Article: Qantas Auckland Lounge Upgrade: The End of an Era

[smckay]

I was there yesterday. J lounge packed, F lounge just as packed.
I got the @Princess Fiona crew - lack of glasses, plates, food and clean up. At one stage it looked like the chef was doing dish duty.
Once QF143 left the building the F lounge lost most of the people, but still not a 'premium' lounge in my eyes.

 

[Berlin]

I was there yesterday. J lounge packed, F lounge just as packed.
I got the @Princess Fiona crew - lack of glasses, plates, food and clean up. At one stage it looked like the chef was doing dish duty.
Once QF143 left the building the F lounge lost most of the people, but still not a 'premium' lounge in my eyes.

Sounds exactly how I remember it from pre-Covid times. A total mess, nothing premium whatsoever- maybe the lukewarm champagne aside.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Sorry for the OffT, didn't they (AKL airport) say they were expanding the whole airport footprint with new runways and new buildings?
Or is that one now on the far in future plans now?

 

[Beano]

Some development is going on and eventually it will be a combines domestic/international terminal. The work has been going on for a while and you can no longer walk easily from domestic to international.

 

[Mattg]

I was there yesterday. J lounge packed, F lounge just as packed.
I got the @Princess Fiona crew - lack of glasses, plates, food and clean up. At one stage it looked like the chef was doing dish duty.
Once QF143 left the building the F lounge lost most of the people, but still not a 'premium' lounge in my eyes.

I'll be there this afternoon. While I was looking forward to revisiting the AKL lounge, I'm hoping to spend most of my time in the Emirates Lounge if it's open!

Edit: The QF lounge was a bit of a zoo, but the Emirates lounge opened at 14:15 and I'm currently the only person in the EK lounge! It's bliss in here by comparison.

 

[smckay]

I'll be there this afternoon. While I was looking forward to revisiting the AKL lounge, I'm hoping to spend most of my time in the Emirates Lounge if it's open!

Edit: The QF lounge was a bit of a zoo, but the Emirates lounge opened at 14:15 and I'm currently the only person in the EK lounge! It's bliss in here by comparison.

So ignorant question - how hard is it to access the EK lounge? I think my preference would be for that on my next flight.

 

[Berlin]

Edit: The QF lounge was a bit of a zoo, but the Emirates lounge opened at 14:15 and I'm currently the only person in the EK lounge! It's bliss in here by comparison.

The Auckland EK lounge is awesome, especially before it fills up. Enjoy!

 

[Beano]

I've used the EK lounge at Syd INT, but it is at the other end of the terminal. It's just next door at AKL and I've heard they invite you to use the Qantas lounge. Please let us know how you get on. I would also give it a go.

 

[Berlin]

I've used the EK lounge at Syd INT, but it is at the other end of the terminal. It's just next door at AKL and I've heard they invite you to use the Qantas lounge. Please let us know how you get on. I would also give it a go.

Pre-Covid it had been a bit of a struggle to get in as a Qantas passenger in Auckland. Sometimes it was dead easy, sometimes you had to listen to a lecture about “being the last Qantas passenger for the day” and some people just got outright refused entry.

Usually the excuse was to avoid overcrowding but that had never been true as the EK lounge always had ample space during QF departure times. Not sure how this will be handled nowadays- I’ll give it a go nevertheless next time when I’m back in good old Auckland.

 

[NSun]

I got in last week before heading on QF148. One thing that was interesting is that I only had a mobile boarding pass and that wasn't accepted but they told me if I could get a paper boarding pass from the QF lounge I could get in. And that's just what I did.

 

[Mattg]

So ignorant question - how hard is it to access the EK lounge? I think my preference would be for that on my next flight.

No issues at all! I had a paper QF boarding pass and they welcomed me in (flying QF J with QFF Gold status).

 

[smckay]

Darn. I been missing out, just being a sheeple and going to the QF lounge.
Next month I am hitting EK for sure, a 1640 Sunday arvo flight would be low volume I expect.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

For Smckay, try the salmon.
Its to die for so to speak.
Have never seen it in any of the QF F/J lounges, but its always there in the EK lounges at SYD/MEL & AKL.
I did all of them pre covid, havent flown a lot since covid, so they might have reduced what's available, but if they do have the thinly sliced salmon after 12noon, go for that.

 

[Beano]

Pre-Covid it had been a bit of a struggle to get in as a Qantas passenger in Auckland. Sometimes it was dead easy, sometimes you had to listen to a lecture about “being the last Qantas passenger for the day” and some people just got outright refused entry.

Usually the excuse was to avoid overcrowding but that had never been true as the EK lounge always had ample space during QF departure times. Not sure how this will be handled nowadays- I’ll give it a go nevertheless next time when I’m back in good old Auckland.

Thanks. I've always been timid about using the EK lounge, just like @smckay, and will also give it a go next time. Never had trouble getting into EK lounge at SYD. Once got a lecture at EK J in Dubai. Suggested I go to the F lounge. Say no more!

 

[Berlin]

I almost always got a lecture but had never been rejected at the Auckland EK lounge.

Try to be there when it just opens, makes it much harder for them to argue overcrowding when no one is in there

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

EK lounge at AKL was designed to cater for 3 A380 flights departing in quick succession. Currently there is only flight and its a 777.

Space should not be an issue.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I haven’t been to the EK lounge post pandemic. It was still closed when I was at AKL in August.

There are multiple members advocating it over the QF AKL “F Lounge” and FWIW I would agree . It speaks volumes.

Closing this tired, clapped out space isn’t the end of an era more like putting it out of its misery.

 

[Berlin]

Am in the Emirates lounge as we speak- was no problem getting in, only one single 777 departing so much less busy than in the past. Apparently the A380 will grace Auckland again from December 2nd so it might change then (still only one and not three as it used to be).

Champagne got downgraded from Veuve to Möet which is a bit of a bummer in my book but other than that, it’s pretty much like pre-Covid. Food selection, as always, is devine with plenty hot and cold options, including some great Middle Eastern style dishes which I greatly appreciate.

I now remember: This lounge is dangerous as I always leave stuffed. But I nowing that I will only get Qantas’ newly “improved” Domestic feed trans Tasman later, that’s probably not the worst thing.

 

[henrus]

Am in the Emirates lounge as we speak- was no problem getting in, only one single 777 departing so much less busy than in the past. Apparently the A380 will grace Auckland again from December 2nd so it might change then (still only one and not three as it used to be).

The other big downside is the move from 777 to direct A380 means a later departure time of 9:15pm out of Auckland. This means the lounge now probably won't open until around 5pm which is too late for most QF departures.

 

[gaz0303]

No issues at all! I had a paper QF boarding pass and they welcomed me in (flying QF J with QFF Gold status).

What’s the secret code? I was told I had to be on EK metal to get into their lounge (QF gold)