Brisbane Lounge Changes

[amaroo]

Going to try their new valet parking experience this week .... double points and 25% discount offer until the end of the month https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/brisbane-airport-parking-valet/global/en

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Re: food in the BNEd QP and BNEd J lounge, they had chips as in potato chips from the deli sort, like fish and chips sort of chips, but no fish, and sauces like sweet chilli etc, in the QP, but not in the J lounge.
Thought the J lounge was supposed to be "higher noshery", but in depth, I would have loved to have had chips in the J lounge, which wasnt available in the J lounge, but was in the QP.
Yesterday wasn't a public holiday in Qld, so it wasn't like there was anything not available because of the public holiday in other states, thought there would have been mini pies or mini pasties, but no luck.
No Mexican tapastry either, just the person behind the glass fronted counter doing up salads to order.
Close your eyes to the fact its a dom lounge, and it could have a feel for an int lounge.
Food, I would rate 9.25/10, ambience and other factors, 9.75.
Worth a do visit once in a life time, but I would be happy just be a QP member, good food, good ambience, and QF's good J service on board make QF a plus, but I would not go to WP level just to have access to the QF BNEd J lounge.
Use premium entry, the very left hand side, for dom security screening, not the 2nd left at BNE, this brings you up a set of escalators, and access to the J lounge, for now, after the visit to the J lounge, you can also have unfetted access to the BNEd QP.
Not sure what the layout will be once works finish, as to if you can do both BNEd QP and J lounge at the same time.

 

[Deleted member]

You're very generous, I would rate the (Mexican) food a bare 5 out of 10, and I have been there when it feels like 3. The lounge overall is really swish, and the staff really great.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It was my first and for the time being, only visit to the QFd BNE J lounge.
Guess if I was WP and able to enter every single J lounge prior to every dom trip, it might get ho hum run of the mill.
Its still in the wow factor mode.
Next bucket list would be the QFd/i PER J lounge. Might wait till T3 becomes the QF int terminal though for that int visit, probably on that QFi PER - AKL plane one day, seeing no more F service SYD - AKL.

 

[mviy]

I'm a WP and starting to get used to the MEL J Lounge though strangely I do feel a bit nervous when entering the lounge (should I really be let in here?). I will miss it whenever I drop to SG. I won't get used to the BNE J Lounge as I only fly there once or twice a year. This year's visit was before the new lounge opened so I'm yet to taste the new lounge.

The EK A380 will still fly from MEL and BNE to New Zealand so you will still be able to taste EK F on some flights to NZ.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I will miss the F service SYD - AKL, granted at the moment for now, BNE - AKL and MEL - AKL plus SYD - CHC still have a F service, and/but the number of pax in SYDi F lounge at that time of the morning will drop.
Back to the gist of the post, as I mentioned, for now, if you use the most left hand security screening on ground floor, you can go up the escalator, and then enter the dom J lounge, then go to the QP before your flight.
Maybe do an elcheapo QF/JQ trip out of BNE to check it out, Mviy.

 

[mviy]

I'm thinking about doing MEL-BNE-CNS return in my next membership year. I did it last membership year and enjoyed it a lot more than MEL-SYD-OOL. The old J lounge in BNE was better than the OOL combined lounge imo and I enjoyed the longer flights. I might just fly up to BNE next year sometime.

Looking forward to seeing what the new lounge is like.

 

[kermatu]

The MEL J lounge is getting ho hum for me. I always get great service, but it is very dark (especially in the zone opposite the bar which is usually the only place to sit), and too small for the number of WPs and J travellers. If I spot a bit of space in the QP by the window I'll just head there.

I do value good lounges, and we are pretty lucky with QF's lounges. But you sure can get stale. Yet to happen with me and the F lounges - though my preferred length of lounge time (when I have a choice of connections) has diminished...

Was planning on routing a Trans-Tasman trip through Brisbane to get an afternoon/evening experience in the J lounge before connecting onward in Oz (rather than SYD or MEL). Don't think I will bother now given the mixed reviews re food. And I can see how crowded the lounge will get so probably won't be as pleasant.

 

[JohnK]

Its still in the wow factor mode.

The BNE business lounge? You need to fly more often.

There are no lounges in wow factor mode for me. Just need a quiet space to sit for a few minutes before flight but even that gets difficult.

 

[Deleted member]

The MEL J lounge is getting ho hum for me. I always get great service, but it is very dark (especially in the zone opposite the bar which is usually the only place to sit), and too small for the number of WPs and J travellers. If I spot a bit of space in the QP by the window I'll just head there.

I do value good lounges, and we are pretty lucky with QF's lounges. But you sure can get stale. Yet to happen with me and the F lounges - though my preferred length of lounge time (when I have a choice of connections) has diminished...

Was planning on routing a Trans-Tasman trip through Brisbane to get an afternoon/evening experience in the J lounge before connecting onward in Oz (rather than SYD or MEL). Don't think I will bother now given the mixed reviews re food. And I can see how crowded the lounge will get so probably won't be as pleasant.

Are you referring to the International lounge or Domestic lounge? The international lounge is really good, sure they sacrificed the old "First Cupboard" and converted a mezzanine storeroom, but the overall effect is great. Food was pretty good last time I went through BNE international.

 

[kermatu]

Are you referring to the International lounge or Domestic lounge? The international lounge is really good, sure they sacrificed the old "First Cupboard" and converted a mezzanine storeroom, but the overall effect is great. Food was pretty good last time I went through BNE international.

Domestic. ("connecting onward in Oz"). Probably could have been clearer. Irrelevant now anyway as I will take the A330 from AKL-SYD whenever I can.

I haven't experienced the International BNE lounge, and likely won't as long as I'm WP + and can access the F lounges., and have to connect from somewhere else (other than BNE) anyway.

 

[Deleted member]

I live in BNE. And prefer to fly via SYD to AKL whenever is feasible, however should I drop From the lofty heights of WP , then the ability to use the SYD F Lounge will be curtailed somewhat.

 

[boomy]

The BNE business lounge? You need to fly more often.

There are no lounges in wow factor mode for me. Just need a quiet space to sit for a few minutes before flight but even that gets difficult.

Agree that lounges wow factor reduce the more you fly.
While I can't think of any J lounge that truly impressed me (apart from IST CIP) there are quite a few F lounges that I'm always looking forward to revisit.

 

[Virgin Bart]

The BNE business lounge? You need to fly more often.

There are no lounges in wow factor mode for me. ....

Then some would say it is you who needs to fly less often!

 

[boomy]

Then some would say it is you who needs to fly less often!

We don't encourage that practice here on AFF

 

[JohnK]

Agree that lounges wow factor reduce the more you fly.
While I can't think of any J lounge that truly impressed me (apart from IST CIP) there are quite a few F lounges that I'm always looking forward to revisit.

I look forward to visiting a few lounges too but still not a wow factor.

The other day in HKG I had ~15-20m to spare as I went landside first during the transit. I was departing from gate 44. The QF lounge was in front of me or I could detour to Wing F lounge or make the trek to Pier F lounge but I stuck with QF lounge.

The beef penang curry was really nice. I had 2 small serves but in hindsight should have had more. The food onboard QF128 was ordinary and very small portion. It doesn't matter what the other lounges had to offer as the food in this lounge was more than adequate. I'm sure the buffet in the Wing would have been nice but I would not have had any time to order food in the Pier.

I'm also looking forward to visiting the BNE EK lounge in a few weeks but I have a long transit from around 9:00pm-2:00am. I'd be bored after 45-60m minutes in the lounge.

It's great when you have options in which lounge to use but a lounge is just a place to spend some time before the flight.

 

[boomy]

It's great when you have options in which lounge to use but a lounge is just a place to spend some time before the flight.

Some lounges offer more than just nice buffet and are almost entertainment complexes with library, cigar room, cinema, jacuzzi, snooker, virtual golf (you'd enjoy that). Some have very nice children playrooms, Others offer complementary sleeping rooms that are better than some airport hotels.

I spent 12 hours in the QR F lounge last year during long layover and it was fantastic. Had 5 course meal, polished bottle of champagne, watched a movie and slept 7 hours in private room before my morning flight.

 

[boomy]

Now, to bring the thread back OT, this is the Mexican offer in BNE J today.





Tastes great, I'm going to have another one

 

[Deleted member]

I'm not sure I believe you . (LOL)

 

[Princess Fiona]

Now, to bring the thread back OT, this is the Mexican offer in BNE J today.

View attachment 99653

View attachment 99654

Tastes great, I'm going to have another one

I'm there again on Wednesday and looking forward to it