Originally Posted by
Blackcloud
Still no response, they are still working on it with BA.
I have time to speculate.
BA has heard complaints from their FF about paid access to their lounges and wants to stop or restrict it.
QF wants the access for their QP members but at reasonable costs.
End solution, BA will allow QP members access to the Galleries Lounges (with an increased fee to Qantas why not pass up a revenue increase
) if they are travelling as part of a JSA itinerary.
This stops QP holders based in Europe and others that are flying BA in Economy, QP will refund these members the fee
QP holders using BA intra-European flights connecting to/from long haul will have access, probably the majority of impacted members.
In the absence of facts, BD's speculative effort:
1) Previously, QF were paying BA *something* for Lounge access by QC subscribers (I can't believe BA grant access still at Terraces through the goodness of their own hearts)
2) As part of the negotiations around BA picking up the 50% of LHR flights and their respective slots, BA requested increased revenue for QC access for all Lounges (they could easily counter any BAEC complaints with "they're subsidising Galleries ops"), QF baulked and BA countered with "you never had Galleries Access guaranteed anyway" straight off the QF website
3) As QF were desperate to lose the BKK/HKG-LHR sectors, they agreed to BA enforcing Galleries non-access, not realising the outcry
4) BA, having picked up an extra flight to HKG, losing the loss-making BKK-SYD and two extra slots at LHR for a nicely negotiated sum, thank-you-very-much, are rebuffing all attempts by QF to remedy the situation
5) Reduced costs (through not paying BA) will NOT be passed to QC subscribers. They'll be expected to suck-it-up, like the morphing of QCs into JQ Lounges.
... and it's only Tuesday!
Regards,
BD