yycworldtraveler

My parents just returned from their annual trip. They were travelling on a circle pacific business class ticket with several domestic Australian sectors that they had bought separately but were full fare business class tickets. They were told by Qantas that buying a business class ticket does not grant you access to their domestic lounges and were denied entry. Is this correct?? I thought it was a given that when PAID for a business class ticket you had lounge access. Do any other airlines have this policy?

My Dad has vowed to never fly Qantas again if he can avoid it and I tend to agree with him. Why would an airline deny lounge access to the people paying the highest fare on the plane?

Globaliser

You will get lounge access on a paid business class ticket if it's part of an international itinerary. As the domestic sectors were bought separately, it seems as if the QF staff were technically correct. Did your parents tell the lounge staff that they were on an international trip?QF has adopted the same model that most US airlines work to: "paid membership" lounge access only on purely domestic itineraries. The main difference is that, with QF, if you do enough flying with them you will get complimentary membership of the paid scheme - unlike most US airlines, IIRC.To make them join the paid scheme? You might ask this of all the airlines which do it.

og

Likewise, this "no access on domestics unless a member rule" doesn't really lock many Business class pax out. Those regulars that fly on full J tickets usually fly often enough to have complementary membership through status anyway. Yes, it seems unfare especially if you are paying mega$ for the ticket (and worse still, if you are using your own money), but that is the rule and QF is no different to anyone (most?) others (as stated by Globaliser)

yycworldtraveler

Thanks for the quick responses. Maybe we are a bit spoiled in Canada then. Air Canada provides lounge access to all business class passengers regardless of status, as did their now defunct competitor Canadian Airlines.

Globaliser

Yes - different places, different rules. Over here, BA also provides lounge access for all short-haul business class pax, whether it's domestic or European. But then the entire model is different, as BA simply has no paid access scheme for its lounges at all.

Althought it's a bit late now, I still wonder what the lounge staff would have done if your parents had said that they were on an international QF trip, and that these were just the domestic sectors which they'd happened to have bought separately. While there are some dragons, I have had far more indulgences from QF lounge staff over the years.

Aisle Seat H

Yep, if they had done so its 95% likely they would have let them in. Have had it myself a few years ago, flying on seperate domestic ticket in the middle of an international itinerary (before attaining SG and WP status) and so did a friend last year, and the minute the dragons find out you are on an international itinerary, even if on a seperate ticket, they inveriably let you in. I think they are as annoyed about the policy as paying J pax are, espec. as they have to deal with the thousands of people a year arriving at the lounge expecting to get in and being denied, so are happy to have a way out of such confrontations !

NM

Does AA permit paid domestic F passengers into their lounges? I think not. As has been pointed out, QF permit business class pax into their domestic lounges if part of an international itinerary, which is more generous than AA where they only permit access if on a same-day international connection.

Also note that on a business class OneWorld Circle Pacific fare, if they had joined the AA Platinum Challenge they would have had AA Plat status (and hence OneWorld Sapphire status) before they reached Australia and hence had access to all Qantas Club lounges along the way through their newly acquired OneWorld Sapphire status.

And also note that Qantas does not discriminate as to how you got the business class seat. For international flights, lounge access is provided not matter if it is paid, award, upgrade etc. If you have a business class boarding pass for the flight, you get lounge access (international and domestic on the same itinerary).

Wongo

They call it a Club not Lounge or obvious reasons.

HeyAussie

Air Canada even provide access to those on full Y fares with no status. Their lounges tend to be a step up from any of the US airlines. ^

Globaliser

Good idea, but one thing shows it up to be branding rather than reality: You don't have to be a member to use the international Qantas Clubs.

mikalee

Is the lounge access problem the only reason he is going to avoid flying QF in the future?

If so I hope he doesn't intend to travel domestically in Australia again otherwise he could fly Jetstar or Virgin Blue in their only cabins and pay for the use of Virgins lounges.

number_6

AC has to do this -- their on-board service is so awful that nobody would choose AC on a full Y fare for sectors that had any other full service carrier. To be fair the Maple Leaf lounges have been quite good for many years, predating the decimation of AC as an airline. What an interesting choice; great lounges but poorly maintained planes, disgruntled mechanics, a record of safety violations and poor on-board service; or ...

HeyAussie

Great comments Number_6, totally agree. What they really need is some good competition from a OW airline. Unfortunately I don't think Canada's population is big enough to make this happen.

I only fly full 'Y' when work books that for me. Lately I've been doing a bunch of transborder on UA (crediting to AC), mostly on 'B' class fares. Had great success talking my way into E+ on these even with no UA status.

qasr

You are entitled to E+ on UA when booked on a Y, B or M fare. I don't know if this applies if on an AC codeshare flight number or not, but most agents would not eb that adept, I don't think. At least not on the 3rd or 4th try!

HeyAussie

Hey, I didn't realise this ^ :-: , do you have a link to your source ? I thought it was just my charm Are you sure this applies to non-MP status members ?
I normally book whatever metal I'm flying (to maximise upgrade chances) as there doesn't seem to be much difference in mileage credit to AC anyway.