Qantas’ underwhelming, overcrowded Business Lounge at Sydney Airport is finally set to receive a refresh. The Qantas Sydney international Business Lounge is one of the busiest in the airline’s international network. But for the past several years it has been somewhat neglected.
The refurbishments will commence in the second half of 2018. Qantas expects the renovations to be completed by the end of 2019. However, other recent lounge refurbishments have taken longer than originally announced so it may not be finished until 2020.
To paraphrase a line from Elon Musk (to the point of a meme): “2019 maybe, 2020 definitely”
The Qantas Sydney International Business Lounge will remain open during the renovations, although capacity may be limited during this time. It is not yet known whether access will be restricted to Qantas Club members, guests or lounge pass holders during the construction period. This is currently the case while Qantas’ Melbourne domestic lounges are refurbished.
Qantas promises the new lounge will feature a completely new design. This will include a new bar and “luxury” bathroom facilities, as well as improved Neil Perry dining options. The capacity of the lounge will increase by 30% – welcome news as it can be very difficult to find a seat during the mid-morning peak at present.
The announcement comes as welcome news. But some members believe other lounges in the Qantas network require more immediate attention. Qantas’ international Business lounges in Melbourne and Auckland are in a particularly sad state at present. The Melbourne lounge is sometimes nicknamed “the dungeon” on our forums due to a lack of natural light. Hopefully these lounges will be next in line for an upgrade.
Agreed that I would have thought MEL (and indeed AKL) were more needing the upgrade, but possibly waiting for different space, lease agreements etc.
In the meantime, the Emirates Lounge remains a better option in Sydney for Qantas frequent flyers with Gold status. The Emirates lounge is available to eligible frequent flyers when booked on a Qantas flight or Emirates codeshare flight to New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East or Europe. However, the Sydney Emirates Lounge closes during the middle of the day. Platinum frequent flyers and First class passengers can continue to enjoy the excellent First Lounge in Sydney.
The new Qantas Sydney international Business Lounge will be the latest in a series of lounge upgrades across the airline’s network. Qantas’ new London lounge recently opened, as did new lounges in Brisbane.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas Sydney International Business Lounge Refresh
