MEL Dom. lounges refurb Completed October 2018

[Austman]

First foray into J and it’s a zoo. People standing everywhere. Not one spare seat.

Not a good afternoon in SYD. Weather has caused about 20 QF cancellations of which half are SYD-MEL flights. So that's going to have a big impact in MEL too.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

RichardMEL, you forget one point, (dour to others, but important to me), its the views to the outside.

 

[Pushka]

Not a good afternoon in SYD. Weather has caused about 20 QF cancellations of which half are SYD-MEL flights. So that's going to have a big impact in MEL too.

It did with flight being an hour late. But the last flight to Melbourne is always late as the crew always arrive from a plane that lands at the same time pretty much as we are supposed to board. They had an excuse yesterday but not other days. Anyways the j club remained a zoo the entire time. No tea near the front desk. Out of order. Felt sorry for the staff but it was a mess they could never catch up on with dirty dishes everywhere and tables at the dining area always full as people didn’t leave after their meal but then started working on laptops.

 

[RichardMEL]

RichardMEL, you forget one point, (dour to others, but important to me), its the views to the outside.

How did I forget that? The very first line of my response was

Not EVERYONE cares about a view of the apron/runways (though I do absolutely agree the lack of natural light is an issue).

I have written multiple times the lack of natural light (ie from the outside) is poor. It's an unfortunate side effect of the space reallocation in the space they had to work with.

At least in BNE they had room to spread out and both lounges have windows to the outside world (and the sunlight type deal in the central area is quite appealing too) but they can't do that at MEL unfortunately.

An unpopular view I am sure, but given the space they had to work with, and the need to provide more capacity in both lounges, isn't it "fair" that the J (or Platinum+) lounge gets the better amenity?

Yes, the old lounge both QC and J had windows onto the apron area, but it was also a really poor setup (going through the QC to the J lounge) and J was such a poor space it was often way overcrowded). Within the footprint of the area they had to work with I am honestly not sure how they could have made it work to reconfigure to add capacity AND provide the windows to the world.

It seems the internal windows have not added much coming from the terminal area, because that's also mostly interior and artificial light unfortunately..

I am not sure if there is/was a better solution, but it just could NOT ttay the way it was.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Have been in the MEL Dom J Lounge since about 10am, couldn't get onto an earlier flight, my original 2pm to SYD is now boarding at 3:55pm.

Lounge is absolutely packed, people sitting on the floor and window ledges. Electrical powerpoints have almost acquired their own currency status.

 

[Pushka]

Have been in the MEL Dom J Lounge since about 10am, couldn't get onto an earlier flight, my original 2pm to SYD is now boarding at 3:55pm.

Lounge is absolutely packed, people sitting on the floor and window ledges. Electrical powerpoints have almost acquired their own currency status.

Déjà vu from yesterday. Not pleasant at all. I ended up in the area to the left just as you enter and behind the bank of computers. I couldn’t even find a window ledge. I ate while standing next to one of the ‘catering rubbish areas’ as that was the only place I could find to safely put down my drink. Except it was later removed because they thought it was finished with.

 

[RichardMEL]

I wonder if QF is doing the thing of putting P1's in the CL again?

the weather and single runway ops in Sydney has created mayhem system wide (as usual *sigh*) so yeah NO lounge would be good, specially on a Friday!!!

 

[kermatu]

I wonder if QF is doing the thing of putting P1's in the CL again?

the weather and single runway ops in Sydney has created mayhem system wide (as usual *sigh*) so yeah NO lounge would be good, specially on a Friday!!!

Although CLs get priority for flights I'm sure those lounges would also suffer. I have never seen a CL more than 30% occupied, but have not been in one during a major weather delay scenario.

 

[docjames]

Perhaps they'll cover the windows as part of the upcoming Sydney international business lounge renovations to achieve the same effect /s.

Would give it the same ambience as the Mel T2 (Int) J lounge.......

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I'm enjoying the Pork char sui they are offering this afternoon.

Trying to get back to SYD and scored a good seat on the 747 operating QF 442 this afternoon. Not a bad payoff for a delayed service getting the big bird.

The lounge isn't too horrific just yet but I imagine it will get packed when the peak rush begins.

 

[Silvia]

I'm enjoying the Pork char sui they are offering this afternoon.

Trying to get back to SYD and scored a good seat on the 747 operating QF 442 this afternoon. Not a bad payoff for a delayed service getting the big bird.

The lounge isn't too horrific just yet but I imagine it will get packed when the peak rush begins.

Hope you got one of the old first class seats as it's good old VH-OEB operating that leg today!

 

[Matt_01]

I'm enjoying the Pork char sui they are offering this afternoon.

Had this today. I am actually quite impressed that the lounge has only been fully open for around 4-6 weeks and the menu has already changed.

 

[serfty]

Looks like they have found a way to use the seating carousels. ...

 

[RooFlyer]

Looks like they have found a way to use the seating carousels. ...

You mean as decoration - not functional as seating?

 

[serfty]

You mean as decoration - not functional as seating?

I think beforehand they weren't being used very much at all.

These little tables surrounded all four carousels this morning.

 

[Pushka]

I think beforehand they weren't being used very much at all.

These little tables surrounded all four carousels this morning.

I really dislike that seating. You can never tell if it’s being used, and if stuff isn’t cleared up quickly then free areas go to waste.

 

[RooFlyer]

These little tables surrounded all four carousels this morning.

Ah, I don't know the previous configuration. In your pics, looked like the little circular tables, pushed up against the circular thing, were barracading the latter. Your pics show people seated on the outside of the circular tables, but no one on the circular thing.

So no one on the circular seats and one pax per circular table!

 

[serfty]

So no one on the circular seats and one pax per circular table!

Yes - I thought it rather weird.

 

[kookaburra75]

Looks like they have found a way to use the seating carousels. ...

View attachment 150276

I don't mind it, as I think they have worked out a way around the main disadvantage of those types of seats - who wants to sit shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of other people; think trains. At least now you can sit on the 'inner' seat and have a bit of room for your paper/bag etc next to you, and share the table with one other person who sits on the 'outer'. That at least avoids the dreaded seat hugger.

Now all they need to do is put in some decent work benches with power points, then I'd be happy - Brisbane to me has the best mix of seating types

 

[kermatu]

I've seen people seated there often -- but it's of necessity if you want a seat at all. How it was ever thought to be a good idea is beyond me. That said, the new config seems a real waste of space. Pretty poor and a mistake in my opinion.

And whoever designed the lounge probably has the contracts for new / refurbs to come and is laughing all the way to the bank.