With the new 'enhancements' about to be thrust upon QFF, ( http://www.

With the new 'enhancements' about to be thrust upon QFF, ( http://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-frequent-flyer-shake-up-what-s-your-plan-come-july-1 ), I am looking to switch to either BA or CX. As QFF platinum, if I move my travel to either BA or CX, what is the best way to ensure I still get lounge access? Will I be able to use just my QFF card at the entrance to the lounge with a BA boarding card for example with a low BA status?

Hi woganfan,

Yes you may. As you work towards BAEC Gold or Marco Polo Diamond, you may use your Platinum QFF card (as long as it remains valid) to enter lounges even if your boarding pass is recorded with your BAEC/Marco Polo Club FF number.

This way you can transition to your new programme without missing out. Always ensure however that your boarding pass is recorded with your BAEC or Marco Polo Club number instead of the QFF one. 

I would be incredibly careful about joining a non-Australian based FF scheme as whatever Qantas has done to reduce/remove status credits - this has and will continue to be mirrored by all the other major carriers.   You don't want to be holding a BA/CX FF card whilst having your status credits not accumulating because you are travelling on QF metal.  Then you will be stuck with no status on either carrier - unless of course you are intending to move to the UK/HK.  I am an SQ FF member and despite travelling on Thai First Class - I received zero status credits. Buyer beware.

Interesting whipper. As per the Krisflyer Accrual Levels Chart, it says flights with Thai booked in A, F and P will accrue mileage at a rate of 150%.

Of course the SQ programme is mileage based and not based on status credits. Unless of course you're talking about earning PPS Value credits? Is that what you are referring to?

A fair point Whipper but BA and CX still currently seem to get the full compliment of status credits on QF metal.  Though the speculation of a dip in earning is valid.  I also speculate that QFF will ditch lifetime gold at some stage.

I did get the miles, but nothing towards getting to PPS (SQ's platinum). 

Ah yes. PPS sucks as it limits PPS value to flights on SQ and MI only.

OW is a lot more forgiving and therefore superior in my opinion.

Actually I'm not sure if you can. Since they scan the boarding pass at the entrance to the lounge (international lounges), wouldn't the low status come up and therefore mean they won't let you in? Potentially they might if you then flash your Platinum card but I would be surprised if the lounge dragons are so forgiving if you are trying to do this.

TheRealBabushka - Have you done this through experience?

Hi AusFlyer. I have done this.

As recounted in some earlier post (apologies if you have read this before). It was an epiphany moment. I was a lowly QF Silver Qantas Club member who was lured to the dark side when BA unilaterally excluded Qantas Club members from their lounges. 

I went on an Aadvantage Platinum Challenge and few on a AA coded, QF operated flight across the pacific. My boarding pass listed my Aadvantage number. I presented both my Qantas Club/Silver Card and boarding pass to the lounge dragons, who waived me through. In the US, I also had access to Admirals Club. The agents there again accepted my Qantas Club card, despite the fact that my AA boarding pass had an Aadvantage number.

I think the key question is this; Assuming all other conditions are met, is condition of access based only on the status level and/or club membership OR is access further conditional on the recording of the applicable FF number on the boarding pass?

So far there is nothing in the literature that supports the interpretation of the latter.

I would love to hear from someone with a different perspective.

TRB, my CX Diamond renewal recently arrived with a covering letter that said that CX Diamond members would not be allowed into QF Domestic Business Lounges if they were also a QF FF lower than platinum.  I am presently QF Gold. I interpreted that to mean it applied if you were crediting the flight to QF and the boarding pass showed a QF status lower than Platinum rather than if you just happened to be a lower status QF FF.  It surprised me. I posted a question about it but nobody could answer. I have not tested it yet as my recent domestic trips have been in Business so I had access anyway. 

PK, that is REALLY interesting! Could you quote me the paragraph verbatim please? I wonder if it was just a poorly written letter trying to incorporate the standard caveats around OW lounge access?

What is it to CX if one's QFF status is low? In any case you could always check in with your CX number then as you leave the lounge get the agents to reissue you a boarding pass with your QFF number. Access to the lounge is not based on biometric or any other types of validation besides your FF status as recorded on your booking/boarding passs. So if the CX rules are indeed valid, just use your CX FF number till the very last moment. And if it's a return ticket, then log in to your booking after the outbound flight and change the FF details back to CX, so you can use the QF Budiness lounge on the way back.

TRB, the condition is now listed on the CX Australian website under "oneworld lounge access for frequent flyers by tier status" at http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_AU/travel-information/oneworld/frequent-flyer-benefits.html

it reads as condition 3: Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld tier status, cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Lounges. 

Obviously this is not well worded, e.g. what about Silver or Bronze?  Anyway, when I rang CX about it they said that my interpretation in my prior post was the right one.  BTW, this is definitely something that QF have imposed. You're right - CX wouldn't do this because it would annoy their members.  They told me I was not the first person to call about this. 

That lounge access caveat has been around for quite a while, and even appears on the Oneworld website.

Ideally, it would read "Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld Sapphire tier status, cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Lounges unless travelling in business clas or presenting a Oneworld Emerald membership card."

The idea being that Sapphire members ordinarily have access to Business lounges and Emerald members have access to First lounges.

On Qantas' domestic flights, there's no first class. The two-tier lounge access method sees Sapphire in the Qantas Club – the lower of the two lounges, as the came principle applies to international flights.

As such, Emerald members can then use the domestic business class lounges. Although 'business' in name, the lounges are for the highest travel class and top-tier travellers, so it's 'first class' by another name. :)

Obviously I was all talk! I really thought about switching over to the EY guest program, but I have already booked my first lot of travel in July with QF. At the moment, it just seems a little more refined and their on-time performance is sound. I might be earning less points, but maybe in year or so all this will long forgotten. Now just gotta get back up the Gold or Platinum level. ;)