Qantas have launched a free lounge access promotion for those flying between June this year and the end of February 2020. Registered economy flyers can gain complimentary access to their business lounges in Australia at no cost to themselves. However, there is a catch; you need to be aged between 18 and 35 to qualify.
On the back of Qantas’ launch of their ‘points plane’ for frequent flyers comes another interesting promotion. This time, it’s free access to their excellent lounges in Australia, but only if you’re the right demographic.
This Qantas lounge access promotion is only for invited flyers, and only for those aged between 18 and 35. There’s no need to book a premium seat, as any economy flight is eligible. However, the more mature of us need not apply.
The details of the Qantas free lounge promotion
In order to be eligible for this offer, passengers will need to tick a few boxes with Qantas. Specifically, they must:
- Be aged between 18 and 35
- Be registered for the offer before their flight is booked
- Book a flight both marketed and operated by Qantas before August 31st, 2019
- Flight numbers must start QF
- Book for a flight that departs between 1st June 2019 and 29th February 2020
- Book a minimum of seven days before travel
- Quote your Qantas frequent flyer number at the point of booking
As you need to quote your frequent flyer number at the point of booking, clearly you need to be part of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program prior to booking. Qantas offer free sign up for new frequent flyers, so there’s nothing to lose by getting registered.
According to the Qantas website, the age restriction is applicable at the time of registration, so if you turn 36 before the flight departs, you should still be able to use the offer.
Passengers need to travel on Qantas operated flights with a QF number, and in economy class. Jetstar, Emirates and other partner airline flights will not be eligible.
What can you get with the free lounge offer?
Simple Flying reviewed the Qantas lounge in Sydney, and found the facilities to be pretty good. There are a couple of different options for restaurants, as well as comfortable seating and workstation areas.
While the offering at Qantas lounges is usually very good, they also tend to be pretty busy. Food is highly westernized, which is fine for Aussies traveling abroad but might not be so great for other nationalities looking for a taste of home.
In terms of restrictions, each passenger is limited to just one complimentary pass during the offer period. Passengers who make more than one eligible flight during the promotion will not be able to claim a second (or third, fourth…) pass. The pass is valid for the booked traveler only, so if another person is traveling with you who would be eligible, they will need to register individually.
Complimentary lounge passes are being issued only for Qantas lounges in Australia, so you can’t use it for a return flight in a partner lounge.
Is it a good offer?
While we’re always up for any free lounge access we can get our hands on, this one does seem like a bit of a strange offering. The age restriction is a bit interesting to see; clearly Qantas are looking to snag those travelers who probably don’t have status yet, but who might think of getting lounge access in the future.
As well as getting younger people who have probably never been in an airport lounge hooked on the concept, Qantas may be attempting to bring back some of the younger sector who have previously abandoned them in favor of cheaper airlines.
Although we clearly see the business decisions that led to the development of this promotion, it also seems to be flying rather close to Australian anti-discrimination legislation. Even if it is legal to run the offer, we fully expect a few noses to be put out of joint as a result.
Do you fit into the Qantas target demographic? Will you be taking advantage of this promotion? Let us know in the comments.