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News: All domestic Qantas Clubs will now start serving alcohol at 2pm, as opposed to the previous midday opening time, except in the new Business sections where a Noon start remains. The change comes as Qantas tries to save money in any way possible, even just from having the bar open slightly less. It is also seen as an attempt to drive customers to buy business tickets.
Qantas have a large network of lounges, at both international and domestic airports.
Domestically, the lounge system has recently changed, so that now there are two types of lounges. There are the normal Domestic Qantas Club lounges for which you need to pay for membership of the QantasClub, or a Gold Qantas Frequent Flyer membership card. There are also the new Domestic Business Class Lounges, which you can access on a Business Class ticket, or with a Platinum Frequent Flier member card (or oneWorld Emerald). Previously there was no access with any Business Class ticket: a strange oversight, and this is is a very welcome change, which will align the domestic Business access policy with international Business where customers are able to access the Business Lounge. However customers in Business Class will not be able to invite a guest into the Qantas Club with them. Qantas Club members can.
Change is afoot in the domestic Qantas Clubs. As a result of the change of adding a business class section, all Qantas Clubs will now start serving alcohol at 2pm, as opposed to the previous Noon opening time. This in turn is a change from the 1pm bar start in 2005, when business class passengers were finally admitted to the lounges.
Qantas 717 at Hobart |
International lounges are similarly split between Business Class and First Class, and you can either get in with membership of the QantasClub, a Saphire oneWorld Frequent Flyer card, Emerald oneWorld (for the First lounges), or if you are flying business or First class.
Becoming a member of the QantasClub is a complicated business - you can join either as an individual, as a partner of someone who is a member, or as a corporate member (if your company pays), all at different prices. The price you then pay is also dependent on whether you live in Australia, and if you then pay income tax down under. Special discounts also apply for silver Frequentflyer members. Membership lasts a year (or two or four years if you buy a long sequence of them), and renewing membership then qualifies for another discount. As the table on the right shows, a dedicated quote may be required.
 QantasClub the wine selection in Sydney |
If you are a Sliver Frequentflyer member, you get one invite to the lounges for free with your welcome pack. Gold Frequentflyer members get free membership for a year.
QantasClub Melbourne Domestic |
Jetstar flights are a weird one. If you are on a Qantas codeshare you always get in if you would have got in on a normal Qantas flight. If you are on a pure Jetstar booking, you can also get access to the lounges if you are a member of the QantasClub, or Gold or Silver with Qantas Frequent Flyer. Gold with British Airways also lets you in, and is an unadvertised benefit, but this, and other frequent flyer tiers, can give a lot of problems getting access. The rules aren't published on any website, but it is on the clue-cards that the lounge staff have at reception.
QantasClub Sydney T3, central area |
Being a member of the QantasClub is also a great way to get into the British Airways lounges (Terraces and Executive Club lounges), American Airlines (Admirals Club) lounges and US Airways (Club) lounges. You will automatically get in even if you are travelling economy. As BA do not sell access, this is the only way of getting in by paying up front. You can not, however, get into the Oneworld lounges on other Oneworld partner flights unless the flight is a Qantas codeshare (for Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Qantas and LanChile).
QantasClub Melbourne Domestic |
Outside of Australia, Qantas mainly use partner lounges. In London its the British Airways Terraces lounge (Terminal 3), while Frankfurt has the Delta Airlines Crown Room Club (by gate D8).
There is a dedicated QantasClub lounge in Bangkok (Terminal 2, near Gates 51 - 56, open 1300 to 2400), a shared Qantas and British Airways lounge in Singapore (Terminal 1), and a brand new Qantas Club at Hong Kong (Level 7) while Tokyo uses the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge (by gate 61).
QantasClub Sydney T3 Domestic, the quiet area |
Honolulu amazingly has its own dedicated QantasClub (Airside, EWA Concourse, above Gate 26 open 2100 to 0130), while in New York there is the very good British Airways Terraces lounge (above Departures).
In Los Angeles Qantas operates from two terminals: Terminal 4 and Tom Bradley International Terminal. If you depart from Terminal 4 then there is a joint Qantas Club and Admiral's Club there which will accept Qantas Passengers (and, indeed, they setup a Qantas desk in the lounge when there's an imminent QF departure from T4). At Tom Bradley International (TBIT) there is no Qantas Club but a combined oneworld lounge shared by Qantas, BA and Cathay Pacific (5th Floor), and access here can be trickier without the right oneworld status. Conversely there is free alcohol and champers in TBIT, but in the Admiral's Club in Terminal 4 at LAX collect some vouchers at the desk if you plan to have a drink. You can go airside between the 2 terminals, so you can make up your mind, but they tend to get sniffy if you want to access both lounges. There is also a pay for access lounge landside at TBIT, called the ReLAX lounge, or you can pay for acess into the Admirals Club at US$50.
Nadi is an odd one. The Tabua Club lounge at Nadi used to be a joint Air Fiji Tabua Club & Qantas Club lounge, but Qantas pulled out of this arrangement, so you need to get a complimentary invitation at check in if you are in business, and the usual Qantas Club cards or bronze invitations can't be used on the Fiji codeshare, even if it has a Qantas code.
In Australia there are dedicated International QantasClub lounges at Adelaide (Departures Level, near Gate 2), Brisbane (Level 4), Cairns (Level 1, right of Security), Melbourne (Level 1), Perth (Gate 2), and Sydney (Pier B).
At Sydney Qantas have both a Business Class and First Class lounge. Unlike domestic, Qantas Club members can use the the Business Class lounge, with First reserved for Platinum & those with a real First Class ticket. To find the lounge, once through security take the escalator beside the change counter next to the Oyster bar. Business class is left all the way along the shelf like balcony: the lounge entrance is at the far end, while First Class is on the upper floor, normally at least three lounge dragons carefully vet anyone who tries to come in. Beware that this place can get packed in the afternoon before the early evening flights depart.
Sydney International First Class lounge |
Sydney International First Class lounge |
The lounge itself is divided up by wooden partitions, so it doesn't seem as big as it is. It's a classy place, full of white marble and rather uncomfortable designer chairs (leather lounge chairs, recliners, and sofas are by Italy's Poltrona Frau. This is not a recomendation). As you come in the dining area is on your left, and the library (and mobile free zone) is on the right. Huge American oak sculptures that separate the lounge space into defined areas
The bar is absolutely top notch. with a fine selection of pretty much every spirit you'd like, and with decent champers. It's open from the first flights.
Food is equally good. There is no self-serve snackbar: instead there are menus (menus by Neil Perry), and you have to ask the staff for what you'd like (there is a chair-side waiter service throughout the lounge). You can sit at the bar, and they will cook the food infront of you, or you can sit in the main dining area. A firm favourite in the mornings is eggs benedit with salmon.
Sydney International First Class lounge |
There is a dedicated entertainment zone with banks of plasma screens showing local and international news, sport and weather, and Sony Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable entertainment systems offering a pretty good selection of games. There are state-of-the-art business facilities with 11 Computers, complimentary wifi internet access, data points throughout the lounge and two private work suites with conference facilities and plasma display screens.
Sydney International First Class lounge |
Around the back there are luxurious individual marble-lined shower suites with individual stereo volume and lighting controls, radiant heating to reduce condensation on the mirrors, and luggage racks. As if that wasn't enough, the First Lounge is located on level four of the Sydney International Terminal and was designed to comply with both Flying Star Feng Shui and classic Feng Shui elements.
You can get access to this lounge if you are in First (international) of course, but you can also get into the lounge if you fly on a cheap domestic ticket, but with a oneworld Emerald card. You can connect to Melbourne from Terminal 1 on QF 74 and QF 136. Other domestically oprated international flights are QF 81 to Adelaide (this is the last scheduled flight that works, giving you longest at the bar), QF 175 to Brisbane, QF 167 to Cairns and QF 123 to Darwin.
 Sydney International Qantas Club Business Class lounge |
Downstairs from the First Lounge is the very much downmarket International Qantas Business Lounge, which is both the Qantas Club Sydney International, and the Qantas International Business Lounge Sydney. It’s for pretty much everyone who isn’t in First, and that includes British Airways and Cathay Pacific, and anyone who is Sapphire and above on a oneworld flight. As a result, this place can get packed in early afternoon before the early evening flights depart.
 Sydney International Qantas Club Business Class lounge |
To find the lounge, once through security walk up the stairs beside the change counter next to the Oyster bar, then left all the way along the shelf like balcony: the lounge entrance is at the far end, with normally at least three lounge dragons carefully vetting anyone who tries to come in. There isn’t the easy ‘wave your card and you’re in’ routine that there is in the domestic Qantas clubs at the Qantas international business lounge Sydney.
The lounge itself is very long and narrow, split up by screens made out of wooden slats, with the usual Qantas striped carpet and dull assortment of chairs. TVs are screwed to some of the vertical screens, which show Sky News (or occasionally ABC News 24). The view is however spectacular throughout most of the lounge, with amazing views of the runways and even distant views of Sydney’s CBD. Alas, there is bland lift music playing the lounge most of the time, with few places to escape from it.
 Sydney International Qantas Club Business Class lounge |
The entrance in the middle of the lounge, which extends long and thin to the left and right, while right in front of you is the bar area with nibbles and multiple wine coolers. As you go left there is plenty of seating against the windows, and small triangular shaped areas that are the food area, another bar, yet more seats, and at the end a family area, with a kids playroom. This is a quiet area, and where you can find five loungers if you want a sleep. If you walk the other way there is a coffee bar, another bar, and finally computers at the far end.
 Sydney International Qantas Club Business Class lounge |
The bar is equally good, and of course there are no restrictions on opening hours at the Qantas Club lounge Sydney International. If you are a wine drinker, the long white bar should be your port of call, with three whites in coolers in the table top plus a sparkling, while reds are on the table top. The bar top is set out for dining, but few people do. The other two self serve bars have a delight rarely found in airline lounges: cider in draft! It is Magners, along with Cascade and Stella Artois. There is more sparkling wine, along with three whites and three reds, while in the fridge are bottles of beer (VB & Tooeys) and a soft drink fountain with Coke. Plenty of jugs of juice are also on the worktop.
 Sydney International Qantas Club Business Class lounge |
There is a barrista station in the lounge, however the hours are a bit variable. It is only open until 9.30am most days, and then again from 4pm. This is a bit odd, as many international passengers will have majorly skewed body clocks, but you can of course make a cup of coffee yourself.
 Sydney International Qantas Club Business Class lounge |
There are very good Business facilities in the Sydney Qantas International Business Class lounge. On the extreme right hand side of the lounge there are ten iMac computers that run both Mac OS and Windows, with decent laminated instructions at each computer incase you’ve never used a Mac before. The computers are very fast. The view from here has to be one of the best from any workstation at an airport, with sweeping views of the apron. Indeed, this almost seems like a waste, as many people keep their eyes on the screen, while they are wobbling on the ergonomic low stools which make sitting on a computer here a bit of a pain. There is also a printer and photocopier at the back of the lounge. There is free Wifi in the lounge – select Telstra, and then click in the Qantas Logo. It’s very fast. There are power points in the main seating areas, but they can be a bit hard to come by: they are on the window side of the low polished stone walls.
| Qantas Sydney Int'nat'l lounges |  |
| ►More details, larger pictures and Photo Gallery. |
There is a magazine rack next to one of the triangles, with the SMH, Australian and Financial Review, but with a poor selection of magazines. There’s Business Traveller there, and a few other good financial mags, but that’s about it for entertainment, and all the decent magazines have large stickers saying they shouldn’t be removed from the lounge.
Finally, there are showers in the recently remodelled bathrooms, which are a wonder to behold. They really are very good, full of arty basins and designer taps.
Singapore Qantas First lounge |
Singapore Qantas Club lounge |
The lounge is shared with BA, and further details are in the British Airways page.
Singapore Qantas Club lounge |
This is SO much better than the first side. It looks like a normal Qantas Club, and it shows: you could be in Oz. It's vast, overlooking the main pleb checkin / landside area. It has what is described as a fresh, new, innovative design, featuring contemporary and stylish furniture and fittings, and has a seating capacity for 400. It's vast, overlooking the main checkin and landside area.
Singapore Qantas Club lounge bar |
There are two long bars. The one on the left is the funkiest, with bar managers who will make up cocktails for you. On the right its self serve only.
Food is the usual Qantas mix of salads and sandwiches, plus a hot soup. There is free Wifi, and plenty of computers, with a long rack of them on the right on a long shelf, or near the bar, in cubby holes (which have their own printers).
Singapore Qantas Club lounge food |
There are new bathrooms facilities, with 20 private shower suites and a paging system to let you know when they are available.
There are good business facilities, which includes 6 private workstations (on the left hand side of the lounge) and 18 high speed internet PCs, oddly placed on the benches overlooking the window to the right. Here there are also printing, photocopying, and fax facilities. There is free wifi (talk to reception for settings), and data ports are located throughout the lounge at the other seats. At the back of the lounge is what is called the Entertainment zones, featuring large television screens. There is a very good selection of magazines and newspapers, both from the UK and Australia.
 Hong Kong Qantas Club It has a superb bar, with Qantas Moooi white globes |
Qantas and British Airways share a lounge in Hong Kong, although it really is Qantas themed downstairs in the rather gloomy Business Class section. Upstairs used to be the British Airways terraces, and is now the light bright and airy First Class area.
Both Qantas lounges in Hong Kong were revamped for the start of 2010, and both have the new swish design, with lots of dark carpets and squashy armchairs. Alas the First Class section is closed during the day from 10am to 4pm, and at this time you'll be directed downstairs to the Business section, which goes into semi-closure: food is reduced, although there is still a bar and showers, although it may be hard to find staff to let you into the showers.
 Hong Kong Qantas Club |
To find this lounge take a right immediately after security, through duty free and go past the Singapore Airlines Silver Kris lounge, and then take the escalator descending into the bowels of the airport, at the bottom of which is the reception desk. Once past here showers are on the right, a small ante room in ahead of you, and the bulk of the lounge is on the left.
 Hong Kong Qantas Club |
The main section of the long thin Hong Kong Qantas Club is past the large white marble bar, however many people choose to remain here: why is unclear, because it makes this part of the lounge insanely busy with lots of people hanging around; maybe they really don't want to miss their flight - which is odd as Qantas usually use gate 15 and 16 for their Sydney and Melbourne departures from Hong Kong which are right opposite the lounge.
Further on it is generally a lot emptier, with a large central area: on the floor here is a famous rug by Akira Isogawa. On the right are squashy armchairs near a telly, usually on the Australian Network, there's the small business centre, and then an area by the windows which doubles up as a sleeping area with four leather loungers: here there is a small view through to the aircraft, but it really isn't brilliant: if you want to look at planes the Cathay Pacific Pier is marginally better if you can't get upstairs into First. Finally as you go around in the circle there is a small corridor with more chairs that leads back into the ante room and the bar.
 Hong Kong The computers are in a room at the back |
And it is the long white bar that dominates this lounge. It is certainly impressive, having the classic Qantas Moooi white globes above the lounge, having a dozen spindly cocktail chairs up each side. If you flip up the hidden flap in the middle of the table there are power points (UK style) and network ports: it's a great place to work on a laptop, with a free bar at hand. The bar itself is very good: unlike the Aussie Qantas Clubs all the booze is pour-it-yourself, with wine in a square hole on the counter top, with two whites, two reds, and a Sparkling Aussie wine. There is a similar hole in the worktop for the 10 bottles of spirits, including Jim Beam, Southern Comfort, Chivas, Bacardi, Campari, Baileys and Tia Maria. Next to this is the beer fridge. In the Hong Kong Qantas Club there are cans of Guinness, plus bottles of Tsingtao, and Heineken. Further along are jugs of juice. Finally on the left corner of the bar is the barista service (to 10am only) where a man stands behind the bar serving a pretty good latte, or whatever else you want. The rest of the day there’s a less complicated coffee machine where you just press the button and it does it all for you.
 Hong Kong Qantas Club |
Food in the Hong Kong Qantas Club is exceptionally good. There are two large tourines with rice and curry plus two hot dumb waiters. Under the hot counters are slices of pizza (grab them when they are put out or they go a bit manky) plus a large salad bar. There may be no pre-flight dining in the lounge, but you can make you own meals quite easily.
The computer room has 14 computers: alas, these are macs and aren't the best, but they do get through to the internet (look for the Safari icon at the bottom of the screen). A few of them have a private printer, but for most you have to use the large photocopier which also doubles up as a fax. There is free wifi in the Qantas Club, along with a few network ports sprinkled throughout the lounge, but these like the power ports are quite hard to find, and are UK (Hong Kong) square pin 13amp only.
 Hong Kong Qantas Club food tourines |
Many people come to the Qantas Club in Hong Kong for a shower – not surprising, seeing the humidity outside. This all means that there is often a queue for the eleven available unless you are there at a quiet time (4pm is good), and there is a paging system to let you know when they’ve cleaned one ready for you: ask at the desk, and then wait in the ante room by reception. You can get a towel, toothbrush and razor at the desk, but all other amenities are down to an industrial sized tub of Molten Brown shower gel and conditioner in each shower.
 Hong Kong The four leather recliners at the rear |
Newspapers are pretty good in the lounge, with a few English papers (The Times, Mail and Telegraph) and a full selection of Chinese and Australian ones). Magazines are a bit spartan, however if you go to the newspaper rack at the rear of the lounge there is often a better selection here.
The Qantas First Class lounge at Hong Kong has also had a revamp, but it's not as swish as might expect, if only because it has strong element of the old British Airways Terraces lounge, which was originally on this location. To find it from the main departure level go up the escalator immediately after immigration and security.
The lounge itself has a rather staid appearance with classic armchairs around small tables, and slight larger ones overlooking the balcony, which is by far the nicest place to be. There is a great view here overlooking the runway. Setting it all off are some rather fake looking antique paintings on the wall in large gilt frames.
In the inner part of the lounge there are dining tables, and a decidedly slow waiter service: there are also a few food items on the buffet, and a small walk up bar, but if you’re in a hurry you might be better off going downstairs to the larger buffet in the Qantas Club.
Bangkok Qantas Club lounge |
Further details are in the British Airways page.
 Auckland Qantas Club |
There is a full Qantas Club in Auckland International. To get to the area of the airport that has the lounges, after security go past the duty free shops, then up the escalator, right at the sign for VIP Lounges, right up the small rather dowdy corridor, up another escalator and double back on yourself. The lounge opens early to allow for the almost overnight departure of the LAN Chile flight, which is technically the first Qantas flight of the day, since it operates as a code share. At these times the lounge is quite empty, but at other times it's rammed to the gills, particularly before the early evening flights to the East coast of Australia leave to cross the Tasman.
 Auckland Qantas Club bar |
The main part of the business section of the Auckland lounge takes the form of a large L. As you walk in, right at the counter, you can curve left, and there is a long magazine rack with plenty of seats on your left and a large TV. Then you are in the main part of the lounge, which is basically one big rectangular (or Oblong, as the Kiwi on the desk calls it) room. Half way along is the food and drink bar. There are a variety of seating which varies from hard cafe style chairs (they look trendy, like half saucers) to some pretty comfortable squashy armchairs at the far end of the room. The one thing there isn't, is a view of the runway, or infact a view of anything much.
 Auckland Qantas Club |
Food is pretty much standard Qantas fare, with muffins of toast in the morning, along with fruit and yoghurt. By lunchtime it turns into a salad with ham and cheese. In the evenings sometimes there are hot meat pies. It seems odd that the food in this lounge is so ordinary, as this is the lounge that featured in a TV Commercial in the mid noughties, listing the virtues of the Qantas Club food!
The Bar is very comprehensive, and compared to the domestic lounges it has a vast improvement: it is open all day! There are some Kiwi and Aussie beers, like Crown, in the fridge, which also has three types of white and a Kiwi Sparkler. On the worktop are two redm, and the spirit selection with Bacardi, Campari, Regal, Cougar and Bombay Saphire gin.
 Auckland Qantas Club |
Back by the desk there is the Qantas Business Centre, which really isn't up to much: it only has three computer (all with printers), and it can sometimes be hard to work in here, and parents like to leave their children to play on the PCs. There is also a photocopier and a fax here. Wifi is free in the lounge (User: qantas, PW: qantasaklnz).
There is one other joy you can have in the Auckland lounge - the joy of turning left. If you are at the top teir of Qantas's Frequent Flyer scheme, or a oneWorld Emerald, there is access to the First Class sections. It is behind the frosted glass sliding door to your left as you approach the counter on entry. The perks aren't a lot, but there is a slightly better food service, marginally better spirits, and 3 computers.
 London Heathrow LHR Terminal 3 British Airways First Class lounge |
Qantas use the British Airways lounge facilities at London Heathrow for their sole remaining flight back to the old country. There are both First and Business lounges, although the difference isn’t so stark as with First and the Qantas Club in Sydney. In the evenings they were once very busy, and accordingly large, however with the drop off in flights they are now much emptier: indeed, during the day, you can be the only passenger on the First side.
The Qantas London Heathrow First Class lounge is British Airways standard First lounge. There is a champagne bar, to the left is the main Gold, and a view over the airport. On the right there is a long coffee bar opposite the children’s room, the secondary World Wine bar, high glass partitions and small enclosed private seating. Finally at the end is the buffet, and in the far corner, the First Dining Room.
There are three very different bars in the lounge. The Champagne Bar is a major disappointment because the atmosphere here is pretty stale. There are two types of champagne in the central bar trough. Much better is the long oval gold bar which looks spectacular, and there is plenty of wine, with three good bottles of red and three of white, along the main bar. At the far end is the spirits bar. At the other end of the lounge is the World Wine Bar. Surrounded by racks of white and red in coolers, there are wine buckets with white, and red on the counter top.
 Terminal 3 British Airways First Class Sandwich trolley |
| BA LHR Terminal 3 First Lounge | |
| ►More details, larger pictures and Photo Gallery. |
Computer facilities are pretty decent too, with 20 computers beside the Gold bar. There is power with UK/Hong Kong and US sockes, but oddly, no Australian plugs. There is also free wifi. Newspapers are in the plastic rack by the coffee bar, and there are always copies of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Full details of this lounge are contained in the BA pages, under the London Heathrow Terminal 3 lounge section.
 Terminal 3 Qantas/BA Heathrow Galleries - the bar in the far room |
At London Heathrow, Qantas have shut down their own dedicated lounge in Terminal 1, and now operate out of Terminal 3 where they use the British Airways lounge.
When you walk into the main body of the lounge, there are the large white tables for the food area, across from the cafeteria style troughs of stew, and passengers wolfing down the food knowing they will get little on their flights to Spain. Further on there is a wine bar with pairs of more comfortable seating, and at the far end a long white island bar.
The lounge has a great bar. The long silver bar has a chilled trough with white wine. By the window the wine bar has 8 types of red and white in buckets. At the back of the bar is the spirits selection: it's the usual BA selection of 18 different bottles of spirits. Beer is in the fridge below, including Guinness and London Pride. cupboard.
 Terminal 3 Qantas Heathrow Galleries - The Silver Bar |
Food is good, with early morning breakfast cereals and juice. There is soup from lunchtime onwards, and big long trays with everything from Beef Madras to Goat Goulash, meatballs, pasta and rice. Next to it is a cooler tray with salad and cheese.
 Terminal 3 Qantas Heathrow Galleries - the bar in the far room |
There is a large computer centre in the lounge with 30 high spec PCs, and a mobile phone recharging crèche. If you want a spanish power socket, press the plunger in the middle of the glass table and a column rises up, with Euro-sockets for power and network sockets. Newspapers are very good in the lounge, with a full selection of UK and Spanish papers.
| BA LHR Terminal 3 Galleries | |
| ►More details, larger pictures and Photo Gallery. |
Full details of this lounge are contained in the BA pages, under the London Heathrow Terminal 3 lounge section.
For the twice a day flights from New York to Madris, Qantas use the BA Business Class lounge.
| More details & Photos | |
| ►JFK Terraces photogallery | |
| ►JFK First photogallery |
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New York JFK Terraces lounge |
The two Bar areas are pretty much the same, with bottles of beer, including Bud, Coors Light, Bass, Heineken and Stella below the worktop. There are jugs of juice on top, and a couple of white and red wines. .
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New York JFK Terraces lounge |
Food really isn't brilliant. In the mornings there are croissants and cereal, and then in the lull before the rush of evening flights these are replaced by crisps and nuts, slabs of cheese in plastic packets, and breadsticks. There are also packets of soup. For better dining before your flight, which means you can maximise sleep on board, head to the Club World pre-flight dining room. However, there is no access to this if you get into the lounge with an Qantas Plus card, as opposed to really flying in Business.
There is a full review of this lounge with much more information contained within the British Airways New York JFK Business Class lounge detail.
QantasClub Sydney T3 |
 QantasClub Sydney T3, overlooking windows |
As you walk right there is a food bar, a newspaper rack. There are some magazines dotted around, but newspapers are harder to come by: a stack of Australians is normally in the central part of the lounge. If you are on a cityflyer service, you can get a newspaper at the gate, and there is also a good newsagents in the lounge itself, with a good book selection.
 QantasClub Sydney T3, quiet area |
At the far end on the extreem right is a much quieter area, that few people seem to visit. Here there are also 4 more computers, hidden behind a white partition. Separating this area from the main lounge is a half wall with a TV: Channel 9 on this gives the air traffic control information.
 QantasClub Sydney T3, central area |
Further around to the right is a small corridor with the bathroom and shower suites (which are pretty classy).
In the main area of the lounge there are more computers: 16 in total. If you print it goes to the separate photocopier
Back in front of the main entrance if you go left there is the main bar (opens at 2pm). Wine is in the trough, whereas you have to ask for beer or spirits. Further along is the new extension with a polished wood floor at far left - this is often deserted, and has a great view of the runway. Finally as you curve around to the left, there is a secondary bar (opens 4pm) at far left, and long bench tables infront of another TV, which is normally on Sky News.
QantasClub Sydney T3, secondary bar |
Food is on the two marble benches at either end of the main room, and is very good, with a better selection that at most QantasClubs. There are normally two types of soups, hot rolls, several platters of ham and cheese, biscuits, and four tubs of green salad, greek salad, potato salad and rice.
 Sydney Qantas Domestic Business Class lounge |
 Sydney Qantas Domestic Business Class lounge |
The Qantas Business Lounge at Sydney's domestic airport has recently received a refresh with a load more seats to more closely align the lounge to its international counterparts. There is a large central section of the lounge, with the bar and food counter around one side, then as you follow the windows around you'll get to three separate seating areas, down a corridor there is a magazine rack & coffee bar, at the far end of which is the working area with computers, before you loop back to the reception desk.
You can sum up the lounge in one word. Seats. The Qantas Business Lounge in Sydney sports a very bespoke loungechair from Sydney designer David Caon, and very comfortable it is too. It's part of a set of four other chairs, that come in two colours and leather: consistent in design this lounge is not, but it does work to vary the areas at least.
Centrepiece of the lounge is the vast white formica table, over which hovers lights by Dutch collective studio Moooi. It's so cutting edge, it says art with capital letters. This island dining features 20 high seats around the table, which is laid for dining with proper knives and forks. Alas the food isn't that different to the main Qantas Club.
 Sydney Qantas Domestic Business Class lounge |
 Sydney Qantas Domestic Business Class lounge |
At lunchtime 12pm-1.30pm and dinner 5pm-6pm the salads are boosted by roasts and hot meat dishes in the tourines. Often it comes in an Asian style. Don't miss the pizza bread at the end of the counter by the soup. It comes from Sydney boutique bakery Bowan Island. They also do the open-faced sandwiches and terrines in the evening, which can be made on request.
A nice touch is the ‘tray around' service in the evening, when staff will attend to you on the big art table with hot nuts or olives. Drinks however remain standard Qantas fare, with little to distinguish the Sydney bar from all the other Qantas Pubs. The Bar is right on the corner: wine is in the trough, but you have to ask for beer or spirits. It is open from Noon.
 Sydney Qantas Domestic Business Class lounge |
In the weekday mornings there is also a barista service from 5am to 11am. Alas, there isn't at weekends, which is a major shortcoming. The Qantas Business Centre in Sydney is now a PC free zone – instead, there are just racks and racks of Apple iMacs. All of 16 of them. Thankfully, when you fire them up, they ask which operating system you would like, and you can start it either in class Mac OS X or in Windows 7. There are also two print-copy-fax stations, a small coffee bar in the business centre, and Telstra provides free wireless Internet.
In the main lounge, and in the quieter area towards the southern corner, there are large screen TVs which are almost continually tuned to SkyNews. Oddly, there is another screen on the wall of the sideways corridor near the coffee bar, but you have to stand in the corridor to view this. Another oddity is the small shop selling jewellery, however there is no newsagent: you have to enter the main Qantas Club for that.
| Sydney Business Class lounge |
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There are two crossways corridors in the middle of the lounge, which lead to the bathrooms. These are pretty ordinary, but at least there are four showers – one of which has disabled access and also doubles as a baby change room.
This lounge is one of Qantas' biggest, and is calm and relaxing. You enter up a long escalator, and turn left at the desk past the two people checking membership. Then there are two long rooms with plenty of seats overlooking the runway. On you left is the bar. If you go halfway up there is the food section, and then left of there there is a business centre.
QantasClub Melbourne Domestic |
The food hall has long dining room style tables, which seem a bit studenty but in reality are fine, with a TV normally playing channel 7 screwed to the wall. Breakfast offerings are poor, with just mellon or waffles and jam. By mid morning there is a good salad bar with lots of cheese, dips, slices of ham, pepper and hot rolls. There is also a soup, of a type which changes every day.
QantasClub Melbourne Domestic bar |
To the left of the food hall are the tea and coffee making facilities, and beyond this a small shop. Behind the shop is a business centre which has four very fast Internet computers. Competition to get on these machines is fierce, and the netnanny is equally difficult, banning many important sites - including some content of this one.
Back in the main lounge there is long bar on the left. When it is open it features Qantas' favourite wines of the month, with 2 reds, 2 whites, and a sparkling in the trough down the middle of the bar.
Newspapers are liberally dotted around the lounge on the central magazine pods, with plenty of copies of The Age, and some Australians, although finding a copy of the Sydney Morning Herald can be harder work.
 QantasClub Brisbane Domestic the bar & dining area |
The Brisbane Domestic QantasClub is another vast lounge with six or seven separate areas, and yet despite it's size this QantasClub can get a bit hectic at times, with hundreds of people milling around, on the phone, or returning to the bar for yet another top up.
 QantasClub Brisbane Domestic the rear room |
The entrance is on the main concourse, at it's lefthand (Eastern) end, before the L shaped corner for the pier. At the desk where membership is checked, QantasClub is to the left, and Business is to the right. Past this point there is a desk where you check in or ammend your booking. Then there is a vast room with comfy rooms, however since the Business Section was built there is no longer a good view of the apron.
The bar is on the left - unlike Melbourne, the wine is kept right by the bar, where the barstaff can keep an eye on it. It features Qantas' favourite wines of the month, with 2 reds, 2 whites, and a sparkling wine. The barstaff are however really helpful and will mix your preference of cocktails. Ahead of it is a long low dining table, with a magazine rack on the left of it. The magazines are in plastic covers, so you can't swipe them. Beyond this point are two rooms with TVs in both - one of which has Foxtel.
QantasClub Brisbane Domestic |
QantasClub Brisbane Domestic food bar |
As you carry on round, the seats at the far end are often much quieter, with a great view of the carpark. Not many people venture this far round.
| Brisbane Qantas Club |
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 Adelaide Qantas Club |
 Adelaide Qantas Club |
The other oddity about the QantasClub Adelaide is that it also doubles up as the International lounge for all airlines, for example by Malaysian Airlines for its international services, and even for Air New Zealand. At times it can be very busy indeed. Even the concourse outside is a bit odd, with two unusual gates in the middle of the terminal being changed to international use by means of large swinging glass doors, which shut off this part of the terminal: hence if you are in the Adelaide Qantas Club before an international flight, you need to leave early to clear passport control, to go into this ‘sealed’ area. The only airside lounge is the Adelaide Singapore Airlines Silver Kris lounge.
 Adelaide Qantas Club business centre |
 Adelaide Qantas Club |
Food is the usual Qantas affair of salads with cold meat and cheese, with two types of hot soup at the long feeding station to the right of the lounge. A curiosity of Adelaide is the way everyone will always queue up in a neat line for the food, and woe betide you if you jump the queue. Despite some long haul flights using the lounge, there is no sign of any pre-flight dining. Indeed, Qantas don’t seem to have made much of an effort on this front at all. In the mornings there is a good breakfast spread.
QantasClub Adelaide |
The bar is on the left side of the circle, and indeed there are two bars, at either end of the counter: both are identical; however it seems that Qantas put in the infrastructure so they could divide this section off for business class if they chose.
QantasClub Adelaide |
The business centre is much better than the usual QantasClub allotment, with dozens of computers, all of which have a separate printer attached. There is also the usual wall with stock prices, and a good magazine rack; alas papers are just The Australian, with no international papers.
Next to the computers, behind the multicoloured screens, are the bathrooms. These are very stylish, and wouldn't be out of place in an upmarket hotel, and they also have great showers.
 QantasClub Perth Domestic |
The Perth Qantas Club is right in at the top of the Qantas domestic terminal at the Western Australian Capital. To get to the lounge, after security, aim for the middle of the centre circle, and look for the strange wooden archway. Go through this, and to the top of the escalator, to the welcome desk at the top.
The Qantas Club has recently undergone a large expansion and redevelopment to provide greater space, adding 120 additional seats. It needed it: At peak periods it used to be rammed, and with no spare seats it was hot and awful. There was even a mini lounge under the main lounge as a way of gaining extra space. Now, there is a massive improvement with plenty of space, spare chairs (spot the novelty) and even an early morning barista service. Except, that is, if you are there at the lunchtime peak between about noon and 3pm, when all the flights to the East coast leave, and this place gets packed. It may still pay to just sit downstairs in the main departure lounge, which has a couple of good cafes.
 QantasClub Perth Domestic |
At least there are great views of the aircraft (it is just a very short walk down to your plane) and the distant international terminal, shimmering in the WA heat.
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Built around a large curve, as you enter you have to walk right through the main business centre, which seems a little odd. There are two corridors of 16 computers, and a photocopier. You also pass the magazine and newspaper rack (on your left). Next around, all the seating areas are on your right, overlooking the windows, with a small then a much larger room.
 QantasClub Perth Domestic |
The bar is on the left. Unusually it opens at 12pm - earlier than most Qantas Pubs - but you have to approach the bar even if you just want a coke. Juice (Apple, Orange and Tomato) are in the big dispensers on the bar top. The bar has a good beer selection, including Little Creatures on draft, and in 500ml sized glasses - a rare treat. You can also get Blonde, VB and WA Gage Roads Pils on draft too - the Perth Qantas Pub really shows the delight those in WA take in the their beer. To the right of the bar is the small wine cooler. Here there are three reds, and four whites, plus a decent Aussie sparkling wine. Condiments for cocktails are on the left of the bar, in a little tray.
 QantasClub Perth Domestic |
At the far end is the long food counter. There is a very good selection particularly late in the evenings, but in effect it is just standard Qantas fare. The salad and cold meat selection is particularly good, and there is a soup of the day.
Beware that before the short overnight red-eye flights to Sydney and Melbourne, vultures descend on the food area, turning it into a maelstrom, as everyone tries to eat before cramming into the flight and trying to sleep for as long as possible. At this point you'll see the lounge at its worst.
QantasClub Townsville |
The small QantasClub in Townsville is tiny - and you may not get to see it anywhere. The staff on the front desk have their own interpretation of oneWorld rules, and with a Silver BA card for example, you may have to persuade the dragon to let you in. It may help to carry oneWorld rules with you.
QantasClub Townsville |
Inside the lounge, there is an OK view of the planes: indeed, the nosewheel of the bird that will carry you aloft is often parked at the window. Overlooking the window there are seven high tables, and the usual armchairs rammed into the pokey lounge.
Food is the usual Qantas mix of salads and soup, but with a tropical twist: the salads are very good, and the fruit salad some of the best on the network. The bar is pretty good, although of course it only opens at 2pm. There is the usual Crown in the fridge, and there is normally a decent Aussie sparkling wine.
QantasClub Townsville food bar |
QantasClub Cairns |
The lounge is brand spanking new, which much more space than the old one, and with much more space. It occupies over 1000sqm, overlooking the (only) runway, and above the old club in the departure area. It cost the airline $2.5 million to develop, and it's well worth it, the largest by a long way of any regional airport in Australia, and triple the size of the old area with double the number of seats.
It has the standard 'new look' which is adopted throughout Aussieland, using white walls and tiled areas, brown carpet with white streaks and maroon, red, brown and beige seats. It is more modern and open and feels less formal.
It has very good air conditioning.
QantasClub Cairns bar |
Food is pretty good: breakfasts in particular are quite spreading, for the early morning flights down south. It gets a bit poorer later in the day, with just the usual salads, however there is the delight of the local mushrooms goulash, which is pretty tasty.
The bar opens in the afternoon, in the small part of the counter to the right of the main food servery. It is pretty poor, with only one red and one white on offer, but it does have a couple of the local beers on draft, and serves the usual spirits; in the evenings this means a roaring line in the local rum.
There are only three internet computers, and as usual in the Qantas Club, these are iMac only, however they will boot in either windows or Mac OS X. It can be a bit of a hassle getting hold of one, but thankfully the dragons are pretty good at monitoring kids who just use them to play games.
| Cairns Qantas Club |
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This lounge is a before security, so its a great place to hang out with Tassie friends before the last flight. Quite big for a small airport, it is often deserted, which is a shame, as it's one of Qantas' best.
QantasClub Hobart |
There is a small desk on the left, which gives a very detailed check to see if you should be let in. Then there is a loungy bit on the right, with a TV (domestic Tassie channels only) high bar tables at the bar end, and on the left the food and bar section.
QantasClub Hobart |
There is a full comprensive food selection. It is really just salad - but what a salad! There is cheese, ham, dips, potato, peppers, even a wonderful mushroom thing which comes highly recomended. There are nuts, rolls, cheesy twiglets things... more than enough food before the one hour hop to Melbourne.
The fridge has a serve yourself bar (no service in the morning) and is stuffed with everything from local Tasmanian beer (Cascade & Boags) to two whites, two red - and a great champagne.
QantasClub Broome |
QantasClub Broome |
There is a bar, in the small fridge under the worktop, however this is not restocked in the day - once the day's booze is gone, it's gone. The allocation is just four bottles of red & white wine, four cans of VB, and four cans of Emu bitter.
Food is restricted to just biscuits, slices of fruit cake, and Timtams in the fridge.
QantasClub Broome |
QantasClub Coolengatta Gold Coast |
Accordingly the bar here can be quite popular. It is - as usual - not open in the morning, but is very comprehensive, with a full selection of beer, and some decent sparklers. Condiments for cocktails are on the right of the served bar. Opposite the bar is a good range of seats where you can look over the runway, and admire the nosewheel of your plane (the lounge being on ground level).
QantasClub Coolengatta |
Food is equally as good as any Qantas lounge elsewhere, with a good salad selection. The breakfasts are quite remarkable for their qantity. Newspapers are on the rack at the far end of the bar, however the selection is noticably poor - few business class passengers come this way.
That is probably why the business centre is poor, with just two computers, on the left behind the glass screen as you go in. There is a printer and a fax. The high number of clubbers that come this way does however mean that there are two comprehensive shower suites, for those who come straight from the club to the airport.