Disappointing Qantas Club Experience

[SooziQu]

Rant Warning - I'm confused with the lounges now. I used a lounge pass on Thursday and as I was travelling Economy I was directed to the Qantas Club. What an underwhelming experience! After lining up for the food (I understand due to Covid-19 there is no longer a buffet) I had the option of a tiny roll, cheese, ham and pickles (cheese and ham already plated and god knows how long it had sat there) or a loaded potato which was the smallest spud I'd ever seen sitting on beans with a dollop of sour cream and cheese. Frankly I was appalled as there was better food to be had in the Food Court than on offer in the lounge. I was hoping my flight back from Sydney with access to the Business lounge (compliments of my Platinum FF partner) would be better. It wasn't. Again a very limited selection of food, although he enjoyed a curry and rice, tiny size servings and the real kicker was that the service was desultory. The server wasn't the least bit interested, no smile, minimal eye contact and zero enthusiasm.

Lounge access used to be a bonus and an exciting part of any trip. Finally we are flying again and rather than be excited, I was really disappointed. I don't know if Virgin Lounges have better food and service but I'd consider changing loyalties if they do. I love to travel and the start of the trip is in the lounge at the airport, full of excitement and enthusiasm. I fear that Covid-19 created shortcuts and cost cuts ( totally understandable at the time) which may just stay in place and we won't get back to the quality and experience we used to have.

 

[samh004]

After lining up for the food (I understand due to Covid-19 there is no longer a buffet) I had the option of a tiny roll, cheese, ham and pickles (cheese and ham already plated and god knows how long it had sat there) or a loaded potato which was the smallest spud I'd ever seen sitting on beans with a dollop of sour cream and cheese.

I've found the domestic lounge offering to be pretty abysmal for a while, especially in the Qantas Club (not Business Lounge). Your food choices probably haven't changed, and while you lament the fact the ham may have been plated hours before, this is hardly different to the past where it may have sat in a giant pile at the buffet hours before. At least other people aren't touching it right now.

The Business Lounge generally has a better offering, and as you say the curry and rice is generally a good option... but it has been this way for a while. I've travelled a little lately in the mornings and found the breakfast to be better, as the plating of the food tends to be designed to impress, whereas before you might have plated yourself and it turned out like a dogs breakfast.

Frankly I was appalled as there was better food to be had in the Food Court than on offer in the lounge.

There's always been better food in the food court. Is MoVida still in T2 Sydney airport? Hard to compete with offerings like that, but then they're not really designed as lounges... you have to pay for everything you want there, and it can quickly exceed whatever you believe a lounge pass/membership to be worth. I don't eat fast food much these days, but whenever I do it seems the price is much more than it used to be, however the lounge is free, so it's a case of you get what you pay for

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

((OT: With VA2 now going mid class, I would not have too high hopes for them either.
There will be cost cutting with VA2, too, thats for sure.
Maybe not as "bad" as JQ. but I would not have a high expectation of flying VA2, **imagine paying for snacks in Y on the "new" VA**.
I am flying VA2 in Jun, ADL - BNE, have upgraded using points from XY to J, no(t) much expectations, just that I succeeded in getting up to VA2 J is good enough.))
Edit: back on main topic.
Thought that lounge passes with QF always put you to the QP, if its not a J and QP lounge.
When I had a lounge pass after falling back from QF PS to NB, I only had the MEL QP to use, not the MEL QFd J lounge.

 

[Mattg]

@SooziQu which airports where you flying from?

I've used a few different Qantas Clubs in recent weeks, and found the catering mostly to be quite good.

 

[suze2000]

Yeah, those passes only get you into QP, and nothing when you are overseas (found that out the hard way).

Next month I'll be flying J one way with QF (MEL-BNE) and return with VA (OOL-MEL), so I'll be able to report back about that.

 

[AIRwin]

@SooziQu which airports where you flying from?

@SooziQu stated he/she is from regional Victoria in another thread so I'm guessing MEL-SYD?

 

[DC3]

@SooziQu which airports where you flying from? ...

 

[nutwood]

Lounges are a bit depressing at the moment. Pleasant enough sanctuary if you have to travel but I wouldn't be looking forward to the experience. My hot tip is that if you reckon you might be wanting two drinks, order them both when you're at the bar. I've seen Melbourne business queued back beyond the bathrooms (bathrooms, not toilets!) and one person serving drinks.

 

[Daver6]

Food has always been fairly grim in the Qantas Club lounges for a very long time. Very little variety month after month, year after year.

 

[DC3]

Rant Warning ...

The OP mentioned that the post was a rant. So, perhaps not actually seeking feedback.

 

[RichardMEL]

SYD J suffers from huge volumes imo and the curry and rice has been there for years now. I mean how about some variety?!

MEL since the revamp has, in my view, been far far better* in general

(* have not used since covid and understand the spice bar has been repurposed somewhat for general served offerings)

 

[muppet]

<snip> I don't know if Virgin Lounges have better food and service but I'd consider changing loyalties if they do..... </snip>

Sorry, I know you just wanted a rant but I couldn't ignore this claim.

Based on your post you used a lounge pass to access the QP and your partner guested you into the SYD J Lounge .... why would you change "loyalties" based on airport lounges you cannot even access yourself? I presume you'd have no access to the Virgin Lounge either so why change if they are better?

Surely for a traveller without lounge access, price and onboard product is more important?

 

[Mattg]

Sorry, I know you just wanted a rant but I couldn't ignore this claim.

Based on your post you used a lounge pass to access the QP and your partner guested you into the SYD J Lounge .... why would you change "loyalties" based on airport lounges you cannot even access yourself? I presume you'd have no access to the Virgin Lounge either so why change if they are better?

Surely for a traveller without lounge access, price and onboard product is more important?

And FWIW, the food in the Virgin lounges isn't better.

 

[DC3]

Sorry, I know you just wanted a rant but I couldn't ignore this claim.

 

[justinbrett]

I was complaining to myself a little while back over the food offered in the BNE J lounge. I briefly exited to see what was on offer in the QP.

I have not since complained about the J lounge.

 

[auflier]

business lounge is not much better

 

[VPS]

I was in the Adelaide QP last week and the bread rolls with the soup were almost inedible they were so stale. It shouldn't be that hard to have a reasonably fresh bread roll.

I then went into the Melbourne QP and thought I'd have a roll to compare and it was fresh and edible. The only issue was I picked up some cutlery and there were two supposedly clean knives that hadn't been cleaned properly.

The other weird thing is you can't serve yourself drinks in Melbourne or Adelaide because of Covid but you can in Hobart

 

[RooFlyer]

The other weird thing is you can't serve yourself drinks in Melbourne or Adelaide because of Covid but you can in Hobart

You serve everything yourself in Hobart QP

 

[codyg]

You serve everything yourself in Hobart QP

Food in Darwin Qantas club is self serve too and has been really good since it reopened.

Melb Qantas club has been absolutely terrible - limp salads, dry pastas and the cheapest cheese/ham slices they can find. As mentioned above though, at least the bread rolls are nice

 

[jase05]

You serve everything yourself in Hobart QP

One of the worst lounges you will find unfortunately.