JustYield Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 How do you interpret the below statement which a package tour operator emailed me this week? We have partnered with No.1 Traveller, the airport lounge specialist, so that you can relax in style before your flight. Your entry includes a complimentary cold buffet selection, with breakfast optionsbefore 11am such as cereal and pastries, or daytime options including antipasti and salads after 11am. A hot dish from the kitchen is also included, and complimentary juices and soft drinks, speciality teas and coffee, wine, beer and spirits are available throughout the day from a fully-tended bar. When you’re in the lounge, you can take advantage of the unlimited free Wi-Fi, newspapers, magazines and TVs or just sit back and enjoy the panoramic runway views. No 1 Traveller Lounges welcome families and offer an ideal opportunity to recover from the stresses of travelling to the airport before continuing your journey to the Alps.The lounges are available at Gatwick North or South terminal, Stansted, Birmingham and Heathrow Terminal 3. To book just click Do you expect this to be fully complimentary, or do you expect to have to pay? I genuinely don't know and will be checking with them tomorrow, but I suspect it is a deliberately misleading piece of cross selling. (Certainly making me a little cross to be aske d to pay £65 when I "clicked" to book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Do you expect this to be fully complimentary, or do you expect to have to pay? The lounge at Gatwick North or South terminal is just £20 for three hours or £30 for Heathrow. Look out for our special What’s Hot Lounge Offer this month ! https://www.lotusbusinesstravel.com/newsletter/2012/april/fullstories.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 It is ambiguous IMPO. Some of it - such as the cold buffet - is complimentary but the hot stuff after 11AM sounds as if it may or may not be. Although it says a hot dish is included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erat_forte Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 We have partnered with ...Your entry includes... Does not say your entry to the lounge is complimentary. Expect to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 How do you interpret the below statement which a package tour operator emailed me this week? We have partnered with No.1 Traveller, the airport lounge specialist, so that you can relax in style before your flight. Your entry includes a complimentary cold buffet selection, with breakfast optionsbefore 11am such as cereal and pastries, or daytime options including antipasti and salads after 11am. A hot dish from the kitchen is also included, and complimentary juices and soft drinks, speciality teas and coffee, wine, beer and spirits are available throughout the day from a fully-tended bar. When you’re in the lounge, you can take advantage of the unlimited free Wi-Fi, newspapers, magazines and TVs or just sit back and enjoy the panoramic runway views. No 1 Traveller Lounges welcome families and offer an ideal opportunity to recover from the stresses of travelling to the airport before continuing your journey to the Alps.The lounges are available at Gatwick North or South terminal, Stansted, Birmingham and Heathrow Terminal 3. To book just click Do you expect this to be fully complimentary, or do you expect to have to pay? I genuinely don't know and will be checking with them tomorrow, but I suspect it is a deliberately misleading piece of cross selling. (Certainly making me a little cross to be aske d to pay £65 when I "clicked" to book. No idea from the text, but you could easily pay for the privilege of entry to the lounge and then be given a complimentary cold buffet for which you had paid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustYield Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 It is ambiguous IMPO. Some of it - such as the cold buffet - is complimentary but the hot stuff after 11AM sounds as if it may or may not be. Although it says a hot dish is included. It's all complimentary once you've paid for entry! Not sure what I expected really, too good to be true and it was... But both me and my wife thought we had free use of a lounge before the flight and didn't think too much more, until I went to book and the offer is revealed to be nothIng more than an advert for the paid lounge service, which might be of interest to some I suppose. I felt it was sneakily worded and rather than delighting me as a customer, they've pissed me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustYield Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Does not say your entry to the lounge is complimentary. Expect to pay. Yes, figured that out now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Well spotted - I had fallen for it. So you pay to get in and then it is all free inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 It's all complimentary once you've paid for entry! This is what I would have expected I felt it was sneakily worded and rather than delighting me as a customer, they've pissed me off. So I wouldn't be p1ssed off But it's a sad corporate world where street corner tricks are used to make a fast buck. Without any ad hominem intent, I wanted an excuse to post this although unfortunately, I can't find the better Crawford version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustYield Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 This is what I would have expected So I wouldn't be p1ssed off But it's a sad corporate world where street corner tricks are used to make a fast buck. I'm only p-ed off to the extent that I felt they were deliberately misleading in their wording, once I thought about if for a minute I realised it couldn't possibly be "free" but then I was left wondering why I'd even thought it could be... And so looked again at their phrasing. In Monk's example above, they reveal the price of entry at the bottom, in my email they leave you to discover the price once you click through. I don't know if it warrants a complaint, or if as you say this is just the way corporates behave now. This from the lounge service provider FAQ: Who can use our lounges? Our lounges are situated after security and are available to all checked-in departing passengers; you do not need to be flying with a particular airline or ticket class to enjoy the facilities. So that is definitely misleading - there is no partnership over and above what joe public enjoys anyway. Just wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 The entire airline industry in the UK seems designed to rip off customers these days IMPO. Thew big problem IMPO is that MPs get all their air travel free and when they arrive at airports in the UK they all get the VIP treatment, allowed into first class lounges, often bumped up to first class, treated as almost gods by the airline staff... and hence they have not a clue about how the rest of us are screwed by the airline industry. I think I have told my Neil Kinnock story on here before a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I'm only p-ed off to the extent that I felt they were deliberately misleading in their wording, once I thought about if for a minute I realised it couldn't possibly be "free" but then I was left wondering why I'd even thought it could be... And so looked again at their phrasing. In Monk's example above, they reveal the price of entry at the bottom, in my email they leave you to discover the price once you click through. I don't know if it warrants a complaint, or if as you say this is just the way corporates behave now. This from the lounge service provider FAQ: Who can use our lounges? Our lounges are situated after security and are available to all checked-in departing passengers; you do not need to be flying with a particular airline or ticket class to enjoy the facilities. So that is definitely misleading - there is no partnership over and above what joe public enjoys anyway. Just wow. I agree, it is deliberately misleading. I guess I am just too cynical these days regarding what is dressed as a selling point Faux leather...rather than the garment is plastic Aqua... rather than this perfume is mainly water Real wood veneer...rather than the furniture carcass is junk Glued and Screwed...there is not a dovetail joint in sight Utterly butterly And the winner: 4 years interest free credit Etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 2 adults travelling 21.12.2012 from Gatwick...lounge costs £45 https://www.no1traveller.com/secure/default.aspx If you look at that it only allows you to access the lounge 3 hours before your flight... I have not flown for a long time but when you take into account the amount of time that you need to allow to board the aircraft prior to the flight departing... surely just 3 hours before the flight in the lounge is not much... I mean, you ain't going to be using that last hour are you at least - you will be in the process of boarding an hour before the flight aren't you... if not 2 hours before... Of course, you can add extra hours at £10 per hour per person Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustYield Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 2 adults travelling 21.12.2012 from Gatwick...lounge costs £45 https://www.no1traveller.com/secure/default.aspx That's right. They also charge a tenner for children, hence £65 for us to take advantage of this exclusive, complimentary, partnership deal to help cope with the stresses getting to the departure gate. What a crock. I'd love to see Stewart Lee deconstruct the email in a stand up routine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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