I'm glad to hear that. It was very frustrating last year to have to try to persuade an agent that she was wrong. And later to learn that she had explicit instructions from senior management that were plainly wrong so it was hardly her fault.

International Business Lounge is also available to Qantas Club members. The incorrect application of this rule caused more than a few comments on "Australian Frequent Flyer":

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/membe...-qclounge.html

Reported on AA forum that T4-TBIT connector has opened

http://www.airlinereporter.com/2016/...erminal-opens/

That was me, thanks for posting the link!

Also have other updates to report here: I talked to one of the gatekeepers at the QF F lounge, learned a few things:

- Upon query, he seemed to have the correct Oneworld admission rules; in particular, allowing entry for AA EXPs on a same-day international itinerary, whether connecting to a domestic or international flight.

- Also surprisingly indicated that EXPs on 3-class transcons (i.e., JFK or MIA) would also be allowed entry. Don't hold me to this, but it's what he said.

- Unclear was whether other OWEs on purely AA domestic flights would be granted entry. He seemed to lean towards entry, but went off on a tangent, and then other pax started entering and I didn't want to take up more of his time.

Also interesting: There's no chart available for the agents to reference. They are just supposed to have the rules memorized. Considering I'm the guy who is uneasy about servers memorizing my order, this doesn't instill confidence for me :D

Given Qantas' record with the memo last year it may be as well that there is nothing in writing!

I'm EXP taking the 1am LAX-DFW connecting to DFW-HKG. Welcomed into the F lounge with no issues today. It seems they have gotten their act together! Even took the T4-TBIT connector which made it sooooo much easier.

What is the start time for lunch?

reporting back from a pleasant visit yesterday to the QF first lounge.

Flew HKG-PVG-LAX-SFO. Saw that T4-TBIT connector is open, so took advantage of TSA pre in T4. The connector is to the right after you clear security and it's a long walk. (10mins?) Most of the people movers were nonfunctional when we went, not sure why. The QF 1st lounge entrance is right next to where the connector meets TBIT, which is convenient.

Agent had no problem letting me and a guest in, although he did ask for my guest's BP (we were on the same routing). All in all quite a pleasant experience compared to previous. Did not try to enter the J lounge with my AB ows card, will try that next time I'm there and report back.

We arrived at 2pm so I don't know the answer to SanDiego1Ks question (other than after 2pm), but here is the winter menu:

http://ibin.co/2YcICx7uoZG5

I was a bit disappointed at the showers, which felt a bit institutional, but the rest of the lounge was great, and far better than the flagship lounge in T4.

That's a pretty slow pace if you're counting just the walk from after security to the F lounge - see., e.g.:

Did you try to step onto the people movers? I'm wondering if they were just on sleep mode.

The connector definitely makes for super convenient access from T4 to the TBIT lounges.

Has anyone had success/issues entering the QF First lounge on a pure domestic AA itinerary as a non-AA emerald cardholder?

Curious..so you had to go back to T4 to catch the LAX-DFW flight, correct? Would you say the Qantas F Lounge was worth the extra travel time or would the AA Flagship Lounge be just as good? I have an upcoming Transcon LAX-JFK in F (3-class) departing out of T4. Wondering if it's worth the hike to TBIT to checkout the F Lounge in TBIT.

Yes, it's worth the "hike" (it's only a 4-5 minute walk).

Yes, I went in today as an OneWorld sapphire (via AirBerlin) on an American flight to Chicago. But it looks like they're still not perfect with the policy. The first attendant I spoke with told me that I wasn't eligible (as I wasn't on an international itinerary), but another overheard this and corrected her.

Either way, it's an approvement over my experience last summer when I was turned away on a similar itinerary.

Question:

I have two itineraries
1. LAX JFK in F departing at 11:30 PM
2. JFK-MIA-MVD (Montevideo) the following day on a separate itinerary.

Will the lounge give me access the previous day before the transcon flight as a OWE (AA EXP)? These are all AA flight #'s (normally they would if they were part of the same itinerary but not sure if they are split)

Edit: Just found out that LAX-JFK in F as EXP/OWE will get me access regardless according to the wiki in this thread! Curious if anyone still had any insight into the two itinerary situation though.

If you weren't in F/J on LAX-JFK, you wouldn't be allowed access either way (single or separate records) because it's not a same-day int'l flight.

I've done a same-day, separate itinerary trip before and was granted access based on status and same-day int'l leg.

Oh then I guess they made a slight exception once for me on LAX-DFW-PEK where the DFW-PEK leg wasn't until 10 am the next morning and the LAX leg was at 1 am. (I was there at 10 pm the previous day). But YMMV. This was for Qantas First.

Okay, will following itinerary grant me access to QF F lounge @ LAX?

Same day connections:

NRT-DFW-LAX-JFK (all in F class with AA and am EXP)

Yes, it will (departing in three class F LAX-JFK alone would admit you.)

Please reference the wikipost at the top of the page

Service begins for lunch at noon.

Does a OW Sapphire flying on Fiji Airways have access?
 

Okay I THINK this is a rhetorical question but just checking to save myself some embarrassment -- if I'm flying on FJ in business class and am a OW Sapphire - do I get access to the Qantas Business Lounge?

Thanks ^

No.

No but you will have access to the international lounge.

No. FJ is not a member of oneworld so your Sapphire status counts for nought.

By Class of Service, you will get access to FJs LAX lounge.
http://www.ausbt.com.au/fiji-airways...s-class-lounge

(If you were QF Gold flying on a QF codeshare you would get access, but not no a FJ ticket)

Will an AA EXP have access to the QF F lounge by virtue of status if flying HKG-LAX on CX W connecting to LAX-ORD in AA Y?

Branching off, would a PLT have access to the QF J lounge in this itinerary?
What if they were separate tickets, or the LAX-ORD departed past 12 midnight? Would admissibility change because of that?

I would not worry about this if it were HKG but given the very inflexible staff I've heard about this lounge...appreciate any advice!

No issues in either case.. Although the EXP could also guest the PLT to the QF F Lounge while they were there..

Arrival rules = Departing rules?
 

Will be on an inbound international itinerary all on the same day:

One OWE (via American Airlines EXP), the other non-OWE
Leg 1: MAD-DFW in J (waitlisted for F)
Leg 2: DFW-LAX in F

Would we have access in LAX at the Qantas F by virtue of the international leg even if we would be arriving instead of departing?

There is no arrivals access. Even if you were connecting LAX-SFO for example you would not have access, you would have needed to be connecting directly from a longhaul F flight.

I don't think the last sentence is true.

First of all, I think you're referring to a CoS based requirement.
The op is an OWE, and therefore exempt from that requirement:

except that he is an AA exp and therefore restricted by:

Nonetheless, there is no arrivals access of any kind at LAX... so op is out of luck here. But if he were connecting MAD-DFW-LAX-SFO, he would have access at LAX as a OWE.

Sorry you are correct, I had missed the OWE part.
I had written my post on the basis of having no status which I think is true if that were the case.
Your post is correct for an AA OWE.

I'll be flying PHX to LAX to SYD and back in a couple weeks in F. I'm OW Emerald. I know on the way out I can access either the QF First Lounge or the AA Flagship lounge. On the way back will I have access to both or just the AA Flagship lounge in LAX?

Are you connecting onwards in LAX? If yes, you should have access to both. If no, neither.

Id skip the AA Flagship.

Yes traveling on to PHX although booked in Y and on a separate Reservation. Will that matter? If I have access to both ill most certainly opt for the QF lounge. Probably will do it both ways.

If you are traveling from LAX-PHX in Y I don't see what entitles you to use the QF F lounge or the AA lounges on the inbound.

I'm a bit confused about the rules in the wiki. I presumed as a BA OWE, I would have access to this lounge on an AA domestic itinerary just as I am granted access to the AA flagship lounge. The wiki says you must be OWE (or l/h F) *and* connecting to/from l/h or 3-class transcon. What is the correct rule?

Experiential anecdotes indicate you, as an EXP, should have no problem accessing any of the *O lounges at LAX between your SYD and PHX flights. Just keep your First BP from SYD.

https://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access

OW rules will allow access to a OW F Lounge when on a connecting flight to/from an International flight on the same day, or first flight the following day as long as the connecting flight is on a OW carrier, which I assume it is. Enjoy!

Yes both are on AA. I was a little confused since the second flight is a separate reservation and short of getting an upgrade would be in Y. The SYD to LAX flight is in F.

As a BA Gold, why would I not be eligible to access the TBIT F lounge on any AA-operated domestic flight like I would an AA FL? The lounge isn't carved out of the standard OW rules.

You might think that, I thought that, but the guardians of the door do not always agree. Things are said to have improved but don't argue too much as they have called the police. As it happened, in one case the supplicant had a police connection and the police sided with him so all may not be lost if they do.

Does Qantas Lounge permit entrance for arrivals of long haul flights?

EXP traveling GRU-LAX on AA (J). Got a connection to ORD from there.

It would have been nice to see Qantas Lounge. Otherwise FL aint that bad for killing 2-3hrs.