SYD J International Lounge [not good]

[Mrmaxwell]

I visited the SYD international J lounge last week with some guests and was surprised how jam packed it was while also being a total mess all round.

It was a little embarrassing with my guests as they rightly pointed out that the airport eating areas were cleaner and less chaotic. Finally found seats for our group after 10 mins of stalking PAX about to leave. The only half-decent aspect of the visit was a friendly barista making passable coffee. The food was a joke, scrambled eggs delivered in steel buckets, dirty trolleys everywhere with dirty plates, etc stacked to the ceiling and to top it off the lounge lady making obnoxious PA announcements every few minutes about the lounge being busy so please squash together and don't leave empty seats LOL!!!!!

I am lucky to get access to F lounge but for my fellow SG and QC members the SYD J lounge is a joke.

There is no comparison to this lounge and the J lounges in SIN or HKG - SYD is the home hub for QF - are they going to do something about this sad excuse for a lounge?

 

[njba]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Wait 'til you see the MEL international J lounge.

 

[Deleted member]

Re: SYD J Lounge

fly out of BNE, it is a very nice , clean and modern lounge with great views

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Sounds like you were there for breakfast? Wait until lunchtime onwards if you really want to see a mess, the far left hand end is more akin to an RSL on ANZAC Day (without the two-up).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Yeah - a lounge catering to a majority of economy class pax. Nothing wrong with economy or economy pax... just the lounge has to run on QF club memberships and the budget constraints that must bring. J pax should be entitled to a better lounge.

I made the mistake a couple months ago by not realising I could use the Emirates lounge on a QF ticket

 

[harvyk]

Re: SYD J Lounge

There is no comparison to this lounge and the J lounges in SIN or HKG - SYD is the home hub for QF - are they going to do something about this sad excuse for a lounge?

You can say that again... It's almost like they put all their effort into the F Lounge upstairs and forgot that they had another lounge downstairs. Unlike SIN / HKG where they put all their effort into making 1 fantastic lounge.

 

[harvyk]

Re: SYD J Lounge

fly out of BNE, it is a very nice , clean and modern lounge with great views

Same deal as SIN / HKG, they put all their effort into making one fantastic lounge rather than split the effort with F getting the lions share.

 

[moa999]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Wait 'til you see the MEL international J lounge.

Agreed.
Food the same as SYD, just no views, no division of areas and frankly no soul.

And seemingly they have recognised that the SYD J lounge is becoming too busy with the recent photo of the Garden Area (essentially using the space under the escalator to the QF FL)

 

[opusman]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Int J lounges should be separate to the QP like they are domestically.

 

[ric_melb]

Re: SYD J Lounge

So one is proposing a First lounge, a Business Lounge, and a Qantas Club in International terminals such as SYD and MEL.
Never going to happen.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: SYD J Lounge

So one is proposing a First lounge, a Business Lounge, and a Qantas Club in International terminals such as SYD and MEL.
Never going to happen.

space might be an issue... but I guess it will depend what commercial incentives come in to play. Plenty of airlines operate under three tiers at their home ports... Lufthansa, Swiss, Thai, British Airways. Singapore even has four levels of lounges.

Perhaps there already are three classes of lounges in Australia? ... qantas club (economy), Emirates lounge (business) and QF F for first?

 

[Longtoo]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Perhaps there already are three classes of lounges in Australia? ... qantas club (economy), Emirates lounge (business) and QF F for first?

Are you saying that the EK lougne is better than QF J lounge in Sydney?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Are you saying that the EK lougne is better than QF J lounge in Sydney?

I haven't been to the EK lounge in SYD (is it even still there?)... but if the food is anything like MEL it would have to be on that score alone.

 

[eminere]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Are you saying that the EK lougne is better than QF J lounge in Sydney?

Oh there is no doubt about that. The food and beverage offerings at the EK lounge is light years ahead of what's offered at the QF J lounge in SYD.

 

[Longtoo]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Thanks. Good to know I have to check out the EK lounge next time.

 

[kermatu]

Re: SYD J Lounge

Oh there is no doubt about that. The food and beverage offerings at the EK lounge is light years ahead of what's offered at the QF J lounge in SYD.

And (potentially) significantly closer to your departure gate, so well worth checking out.

 

[Falcs]

Re: SYD J Lounge

There is no comparison to this lounge and the J lounges in SIN or HKG - SYD is the home hub for QF - are they going to do something about this sad excuse for a lounge?

Probably something to do with the fact that the staff in SIN/HK cost 20% of what they do in Australia

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Re: SYD J Lounge

At least with the EK J/F lounge at SYDi, there is a view to the outside, ie can see whats happening outside, and they have seats facing side of the windows, at least you can have a meal or a drink and see out.
The blue and gold cushions add a nice touch.
As mentioned, definitely the better, the EK lounge at SYDi, over the QF J lounge at SYDi.
They also in the EK lounge, have a circular semi servery yourself cold zone, where you can grab sandwiches/deserts/etc.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Re: SYD J Lounge

The SYD QF J lounge definitely has a crowding problem, though it can be quite good on the uncommon instances when it's not crowded. The views are impaired and the furniture is not in great condition, but when it's quiet the staff are less frazzled and can give good service such as walking food offerings around, taking coffee orders, etc.

EK lounges are quite consistent and generally seem to be less crowded. But while they have a fairly wide food selection I find the quality is not great, and I almost always prefer the food in other lounges. But I look forward to trying the refurbished SIN lounge.

The SYD Amex lounge is tiny and obviously plagued by crowding, but it has a reasonable view and the small food selection can be quite decent. (With changes to credit card offerings, crowding may become less of a problem over time.)

 

[opusman]

Re: SYD J Lounge

So one is proposing a First lounge, a Business Lounge, and a Qantas Club in International terminals such as SYD and MEL.
Never going to happen.

They have QP, J and CL lounges domestically, so I don't see why not.