Time to end lounge overcrowding!

[bokflyer]

So there I am in Singapore last Thursday evening awaiting my flight to Sydney and I can't find a free seat in either the 1st lounge or the QP. I know early evening is a busy time in Singapore, but it seems to me that the lounges just can't cope, and it's not just Singapore. I've noticed the same in Narita and in the pathetic HK lounge. Even the new 1st lounge in Sydney struggles at certain times. In the end, I went to the Skyview lounge and enjoyed a quiet glass of wine. But it got me thinking. Is it not time to cut some lounge access, or make it more difficult? Some ideas.
1. Restrict 1st lounge access to 1st passengers and plats travelling on business. This gets rids of low-value plats travelling economy.
2. Have 3 lounges. A genuine 1st for 1st only passengers. A business lounge for business class and plats and a QP for the rest.
3. Make plat harder to get, say 1800 status credits to get, 1500 to maintain.
4. Charge more for QP membership, or end the discount corporate rates.

It will be interesting to see if the new domestic business/plat lounges make a difference, but since most of my flying is intl in J, I am getting tired of over-crowded lounges filled with people who may have paid very little for the privilege.
Over to you.

 

[acampbel]

Sounds like good feedback to give to Qantas ....... but I think these issues have been done to death here.


Cheers,


Andrew


.

 

[simongr]

Yup we all want access restricted for our own benefit. Last time this was discussed it got very very heated - might be one of those topics to let drift into oblivion

 

[oz_mark]

So there I am in Singapore last Thursday evening awaiting my flight to Sydney and I can't find a free seat in either the 1st lounge or the QP. I know early evening is a busy time in Singapore, but it seems to me that the lounges just can't cope, and it's not just Singapore. I've noticed the same in Narita and in the pathetic HK lounge. Even the new 1st lounge in Sydney struggles at certain times. In the end, I went to the Skyview lounge and enjoyed a quiet glass of wine. But it got me thinking. Is it not time to cut some lounge access, or make it more difficult? Some ideas.
1. Restrict 1st lounge access to 1st passengers and plats travelling on business. This gets rids of low-value plats travelling economy.

Anyone who is a plat has got some level of value to the airlines. There is a bit more to it than just saying plats can't come in. The One World alliance allows emeralds into any first class lounge (if they are flying). So, this would actually give Qantas plats less access than other emeralds.

2. Have 3 lounges. A genuine 1st for 1st only passengers. A business lounge for business class and plats and a QP for the rest.

You still have the One World access to deal with. It is simply not just a Qantas issue.

 

[jpk]

Without any of us knowing the breakdown of exactly who is in the lounge, its difficult for us to know why it is overcrowded, and therefore what exactly should be done to alleviate the problem.

Personally I suspect that there are an awful lot of QP members buying their way in, and if so I'd like to see the QP costs go up. But as I say, I don't know why there are so many in the lounge.

 

[Travel Guru]

Without any of us knowing the breakdown of exactly who is in the lounge, its difficult for us to know why it is overcrowded, and therefore what exactly should be done to alleviate the problem.

Personally I suspect that there are an awful lot of QP members buying their way in, and if so I'd like to see the QP costs go up. But as I say, I don't know why there are so many in the lounge.

Its all to do with the plethora of suits who buy their QP membership at next to nothing which is an enticement from QF to get their companies corporate business, but obviously so many have taken up the offer that we're left with a situation such as it is where quite often its more peaceful to sit outside the Dom QP than inside.

I haven't got a problem with full priced or $30 discounted Corporate rates, but I do have a problem when the place is flooded with people paying next to nothing for it.

Lets face it, even the full price membership is way too low, and a price hike is long overdue...I would have thought something in the order of $500-600 a year was more reasonable for QP membership and would weed alot of people out.

Only my opinion obviously, but I'm interested to see whether others agree or disagree though.

TG

 

[Dave Noble]

Only my opinion obviously, but I'm interested to see whether others agree or disagree though.

TG

I think that this question was done to death already several times

Dave

 

[SeaWolf]

I'm surprised no one has suggested that maybe they should expand the lounges to meet capacity requirements. QF has been making a big deal about how they're a growing airline, it would make sense that as the number of passengers and flights and revenue grows, so does the number of people in the lounges. Maybe QF should consider bigger lounges to accomodate all these new passengers.

 

[serfty]

It will be somewhat interesting when the J lounges in MEL/SYD/BNE open to see the mix of clients using the respective facilities.

 

[simongr]

I'm surprised no one has suggested that maybe they should expand the lounges to meet capacity requirements. QF has been making a big deal about how they're a growing airline, it would make sense that as the number of passengers and flights and revenue grows, so does the number of people in the lounges. Maybe QF should consider bigger lounges to accomodate all these new passengers.

I think despite the differences in opinions about who should be in the lounges we are all realists - no one expects QF to increase capacity whilst people are still paying for the existing capacity...

 

[NYCguy]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - First class lounges should be for First class passengers only. No SGs in J, no WPs in Y - F pax ONLY.

What happens to everyone else is not my problem, as long as the Flounge is quiet!

 

[SeaWolf]

You could switch to *A. Having Gold status on *A doesn't give you access to the First lounges. You need to be a First passenger for that.

 

[NYCguy]

You could switch to *A. Having Gold status on *A doesn't give you access to the First lounges. You need to be a First passenger for that.

I'm waaaay ahead of you, being *G on 2 *A carriers.

QF still has the WP/SG premium-lounge obsession, though...

 

[SeaWolf]

Aren't they making a few changes though? There's been talk about these new domestic business lounges that will only be for customers flying in business class, if you have status you still end up in the QP.

 

[simongr]

New domestic lounges (or new spaces within lounges) will be for Business and Oneworld Emerald not just J seats.

 

[dajop]

Well I think this whole thread is premature .... QF have made changes to their lounge access policy already and these will be implemented next week (April 1) when they change the access policy for QF WP's in the FCL - to those flying on OW only. After that happens it would be interesting to see what (if any) reduction in the presence of pax in FCL's will be.

I'm one of the guilty parties have used MEL FCL more often flying *A than I have flying OW (well at least since the new FCL has been open)! Surely there must be others doing the same.

 

[oz_mark]

I'm waaaay ahead of you, being *G on 2 *A carriers.

QF still has the WP/SG premium-lounge obsession, though...

To get the WP's out of the first class lounge would require a change to the one world access rules.

 

[simongr]

Well I think this whole thread is premature .... QF have made changes to their lounge access policy already and these will be implemented next week (April 1) when they change the access policy for QF WP's in the FCL - to those flying on OW only. After that happens it would be interesting to see what (if any) reduction in the presence of pax in FCL's will be.

I'm one of the guilty parties have used MEL FCL more often flying *A than I have flying OW (well at least since the new FCL has been open)! Surely there must be others doing the same.

I have never been in the SYD FCL when it was full or close to full.

 

[coco50]

Part of the broader access is a marketing thing - give people a sniff of the "better" life and thwey will fly more to achieve higher status or fly in a better class to enjoy the perks. If you don't like it, try the public facilities out on the concourse which surely must be vacant because everyone is in the F or Business lounge

 

[serfty]

Aren't they making a few changes though? There's been talk about these new domestic business lounges that will only be for customers flying in business class, if you have status you still end up in the QP.

To be specific, anytime access to Qantas Flounges (and Domestic J longes when they open) is to cease. From April 1st, a QF WP will need to be flying JQ, QF or oneworld to access these lounges.

QF WP anytime access to domestic QP's and International J lounges will continue.