Australia is preparing to open for tourism but international travel in and out of the country has been limited for nearly two years. Not only haven’t visitors been welcome, most citizens haven’t even been allowed to leave.
Flag carrier and oneworld alliance member Qantas still has its business class lounges closed in Sydney and Melbourne. They open their first class lounges in the hours before their international departures. They’ve been directing their own business class passengers to use the first class lounges. (Even where they’ve operated the Airbus A380, their only plane with first class, they only sold business class.) Top tier members of partner frequent flyer programs (oneworld emerald) have access to to the first class lounges.
Qantas First Class Lounge, Sydney
However business class passengers of other oneworld airlines departing Sydney haven’t been welcome into the first class lounge, according to Australian Frequent flyer. Reportedly Japan Airlines has been telling its passengers to use the Qantas first class lounge, but they’ve been turned away on arrival.
- Malaysia Airlines and Japan Airlines business class passengers can access the Plaza Premium lounge
- Qatar Airways business class passengers receive AUD$50 in food vouchers to use in the airport.
Qantas Says No Salt And Pepper Squid For Business Class Passengers Flying Partner Airlines
oneworld lounge access rules provide business class lounge access for business class passengers flying any airline in the alliance. Qantas is using first class lounges as business class lounges, but haven’t renamed those lounges as business lounges so they’re excluded. Hopefully they’ll fully re-open lounges as their international route network restarts – and as partner airlines rebuild their Australia schedules as well.
That’s a pretty cheeseball move from Qantas. I expect better.
Qantas is currently the club house leader in the race to the bottom. Might as well just declare themselves a LCC and reset customer expectations.
3 hour (or more) wait times for their call centers. When/if answered, calls are placed on hold and then hung up “accidently”. Back in the queue you go. If you do manage to get someone from the Sth African or Philippine call centers, they are clearly poorly trained and overstaffed. Even simple flight changes can take an hour or more, plenty of reports around that they completely get it wrong or provide erroneous and misleading information. Can’t blame the staff, but where is the resource and capability management?
The website crashes when you try to purchase an itinerary with more than one or two sectors, particularly on partner metal. Phantom award “availability” everywhere. A completely useless flight rewards calendar which appears to have been designed by a 10 year old.
Recently visited the Qantas Domestic Business lounge in BNE and the front desk staff could not be colder or or less interested if they tried. Felt about as welcome as a rabid dog.
“Meals” on domestic J flights are abysmal, a packet of biscuits and a soft drink, or an overheated panini if you’re lucky, apparently inspired by “world class chefs”. LOL. The webchat is never staffed. Emails go unanswered. But their inflight safety/promotional video does insist they are world class and proudly Australian, so I suppose that’s something.
Unfortunately there’s no real alternatives thanks to our government’s protectionist mantra when it comes to this “iconic” business.
Not overstaffed… “understaffed”..my bad.
Happened to me flying Qatar Business yesterday. Embarrassing as was turned away – and Qatar offer a $70 airport dining voucher instead – and the only place open was McDonalds and a kebab stand.
For context, this- while bad- pales in comparison to the other idiotic things going on “down under” these days related to covid.
$70 to spend on Kebabs.
It’s a party@
“…party!”””
“…party!”
Stop whinging you people, the Green (Irish) Kangaroo is one of the best. Ask anyone from, Senior Management. Simples
International
to to
I ate at that kebab place to with $120 worth of Fiji airways vouchers. $20 for a coke? Sure!
This does not surprise me. Qantas will always interpret any definition in their favour and find any loop hole to benefit them. When the shoe is on the other foot good luck! It’s an uphill battle to deal with Qantas in most respects.
*Internatioal???? Lol
Tangentially related, but I have OWE status, can I access the Qantas FC Lounge at LAX following a domestic Alaska Airlines flight?
Qantaaaaarse
This is a bit of a nothing post. Qantas is looking after is own passengers no different to what other airlines do. I am looking forward to flying to Johannesburg in April and Vancouver in September all on the red roo. Great airline and good Aussie service..
First World Problems!
Get over yourselves.
Bunch of self entitled twats.
Angry fan boy Ben. Calm down petal. Stick to TilTok.
What’s “Tiltok”…?
Lol. Gate keeping comments and now spelling. Maintain the rage Princess.
Right back at “Karen”.
@ Gary Lef
It’s easy to find things wrong with QF, but in this case please consider a simple question – is QF supplying food and drinks and services at first class standards or business class standards? Do you get the cooked to order meals (salt n pepper squid et al) and posh wines (Deveaux Champagne and the like) or the basic buffet feed?
If QF is running at first class lounge standard then the lounge is genuinely operating as a first class lounge – business class pax are getting bonus treatment.
If QF is operating a business class standard lounge in the first class lounge space, arguably a different matter and your argument has some merit.
My understanding is that Qatar plays games restricting access to its own first class lounge in Doha – no?
Do you expect the transition to a post pandemic world or travel to be immediate a total or a gradual process?
Qatar Airways turns Qantas Emerald passengers away from its first class lounge…happens everywhere.