Originally Posted by
El Puerco Volante
Yee-ha!
EK does have the best overall F product. SQ is still better in the air, but if you consider the whole package - ground service, lounge, aircraft HW and so on - EK is the clear winner.
So it's good to hear that this QF alliance won't break the product that I don't mind paying for.
And about F lounge being already full - I never said that it's already too crowded. But at times it's very dangerously close to it, for my tastes. In F it's NOT about being able to find a place to sit - it's about finding a place to sit with enough privacy and space.
Do I really want to share seating space with sweaty Y pax coming off 12+ flight from MEL when I paid F prices ?
Currently F on EK is my first choice - and will continue to be so as long as EK can keep the product intact and enjoyable to fly.
Regards,
El Puerco Volante.
I would guess that QF F pax (i.e. those that hold a F ticket) would be able to use the F lounge in DXB when (and if) this partnership gets up.
For EK (and QF) Platinums then, I wonder what would be the lounge benefit, if any. More guests? Perhaps F Lounge access if flying J (so no F Lounge access if flying Y)? Or F Lounge access passes after achieving Platinum and then after certain tier mile thresholds after that?
For what it's worth, EY Gold Elites, which attain their status after 120k tier miles in their program (100k requalification), have access to Diamond First Class lounges irrespective of travel class, but only for themselves (no guest).
I can see where you're coming from with the argument, though. That's definitely what makes SQ TPR or LH FCT quite exclusive in that regard (though SQ TPR is a bit too hyped for liking, and LH FCT can get notoriously busy at times, but other times it is excellent, and always very civilised).
I wonder if EK Platinums will have access to QF F Lounges in SYD and MEL (and in other parts of the network - questionable, since they will not be necessarily covered under the EK partnership network strategy and agreement). If so, that would be a touch unfair
though that said QF F Lounges do accommodate pax who fly Y (viz.
oneworld Emeralds and QF Platinums).
The fact that QF and EK high tier members may only have access to the Business Class lounges in DXB I think really screams out that these facilities will need to be vastly expanded. How that will happen I have no idea...........