Taking 87 year old Father into Sydney's & LAX's First Lounges

[Adelaide_Flyer]

I am a Platinum FF and as such can get my wife and I in to the First Lounge. We are taking my wife's 87 year old father to the USA in May 2022, and are wondering if anyone else has had any luck/suggestions for getting him in to the Sydney & LAX's First Lounge with us?

Thank you in advance for your help and advice.

 

[sudoer]

I am a Platinum FF and as such can get my wife and I in to the First Lounge. We are taking my wife's 87 year old father to the USA in May 2022, and are wondering if anyone else has had any luck/suggestions for getting him in to the Sydney & LAX's First Lounge with us?

I wouldn't rely on 'asking nicely' - any one of these options is going to give a better chance of getting both your companions in:

- Book either your wife or FIL into an F seat so they have access through class of service
- Sign up for the Qantas Money Titanium card (which comes with 2 F Lounge passes)
- Befriend a P1 and ask/pay for one of their two annual F lounge passes
- Befriend a WP/P1 flying on the same day and ask they guest one of your companions

 

[RichardMEL]

Good suggestions there, though I would advise caution on paying for a guest pass. I know all kinds of schemes have gone around over the years, but I believe QF would take a dim view of passes being sold/bartered. Condition 8.1 of the T&C prohibit selling of passes.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/the-qantas-club/complimentary-invitations-terms-conditions.html#other-conditions

 

[equus]

Befriend a P1 ...... two annual F lounge passes

Fly an awful lot on Qantas between now and May 2022 to gain P1 for yourself and then use the F lounge passes

 

[Ansett]

Does he need your assistance with the flight for boarding etc if so perhaps call the Plat Line and ask them if it is possible for him to join you as he cant be left alone?

Check out also the Lounge Meetup thread and see if any one is on the lounges at the same time and can possibly Guest your wife Father into the lounge Lounge Meetups

 

[Happy Trails]

I'd be guesting my 87 year old father-in-law and enquiring as to how my wife might join us.

 

[dk4]

...wondering if anyone else has had any luck...

My previous experiences asking air-side at the First lounge desk are;

• an extra immediate family member on the same flight - yes
• an extra friend on the same flight - no

I have also had luck domestically in the past, by phoning ahead prior to a special occasion, and the lounge manager adding a "note to the diary".

 

[Matt_01]

Keep and eye on this site, I have 2 that I will not use and will offer them up. I am waiting to find out if they can be used and may depend on which lounges are open and when. I seem to recall that when QF opened the F lounges mid year for NZ travel guest passes were not been accepted. The ones I have do not expire until Sep 22 so there is heaps of time.

 

[mrsterryn]

Thanks for asking this. I had totally forgotten the threads about ability to guest in
Hope you are able to achieve

 

[sudoer]

My previous experiences asking air-side at the First lounge desk are;

• an extra immediate family member on the same flight - yes
• an extra friend on the same flight - no

I have also had luck domestically in the past, by phoning ahead prior to a special occasion, and the lounge manager adding a "note to the diary".

Thanks for sharing - good to hear you have experienced some leniency, were you WP or P1 at the time? Also were you flying QF or another oneworld airline, and which class?

 

[Dismounted]

To add another anecdote - I've had luck as a WP guesting both my parents into the MEL F lounge by asking nicely air-side. Flying QF Y to New Zealand at the time.

 

[flyingfan]

Agree with sudoer, RichardMEL and Ansett, and hope you might snag Matt_01's pass . I'm guessing your departure for LAX is at one of the peak times for the F lounge in which case leniency is unlikely. In a totally unscientific sample I've watched at SYD reception as many people ask to bring an extra person in and many are told the lounge is very full and they are unable to accommodate guests beyond the allowance.

Given how packed I've seen the SYD F lounge I've been surprised by how many WPs, CLs, OWEs and those flying F there are. Yet SYD was also, when I rocked up with a pass to cover my 2nd guest, they said I could keep it for another day. So YMMV. Good luck and have a great trip.

 

[MrJetset]

QF are fantastic at mobility assistance. The porters and/or F hosts are delightful and caring.

I've arranged mobility assistance for F pax I was travelling with in the past.

Pre Covid, in SYD the F hosts will arrange a porter to bring a wheelchair as they don't use buggies. You'll be asked whether you want to board first or last.

The LAX F host would arrange a buggy after immigration to the F Lounge. Dalit, I believe her name was, managed to skip to the front of the TSA queue which wasn't guaranteed but she had a good relationship with the TSA agents who would wave us through.

We always had one of the reserved private suites and were driven in a buggy to the aircraft.

These are F pax experiences.

 

[justinbrett]

My last experience in the LAX Flounge was Jan 2020 when they were going around shouting at people to take bags off seats and telling people in the showers to hurry up. It was heaving.

So I guess it depends on capacity on the day.

 

[jpp42]

Agree with sudoer, RichardMEL and Ansett, and hope you might snag Matt_01's pass . I'm guessing your departure for LAX is at one of the peak times for the F lounge in which case leniency is unlikely.

For some reason QF11 is now departing at 10:30 PM instead of the normal late morning departures for SYD-LAX flights. I'm not sure what's up with that but it's messing up connections to the US east coast as it lands at 5pm instead of early morning.

 

[justinbrett]

For some reason QF11 is now departing at 10:30 PM instead of the normal late morning departures for SYD-LAX flights. I'm not sure what's up with that but it's messing up connections to the US east coast as it lands at 5pm instead of early morning.

Aircraft utilisation. They used to sit in LAX all day (or do the JFK hop).

They don't have enough widebodies so have to squeeze out all they can. Probably best to overnight in LAX and continue on the next day - don't think I could do a domestic redeye after arriving from Australia.

 

[offshore171]

For some reason QF11 is now departing at 10:30 PM instead of the normal late morning departures for SYD-LAX flights. I'm not sure what's up with that but it's messing up connections to the US east coast as it lands at 5pm instead of early morning.

Sounds like an Airport Hilton scenario.

 

[cjd600]

For some reason QF11 is now departing at 10:30 PM instead of the normal late morning departures for SYD-LAX flights. I'm not sure what's up with that but it's messing up connections to the US east coast as it lands at 5pm instead of early morning.

Its back to the a.m. departure when i fly April 2022

 

[Adelaide_Flyer]

Keep and eye on this site, I have 2 that I will not use and will offer them up. I am waiting to find out if they can be used and may depend on which lounges are open and when. I seem to recall that when QF opened the F lounges mid year for NZ travel guest passes were not been accepted. The ones I have do not expire until Sep 22 so there is heaps of time.

Matt, I will keep an eye open. Thank you for the hands up, Anthony

 

[Stevo.1702]

If all fails in securing F access for all 3 maybe you guest your wife into the J lounge and then guest your father-in-law to the F lounge.

Definitely not the outcome of all being together but better than other alternatives