flyalways

Hi there,

I was traveling JNB-DOH on QR on economy ticket. At check-in with QR
they gave me a lounge pass for their contract lounge. (Bidwest)

As I had a colleague flying on BA with me, I decided to go to
BA lounge where Emeralds are allowed a guest.

BA lounge dragon and her manager refused saying that QR has a contract
with another lounge. (I already knew this)

My question is if
- this is a violation of OW policy ?
- I have the name of the BA lounge manager. Can I complain ?
- Who should I complain to ?

Just want to make sure that future OW travelers on QR (or any other
OW carrier) do not have similar issues !

I ended up going to the contract lounge but as expected they refused
entry for my colleague :-(

F.A.

djibouti

Unfortunately the oneworld rules are meaningless due to the overcrowding exception and British is well known for invoking the overcrowding rule as a matter of course at many outstations.

Dave Noble

Was the BA lounge actually open and operating as a BA lounge at that time

According to the One World lounge details, the BA lounge is open daily from 16:00 until 22:30 ( which seems to fit in with the 2 BA flights being at 19:20 and 21:15 )

The Qatar flight departs at 15:15 which would seem to suggest that there would be no BA lounge access available for that flight and would be limited to the Bidvest Premier Lounge

flyalways

Yes...The QR flight to Doha is actually @ 8:30 PM and I was there @
6:15 PM. The reason given was not "overcrowding". They kept saying
that QR has arrangement with another lounge ! My argument was that
it did not matter...I know that I was right unless I am missing something.
I really like would like to complain because I fly Oneworld and buy OW
carrier tickets expecting certain benefits and if they are being denied
randomly, I will have to rethink...

Does someone from OW monitor this forum ?

F.A.

jerry a. laska

No.
You could write to BA if you want.

Exec_Plat

"Someone from Oneworld"...funny

IMO there is no 'oneworld', just a concept...each airline self regulates which means it is a free for all.

They will surely claim you were denied due to 'capacity issues'... never mind what the truthwas nor what you were told...the story will be revised to turn aside any complaints.

aktchi

BA is weird about such things. The same thing happened to us at ORD. Only difference was that the lounge receptionist was a little more tactful: she said we should check out the QR lounge and if don't like it, we can come back to BA (we didn't); others have had harsher reception.

Viajero Millero

I was able to enter this same lounge at around 8 or 9pm, flying QR Y and as an American Airlines Emerald.

It was empty then but I can see how they would reject people not flying BA if the lounge is full.

flyalways

Not sure which lounge you are referring to (JNB or ORD)...But the reason
given for denial was not "capacity" at JNB lounge. They said that "QR uses
another lounge"...This was not a valid explanation IMHO...

F.A.

IanFromHKG

And you are absolutely correct. Example - last year I flew Finnair from HKG. They contract with Plaza Premium. I used the QF and CX lounges, with no problem.

Sorry, but you should have stood your ground.... Easier said than done, I know, but all the same.

Furthermore, you should have been allowed a guest at the Bidvest lounge under oneworld rules

flyalways

No. Bidvest lounge is NOT a OW lounge so they are not obligated to
allow guest. I am not sure if I could have asked for a guest pass at
the QR check-in and if they would have given it to me since my
colleague was on BA.

I argued with the staff but they stood firm..I had no idea what to do
so I left asking the name of the manager.

I need to write to BA about this but I am not expecting any positive
response or apology !

F.A.

IanFromHKG

Sorry, but that is completely incorrect. Under oneworld rules :
"When your top tier status is equivalent to oneworld Emerald, you are entitled to the following oneworld benefits, no matter which oneworld airline or cabin class you are flying:
...
Access to more than 600 airport lounges (with one guest) when travelling internationally, including premium First Class, Business Class and frequent flyer lounges, regardless of the class of service flown that day. For details about the oneworld lounge access policy, click here." [emphasis added]

No exclusions about them being oneworld-operated lounges. If you follow the link referred to above you get the following further information:
"Members of oneworld airline frequent flyer programmes with the equivalent of oneworld Emerald or Sapphire tier status can use lounges offered by oneworld airlines when departing on any flight marketed and operated by any oneworld member airline, regardless of cabin class being flown (exceptions are noted below).
Emerald tier frequent flyers can use First Class, Business Class or frequent flyer lounges.
...
Emerald and Sapphire members may invite one guest to join them in the lounge. The guest must also be travelling on a flight operated and marketed by a oneworld carrier."

The wording "offered by oneworld airlines" (note, not operated, "offered") in this case, means the Bidvest lounge "offered" by QR as you were on a QR flight, and also the BA lounge. As your colleague met the only applicable condition, that of being on a flight operated [and presumably marketed] by a oneworld carrier, you were entitled to take him into the lounge.

Dave Noble

From the lounge access rules at http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access#tier

Not travelling on QR => No access entitlement

flyalways

Certainly conflicting messages by both OW and QR The Bidvest agent was firm on not accepting my colleague who was flying BA..

I fully blame BA for this situation they put us in. As a punishment to them
the most recent ticket to the middle east was not booked on BA

Just my way of getting back to BA

F.A.

IanFromHKG

But OP was travelling on QR and was therefore entitled to use the Bidvest lounge AND, therefore, under the guesting rules was permitted to take one guest provided said guest was travelling on a oneworld-operated and -marketed airline. For these purposes, Bidvest is the lounge "offered" by QR (see the extracts I posted previously). OP should also have been permitted access, with a guest, to the BA lounge as it is a oneworld-operated lounge.