Qantas tightens lounge access rules for Emirates passengers

Qantas Club members will no longer be able to use Qantas international business lounges when travelling in economy on an Emirates flight number as of October 1st, the airline revealed today.
The new rules will also keep Qantas Club members out of Emirates' airport lounges at Dubai unless their ticket carries a QF flight number.
While the move doesn't affect status-tiered members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme, it will impact the many thousands of Australian business travellers who pay upwards of $400 a year to use the Qantas Club lounges in Australia and partner lounges overseas.
Qantas Club cardholders can currently use Qantas international business lounges within Australia, as well as Singapore and Hong Kong, if they are flying with Emirates.
In the same vein, under the initial terms of the Qantas/Emirates alliance Qantas Club members could use the Emirates Business lounge in Dubai when travelling on an Emirates flight.
Also read: Earn maximum Qantas Frequent Flyers points on Emirates flights
That changes from October 1st, with the Qantas Club card only valid for entry into Qantas and select partner lounges if you're on a Qantas or Jetstar ticket with the appropriate QF or JQ flight code.
For example, if you're heading from Sydney through Dubai to Frankfurt and flying in economy, you'll have to be on the Qantas codeshares for those flights – which are QF8415 and QF8047, respectively – rather than the Emirates flights EK415 and EK047 – in order to use the Emirates Business Lounge during your Dubai stopover.
The new restriction also applies to the American Airlines' Admirals Club lounge in London for Qantas Club members travelling on an Emirates flight number.
The changes hold particular sting for residents of Perth, given that Qantas no longer operates regular international flights out of the West Australian capital while partner Emirates runs two daily flights to Dubai and beyond.
Those travellers will need to make extra sure they're booked onto the QF flight number of those Emirates flights.
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24 Aug 2011
Total posts 886
Mmmmm... This looks like the thin edge of the wedge. I bet that this continues to change and soon standard QF Club members with Bronze status get no access to international lounges and it becomes a domestic lounge access system only.
17 Jul 2014
Total posts 5
I agree, can't trust Qantas management these days. Although some believe that this change is fair, ultimately the QC is there for those who do travel often but just not often enough to gain enough status credits.
At the end of the day QC members are paying far in excess for what they get back, so to restrict access any further will just be about cost cutting.
12 Feb 2013
Total posts 46
How negligible is the price difference of a ticket in booking between an EK and QF flight number in order to maintain access? It would be interesting to see the pros and cons and how many people would do that?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 May 2012
Total posts 582
I suspect this revelation is more of a case of limiting UAE based Qantas Club members from getting easy access to the Emirates lounge in Dubai (who'd have had no access without status before the partnership) than it is an effort to curb access for Australian members.
07 Aug 2012
Total posts 197
Agreed - I would think this was driven by EK not by QF.
Given EK don't have paid membership to lounges, being a Qanhtas Club member was a backdoor to paid EK lounge membership.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3033
This is BA all over again!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
I honestly don't see an issue at all here, and the rules seem to make perfect sense. If you are Qantas Club member, you get access to the lounges when flying with Qantas, or a Qantas code flight.
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 662
i agree...makes sense to me.. the thing is, some people confuse QANTAS CLUB (membership) with QANTAS F/F(tier benefits)...Q CLUB members seem to think they have all the rights/benefits of a high tier F/F
the differences are easily viewable via QANTAS.COM
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jul 2014
Total posts 9
QC membership was roughly the same as silver membership...so what's the big deal?
I visited the lounge maybe 4 times a year...and paid $485 for the membership. My cost/visit was most likely higher than what they spent on me as a "guest". And no, I didnt get treated like royalty there for the record.
It's sickening how far up themselves the "high flyers" seem to be.
I choose to fly EK or EY because in their infinite "wisdom", QF was smart enough to give EK code-shares on all their routes more or less, while only taking back a fraction. There are no QF codes for the EK6## flights from DXB into the sub-continent.
Not that I would change my flying preferences, but now QF won't get the $485 they were getting from me as "free money" either.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum
07 Feb 2013
Total posts 558
Well said, cue the whingers!
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 743
The issue is that in the old days, Qantas Club membership got you a whole lot more than it does now -- I don't know the exact rules but I seem to remember it was pretty much any oneworld lounge while flying pretty much any oneworld airline.
These benefits have been slowly eroding over the years, while the price of membership has only been going up. Isn't that enough to be an "issue" for people? (Especially those who paid through the nose for life memberships some years ago?)
Qantas - QFF Platinum
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 214
Surprised this wasn't the case already
QF Plat
14 Jul 2014
Total posts 24
The moto on the back of the door at the Qantas Boardroom:
Moto for 2014
See how many customers we can annoy, lose and make irate!!!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
Or:
Let's make Qantas Club holders book with Qantas to use overseas Lounges....
That makes perfect sense.
20 Apr 2011
Total posts 19
While I don't disagree with this when flights have both a QF and EK code availability, it does cause problems for QC members flying out of Perth, as well as those flying to EK destinations where QF currently do not codeshare.
I am in this boat. As a QC member, I was planning to book through Qantas to fly to MLA, however no QF codeshare exists between DXB and MLA, just the EK flight. THis will now lock me out the Dubai lounge, and as a VA Plat, makes the option of flying EY to MLA via FCO too appealing, especially given I will get access to EY's F lounge.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
And before the QF/EK tie up, which lounge would you have used when heading to MLA? Which airline site would you have booked On?
Would you have still gotten lounge access as a Club member when transiting to another airline?
20 Apr 2011
Total posts 19
Pre the QF/EK tie up, I would have had access to the lounge in Singapore during transit. That's not the point however. What I was getting at is that QF became the airline of choice for me to MLA given that EK fly directly to MLA from DXB, and I would have had lounge access during transit. With this benefit now gone, I have to seriously weigh up the option of an extra leg from FCO to MLA (which is very short) to get lounge access at AUH, or have no lounge access at DXB. I'm now very much leaning towards the former.
As I mentioned, I get the logic of only allowing QC members access when on a QF codeshare, it's just a shame that many customers just do not have that option when QF doesn't codeshare with EK.
07 Aug 2012
Total posts 197
The situations aren't the same though - you have paid Qantas Club membership not QF status. If you have VA paid membership I dare say you wouldn't have any EY lounge access either.
20 Apr 2011
Total posts 19
Can't disagree with that at all Madge. I was purely looking at it from my current situation and not the situation in general.
Qantas - Platinum
04 Jun 2014
Total posts 16
Hmmmm... A lot of taking away of priveliges and not much of adding anything. We are on a downward spiral. Starting to wonder what is my best move as a QF Platinum flyer, probably should start thinkong about the switch.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
As a WP, you don't lose anything. This change relates to Qantas Club members only, who have no status other than bought and paid for membership.
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 662
even as a PLATINUM F/F you dont get it!!! hmmmmmm
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 662
'switch' by all means ADAM.. if you dont even understand the difference between PLATINUM F/F and QANTAS CLUB..lol
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
Not sure I follow your point. QF WP get Lounge Access at any Emirates Lounge when flying EK.
Qantas - Platinum
04 Jun 2014
Total posts 16
Sorry, the point is that they are just chopping and chopping... I don't care what they do to the "paid" memberships, and agree with the above/below that it possibly should have been that way already.
I'm just saying it doesn't look good when they are cutting into these programs all the time, but never reaally seem to be adding much for anyone.
As a platinum I say chop all the silver and gold members too! Platinum or nothing! :p
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1390
So no new lounges in HKG, SIN or LAX then.
Maybe you shoudl self-exclude from these substantially upgraded lounges, given you think all Qantas is doing is taking away priveliges.
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 662
personally i hope QF does away with the 'QANTAS CLUB' concept..too 'old school'..having 'duel' branded lounges (QC AND BUSINESS) throughtout OZ isn't very 'economic'...consolidate into one, and access is via FF status and/or cabin class...(which will also 'free' up floorspace of QCs to be intergrated into Q LOUNGES)
27 Mar 2014
Total posts 40
Hmmm, personally i hope QF don't listen to clowns who like taking benefits away from others who have paid for them, but that's just me...
Anyway as usual this will suck for Perth residents... But hopefully they just turn to other airlines...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
There are QF flight codes ex PER showing on the QF Website on EK metal? How does that specifically suck for Perth residents who are Qantas Club?
If booking on the QF Web page, on a QF flight code, which is on EK metal, the Qantas Club card would still grant access in DXB?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Dec 2012
Total posts 40
On a quick review there are no QF codes on QFF Award tickets on EK metal. QP members flying out post 1st Oct on Y Awards on EK will have no lounge access at either DXB or LHR.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Dec 2012
Total posts 40
Should also have added PER above as there are no QF codes out if there either
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
With all due respect to QP members on Awards with no status, really, why should they?
Sure the argument will go that a QP ex SYD to LHR on an Award on QF1/2 or 9/10 will get lounge access, but I wonder what the QP and Award and Perth combination really brings up on the Qantas system? I'd wager not very much, so the instance of upsetting a QP heading to Europe on Award points would be fairly minimal in the scheme of things.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Sep 2013
Total posts 469
The most stupid F.UP statement you have made on this site.As a plat 1 i dont care but if it was not for QF CLUB signups you and i would have nothing.Shame on you.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 May 2012
Total posts 371
I really don't see what the issue is. Book a flight with a QF code to get access to get lounge access for a QC member. QF wants you to book with them, and fair enough!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
No, exactly. Why should a QP gain access to EK lounges when on an EK ticket?
To me, that has never made much sense.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 May 2012
Total posts 371
Qantas pays for people to access partner lounges. If they are QC only and book on EK, they lose money for each person entering the partner lounge. Qantas even pays for JQ passengers entering QF lounges. At QF will make money from QC customers flying on a QF ticket.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jul 2014
Total posts 9
How so?
QCs would be relatively infreuent in lounge acess, and I doubt QF would be paying more than $50+ per lounge visitor to a partner. At $485/year, it would be $48/visit even for 10 visits.
Or they could be losig money...QF will somehow find a way to lose money if someone wrote them a blank cheque.
31 Jul 2012
Total posts 2
The one area I wish Qantas would fix up is family access to the lounge in Dubai.
Qantas allows you to bring in 2 young children into the lounge in addition to a guest. This is great when you take the family travelling. This applies to all Qantas lounges both domestically and overseas.
But in Dubai EK refuses to accept this and will only allow in the card holder and 1 guest even though your on a QF flight.
The only other time I have had problems with this was with BA in London who once refused family access (One World Rules only allow the card holder plus 1 guest). So I went around to the Cathay lounge (who I was not even flying with) and they very kindly allowed family entry.
Its something that Qantas needs to sort out - if the lounges are supposed to be proxies for Qantas lounges (such as London & Dubai) for travellers flying on QF flights then they should try to ensure those proxie loungies apply the normal Qantas Club rules. Where its just a pure One World arrangement then the standard One World rules are fair enough.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1262
The 2 plus children rules are only applicable to Qantas operated lounges... rules are different for all the qantas lounges that Qantas don't operate - there are many of them overseas, not just Dubai.
QF Plat
14 Jul 2014
Total posts 24
I take 50 - 60 QA flights a year all flexi fares, when I go on a family holiday I also get hit by these stupid rules. It's just really bad business to treat frequent flyers like that, you can tell Joyce is a bean counter not a marketter.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum
07 Feb 2013
Total posts 558
QC memberships should be abolished anyway
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jul 2014
Total posts 9
And why is that? As a (relatively) infrequent traveller, I pay QF more than what I get back on the lounges.
At $485/year, and maybe 4-5 lounge visits a year, my cost/visit is probably well above what they would be spending on me as a "guest" there.
It's borderline revolting how self-entitled some "frequent" flyers seem to be...yes you fly a bazillion miles a year and get lounge access, that doesn't mean people who have paid good money to be there deserve to be shown the door.
Some people on this forum really need to get off their high horses.
30 Jan 2014
Total posts 43
I have some issues with this anyway I recently travelled to HKG in j, whilst trying to access the QF lounge (old lounge) there wasnt a spare seat anywhere! luckily we spent most of our visit at the wing anyway so it wasnt a major issue. I believe if you pay a business fare which is generally far and beyond that of an economy fare you should get a seat.. rant over.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Feb 2014
Total posts 3
This new rule will affect our trip Syd/Dxb/Nbo on 1 Oct. We booked and paid in Feb having assurance that we could use the Lounges under the new partnership!! I rang QF Club but they have no solution as they do not have any further instructions from HQ. Does anyone know the protocol or have any advice? Ta
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
You booked under the standard Terms and Conditions of the flight. I am sure it didn't give you the written terms anywhere that gave you express authority to use the lounges? Sorry to say, but unless you cancel the booking and choose to go another route, on another carrier, you have little recourse I would expect.
Given there are plenty of through flights to NBO on QF code share flights, you could alway rebook on the QF code instead.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Feb 2014
Total posts 3
You're right abt the t&c. I usually preferred QF but the timing with the particular EK flight (not available under QF?) has the shortest wait time. Also, flight centre agent assured me, otherwise I would have booked QF, albeit more expensive.
will check cancellation fee or alternately check if I could purchase lounge day fee. Hm....
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2012
Total posts 132
See, there is your problem.... "Flight Centre"..... Book direct, online. Always better dealing with the airlines direct. IMHO.
14 Jan 2016
Total posts 6
A disgrace Qantas. $510 a year and just reached Silver tier and I'm flying EK this morning to Dubai from Sydney with a QF codeshare and I cannot access the Q Club. Forget the renewal...I'm headed to SQ, VA, EY and NZ. Shameful greedy stuff. The last straw indeed.
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