TBIT 'Qantas' Business Lounge - extremely confused, as are staff

[MEL_Traveller]

The email IS referring to AA elites as that is what the issue is and where it originated from.

The author - used lazy sloppy wording and subsequently created even more confusion with the poor agents.

Serfty - would you mind PM'ing the name of the author?

I am meeting with LAX lounge management next week so I will address the issue directly.

The details of the author and recipients are available in the original source link provided by serfty in post #69 of this thread (to the FT thread). Those have not been redacted.

What I'm concerned about is when does 'insistence on right of access' (ie valid access you ask to be confirmed via a manager) turn into 'bullying' which can then lead to the police being called?

 

[Sdtravel]

I am meeting with LAX lounge management next week so I will address the issue directly.

Would love to know the outcome if you can share after that would be fantastic. As i said earlier my experience was ver much a "how did you even get in TBIT & this is a huge favour to you as you arent allowed in"

 

[RooFlyer]

Good grief, what a shambles. You couldn't make this stuff up as a comedy.

 

[dfcatch]

It appears to me that two things have occurred:

1/ A large number of AA elites have been trying it on at TBIT

2/ The Lounge GM, who is a contractor (and therefore NOT an expert on QF elite benefits), has made confusion worse by issuing a memo to staff who truly don't know any differently.

Clearly some training required on all levels at LAX.

 

[RooFlyer]

How appropriate that this thread was started by LordChaos

 

[LordChaos]

How appropriate that this thread was started by LordChaos

Heh, indeed - just enjoying watching the chaos now

EDIT: 3700 views, and no response from Qantas - despite several emails to appropriate staff and addresses.

 

[moa999]

It appears to me that two things have occurred:
1/ A large number of AA elites have been trying it on at TBIT
2/ The Lounge GM, who is a contractor (and therefore NOT an expert on QF elite benefits), has made confusion worse by issuing a memo to staff who truly don't know any differently.
.

Agree that AA elites should not be allowed - there is a valid exception for them (and I suspect AA won't pay).
But all other elites should have access.

The opening of the TBIT-T4 connector may further strain things however, and would not be surprised to see a must be departing from TBIT restriction added.

 

[Sdtravel]

The opening of the TBIT-T4 connector may further strain things however, and would not be surprised to see a must be departing from TBIT restriction added.

If so that would suck. I would still prefer to use it for the better food and drink choice and more available showers. When i did it a few months ago it did make it tight but i thought it worth it.

 

[moa999]

EDIT: 3700 views, and no response from Qantas - despite several emails to appropriate staff and addresses.

With deference to RedRoo(s),
I suspect they are ensuring they have the correct answer.
Your original situation is a fairly complex one (QF codeshare on non-oneworld metal) and there seem to be a lot of AAmericans trying to gain access (partly due to AA using TBIT for Domestic flights) causing a number of differing policy decisions to be made.

 

[eastwest101]

Just goes to show that if you have lounge entry rules and t&c full of gotchas, partners and 3rd party managers, misalignments of tiers with complexity and elaborate definitions and exceptions then you need to be extremely clear and careful with your language in both internal and external communication. Otherwise your career could follow a trajectory similar to whomever is <name redacted>, boy are they going to have a bad day at the office. :shock:

The optimist in me sees this a maybe a good chance to do some lounge access housekeeping - maybe even with OW partners as well as EK. The pessimist/realist in me sees another BA Galleries Lounge access epic all over again.

 

[LordChaos]

With deference to RedRoo(s),
I suspect they are ensuring they have the correct answer.
Your original situation is a fairly complex one (QF codeshare on non-oneworld metal) and there seem to be a lot of AAmericans trying to gain access (partly due to AA using TBIT for Domestic flights) causing a number of differing policy decisions to be made.

Completely agree - and I would understand if they actually end up clarifying the language used on their website for this particular location.

One way or another though, they owe it to all their customers to clarify the rules, and give more training on specifics to their staff.

 

[grussellt]

I would have thought the original situation of the OP is pretty clearly covered by the quote from Serfty in post #71:

[TABLE="class: cms_table_basic"]
[TR]
[TH="colspan: 2"]Eligible Qantas Members[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Platinum One Frequent Flyer[/TH]
[TD]Next onward flight must be on a Qantas, Jetstar Airlines+ or oneworld operated and marketed flight.#
One guest allowed and must be travelling with the member on the same flight.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: cms_table_alt"]
[TH]Platinum Frequent Flyer[/TH]
[TD]Next onward flight must be on a Qantas^, Jetstar Airlines+ or oneworld operated and marketed flight.#
One guest allowed and must be travelling with the member on the same flight.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Gold Frequent Flyer[/TH]
[TD]Next onward flight that day must be on a Qantas^, Jetstar Airlines+ or oneworld operated and marketed flight.#
One guest allowed and must be travelling with the member on the same flight.[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: cms_table_alt cms_table_last"]
[TH]Qantas Club Member[/TH]
[TD]Next onward flight that day must be a Qantas, or Jetstar Airlines+ flight number.
One guest allowed and must be travelling with the member on the same flight.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
If a QC member has an onward flight on QFxx_X then he/she should be welcomed in with open arms. If that's too complex then staff training isn't up to scratch.

 

[medhead]

The email IS referring to AA elites as that is what the issue is and where it originated from.

The author - used lazy sloppy wording and subsequently created even more confusion with the poor agents.

Serfty - would you mind PM'ing the name of the author?

I am meeting with LAX lounge management next week so I will address the issue directly.

Their email address can be seen. I'm just about to send them an email.

I fail to understand how they can get the Qantas Club access wrong, when Admirals Club is a perfect parallel.

 

[serfty]

Their email address can be seen. I'm just about to send them an email. ...

Oops - I left in the underlying hotlink to email -fixed.

I do note the author is showing on Zoominfo as the "Business Lounge Manager - International Lounges Sydney" for Qantas.

Before that they had a career with Accor.

 

[serfty]

I do note that on the FT AA thread, a member has chimed in as being denied access as an AA EXP on a LAX-xORD-PVG itinerary.

So many people (like the author of that email) assume their staff can read between the line (i.e. the email is referring to AA elites on domestic North American itineraries).

 

[medhead]

Someone invoked the BA Terraces lounge example. Perhaps this is just another example where Qantas has decided to change the access rules bit haven't bothered to tell anyone. Expect a rule change notification in a few months after numerous complaints.

 

[Franky]

Just goes to show that if you have lounge entry rules and t&c full of gotchas, partners and 3rd party managers, misalignments of tiers with complexity and elaborate definitions and exceptions then you need to be extremely clear and careful with your language in both internal and external communication. Otherwise your career could follow a trajectory similar to whomever is <name redacted>, boy are they going to have a bad day at the office. :shock:

The optimist in me sees this a maybe a good chance to do some lounge access housekeeping - maybe even with OW partners as well as EK. The pessimist/realist in me sees another BA Galleries Lounge access epic all over again.

Agree entirely eastwest101 - see the thread re 'QC- denied access before CX flight' which has gone on for 10 pages..

 

[N860CR]

Had a similar issue years and years ago at the Qantas Club HNL. Traveling on QFxx_X HNL-NAN (Operated by FJ) and was refused access. Qantas later apologized and said the staff were wrong. Clearly, nothing has been fixed.

 

[serfty]

...
I am meeting with LAX lounge management next week so I will address the issue directly.

Seems said meet can't come soon enough - here a post from FT just ½ hour ago:

Originally Posted by stvr
Today, I came to the oneworld business lounge as a non-AA Sapphire on a domestic itinerary. I was denied access, and they would not listen as I read to them the rules.

They said "AA doesn't pay its bills..." even though I am a Qantas elite...

Then they said "Nobody knows this yet but this won't be a oneworld lounge any longer..."

They were incredibly rude and at one point threatened to call security on me. Even though I think I had the rules right...

 

[N860CR]

What is going on at QF... Can't believe customers are being treated this way and the company has not even responded.