On a more lighthearted note…
Qantas is known for their dedication to premium branding. For example, Qantas has worked with Neil Perry and Mark Newson on their lounge food and decor, respectively. The airline has extremely consistent branding, which is why I was a bit surprised by what I saw yesterday.
I had a long layover at LAX yesterday evening due to American’s incompetence, and a good friend traveling internationally happened to be at the airport around the same time, so he guested me into the excellent Qantas First Class Lounge.
The lounge has great shower rooms, so I took the opportunity to shower after my flight from Fiji and before my domestic connection.
I was assigned a shower room, and was a bit surprised to see the below pouch hanging off the wall holding the hair dryer. Now, China Eastern and Qantas do have a partnership for routes between China and Australia, though I doubt that has somehow been extended to Los Angeles. 😉
It’s exactly the same shoe bag I had on my China Eastern flight a couple of weeks ago!
On the plus side, at least the shower attendants aren’t up to their creative way of requesting tips anymore… 😉
It always gives me a good chuckle when airline branding goes bad. Once in a while I’ll see a Delta or United glass on an American flight, for example, which seems like an easy enough oversight. But I always wonder how something like this happens. Did someone steal one of Qantas’ hair dryer bags and leave a China Eastern shoe bag instead? And then did the shower attendants think that their manager would be happy if they used it as a replacement?
@John - Is domestic access not permitted if you're connecting from or to a long-haul international flight?
Oneworld Emerald through AA would not allow lounge access prior to a US domestic flight. Read the oneworld.com lounge access rules.
@Susan - By the same token, lucky would only be accepted as someone else's guest if he were also travelling on a oneworld operated and marketed flight. I was under the assumption he was flying AA so if he had oneworld Emerald status himself he wouldn't need to be guested in.
@emercycrite: "Doesn’t lucky have oneworld Emerald status?"
To be eligible to visit the Qantas lounge as a oneworld Emerald status member...
"Next onward flight that day must be on a oneworld operated and marketed flight.#"
At least Qantas have a Lounge and staff in LA! NOT the case in Bangkok, A major Asian hub!
Might be just a one-off. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a branding fail. Surely not something Qantas HQ has endorsed.
By the way, it's Marc Newson.
The glasses being mixed up.. That's done by the inflight caterer and it does happen when they handle hundreds of thousands of cutlery for different airlines per day. Maybe you should request to go inside an inflight kitchen. Definitely worth the experience!
Doesn't lucky have oneworld Emerald status?
@Jason - was the only one who entered a comment that showed any thought.
Sadly Qantas partnered with low quality airlines such as American and Chinese Eastern!
I once found Azul branded headphones on an Air Canada GRU/YYZ flight. It was in business class so it was one of those 'hard wired' headphones that you can't just detach. Very confusing...guess AC must have had repair work done in Brazil and the contractors just used whatever they had.
MU and QF are actually in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, given that they've signed quite a few code-share agreements on PVG-SYD, PVG-MEL, and the upcoming PVG-BNE route.Basically, they have formed a monopoly in the Shanghai-Australia market. But still... this is ridiculous...and somewhat amusing...
I'm sure that the actual cleaning/ maintenance of those spaces is outsourced at LAX. Was probably just a mix up .
They are indeed partner airlines, but surprising in a OneWorld lounge all the same.
@ John @ Kevin T. @ Ross -- Wasn't aware, thanks. Post updated!
Hi Lucky, actually, QF and MU are partners! Look at the title of this QF press release: "CUSTOMERS WIN AS EXPANDED QANTAS AND CHINA EASTERN AGREEMENT TAKES OFF"
http://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/customers-win-as-expanded-qantas-and-china-eastern-agreement-takes-off/
They partner on Australia - China routes
http://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-and-china-eastern-welcome-accc-authorisation-of-joint-venture/