Why Does Qantas Serve Kiwi And Chile Wines In Their Hong Kong Lounge?

[Sprucegoose]

I have recently been through HKG on a few trips lately, and things are starting to normalise towards HKG2.0.

Outbound has been on QF128, and I can say the ground service from QF is the best I have experienced in a while. The ground staff are very attentive; they know and acknowledge their high-value pax in a way other places and airlines could learn a few tricks (I am also talking about a recent woeful flight on QF1).

The revamped HKG QF lounge is better, IMHO, than any of the CX offerings, but it does fall short in a few places.

The wines are not of premium quality, and they serve a Kiwi Pinot and Chilean Merlot - not sure what others make of this; however, I believe our flag carrier should only promote the best of Australian Wines. Were they not in trouble recently for flogging Kiwi cheese?

They also have disbanded the 'special wine selection' for P1/CL - sadly, this is no longer a perk - as advised by the bar staff.

Is all the good work Qantas has been doing to rebrand its once-cheapened image - going down the toilet?

 

[Quickstatus]

I believe our flag carrier should only promote the best of Australian Wines

Why, when a lot of their operations are outsourced to entities in other countries and a significant proportion of their workforce are not directly employed by Qantas Airways ABN 16 009 661 901. The bottom line is the operational budget and not necessarily the promotion of the "Australian brand".
The lounges are basically akin to a Qantas codeshare - marketed by Qantas and operated by Accor Pacific , a subsidiary of the French Accor.

Accor has luxury brands from OE, Sofitel......midscale like Pullman, sebel. Mercure and Novotel, and budget brands such as IbisBudget.

Where would a QF lounge sit on the spectrum of luxury. Maybe something like a Novotel?

 

[RooFlyer]

The bottom line is the operational budget and not necessarily the promotion of the "Australian brand".

Promotion of "the Australian Brand" has nothing to do with Qantas' bottom line. Directors are duty bound to act in the best interests of shareholders,

 

[Quickstatus]

Promotion of "the Australian Brand" has nothing to do with Qantas' bottom line

Except that the lounge bottom line is an Accor Pacific cost centre. It would be interesting to see how much QF and Accor costs the lounge operation on a per lounge customer basis.

 

[drron]

In 2020 China instigated an anti dumping investigation into Australian wines and put a 107 - 212% anti dumping tax on Australian wines. And surprise, surprise they found us guilty of dumping wine.

"VII. Final investigation conclusion
Based on the above investigation results, the
Investigating Authority made the final ruling that the relevant
imported wines originating in Australia had been dumped,
the domestic wine industry suffered a material injury as a
result, and there was a causal link between the dumping
and the material injury."
Can be reached via this website.

China anti-dumping investigation on wines from Australia - Australian Grape & Wine

China has initiated anti-dumping and countervailing duties investigations on Australian wine in China. Australian Grape & Wine and Wine Australia are working in close collaboration with the Australian Government to monitor and support the sectors’ interests in this investigation. Australian...

www.agw.org.au

This report was released in March 2021 and China continued the tariffs for 5 years.
New Zealand and Chile don't face that hurdle. No wonder that Qantas doesn't stock Aussie wines.

 

[Daver6]

The revamped HKG QF lounge is better, IMHO, than any of the CX offerings, but it does fall short in a few places.

Better than the CX F lounges? I find that hard to believe, but I'll reserve judgement as I haven't been to the new QF lounge in HKG. I have been to both CX F lounges and they're pretty solid IMHO.

The wines are not of premium quality, and they serve a Kiwi Pinot and Chilean Merlot - not sure what others make of this; however, I believe our flag carrier should only promote the best of Australian Wines. Were they not in trouble recently for flogging Kiwi cheese?

Is all the good work Qantas has been doing to rebrand its once-cheapened image - going down the toilet?

To be fair, QF wine offering in all lounges and on flights is anything but premium. So at least they're consistent here. Perhaps they're actually doing the Australian wine market a favour by not serving poor quality Australian wine.

 

[Quickstatus]

China

And what is to say that Australian wines are made in Australian owned wineries

 

[drron]

And what is to say that Australian wines are made in Australian owned wineries

Doesn’t matter the Chinese have made their decision and they are also the umpire in this situation.

 

[Quickstatus]

Doesn’t matter the Chinese have made their decision and they are also the umpire in this situation.

Sure, but Im not referring to the China playing funny games situation
Im referring to the assumption that "Australian wines" are by definition "Australian owned and operated"

 

[Forg]

Sure, but Im not referring to the China playing funny games situation
Im referring to the assumption that "Australian wines" are by definition "Australian owned and operated"

If QF wanted to appear to be proudly flying the Australian flag, they could offer any Australian wine and if it was a decent one it’d showcase all Australian wines of the style as well as achieving their self-marketing goal. It wouldn’t matter that QF had done a quiet deal under the table with the CCP who own the winery … except of course the CCP wouldn’t agree with that, as their goal was solely to hurt the Australian wine industry.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Perhaps they're actually doing the Australian wine market a favour by not serving poor quality Australian wine.

Don't say that.... there is the potential for that old favourite Yellowtail to appear!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

In 2020 China instigated an anti dumping investigation into Australian wines and put a 107 - 212% anti dumping tax on Australian wines. And surprise, surprise they found us guilty of dumping wine.

"VII. Final investigation conclusion
Based on the above investigation results, the
Investigating Authority made the final ruling that the relevant
imported wines originating in Australia had been dumped,
the domestic wine industry suffered a material injury as a
result, and there was a causal link between the dumping
and the material injury."
Can be reached via this website.

China anti-dumping investigation on wines from Australia - Australian Grape & Wine

China has initiated anti-dumping and countervailing duties investigations on Australian wine in China. Australian Grape & Wine and Wine Australia are working in close collaboration with the Australian Government to monitor and support the sectors’ interests in this investigation. Australian...

www.agw.org.au

This report was released in March 2021 and China continued the tariffs for 5 years.
New Zealand and Chile don't face that hurdle. No wonder that Qantas doesn't stock Aussie wines.

I was thinking about that, but the wine airside should be bonded and duty free?

 

[Mattg]

The lounges are basically akin to a Qantas codeshare - marketed by Qantas and operated by Accor Pacific , a subsidiary of the French Accor.

The Qantas HKG lounge is actually now operated by Sodexo

 

[drron]

I was thinking about that, but the wine airside should be bonded and duty free?

Any import to Hong Kong which is a duty free port has to be logged with the Customs Office and they can refuse permission for that import. In these circumstances I don't think QF would get permission plus they wouldn't want to jeopardise their landing rights.

 

[Sprucegoose]

The Qantas HKG lounge is actually now operated by Sodexo

Which are the same mob running the CX lounges?

 

[anyonebutqantas]

Which are the same mob running the CX lounges?

The same mob who do prison catering in many countries.