Grace B

I'd be surprised if it reopens at all.

KARFA

Doesn't the policy apply to when you are travelling between a long haul and short haul flight? The OP will only be connecting between flights in HKG, not SIN. I am not sure the OP is entitled to use an F lounge in SIN based on oneworld rules.

GBOAC

My guess is, given the lower traffic once QF return to SIN, it will be the first lounge to open, as per plans for the F lounge in SYD suggested by Qantas to be the first international lounge they will reopen. If social distancing is needed, then table service etc available in the first lounge will be an advantage

Rather pessamistic. They have made a huge investment in it and probably have a long lease on the site which they will have to pay for even if they don't open the lounge. SIN is one of their flagship routes; when they return to SIN it will open I'm sure.

What will be interesting (and what I am kind-of hopeful for IF UK pax get to SIN this year, If BA renew my status, and IF Australia start a bubble with Singapore*) is whether non-bubble Oneworld flyers will be able to use the lounge (as per oneworld rules), or if these rules will be set aside to enale only travel bubble pax to use the lounge, and therefore not get infected...

Or am I misreading the purpose of a bubble - if SIN-Aus are bubbling, and UK res can't go to Aus, they won't go to SIN either...

*I realise there are three IFs to come good on here.
I was really looking forward to hanging out in the Flounge in SIN last year, knowing it would be head and shoulders above the other OW offerings.... Would be gutted if, whever my trip happens, it is closed....

CXYYZ

Indeed you're right, this situation doesn't seem to be covered. Can't see anything helpful on the QF website either.

sammyg901

The SG/HK model was that flights had to be dedicated "bubble" flights and those passengers were free to use all the Changi facilities. "Dirty" transit passengers were in dedicated areas of the airport and chaperoned to/from their flights

Current SQ flights to Aus/NZ seperate the through passengers from the UK on board who aren't allowed off the plane during the connection (if its a "straight through" service that day) but otherwise they did abandon the separation of transit/origin passengers on board more generally

So that gives you some ideas. I could imagine a scenario where QF has "bubble" flights running to/from Singapore on A330s later this year, potentially with transit from other bubble cities on Jetstar. Perhaps one of the lounges will be the "bubble" lounge but I don't forsee the LHR-SIN-SYD vv returning until travel is up and running more widely in 2022.

I do agree that the lounge will reopen at some point, the lease and fit out is the bulk of the cost sunk already and they may need/want the space for social distancing purposes at busy times. When Aus travel does open up there is going to be huge demand from locals/students/expats very keen to get out of Singapore, especially if its one of the first destinations to be available

In terms of the bubble I'd expect their border policies to be broadly aligned. Or countries will maintain a "no entry if you've been to X within 14 days" type policy. So even if you could get into SIN you wouldn't be free to fly on a bubble flight to Aus for 14 days if they still weren't open to the UK for example.

But it's all spectaculation and a lot depends on the vaccine and mutations over the coming year...

happiest_at_40000

As per OW policy if you are catching a connection onto a OW flight in international F you would get access so technically wouldnt I be allowed into Qantas F in Sin while heading out to catch a flight from Hkg-Sin. I know likely it wont even by open but I'm just curious. However, these lounges dont follow the rules so who knows. Qantas F at Lax twice didnt let me in when I should have been able to and CX has the rule that when arriving in F and connecting in Hkg you can only enter if the arrival was on their metal.

KARFA

I understand you are doing CX SIN-HKG-LAX with HKG-LAX in F and (I assume) SIN-HKG in J? The wording of the policy as quoted above is:

"can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa)."

but when in SIN you won't be between a long haul and short haul, or short haul and long haul flight in SIN so I don't see how it applies for you in SIN.

happiest_at_40000

So then maybe I was confusing AA policy for FL with OW. If you are on AA say DFW to HKG in F you can get into FL at LAX.. Like if you are going same day LAX to DFW to catch the flight.

However, if I did misinterpret the OW rule then I am confused b/c many people here on FT had said I was wrongly turned away from Qantas F lounge at LAX when I was flying that same exact route mentioned above. I was supposed to be let in I thought b/c i was connecting to a same day international flight on OW in F. That lounge staff there is horrible. They even turned me away when arriving BA F from LHR and connecting to an AA flight to Vegas.

How is my Sin-Hkg-Lax example any different than Lax-Dfw-Hkg when I apparently was supposed to be let in?

KARFA

On LAX-DFW-HKG what cabins were you in? AA domestic F and AA international F?

happiest_at_40000

Yes exactly thats right.. AA domestic F and then international F to HK.. I was told only departing flights internationally in F can enter but of course thats not true. Arriving in F internationally and connecting is allowed for sure (i was also denied at that lounge on that type of itinerary).

At any rate, wasnt my Lax-Dfw-Hkg trip the same as the Sin-Hkg-Lax trip. If what you're saying is the case then I actually should not have been allowed in on the Lax-Dfw-Hkg trip.

KARFA

AA domestic F doesn’t give any lounge access rights (transcon excluded of course) so if you did AA F LAX-DFW connecting to AA F DFW to HKG then certainly the oneworld rules do not provide for access at LAX. QF lounge would have been correct to refuse you access in that scenario. Also same for flagship at LAX.

ISTFlyer

AA offers Flagship Lounge & Flagship First Dining access to arriving Flagship First passengers, however, this is in addition to the OW rules so the OP should be allowed to the Flagship facilities according to the AA policy.

happiest_at_40000

Yes for sure FL is allowed on the itinerary and I was let in there. On the Qantas F at Lax lounge access page on FT, the consensus is that itinerary should have got me in there as well. Apparently they have some crazy lounge agents there who have even threatened to call the police when in fact the traveler was in the right and should have been let but was not. I know for sure arriving internationally in F then transiting domestic gets you in for OW but the above debate is interesting about when leaving to catch the international F flight, AA FL yes but OW in general? I thought it was allowed but I see in the quoted portion from the rules above it seems like you wouldnt.

KARFA

yes sorry I meant the flagship at LAX rather than DFW - so for the LAX-DFW-HKG example the OP wouldn’t have accesss at LAX, the OP wouldn’t be arriving from anything at LAX.

KARFA

yes for LAX-DFW-HKG you don’t get access to QF F lounge at LAX, you are not departing LAX in international F. At DFW you would get flagship access.