Oneworld Emerald access to Qantas domestic business lounges

10 replies

Steve987

Member since 23 Feb 2015

Total posts 268

Not something I am impacted by, but while looking for my lounge options on an upcoming trip I noticed this clause on the QF website...


3. Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld tier status, cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Lounges.

Does this mean someone with top tier BA or CX could, per policy, be denied access if they have QF Gold while someone without QF membership or who was QF Silver or Bronze would be allowed?

Given it would appear unenforceable anyway, does anyone know why this clause would exist? Highly intrigued!!

Steve Doyle

Member since 13 Sep 2016

Total posts 6

Qantas domestic business lounges can be used by OneWorld Emeralds including Qantas Platinums but not by anybody with Silver or Bronze or no status at all, unless those people are for example flying business class with Qantas. Golds can get into the Qantas Club lounges.

sdtravel

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 18 Jun 2015

Total posts 81

Also depends on what program they are entering lounge under. 

You mentioned BA & CX. CX diamond and BA Gold members could be allowed as they are oneworld emerald as mentioned above. But if that member chose to credit the flight to QF and rocked up with QF Gold card they would be denied. However if they then showed their CX or BA card they would be allowes in (QF would likely here update booking for the billing purposes to say CX and then change back to QF)

You may be unaware as pointed out above there are two lounges. Lounge passes only get you into the Qantas Club lounge not domestic business. So tho bronze and silver qf members need to be in business to get in. Only platinum (oneworld emerald) are allowed in. At lounges i have been to (Syd, Mel & bne) there are attendants checking boarding passes and memberships. So definitely enforced 

Steve987

Member since 23 Feb 2015

Total posts 268

Qantas domestic business lounges can be used by OneWorld Emeralds including Qantas Platinums but not by anybody with Silver or Bronze or no status at all, unless those people are for example flying business class with Qantas. Golds can get into the Qantas Club lounges.

Thanks, but that isn't answering my question. 
My query is specific to the clause copied above, which says if you are Gold you can't get in regardless of oneworld status. 

This means, theoretically, that you would be denied access if you had earned Emerald with a OW carrier other than QF and were gold with QF.

It appears completely unenforceable and therefore pointless, so wondering if anyone knows why it exists.

Steve987

Member since 23 Feb 2015

Total posts 268

Also depends on what program they are entering lounge under. 
You mentioned BA & CX. CX diamond and BA Gold members could be allowed as they are oneworld emerald as mentioned above. But if that member chose to credit the flight to QF and rocked up with QF Gold card they would be denied. However if they then showed their CX or BA card they would be allowes in (QF would likely here update booking for the billing purposes to say CX and then change back to QF)

You may be unaware as pointed out above there are two lounges. Lounge passes only get you into the Qantas Club lounge not domestic business. So tho bronze and silver qf members need to be in business to get in. Only platinum (oneworld emerald) are allowed in. At lounges i have been to (Syd, Mel & bne) there are attendants checking boarding passes and memberships. So definitely enforced 

I am QF Platinum so understand how it works. I mustn't have been clear in my original note...

markpk

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 29 Nov 2013

Total posts 456

Steve,

Not meaning to be rude but I'm thinking you are differentiating between the Qantas domestic lounge and the Qantas domestic business lounge..? 

Building on sdtravel's comments - the clause relates to your class of travel AND which program you've chosen to use on your ticketed flight. 

Scenario 1 - If you have Qantas Gold and OneWorld Emerald with another OW carrier, and booked a flight (say) SYD-MEL (in economy) and elected to accrue points and SC to your Qantas account - you won't be able to turn up at the Sydney Business Class lounge, pull out your OW Emerald card and say - let me in... 

Scenario 2 - If you have Qantas Gold and OneWorld Emerald with another OW carrier, and booked a flight (say) SYD-MEL (in economy) and elected to accrue points to your OneWorld Emerald account - you will be able to turn up at the Sydney Business Class lounge, show them your boarding pass and/or OW Emerald card and say - let me in... 

I use scenario #2 regularly when flying into the US with domestic connections on AA - the domestic leg has my OW Emerald status as points/SC go back to Qantas and I can use the higher tier AA lounges when available (see separate article here on AusBT re pending changes to this situation). 




Steve987

Member since 23 Feb 2015

Total posts 268

Steve,
Not meaning to be rude but I'm thinking you are differentiating between the Qantas domestic lounge and the Qantas domestic business lounge..? 

Building on sdtravel's comments - the clause relates to your class of travel AND which program you've chosen to use on your ticketed flight. 

Scenario 1 - If you have Qantas Gold and OneWorld Emerald with another OW carrier, and booked a flight (say) SYD-MEL (in economy) and elected to accrue points and SC to your Qantas account - you won't be able to turn up at the Sydney Business Class lounge, pull out your OW Emerald card and say - let me in... 

Scenario 2 - If you have Qantas Gold and OneWorld Emerald with another OW carrier, and booked a flight (say) SYD-MEL (in economy) and elected to accrue points to your OneWorld Emerald account - you will be able to turn up at the Sydney Business Class lounge, show them your boarding pass and/or OW Emerald card and say - let me in... 

I use scenario #2 regularly when flying into the US with domestic connections on AA - the domestic leg has my OW Emerald status as points/SC go back to Qantas and I can use the higher tier AA lounges when available (see separate article here on AusBT re pending changes to this situation). 





Thanks Mark, I get it now and not rude at all :)

TheRealBabushka

Member since 21 Apr 2012

Total posts 2,058

Not something I am impacted by, but while looking for my lounge options on an upcoming trip I noticed this clause on the QF website...

3. Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold members, regardless of their oneworld tier status, cannot access Qantas Domestic Business Lounges.

Does this mean someone with top tier BA or CX could, per policy, be denied access if they have QF Gold while someone without QF membership or who was QF Silver or Bronze would be allowed?

Given it would appear unenforceable anyway, does anyone know why this clause would exist? Highly intrigued!!

This is more to do with the befuddled approach of naming a domestic first class lounge the "Domestic Business Class lounge", since this is a business (adjective) lounge that  QFF Gold can't use as it is technically a first class domestic lounge BUT it can't be referred to as a first class domestic lounge because the top cabin domestically is Business!  
But I take your point though that it is unenforceable or in our case enforced really badly. This was a good year ago while we transitioned from Aadvantage to BAEC. We had Emerald on BP and asked the agent at the desk to reprint BP with BAEC number. She had a fit and told us we could not access (at this point we were Ruby with BAEC). So in this case neither of our accounts were QFF, but the agents had gone rogue and applied the spirit of the policy incorrectly. 
I also think clause no. 3 is poorly written. The clause is ambiguous and sounds dumb.

TheRealBabushka

Member since 21 Apr 2012

Total posts 2,058

Steve,
Not meaning to be rude but I'm thinking you are differentiating between the Qantas domestic lounge and the Qantas domestic business lounge..? 

Building on sdtravel's comments - the clause relates to your class of travel AND which program you've chosen to use on your ticketed flight. 

Scenario 1 - If you have Qantas Gold and OneWorld Emerald with another OW carrier, and booked a flight (say) SYD-MEL (in economy) and elected to accrue points and SC to your Qantas account - you won't be able to turn up at the Sydney Business Class lounge, pull out your OW Emerald card and say - let me in... 

Scenario 2 - If you have Qantas Gold and OneWorld Emerald with another OW carrier, and booked a flight (say) SYD-MEL (in economy) and elected to accrue points to your OneWorld Emerald account - you will be able to turn up at the Sydney Business Class lounge, show them your boarding pass and/or OW Emerald card and say - let me in... 

I use scenario #2 regularly when flying into the US with domestic connections on AA - the domestic leg has my OW Emerald status as points/SC go back to Qantas and I can use the higher tier AA lounges when available (see separate article here on AusBT re pending changes to this situation). 





Thanks Mark, I get it now and not rude at all


@Marpk Scenario #1 sounds good in theory but not full proof and unenforceable. 
Work around: Do not put FF no. on BP. Flash Emerald card at the desk. Afterwards, leave the lounge and get BP reprinted with QFF or make a retro claim. 
A note about equity: Why should QFF members be singled out, if so-called "double dipping" was an issue? 

TheRealBabushka

Member since 21 Apr 2012

Total posts 2,058

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Last editedby Chris C. at Jan 25, 2017, 10:54 AM.

Charlie Brodie

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 04 Apr 2016

Total posts 1

I have rung Qantas and they have said scenario 1 is totally acceptable and a flash of an emerald card that isn't on your booking is fine. Even if you wanted to accrue points + SCs to another Oneworld Airline's FF program including their own.

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