Hobart temporary lounge April 2025

[antycbr]

In a new personal low for me, 2 Americans were refused entry on their business class tickets as they needed to be a Qantas Club member according to the door person.

Perhaps the door dragon was on secondment from AA and enforcing their door policy.

 

[anat0l]

What I will note is that Hobart has the worst Qantas lounge of any Australian capital despite the fact that it isn't even the smallest capital either (that honour goes to Darwin). I would challenge anyone here to visit the Darwin Qantas Club and then the Hobart Qantas Club and tell me with a straight face that the Hobart lounge (even with the improvements they are making now) is any better. It's a night and day difference. Tons of seating at Darwin including desks, a decent hot spread and proper restrooms!

-RooFlyer88

Darwin airport is also nominally larger, has jetbridges, fully supports consistent international operations (QF even have one such flight from it now)...

Jokes aside, HBA must be where lounge dreams go to die. VA made lots of noise to open one there, and never did. QF for an equally long or longer time said they'll make it bigger and better, and it's only happening now to a small degree.

 

[RooFlyer]

Darwin airport is also nominally larger, has jetbridges, fully supports consistent international operations (QF even have one such flight from it now)...

Jokes aside, HBA must be where lounge dreams go to die. VA made lots of noise to open one there, and never did. QF for an equally long or longer time said they'll make it bigger and better, and it's only happening now to a small degree.

Darwin terminal was built new in 1991 (I was living there up till then - the prior one still had bullet holes from WW2 in it!). DRW a modern built airport.

The Hobart terminal is effectively the same shell since the 1960s or 70s, with miserly increments over the years. There was supposed to be a major expansion ?10 years ago; they started then realised that the Master Plan they were operating under was inadequate for the tourist growth Tas was experiencing, so stopped and 'regrouped'. Plonkers. Wooden 'temporary' seats introduced.

The current expansion will hopefully make it a half decent experience but I'm betting that most of the expansion will be on shops and other retail, not gate lounge space. At the moment there is frequently NO free seat to be found across the gate lounges when flights are at peak.

Airport owners Schipol have said categorically that there will be no airbridges.

Although I'm very critical of the QF lounge, I give them and VA a bit of a break up till now in as much as any increased (for QF) or new (VA) footprint would be premium priced due to no free space - they would have to outbid the couple of shops. I'll be really peeved if VA doesn't get a lounge but I'm not expecting it - it will still be high floorspace cost, VA isn't throwing money around at the moment and "we haven't given the peasants a lounge up till now, so why should we start now?".

 

[kangarooflyer88]

The Hobart terminal is effectively the same shell since the 1960s or 70s, with miserly increments over the years. There was supposed to be a major expansion ?10 years ago; they started then realised that the Master Plan they were operating under was inadequate for the tourist growth Tas was experiencing, so stopped and 'regrouped'. Plonkers. Wooden 'temporary' seats introduced.

What I do find interesting is that Launceston seems to have a better airport than Hobart does despite the former being smaller and not a capital city. I wonder why that is? One thing I never visited was the QF lounge at Launceston as it was land side for some reason (although would be curious to hear how it compares to Hobart)

 

[DC3]

… Hobart has the worst Qantas lounge of any Australian capital despite the fact that it isn't even the smallest capital either (that honour goes to Darwin) …

Smallest State capital then?

 

[anat0l]

What I do find interesting is that Launceston seems to have a better airport than Hobart does despite the former being smaller and not a capital city. I wonder why that is? One thing I never visited was the QF lounge at Launceston as it was land side for some reason (although would be curious to hear how it compares to Hobart)

Launceston QP - or maybe more accurately in old parlance, "Regional Lounge" - is amongst a bunch of Qantas domestic lounges which are really just glorified waiting rooms (Euro train or old school ones).

Access is granted by staff at check-in (hence why landside) by swiping you in or providing you a code. The food is limited to whatever can be catered in packets, i.e. not fresh, which is probably just cheese, crackers and biscuits. Probably soft drink and beer (I'm not guessing any wine and definitely no spirits).

Why would you go in? Raid the fridge maybe (there's no staff around inside so you probably could swipe a half dozen cans and beers without getting caught). Maybe to escape the common waiting area if it were super duper busy (unless they also end up going to said lounge). Seen pictures of the lounge inside and it isn't much to be excited about at all.


As for LST having a better airport than HBA, I'm going to guess that the former is a newer terminal. If it had the same traffic as HBA did, I'd say LST would be absolutely, completely done for.

 

[DC3]

… One thing I never visited was the QF lounge at Launceston as it was land side for some reason (although would be curious to hear how it compares to Hobart)

Can’t help you there. Hopefully someone will come to the rescue.

Edit: Wow. There’s been a helpful reply already

 

[RooFlyer]

I wonder why that is?

Different owners. Different capital spends on passengers.

 

[DC3]

Perhaps the door dragon was on secondment from AA and enforcing their door policy.

Or, just an Ozzie gal trying out new bossy boots