As an F passenger, how has Quintessentially assisted You?
Feb 22, 2011, 1:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: One & Only: L O N D O N
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,347
As an F passenger, how has Quintessentially assisted You?
Apart for cabana bookings or Elemis related requests, as an F passenger how has Quintessentially, either through the Concorde Room team or 14 days either side of your journey, assisted you?
Note: This does not include exsiting members or experiences as a member, only non-members flying BA F.
Note: This does not include exsiting members or experiences as a member, only non-members flying BA F.
Last edited by firstclasslad; Feb 22, 2011 at 3:15 am
Feb 22, 2011, 2:23 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,718
I signed up for a trial membership a couple years ago and used it to reasonably good effect (would have been US or Japan, not sure). I've since signed up properly and haven't yet found anyone else that has the global reach/ capability they do.
Sadly service can be erratic and at times really not at the levels that you'd expect, but when they do manage to get their act together they can be extremely useful.
They also appear to vary hugely by office - for example, the South African team are really proactive and pretty impressive, the London team can go the extra mile or might just completely mess up, whereas the US West Coast offices appear to have some real issues.
Sadly service can be erratic and at times really not at the levels that you'd expect, but when they do manage to get their act together they can be extremely useful.
They also appear to vary hugely by office - for example, the South African team are really proactive and pretty impressive, the London team can go the extra mile or might just completely mess up, whereas the US West Coast offices appear to have some real issues.
Feb 22, 2011, 2:51 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: A metal nomad
Programs: Mucci des Delices Exotiques,Order of the Platinum Hairbrush,Her Royal Diamond
Posts: 23,728
I have never used their services besides booking a caba... but my brother uses them all the time for hotels/cars etc and just loves the quality of their service.
Feb 22, 2011, 3:10 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: UAE
Programs: Various
Posts: 314
I used them to book a 3* restaurant, thinking it would be full and they could wangle something. Process was a little protracted. When we turned up the restaurant was half empty so I can't vouch for their ability to add value.
Feb 22, 2011, 3:14 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: One & Only: L O N D O N
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,347
Feb 22, 2011, 3:16 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: One & Only: L O N D O N
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,347
Were you originally told there were no tables, before using Quintessentially?
Feb 22, 2011, 3:22 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
If you do a seach on the FT Amex board, you will find plenty of comment about the shortcomings of Quintessentially.
However, fundamentally people ask too much of them (or they promise too much). Let's imagine I run a very popular restaurant which is full every night, although I always keep back a couple of tables for my friends or regulars who pop in at short notice. I am turning away 50 table requests a day from the public. Why on earth should I open up a table to a Q member? The only reason I would do it is if I thought the Q member would spend more than a general member of the public, which is possible although not certain unless they were on the top level of Q membership. And apart from restaurant bookings, all they are doing is sourcing stuff for you online which you could do yourself.
There was a very telling piece in the London Evening Standard a year ago. A reporter rang 10 top restuarants asking for a Friday night table at short notice. All refused. The reporter then called back saying she was the PA of a banker who had just got a £1 million bonus and wanted to treat his wife to a special night out. 9 of the 10 restaurants mysteriously found that they did suddenly have a table available.
However, fundamentally people ask too much of them (or they promise too much). Let's imagine I run a very popular restaurant which is full every night, although I always keep back a couple of tables for my friends or regulars who pop in at short notice. I am turning away 50 table requests a day from the public. Why on earth should I open up a table to a Q member? The only reason I would do it is if I thought the Q member would spend more than a general member of the public, which is possible although not certain unless they were on the top level of Q membership. And apart from restaurant bookings, all they are doing is sourcing stuff for you online which you could do yourself.
There was a very telling piece in the London Evening Standard a year ago. A reporter rang 10 top restuarants asking for a Friday night table at short notice. All refused. The reporter then called back saying she was the PA of a banker who had just got a £1 million bonus and wanted to treat his wife to a special night out. 9 of the 10 restaurants mysteriously found that they did suddenly have a table available.
Feb 22, 2011, 5:34 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: One & Only: L O N D O N
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,347
If you do a seach on the FT Amex board, you will find plenty of comment about the shortcomings of Quintessentially.
There was a very telling piece in the London Evening Standard a year ago. A reporter rang 10 top restuarants asking for a Friday night table at short notice. All refused. The reporter then called back saying she was the PA of a banker who had just got a £1 million bonus and wanted to treat his wife to a special night out. 9 of the 10 restaurants mysteriously found that they did suddenly have a table available.
There was a very telling piece in the London Evening Standard a year ago. A reporter rang 10 top restuarants asking for a Friday night table at short notice. All refused. The reporter then called back saying she was the PA of a banker who had just got a £1 million bonus and wanted to treat his wife to a special night out. 9 of the 10 restaurants mysteriously found that they did suddenly have a table available.
The Evening Standard example you refer to , confirms high demand restaurants prefer giving their tables to high spending customers, whether it be bankers who have their PA call and disclose their bosses stats or people who will pay extra for membership to private conseige services like Quintessentially, hoping it will make them appear to be VIP/high spenders to those restaurants etc.
So my question still stands - anyone with any experiences please share
Feb 22, 2011, 5:57 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: PC RA, Hertz PC, (Flybe) Premier card, Tesco Platinum
Posts: 1,329
Booked me a Cabana at LHR, plus Spa treatments for me and 2 others.
Booked me a table at a Toronto Restaraunt, top of the Skydome. I know I could have booked this myself, but I had neither time nor internet connection, and was at the airport at the time.
Booked me a table at a Toronto Restaraunt, top of the Skydome. I know I could have booked this myself, but I had neither time nor internet connection, and was at the airport at the time.
Feb 22, 2011, 5:58 am
#12
Join Date: May 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 3,951
I repeat, this thread is not regarding Quintessentially services to its members. It relates to the complimentary service offered to BA passenegrs when flying F (who are not members) - available 14 days prior or following the F flight or in person at the Concorde Room desk.
I have often wondered how i could take advantage of this F benefit.
Feb 22, 2011, 6:13 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Orlando, FL, USA
Posts: 2,398
Anyone? Ms. upgrader and I have a BA F trip coming up in a week or so and would love to know how to set up a spa treatment at LHR in advance if we can do that through Q. Can't find anything on the Q website about complimentary service for BA F flyers.
Feb 22, 2011, 7:14 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: One & Only: L O N D O N
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,347
thanks Macspreader. Restaurant bookings seem to be one of the most sort after requests.
Feb 22, 2011, 7:21 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,046
There was a very telling piece in the London Evening Standard a year ago. A reporter rang 10 top restuarants asking for a Friday night table at short notice. All refused. The reporter then called back saying she was the PA of a banker who had just got a £1 million bonus and wanted to treat his wife to a special night out. 9 of the 10 restaurants mysteriously found that they did suddenly have a table available.
