Cyclogenesis' observations on the differences between QP and J Lounge @ Mel

[Cyclogenesis]

Greetings AFF'ers!
Sitting in the J lounge after upgrading to J on a Mel-Syd flight. Yes, very poor use of points but I have had a SHOCKING week (albeit because of amazing opportunity) so I wanted a little indulgence...

I thought I would post my thoughts on the differences between the QP and the J lounge in Melbourne.

A little background: it is 6.30pm on a Friday, pretty much peak, hence why I am here (one of the few times I have been forced to purchase an upgradeable flight!).

1: The J-Lounge is pretty much as busy as the QP. Given the J seat to whY seat ratio there are quite a few OW Emeralds in here...

2: View is exactly the same.. at the International terminal, for a pleb like me who has never experienced the Flounge the huge difference between the Sapphire and Emerald OW lounges is the ability to see daylight!

3: Food is better. Much more hot food.. J-Lounge is ~ the International J lounge (funny that )

4: Booze is higher quality... More so for wine... bubbly is palatable (10ft barge pole rule in QP!)

Now to look forward to my first ever sample of a Non-Economy product! Nice not being a student anymore!

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Oh as a postscript, as my lappy battery passes 50%, a big difference between the Dom J-Lounge and Int J-Lounge @ Mel is the number of powerpoints!!!

 

[Natt]

Oh as a postscript, as my lappy battery passes 50%, a big difference between the Dom J-Lounge and Int J-Lounge @ Mel is the number of powerpoints!!!

Glad you are liking the lounge

but since its friday i will keep the comparisons going

get a netbook :shock:

It shrugs off 2 hours ... 4 means serious business and 9 is the limit on no wireless/very low brightness

I am a recent convert - $450 and 1.2 kilos - very tasty

Eee PC 1005HA - Eee PC | Easy to Learn, Work and Play

for the geeks like my husband

 

[medhead]

I am a recent convert - $450 and 1.2 kilos - very tasty

Eee PC 1005HA - Eee PC | Easy to Learn, Work and Play

for the geeks like my husband

Yep me too it is very tasty. But I;m getting a Sony Z series, had rave reviews of one last night that a mate has.

Glad the j lounge was good.

 

[drewbles]

Food is much better yes (and the pies are particularly good). They also had very nice hot freshly baked scones there last sunday (with good jam and double cream!). The cold selection is also far more extensive, and the soups have proven to be very nice too.

The wine was just the same as in the main lounge and the bubbles were jacobs creek sparkling chardonay, hardly anything worthy of drinking All the spirits are the same as the main QP too.

Last Sunday the QP was full and the J lounge was all but empty. Was a very pleasant place to sit and soak in the views of a/c moving around.

 

[samh004]

They also had very nice hot freshly baked scones there last sunday (with good jam and double cream!).

Aspires for Emerald even more now! That’s my kind of afternoon tea.

All the spirits are the same as the main QP too.

Not that Baileys is a spirit, but they serve that only in the J lounge I thought. I didn’t see it in the QP.

 

[thewinchester]

+1 for MEL QP Dom J. Mentioned in my trip report I popped in there, and its a real godsend compared to the regular QP. Shame I had less than 45min in the joint, would have loved to have sat in there for much longer just to relax.

 

[drewbles]

Aspires for Emerald even more now! That’s my kind of afternoon tea.

heck yeah. they were actually very good too

Not that Baileys is a spirit, but they serve that only in the J lounge I thought. I didn’t see it in the QP.

Hrm never noticed that in the J lounge. I've never noticed that there either. Perhaps they do indeed add some options but most are just the same as the QP not better

 

[Pvcmenace]

Totally disagree,

My family and I had a quite ordinary experience there. It started from check in when a man (won't call him a gentleman) in the queue walked right passed my wife daughter and I when called to check in, upon enquiring on what he was doing, he proclaimed the qantas club check in is over there, to which i responded well 'im flying in business.

Going through QP noticed it was full so thought what a relief we are going to the J lounge. It was not all that busy so took a table in a corner and kept our 13 month old daughter busy playing with a truck and eating a biscuit. She was very well behaved and quiet yet the rolled eyes and scornful looks made us feel a little uncomfortable. Food was no different and not much of a difference with the booze.

Would have rather been out with the norms in QP had there been space than stuck in a room full of elitists.

Maybe it was just that day, so I might try again but in my opinion it's nothing special.

PVCmenace

 

[straitman]

Totally disagree,

My family and I had a quite ordinary experience there. It started from check in when a man (won't call him a gentleman) in the queue walked right passed my wife daughter and I when called to check in, upon enquiring on what he was doing, he proclaimed the qantas club check in is over there, to which i responded well 'im flying in business.

Going through QP noticed it was full so thought what a relief we are going to the J lounge. It was not all that busy so took a table in a corner and kept our 13 month old daughter busy playing with a truck and eating a biscuit. She was very well behaved and quiet yet the rolled eyes and scornful looks made us feel a little uncomfortable. Food was no different and not much of a difference with the booze.

Would have rather been out with the norms in QP had there been space than stuck in a room full of elitists.

Maybe it was just that day, so I might try again but in my opinion it's nothing special.

PVCmenace

Pvcmenace,

Sorry to disagree but most here believe, (myself included) the the food is better and the booze is a little better in the J lounge.

We are not elitists and believe the best value and major attraction is that, as you said, the J lounge in most cases is quieter.

 

[medhead]

Pvcmenace,

Sorry to disagree but most here believe, (myself included) the the food is better and the booze is a little better in the J lounge.

We are not elitists and believe the best value and major attraction is that, as you said, the J lounge in most cases is quieter.

Well I'm not sure about the Melb J lounge, hence remaining silent until now. But I'd have to disagree with you for the BNE and SYD domestic J lounges.

The BNE is small and was crowded last time I was there. The food options are basically the same as normal QP during peak times, but I imagine are better overall average across the entire day.

SYD J lounge again last time there is was crowded, and again peak times so I didn't notice anything better in the food options.

Food-wise it is probably a function of the time of visit.

Booze - well I'm a man of simple taste - crownie or rumbo and I'm happy. Unless there is nice, fine french bubbles on offer.

 

[Mr Ed]

The Bubbles
There in lies the problem. Can't the QP improve the bubbly just a bit.
I have to drink half abottle just to get use to it.

 

[serfty]

The food catering during quiet hours in the MEL/SYD/BNE/CBR J lounges is substantially the same.

In each case, the food catering is some degree better than the catering in the respective adjacent (or nearly in CBR) Qantas Club Lounges.