qantas club going downmarket?
 

yesterday in Melbourne the Qantas club now seems to be split in 2: "business lounge" and "qantas club". I went into the latter, and it was decidedly lean pickings in there. Compared v poorly to the Emirates business lounge in LHR that I visited a month ago.

Is this the way of the future?

Good lord! You didn't expect Qantas to do something for the slf, did you? Q is run for the senior staff and all the other staff. SLF are an inconvenient necessity.

In my experience,, any move to 'improve' 'refresh' etc. the service to customers - is actually the complete opposite.

If a new lounge is added, it is always for the 'upper orders' and the regulars get knocked down a peg.

Half of Australia seems to qualify for Qantas Club these days... not surprising they have to cut the freebies...

Many moons ago, Lufthansa introduced Senator Club for their top frequent flyers and the regular Biz lounge for those not yet in that club. Mostly when humans invent a club, lots of people will join it, then the club is too big and has to be sub-divided. One must maintain one's exclusivity.

6 or 7 years ago I joined the Qantas Club, and paid the fee of a several hundred dollars. It was a total waste of money. First time I visited,the food had run out. Only thing left was a couple of stale sandwiches with wilted lettuce. No sign of anyone re-stocking the food. All I could find was some awful burnt coffee bubbling away on the warmer. The second time was the same, food had gone and the place was packed, nowhere to sit.

I didn't bother visiting again and neither did I renew the membership.

I was in the Perth Platinum lounge the other morning whilst on my way home, as I walked in I was met by a sea of High Viz BHP Biliton workers. This must be costing BHP a freaking fortune if they are flying there staff to/from the worksite with Qantas on such an extent as they are ALL Platinum. I thought the Qantas Club upstairs was bad enough with High Viz but the Platinum lounge left me gob smacked.

You are right, the Qantas Club has gone down a bit in it's standards over the last few years. The old Darwin lounge was a joke but the new lounge seems to be coping

Those guys are flying week in week out and keeping the airline in business... your average holiday maker isnt anywhere near as important

BUT......how would you feel about sitting in the Q lounge, about to go on holiday or travel to work on business after a mine worker had been sitting in the seat previously who's high viz were covered in oil/grease and dirt and hydraulic fluid. Don't say it doesn't happen because I have seen it many many times before in Darwin, Perth Karratha etc. It's not about the average holiday maker but more about the business person in smart casual or a suite who gets said great/oil and fluids over their shirts and trousers. I don't mind the high viz I the lounge on the way to work but it's post work when they are covered that pi$$'s me off.