are being run by the clowns in CBR anymore.

With all respect whether or pay or redeem for F is irrelevant to the validity of your opinion.

I'll see your sample size of 15 and raise the AFF membership

What I was trying to convey (I clearly failed) was that these people are not using a virtual currency to pay for flights and that they trust Qantas enough to fork out large amounts of money consistently for travel on them. I'm also intrigued as to what 'I'll see your sample size of 15 and raise the AFF membership' means. I haven't the slightest clue.

 

[TonyHancock]

With all respect whether you pay or redeem for F is irrelevant to the validity of your opinion.

...or indeed if the taxpayer is paying.....

 

[Ansett]

I would have thought that such a group of 15 that appear to be keeping QF afloat would indeed like your self all be CL so would be whisked off to even more exclusive Lounges !

 

[sometimeflyer]

Forgive me for sounding like a DYKWIA.

I travel F regularly and I also know many who fly F as well on a regular basis these are all full fare paying customers no FASAs or Point Upgrades just cold hard dollars. Each and everyone of them (~10-15 in total) would say what I am saying. QF Premium service is some of the best in the industry and they are working to get things right and should be given a bit of lee way whilst this is resolved. In the grand scheme of things most travelers won't notice much change and most aren't there for more than 2 hours. Miscommunications always occur. As someone who is traveling through in the near future and who is affected by these changes I have the utmost confidence that QF will get it right.

I'm flying in a paid F ticket with my wife, and I generally share the sentiments above. There are other threads here about the extent to which qantas has lifted it's game in the more recent past. I think it probably has.

I haven't had any bad interactions with Qantas staff today - there just haven't been any around (pre-3:30). I think at an airport like Singapore it would be worth them having someone here during the day.

 

[amaroo]

What I was trying to convey (I clearly failed) was that these people are not using a virtual currency to pay for flights and that they trust Qantas enough to fork out large amounts of money consistently for travel on them. I'm also intrigued as to what 'I'll see your sample size of 15 and raise the AFF membership' means. I haven't the slightest clue.

Who cares how it was paid......QF clearly don't.

Anyway, the lounge in SIN has been FUBAR - they need to get their act sorted. KISS theory seems to be to complicated for some Mathematicians.

 

[Ansett]

FUBAR

Please explain?

Sorry but I am only a lowly WP who does a lot of bisness travel domestically and who forks out money from own pocket for leisure travel in J or F to the point where I will achieve WP in 6 weeks with out any Travel paid for by my company ALL SELF FUNDED.

How many of us are their that are either self funded or have flighst paid for by our employees, compared to say the group of 15?

On ratios alone 62 Business seats London - Heathrow at say an average of 9 K equates to $558k now lets look at 14 people in F at an average of $14k = $196k now if all the people flying J and achieving WP stop doing that due to lack of consistency and lowering of benifits where would that leave QF? Would their be enough F passengers to replace them?

Each and every premium passenger is important and should be treated that way.

And I say again one of the things that irks myself and many fellow travellers that I talk to is lack of Consistency.

Give us a clear Policy that does not change every 5 minutes. Provide accurate information relating to access times.

If the management are incapable of putting together an effective plan for lounge access then quite simply should they still be part of the organisation?

 

[amaroo]

FUBAR

Please explain?

First word rhymes with Ducked.....up beyond all recognition/repair/reason

 

[Ansett]

First word rhymes with Ducked.....up beyond all recognition/repair/reason

ROFL

Thought that was the meaning. Thank you kindly for the clarification.

 

[JohnK]

Some would argue that the benefits of plat have long been loose.

Who is arguing?

 

[Ansett]

Who is arguing?

I think he was taking the mickey out of my spelling

 

[JohnK]

Plan to be transiting SIN end of next month. Interesting to see changes.

 

[Danger]

I think you are right but I sincerely hope not.
I travel in J long-haul but if relegated to the Business Lounge at DXB I'll likely give it a miss and go via HKG instead.
BA will hopefully have their A380 ex-HKG soon

Seriously? would force yourself onto BA and QF MK1 J seats because of lounge access in DXB?

Sounds like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I completely agree with Princess Fiona. If Qantas Platinums are going to be given a sub-standard and reduced lounge access arrangement when routing through DXB, then I'd have no hesitation in flying via Singapore and accessing what I suspect will be an excellent BA Galleries F lounge . . . or through HKG and accessing the outstanding CX lounges . . . or even through NRT and accessing the JL F lounge.

Ansett, you re truly coming across as a DYKWIA. My apologies, but currently you are a WP and are not the highest status flyer, you are well down the list with a big crowd, once you come to P1 you will notice the difference. But until then please face the reality of your status.
As for *Alliance best way to achieve top status is to plant your bum in a seat and do the miles, then you will truly deserve the privileges that come with it. Status match and double SC only create false "frequent flyers" and forces the airlines to create even higher levels, hence P1

Platinum is top tier. It would seem as though you are a WP1 but that's still top tier within the oneworld elite. To take your approach, CL would be top tier but that is rarely considered such because it is invitation only.

Yes I will and I don't regard it as this. If my benefits are eroded ( and I regard decent lounge access as a benefit) then I will look to maintain that in other ways. Daytime flight to HKG so MK 1 Skybeds are not a concern, CW to LHR.

Agreed.

Amd in fairness they still cant get it right! It has changed several times and now the advise of the opening times doesnt seem worth the paper its typed on as that as sometimesflyer explained and he is traveling in F !!!! doesnt bode well IMO and I will be going through here in a few weeks and not looking forward to it. The on again off again on again revamp of F and J lounges started MONTHS ago and yet here we are still no consistencey in what is being said by QF and reality.

And certain posters who only posted twice seem to think we are all being harsh on Qantas. As one CSM told me at the weekend Qantas is or should be all about customer service and again here we see examples of a lack of customer focus.

Surely if you know changes are being made then you put PROPER procedures in place and make sure that the information being provided is accurate and representative of reality. Loyal customers dont like too much change consistency is important in my experience.

Agreed.

That's not good at all, pretty poor! This reminds me of the BA lounge fiasco and changing of the rules.etc.

Ahhhh, yes. Another QF lounge access policy disaster.

I think we're going to need a separate, new thread on QF Platinums and lounge access in DXB. Clearly, it's going to get interesting.

 

[Kangol]

...or indeed if the taxpayer is paying.....

Touché!

zachary.august, I'm interested - how many of these 10-15 people are public servants and how many of them pay for F tickets from their own pocket (not from a travel allowance)?
If they're not paying, then they are not the customer, their employer (eg. government or whoever the 3rd party is) is the customer and these 10-15 people are simply the beneficiaries of another generous (some may even say wasteful) person/organisation.

OT, but why do some public servants have paid F travel allowances? Is J not good enough? Excellent use of taxpayer funding!

 

[Princess Fiona]

I think we're going to need a separate, new thread on QF Platinums and lounge access in DXB. Clearly, it's going to get interesting.

This !! Bring it on

 

[RWJ777]

Touché!

zachary.august, I'm interested - how many of these 10-15 people are public servants and how many of them pay for F tickets from their own pocket (not from a travel allowance)?
If they're not paying, then they are not the customer, their employer (eg. government or whoever the 3rd party is) is the customer and these 10-15 people are simply the beneficiaries of another generous (some may even say wasteful) person/organisation.

OT, but why do some public servants have paid F travel allowances? Is J not good enough? Excellent use of taxpayer funding!

Internationally, only ministers and departmental secretaries (CEOs) fly F; all other public servants fly J and sometimes Y. Domestically, some - but not all - senior executives fly J. All managers (ie packages of around 150K or less) and below fly Y.

 

[Danger]

Here are some photos of the EK lounge in SIN that is currently being used for QF F, CL and WP1 passengers:\

http://i.imgur.com/PIkGY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fHneU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2WIpR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/M2aAM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QoYpa.jpg

And here are some photos of a display in that lounge of the design for the new EK DXB terminal:

http://i.imgur.com/VLXCM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FO7yZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4AOjL.jpg