Qantas Tightens Lounge Access Rules for Emirates Passengers
 

When flying in economy on an Emirates flight number, Qantas Club cardholders won't be able to use Qantas international business lounges. Cardholders also won't be able to use Emirates' Dubai lounges unless their ticket has a QF flight number.

Statused members of Qantas' FF program won't be affected. Only flyers who paid for yearly Qantas Club access will notice the change.

The changes are set to take effect on October 1.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-tight...irates-flights

From qantas.com.au:

Has QF realised that the dance with EK is not all it was thought to be?

I suspect its more that if a pax books the EK code then QF gets no revenue, EK might pay QF a small amount for the points earn, but then will charge QF for lounge access.

Whereas if booked under the QF codeshare, I presume that QF gets a portion of the fare charged, which offests the lounge access charge.

QF wants people flying on its codeshares. For elites this is generally done by the chase of Status Credits, for regular Qantas Club members they now have this method as well.

Fair enough, but on not a single one of the international bookings I have made in the last year has QF been close to competitive in price. Status is nice, but I'll keep the extra cash (and the points are definitely no longer worth the chase).

Meh, anywhere that there are both QF and EK lounges I've always thought the EK lounge was superiro.

Really feels like Qantas are realizing the Emirates deal is actually hammering their own business.

Yeah, I've booked the EK code (EK operated or QF-operated) for my last four trips to Europe because it was considerably cheaper. And started crediting to EK, to the point where I'm now EK Gold and get EK lounge access as a result.

According to the QF page, EK Golds can still use the QC but if not, I'll make sure to book the EK-operated flights and use the EK lounge.

I think QF shot themselves in the foot with this arrangement, but I'm quite enjoying EK.

That would be a justification for removing lounge access in Dubai and London, but EK will not be charging Qantas anything for Qantas allowing people who have paid the membership fee to be a member of the Qantas Club, for accessing Qantas Clubs

Given that there is not change to status based lounge access , I doubt that there will be any change for holders of Gold status with EK

Agree - looks like one year or so too late...

What the deal did was to allow QF elites to actually now try out EK without having to worry about status and points. And Qantas is now starting to realise that they have just fed EK with their best customers.

Of course that was the risk ; perhaps Qantas was maintaining an arrogant view that its products were better than Emirates's and that it would gain customers from Emirates rather than lose them

Those with status ( there's nothing elitist about flying a lot on Qantas:) ) who were blinkered by FF points indeed now may have had their eyes opened

This change only affects those who have a purchased lounge access membership to a club which does a poor job at providing value. c.f. US lounge membership programmes which provide for lounge access for paying members at any time. Further reducing value of Qantas Club membership seems another great way to encourage non-renewing

At the outset of this "joint arrangement" I noted to both airlines that the EK Lounges left the leprechaun's mob in the shade, at the 'up to First Level', and the difference between EK and QF Business was debatable/on the day, so to speak. QF has the edge in the blunter section of the airframe with its' Y+, and marginally in Y due to its' less 'bums across'.

As I've commented on a couple of other threads, QF really has dropped it's standards over the last ten years or so ...

I think you will find that EK started this round of lockouts. I was denied EK lounge access in Melbourne last week because I had a QF tircket and it would not scan, while in the QF lounge they were still announcing EK flights suggesting EK passengers were still welcome.

To elaborate on my post above it seems that EK has done this without telling anybody.On the same day in the QF lounge they were calling the EK flight, so they must have been allowed in. It does make sense to stop people like me lounge shopping. EK want EK passengers or codeshares on EK metal in their lounges. I noted the EK Dusseldorf lounge was fanastic with first class lounge food with only five people in it. I was in there by virtue of my QF codeshare ticket, but noted they were struggling for business at the pointy end of the plane where is was not. The politics of lounge access indeed

Early in the "partnership" I had problems at the EK Business lounge in DXB as a paid QC member (EK-marketed and operated flights in Y). The first time they told me that using QC for access only applied if I had a QF-marketed flight. An appeal to a supervisor fixed that. The second time they told me I had to have a QF FF number on my BP to use QC for access. I had to let them change the FF from EK to QF to let me into the lounge (where I immediately changed it back.)

Whether these were due to teething problems or an unofficial policy to make it harder for QC members to use the lounge, I don't know or, frankly, care.
On what basis were you trying to use the EK lounge? Business or First class ticket? QF Gold? EK Gold? QC paid membership?
Not really surprising. First, the changes announced in the OP don't take effect until October 1. Second, EK passengers who are EK Gold, EK Platinum or flying business or first will still be "welcome"* after 1 October; it's only paid QC members flying Y who will not.

*I haven't ever found the attitude "welcoming" but that's another thread.