FlyerTalker688786

First I like the oneworld lounge in Los Angeles. I hope there are more oneworld lounge in non-hub locations. I think one problem about oneworld hub location is that hub airlines tends to take over the lounge arrangement. But Los Angeles is unique in some sense.

Let us have a look at cities which is not oneworld hubs. I see quite a few cities on the map could benefit from oneworld brand lounges. For example, Frankfurt, Singapore, Bangkok and Mumbai.

Among the list we have problems of different terminal (Singapore) and Schengen/non-Schengen (Frankfurt). But I do not understand why an oneworld lounge is not thought after in Bangkok.

Almost all oneworld airline departs from pier D, E and F which is in the same area. There are CX (multiple daily), QR (Multiple daily), Sri Lankan (multiple daily), BA, QF, AY, JL (2 daily?), S7 and RJ (one daily but with two departures daily). That is 9 oneworld airlines with at least 24 daily departures given any day.

The current lounge assignments are: CX, JL and QR all have their own lounges. The opening time varies.
JL lounge opens between 05:45-08:30 and 18:00-23:30.
CX lounge opens between 04:00 - 18:20.
QR lounge opens daily but close between 09:00 and 16:30

So, I think there is certainly opportunities for CX, JL and QR come together to build an oneworld lounge in BKK to serve all oneworld airline 24 hours. And I think if oneworld is to build another oneworld brand lounge, Bangkok certainly should be one of the hot contender. What do you think and which other cities you think oneworld lounges could be built?

Rami Tamimi

Unlikely in the near future. OW airlines these days compete on building the best lounges in the airport and attract as many pax as possible from their partner airlines flights.

bhomburg

Yes, unlikely that there will me more oneworld-branded lounges anywhere anytime soon. if ZRH is any indication, where a oneworld lounge was built to much fanfare at a cost of CHF 1.5 million in 2013 only to give up on it again two (or three?) years later, oneworld-branded lounges don't seem to have much traction going for them.

Rami Tamimi

+1

and the alliance branded lounges are operated by 1,2 or 3 specific airlines anyway. Many people don't realise that oneworld (as an organisation, or "Management Company" as they call themselves) is just an office with 40 employees whose work is to integrate and standardise some process among the Member Airlines.

FlyerTalker688786

Nothing against ZRH. But I don't think ZRH is a good location for an oneworld lounge.

millionmiler

That is not going to happen. If a priority list exists for something like that (and I doubt it does) then BKK might not make the top 10 and possibly even the top 20.

lhrpete

I really prefer airline branded lounges which have character of the airline operating them rather than alliance branded lounges which tend to be the lowest common denominator of standards across the alliance and operated by a third party. In BKK the CX lounge is really very good provided you can avoid the morning peak of the BA departure to London when it is overly full of status passengers traveling in economy ruining the experience for Cathay's own premium customers. Outside of those times it's a great lounge and a favourite of mine. It's a pity BA are not required to make provision for their masses in economy in another place.

moa999

QF and BA used to have a shared lounge (with separate Biz and First sections).
Then they split (like in SIN) and QF took one and BA took the other.

Now both closed. The CX lounge expanded into the BA (old First) space, and I think the QF (old Business) became a third party.

QF J pax (and their own elites on QF Y) also have access to the EK lounge per the QF/EK partnership.

craigthemif

I highly doubt that it is financially worthwhile to attract passengers travelling on other airlines.

In fact, by making your own lounge a zoo, you incentivise those actually paying for J or F to fly with a non-Oneworld airline.

Rami Tamimi

By making your own lounge inferior to others, you incentivise your pax to go to other lounges (best case scenario), or fly with a non-Oneworld airline (worst case scenario).

Traditionally, when designing a lounge, the airline normally would take into account the profile of their own pax (eg: there is no need for shower rooms in the CX BKK lounge), but the latest trend is to cut costs by allowing others to the lounge. "Others" are not just the pax flying on OW airlines, but also individual contracts with specific airlines (eg: RJ and TG).... indeed some airlines actually subcontract the whole lounge to other airlines for specific flights (when the operator does not have any of its own flights departing at that time of the day).... and you also have airlines allowing Priority Pass and other similar program cardholders... some only let them in during specific hours, when the lounge is otherwise underutilised, some don't have any time restrictions.

....so yeah, I can't agree with you that it's not financially worthwhile.

onobond

Not sure if I'm misunderstanding some posters here - the 'oneworld' F lounge @LAX is a QF F lounge with access for other OWEs or other OW F flyers with F or J(?) transcon flights or P/A I/J flights on an international itenerary. Other OW airlines pay QF for the access, just like even when carrier airline has a lounge in the departing airport.

Been through the transition of BA and QF lounges, aware of the stand-alone QR lounge coming up, or maybe already there. RJ and S7 beeing small players at BKK would never invest serious money in a lounge of their own. The big players (except QR) have departure times not truly overlapping, to have a lounge open all day. Can't really see any 'OW' lounge beeing merited if none of the participating airlines didn't figure that out by themselves.

Dr. HFH

"BANGKOK should have an ONEWORLD Lounge"?? Why? Take LAX, one of the airports mentioned upthread. I fly ex-LAX from time to time, on both CX and QR. I love the QF F lounge. Nice, spacious layout, with superior food and beverage options. At least I like them, -- I hadn't seen a Croque Monsieur sandwich on a menu in years until my first visit to the lounge. And it was made perfectly, too. And the sautéed mushrooms with garlic were yummy. What problem or need would you be trying to address with a OW lounge?

IanFromHKG

Without wishing to sound overly critical, you evidently don't understand the economics involved.

Let me give you one definitive price point. I was told some years ago (which means that with inflation the number is probably larger now) that QF were charging other oneworld airlines US$250 per passenger for access to their F lounge in Sydney. My source is impeccable (the CFO of a oneworld airline, who happens to be a friend of mine). I cannot help but think that this is VERY financially worthwhile for QF.

One of the reasons many airlines are spending such huge amounts of money on upgrading their lounges is that they are, in fact, major money spinners - not just a bonus for their own elite passengers and frequent flyers, but revenue (and profit) generators. After all, if this were NOT the case - in other words if taking in passengers from other airlines was revenue-neutral or loss-making - this would seem to indicate that there would be little benefit in airlines opening or upgrading lounges in outstations where alliance partners already had lounges, as they could simply pay cost prices to the incumbent lounge operator. Yet in the last few years, to give another example, each of AA, CX and QF has spent significant sums in upgrading or (in the case of QF) opening lounges in LHR T3. Undoubtedly part of this is for prestige, part of it is a marketing tool to attract customers to their own airline, but a significant part is also to (a) avoid having to pay huge sums to other airlines when passengers prefer their lounges and/or (b) to have the opportunity to charge other airlines access fees if their passengers choose to use that lounge in preference to the one provided by (or contracted by) their own airline.

sxc

@IanFromHKG I agree with everything you’ve said however I can’t believe that $250 is accurate. CX has fares to HKG in Y for $A700 return sometimes. $250 pretty much wipes out the fare on the outgoing leg and I can’t see airlines every agreeing to that amount.

I have heard figures of around $50-75 which I think is more reasonable.

craigthemif

@IanFromHKG

If your numbers were correct, then why doesn't the Four Seasons or any other luxury hotel brand open third party lounges in major airports and make a killing? (instead, 3rd party lounges are usually dire) And why would any airline ever status match since it would cost them millions in lounge fees. (Airline providing the status pays the entry charge AFAIK) There's simply no way BA is paying $250 every time I use my Gold card to get into a QF lounge for a SYD-MEL booked for 4500 Avios. And if BA could charge that kind of money to Oneworld partners, why wouldn't they open up Concorde Room to all comers and make a fortune - instead they offer a worse lounge at T5 just for Oneworld Emeralds...

Airlines upgrade their lounges because it's simply an embarrassment to the brand to try to sell F and some J fares and then offer a horrible lounge. And at outstations, sending your best customers to be wined and dined by the competition is a strategic own goal.