Will Qantas open its own lounge at San Francisco?

12 replies

timothyshears

Member since 26 Jul 2017

Total posts 19

With Qantas already flying to San Fran from both Sydney and Melbourne and talk of Brisbane when next batch of 787s arrive. Do you think Qantas will open their own lounge???

John Phelan

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 28 Oct 2011

Total posts 262

Unlikely. But SFO could be an option for a combined oneworld lounge...…..

QFP1

Member since 05 Mar 2015

Total posts 25

I don't think there'd be the numbers to support a dedicated Qantas lounge, and space is already very tight at SFO's international terminal. BA will have its refurbished SFO lounge open at the end of this year and I'd like to think that Qantas will use this like it did in the past, because it offered 'direct boarding' which was very handy.

I agree with John Phelan that a combined OneWorld lounge at SFO would make a lot of sense, I just can't see it happening when BA is full steam ahead on upgrading its own lounge there. And you'd need to get a big chunk of space, the CX lounge is already full ahead of its own evening flights.

346

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 10 May 2017

Total posts 55

I'd be very surprised if they do

patrickk

Qantas

Member since 19 Apr 2012

Total posts 737

With qantas going three flight a day presumably at much the same time they will need something largish.

greg959

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 15 May 2019

Total posts 64

They need to do something about the current situation, which seriously detracts from the quality of their product on those routes.


When I was there in Frbruit was standing room only and a Cathay customer stole my seat and moved all of my personal belongings to the floor when I went to pick up my noodles from the kitchen.

Nick Sydney 2

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 22 Jul 2015

Total posts 83

They need to do something about the current situation, which seriously detracts from the quality of their product on those routes.

When I was there in Frbruit was standing room only and a Cathay customer stole my seat and moved all of my personal belongings to the floor when I went to pick up my noodles from the kitchen.

There is an end to this story so would be interesting to read what happened next. Crowded lounges can lead to the occasional spat. Did you get your seat back?

MarkivJ

Member since 22 Jan 2018

Total posts 11

SFo lounges in that A terminal, barring CX are all a right royal mess thanks to space issues.

Red Cee

Member since 15 Feb 2018

Total posts 151

For a planned three planes a day, I can’t see it happening.

greg959

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 15 May 2019

Total posts 64

They need to do something about the current situation, which seriously detracts from the quality of their product on those routes.

When I was there in Frbruit was standing room only and a Cathay customer stole my seat and moved all of my personal belongings to the floor when I went to pick up my noodles from the kitchen.

There is an end to this story so would be interesting to read what happened next. Crowded lounges can lead to the occasional spat. Did you get your seat back?

I didn’t. I got stuck into him but his command of English wasn’t great and he basically just ignored me. Ended up leaving the noodles in the buffet area and going to the gate to sit there. I’ve tended to book with other airlines for work trips to SF since. Not having the ability to work productively in the lounge is a major negative.

kimshep

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 11 Oct 2014

Total posts 412

For a planned three planes a day, I can’t see it happening.

Based purely on seat numbers, not sure I understand your logic, Red Cee.

3 x B787-9's (each with 236 seats) into SFO would account for 6 flights with a total 1,416 seats per day. Compare that to Honolulu (HNL) which has an existing QF lounge and only 4 QF (A330 or B747-400 seasonally) and 2 JQ B787-8 flights per week.

Since the QF B787-9 does not carry First Class, there would be little to no demand for a separate First Lounge, but a case could certainly be made for a 300-350 seat Business lounge (depending on scheduled arrival / departure time ex SFO). Given that the 3 flights would represent SFO-SYD/MEL/BNE, the expected operating pattern may well be similar to that operated by QF in LAX ie: grouped closely together, rather than scattered throughout the day. So, to operate you might see 2 x 6 hour daily staff shifts (out-sourced to whatever appropriate hotel group).

Remember also that SFO has been served longer than any other QF destination in the Americas. In excess of 50 years IIRC, so there is a bit of historical significance attached to SFO as a port. I mention this not in the vein of a 'vanity' point, but one where the addition of a dedicated QF lounge would be a decided marketing and revenue advantage to QF. AA does not yet have a new style Flagship Lounge at SFO and the existing Admirals Club Lounge is a bit on the average side.

As is stated elsewhere, a combined Oneworld lounge would be the best answer / solution, but based on number of flights a QF Lounge could conceivably be justified, It also may be possible for QF to secure space within the terminal for a smaller, dedicated lounge -whereas the larger space for an integrated oneworld shared product may be a stretch.

Last editedby kimshep at Jun 15, 2019, 10:48 AM.

Himeno

Member since 12 Dec 2012

Total posts 295

There isn't much space at SFO for new or expanded lounges. They might be planning to add such a space once the redevelopment is complete, but that's still some years away.

The long term plan for SFO is to have oneworld's non US members in the A wing of the International terminal (which they already are) and for AA to be in T1 (B and C gates) next door with a new airside connector between the A and B gates. The section of the B gates next to the A gate wing is currently closed for the construction work.

AA are currently in T2 (D gates) after T2 completed its redevelopment and they moved in from T3. SFO added an airside connector between the C and D gates after the US/AA merger so that people could check in at T2 and get to flights departing from the then US C gates.

I suspect the current oneworld lounge options at SFO will be all they can do at least until they complete the T1 redevelopment "between 2020 and 2022".

kimshep

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 11 Oct 2014

Total posts 412

There isn't much space at SFO for new or expanded lounges. They might be planning to add such a space once the redevelopment is complete, but that's still some years away.

I suspect the current oneworld lounge options at SFO will be all they can do at least until they complete the T1 redevelopment "between 2020 and 2022".


Thanks @Himeno for your good explanation of the future SFO International plan, of which I am personally aware.


However, it is cogent to bear in mind that QF's international lounge development plan is currently devised somewhat along the lines of a 2 year window, based on forward capex, formulation of airport contract(s), design, supply of labour, materials etc - so we already have a picture on what is planned over the next two years ie: SIN First Lounge, redevelopment and expansion of SYD Business Lounge etc.

I'd counter that if QF were to nominate plans for a new lounge in SFO tomorrow (a somewhat highly unlikely event) that it would take 2-2.5 years to come to fruition, in any case. So, with the current SFO International Airport development plans underway, I wouldn't suggest that this would impact on QF at all - in fact, it may well be accreditive.

My point - as previously stated - is that a composite oneworld lounge at SFO would be the preferred solution, but with most things, never say never. Airlines such as BA, QF, CX, AA would have 'insider' insights to the overall SFO plan, which we are not privy to.


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