Spinoza, it ain't about privilege, unreasonable expectation, ego, or whatever you intended by your DYKWIA slant.
It's about getting what you paid for pure and simple.
The lounges are an adverrtised feature of the product, not a discretionary item. Business lounges are part of the package. You're paying for it. IF QF were seriously doing some major renovations there'd be no issue.
So tell us what you mean, argue your case with example and reason, tell us where your quote came from, and explain why you are happy to accept a product which you buy which is less than what you paid for? Perhaps also explain when you'd be unhappy about paying for something you didn't get - a cargon full strength beer that turned out to be light, a car with A/C that didn't have the A/C, a business class flight with no drinks and meal service, you're carting lots of luggaage on a QF flight and find they've randonly changed the baggage allowance for business class and you have to pay extra...
I'm usually the kind of person to whom friends will say my problems are "first world problems" - i.e. not being able to get a free massage at the Qantas First Lounge. I'm not usually the one to use the phrase, but comparing QC to a "slum" and - having to "put up" with the "horrible" QC (quote from driley28 above), is a first world problem. Frankly, its a little insulting to people who live in real slums.
Yes, if you've paid an amount of money for an expected service, you should get it. If your IFE monitor doesn't work, that sucks, you should be compensated. If you buy a car with A/C and it doesn't, sure, you should sue the seller.
That's not what this is. This is the equivalent of booking a window seat or an emergency row, then not getting it. You can be disappointed, but sometimes stuff happens. Sometimes they run out of the meal you want. Sometimes you stay at a hotel during Christmas and some usual services are suspended, maybe just because wages are too high during Christmas. Sometimes you order a steak with some peas on the side and you get corn by mistake. You could yell at someone can send it back, or you can just keep things in perspective.
Seriously Platy... Do you pay for Business Class for the Business Class Lounge? It's a benefit of flying Business, and it's not like it is available in every port anyway. Lounge access is part of the package, if there is a Business lounge then that's the bonus.
No, it is a feature, not a benefit. Just like any other (baggage allowance, drinks, priority check in, meal, etc). Valued by some passengers and apparently not by others.
Yep, it's just a lounge Ausflyer. Right on. And yes, I can easily slum it in the QC or transfer my business to VA for the holiday period. Yes, it's not the end of the world, nobody (hopefully) is gonna die or anything dramatic.
But does it inconvenience me when I'm paying up to $10 per minute to fly with QF- yep.
Does it make sense to inconvenience possibly 20,000 customers? I don't think so.
Is it good busines practice given the current competition for premium end customers? I don't think so.
Does it undermine the product differentiation between economy and business class, between Qf and JQ, between QF and VA. Absolutely.
Is QF being honest with its premium and loyal customers? I don't know, but suspect not, but would love to stand corrected and walk into a gorgeously refurb'ed lounge after 12 Jan.
A lot of conspiracy theories about the definition of cleaning on this page.
Its not going to be refurbed.
Just trying to use some common sense here. Maybe its easier to clean in the day time so you don't have to pay cleaners to do it between midnight and 6am. Maybe its faster if you can move all the furniture and do a deep clean of the carpet. Its just like whether you want to do road work in the night time to minimise the inconvenience or do it during the day, which would be cheaper and easier to do.
Of course there is an element of cost involved. Maybe they could have done the same cleaning without it being shut over Christmas, but maybe Christmas business travel is lower and it makes sense to clean it now. But there's no conspiracy. They're cleaning.
Wow Platy... "Is QF being honest with its premium and loyal customers?"... Um... I have absolutely no reason to doubt what they are doing with the lounge. Quite frankly, if they are just dusting the artwork and polishing the cutlery, I couldn't care less.
I am travelling over the period they have closed it and you know what... The fact that they have closed the Business lounge has no impact whatsoever on my travels. It doesn't even factor into slight disappointment. It really is just a lounge!
So maybe they are closing the lounge to save a bit of money over the quiet Christmas - New Year period.
So what??
We as consumers do everything we possibly can do save a dollar. Every little trick in the book. But as soon as a company does it....it's the end of the world!!!
Yep, ecp, so what? You'd be happy to inconvenience 10,000s of your premium customers to dsave a few bucks?
Where do you draw the line? Close the lounges on weekends, perhaps? Remove meals and drinks in business class for flights under 2 hours perhaps? Where?
And yes, QF have done us all a favour - by disrespecting our loyalty we can do exactly what you say - go find the best deal to suit our travel needs and personal preferences.
Go, Joyce, you've created a monster - high yield customers who'll churn their business to get the best value on a flight by flight basis, etc...nice work for your $15 million
So Platy... Why do you continue to fly Qantas then? Why not just take all your business to Virgin and be done with it? Clearly that's where your preferences lie so rather than torment yourself with the failures of Qantas, just fly Virgin and you will be so much happier.
I fly based on the best value on offer at the time of booking. I used to be like you and only fly QF. The lounge access is just one many considerations, actually a minor one as it happens despite the misplaced assumptions and indignation of those who don't seem to value the lounge as much as I do. Other factors include flight schedule, earn/burn rates, etc. today's flight and Sundays flight are to be on QF and the next batch on VA as their double status offer kicks in and I have upgrade vouchers to use.
Actually two flights not affected. Some $5k worth transferred to VA, so please don't jump to conclusions in your rush to abuse. Once these blogs start getting personal its time to say happy travels everyone.
Completely agree ecg... If it is to save a bit of money then why not. We do it every day and it's a sensible thing to do. We do it if we own our own businesses and we even do it if we work for big companies. It truly is not the end of the world... Like I said earlier... It's just a lounge! (I might write a song about it....) :-)
spinoza
spinoza
Member since 01 Feb 2012
Total posts 221
Yes, couldn't agree more. Seriously, some people seem to have a case of the DYKWIAs. "having to put up with the tired QF Club last year was horrible"
Its just the domestic lounge, no one spends much time there, and there's almost so little difference between the business lounge and the qantas club.
PLATY
PLATY
Member since 19 Jan 2012
Total posts 138
Spinoza, it ain't about privilege, unreasonable expectation, ego, or whatever you intended by your DYKWIA slant.
It's about getting what you paid for pure and simple.
The lounges are an adverrtised feature of the product, not a discretionary item. Business lounges are part of the package. You're paying for it. IF QF were seriously doing some major renovations there'd be no issue.
So tell us what you mean, argue your case with example and reason, tell us where your quote came from, and explain why you are happy to accept a product which you buy which is less than what you paid for? Perhaps also explain when you'd be unhappy about paying for something you didn't get - a cargon full strength beer that turned out to be light, a car with A/C that didn't have the A/C, a business class flight with no drinks and meal service, you're carting lots of luggaage on a QF flight and find they've randonly changed the baggage allowance for business class and you have to pay extra...
...
spinoza
spinoza
Member since 01 Feb 2012
Total posts 221
I'm usually the kind of person to whom friends will say my problems are "first world problems" - i.e. not being able to get a free massage at the Qantas First Lounge. I'm not usually the one to use the phrase, but comparing QC to a "slum" and - having to "put up" with the "horrible" QC (quote from driley28 above), is a first world problem. Frankly, its a little insulting to people who live in real slums.
Yes, if you've paid an amount of money for an expected service, you should get it. If your IFE monitor doesn't work, that sucks, you should be compensated. If you buy a car with A/C and it doesn't, sure, you should sue the seller.
That's not what this is. This is the equivalent of booking a window seat or an emergency row, then not getting it. You can be disappointed, but sometimes stuff happens. Sometimes they run out of the meal you want. Sometimes you stay at a hotel during Christmas and some usual services are suspended, maybe just because wages are too high during Christmas. Sometimes you order a steak with some peas on the side and you get corn by mistake. You could yell at someone can send it back, or you can just keep things in perspective.
AusFlyer
AusFlyer
Member since 10 Mar 2011
Total posts 137
Seriously Platy... Do you pay for Business Class for the Business Class Lounge? It's a benefit of flying Business, and it's not like it is available in every port anyway. Lounge access is part of the package, if there is a Business lounge then that's the bonus.
PLATY
PLATY
Member since 19 Jan 2012
Total posts 138
No, it is a feature, not a benefit. Just like any other (baggage allowance, drinks, priority check in, meal, etc). Valued by some passengers and apparently not by others.
PLATY
PLATY
Member since 19 Jan 2012
Total posts 138
Yep, it's just a lounge Ausflyer. Right on. And yes, I can easily slum it in the QC or transfer my business to VA for the holiday period. Yes, it's not the end of the world, nobody (hopefully) is gonna die or anything dramatic.
But does it inconvenience me when I'm paying up to $10 per minute to fly with QF- yep.
Does it make sense to inconvenience possibly 20,000 customers? I don't think so.
Is it good busines practice given the current competition for premium end customers? I don't think so.
Does it undermine the product differentiation between economy and business class, between Qf and JQ, between QF and VA. Absolutely.
Is QF being honest with its premium and loyal customers? I don't know, but suspect not, but would love to stand corrected and walk into a gorgeously refurb'ed lounge after 12 Jan.
Happy holidays!
spinoza
spinoza
Member since 01 Feb 2012
Total posts 221
A lot of conspiracy theories about the definition of cleaning on this page.
Its not going to be refurbed.
Just trying to use some common sense here. Maybe its easier to clean in the day time so you don't have to pay cleaners to do it between midnight and 6am. Maybe its faster if you can move all the furniture and do a deep clean of the carpet. Its just like whether you want to do road work in the night time to minimise the inconvenience or do it during the day, which would be cheaper and easier to do.
Of course there is an element of cost involved. Maybe they could have done the same cleaning without it being shut over Christmas, but maybe Christmas business travel is lower and it makes sense to clean it now. But there's no conspiracy. They're cleaning.
AusFlyer
AusFlyer
Member since 10 Mar 2011
Total posts 137
Wow Platy... "Is QF being honest with its premium and loyal customers?"... Um... I have absolutely no reason to doubt what they are doing with the lounge. Quite frankly, if they are just dusting the artwork and polishing the cutlery, I couldn't care less.
I am travelling over the period they have closed it and you know what... The fact that they have closed the Business lounge has no impact whatsoever on my travels. It doesn't even factor into slight disappointment. It really is just a lounge!
ecg
ecg
Member since 20 Dec 2012
Total posts 21
So maybe they are closing the lounge to save a bit of money over the quiet Christmas - New Year period.
So what??
We as consumers do everything we possibly can do save a dollar. Every little trick in the book. But as soon as a company does it....it's the end of the world!!!
PLATY
PLATY
Member since 19 Jan 2012
Total posts 138
Yep, ecp, so what? You'd be happy to inconvenience 10,000s of your premium customers to dsave a few bucks?
Where do you draw the line? Close the lounges on weekends, perhaps? Remove meals and drinks in business class for flights under 2 hours perhaps? Where?
And yes, QF have done us all a favour - by disrespecting our loyalty we can do exactly what you say - go find the best deal to suit our travel needs and personal preferences.
Go, Joyce, you've created a monster - high yield customers who'll churn their business to get the best value on a flight by flight basis, etc...nice work for your $15 million
AusFlyer
AusFlyer
Member since 10 Mar 2011
Total posts 137
So Platy... Why do you continue to fly Qantas then? Why not just take all your business to Virgin and be done with it? Clearly that's where your preferences lie so rather than torment yourself with the failures of Qantas, just fly Virgin and you will be so much happier.
PLATY
PLATY
Member since 19 Jan 2012
Total posts 138
I fly based on the best value on offer at the time of booking. I used to be like you and only fly QF. The lounge access is just one many considerations, actually a minor one as it happens despite the misplaced assumptions and indignation of those who don't seem to value the lounge as much as I do. Other factors include flight schedule, earn/burn rates, etc. today's flight and Sundays flight are to be on QF and the next batch on VA as their double status offer kicks in and I have upgrade vouchers to use.
ecg
ecg
Member since 20 Dec 2012
Total posts 21
So you're still flying qantas despite the lounges being closed?? If they still supposedly represent the best value then what are you whinging about??
Perhaps you should have a whinge about virgin not having any business class lounges at all!
PLATY
PLATY
Member since 19 Jan 2012
Total posts 138
Actually two flights not affected. Some $5k worth transferred to VA, so please don't jump to conclusions in your rush to abuse. Once these blogs start getting personal its time to say happy travels everyone.
AusFlyer
AusFlyer
Member since 10 Mar 2011
Total posts 137
Completely agree ecg... If it is to save a bit of money then why not. We do it every day and it's a sensible thing to do. We do it if we own our own businesses and we even do it if we work for big companies. It truly is not the end of the world... Like I said earlier... It's just a lounge! (I might write a song about it....) :-)