Lounge Access For Business Class

[Ryan N]

What's the rule for access to the Business Class or Qantas Club lounge? A friend of mine was refused entry because she used her points to redeem a business class flight.

[Bernie P]

I ALWAYS redeem points for J flights to MELB and I ALWAYS get access to the Business Lounge...

[Daniel F]

Your friend should not have been refused entry. Lounge access rules are the same whether you paid for your business class flight or redeemed through points. For domestic lounges they only look at the boarding pass, which does not indicate whether the ticket is a paid or redemption ticket.

[Ryan N]

That's what I thought. Nothing was mentioned in the Qantas website.

[David Knudsen]

How did they know she'd redeemed points? Is it no longer a case of flashing your J class boarding pass to get into the lounge?

[Bevan Webber]

There was a change at Qantas in the last 2 years that anyone flying business class can now access the Qantas J lounges or Qantas Club lounges when flying Business Class.

Before this time you had to be a Qantas Club or Qantas Gold or Platinum frequent flyer to access the lounge.

Don't ask me the date when the change occur as I don't remember.

[Ash W]

Just to add Bevan the rules you mention were specifically for domestic. International has always allow business class passengers into the Qantas club.

[Ryan N]

My friend told me she was denied access to the Qantas Club but was able to get into the Business lounge.

[Ash W]

Are you sure she was actually denied entry, or were the staff at the Qantas club merely pointing out to her that she was entitled to use the separate business lounge?

[Ryan N]

She told me because she was using points, she was not able to use the Qantas Club lounge. This was why she queried it because she was able to use the Qantas Club when she flew from Perth a couple of years ago. I guess that was back in the days when the business class lounge was not available.

[Ash W]

The problem I have Ryan is firstly you said she was denied entry to the Qantas club, but then later mentioned she was allowed access to the business class lounge. I assume this was the same trip and same airport?

My point being maybe your friend miss interpreted what she was being told when she was 'refused' entry to the Qantas club, when in fact they may have well been directing her to the business class lounge which she is entitled to use on an upgrade. It is all in the interpretation.

[Ryan N]

It's the same trip Ash.

I didn't go into the finer details of her query with her. Anyway, the trip is over now so it will be interesting to see what happens the next time we fly.

[Bernie P]

As I said, the last time I redeemed points for a J fare down and a Y fare back, was Friday week ago 13/5-14/5/2011, and I had no issues getting into the BUSINESS LOUNGE...

I am thinking that the person was turned away from the Qantas Club, and perhaps misunderstood that they actually had access to go into the BUSINESS LOUNGE, so a simple mistake in communication...