New Domestic Business Lounge Open Dates

[serfty]

Posted on FT today: Qantas to offer top tier domestic flyers barrista brews and showers > AviationRecord > Search Results

SYDNEY: Qantas plans to open new, dedicated domestic business class lounges within its Sydney and Melbourne terminals this month.

The lounges will be for passengers travelling business class, along with its top tier frequent flyers. They will offer quiet work suites, computer access and complimentary wireless internet, a "premium selection" of hot and cold food, barista service, separate bathroom and private shower suites and
lighting created by Dutch design label, Moooi.

GM John Borghetti, said the new lounges would provide the airline’s business class customers and top tier Qantas and oneworld Frequent Flyers with an
exclusive space to relax or work prior to their flight. ...

 

[Homer]

I was in both the new SYD domestic J/WP lounge and the BNE domestic J/WP lounge today.

I think the SYD lounge is actually pretty good. It's not an international standard premium lounge but domestically it is clearly better than the regular QP. The lounge is pretty big - it feels as though it is perhaps one-third of the entire SYD QP area. The furniture and floor coverings are new and there are a variety of areas - couches, chairs, bar tables and private work areas. The food is similar to the QP but perhaps just a notch or two above. The beverages seemed identical to me (ie only domestic sparkling - no Champagne...but then QF can't organise this unless you hit an F lounge). The lounge was very empty when I was there at 11.30am (for a 12.15pm flight to BNE) which has to be one of the big benefits - less noise!

The BNE lounge is actually quite disappointing due to its small size. They haven't finished the bathrooms yet, but even when this area is ready the lounge is going to feel small. I would estimate that the BNE lounge is between 10-15% of the size of the SYD lounge. It felt crowded tonight at 6pm (there were no bar stools left and I shared a 4-chair/table arrangement with three other guests). I guess this is because there is just no more space available in this part of the terminal. It has the same new furniture and floor coverings as SYD.

 

[beardoc]

Apart from the area around the food counters it is fully carpeted. It is considerably less crowded than the main lounge (Monday morning peak) and does not seem unduly noisy. Plenty of seating and PCs. It is larger than (and therefore not as intimate as) the CL but generally comparable.

Can anyone give a better idea of the food available at different times of the day in the new J lounge?

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Can anyone give a better idea of the food available at different times of the day in the new J lounge?

Sydney lounge this morning (7am) - exactly the same food as the QC + pikelets (with syrup or berries) and some really small pastries of some kind.

Barista service was OK (a queue of 3-4 people), but only available from 6:30am through to 9am.

Overall, the lounge is nicer - probably because it's brand new. ARound the entry way it was busy without being crowded (probably 1/2 seats taken) but as you move around towards the back there were plenty of empty spaces.

I didn't have time to check out the regular QC to see if it was less crowded.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

Overall, the lounge is nicer - probably because it's brand new. ARound the entry way it was busy without being crowded (probably 1/2 seats taken) but as you move around towards there were plenty of empty spaces.

Is there a mobile-free zone?

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Is there a mobile-free zone?

I didn't notice one. I only had time for one lap around the lounge (it's shaped like a hollowed out square, with the center area for toilets/showers and kitchen facilities). That's not to say there isn't one. Even still, I didn't see/hear a single person on a mobile phone whist I was there.

One other oddity I noticed - as you come up to the entry desk - the wall behind the desk doesn't reach the actual edge wall of the lounge. There's a 30-40 cm gap. It's the same gap you can see in the bottom picture here: Qantas to offer top tier domestic flyers barrista brews and showers > AviationRecord > Search Results So, you can "peek" into the lounge of you want - you'll see the same three white seats you can see in the picture.

 

[Commuter]

Can anyone give a better idea of the food available at different times of the day in the new J lounge?

The other day, BNE J lounge in the evening had some sort of hot food (if I remember correctly, beef casserole, I think) with rice, as well as chicken nuggets and some other hot fried food. QC side of the lounge (I had a look while I popped over to the loo because the J section loos were not ready) did not have the beef casserole with rice but everything else as I recall.

The breakfast was as described by AnonymousCoward, plus the usual QC offerings (fruits with creme fraiche, toasts etc).

 

[Will]

Sydney lounge this morning (7am) - ... busy without being crowded (probably 1/2 seats taken)

Today (Friday) at 0800, very quiet - maybe 1/8 of the seats are used?
Nice space, very airy and bright.
The pikelets are tasty, too - with real maple syrup.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

Yesterday at 1400ish. Lots of delays, announcements not to bother asking to change/waitlist but J lounge not too busy, seats available. Didn't have much chance to look around, but overall first impressions were good. It is bigger than I expected.

Couldn't get a (free) wireless signal though.

 

[beardoc]

Yesterday at 1400ish. Lots of delays, announcements not to bother asking to change/waitlist but J lounge not too busy, seats available. Didn't have much chance to look around, but overall first impressions were good. It is bigger than I expected.

Couldn't get a (free) wireless signal though.

No free wireless? In the SYD J lounge?

I'm going in next Thursday (I have a friend that is flying up from Melbourne just to "guest" me into the SYD T3 J lounge), but I'm hoping that I'll get a reasonable wireless signal - I am hoping to do some work when I am there.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

No free wireless? In the SYD J lounge?

I was sitting in the far corner and I was in a hurry so I used my 3G card instead. It normally just logs me in to the lounge wireless network but as I say I didn't have time to tinker.

 

[Va Bene]

I was in the Syd J lounge on Wed pm. There are some laptop benches (the high ones with stools) at the far end of the lounge. At times the Telstra signal was one bar on the wireless signal and at times I couldn't even locate it. Suffice to say, I couldn't log on in that area and I heard others talking about the same thing.
If you move to a point closer to the QC end then you can get an OK signal.
Lounge was absolutely packed due to flight delays and difficult to get a seat.
Looks like they have kept the bathrooms which were in the previous business centre but not bothered to replace most of the fittings, tiles etc which are a bit shoddy.
Food offerings (hot snacks, antipasti) were a bit better than QC but the Barista service finishes at 9.30am.

 

[beardoc]

Food offerings (hot snacks, antipasti) were a bit better than QC but the Barista service finishes at 9.30am.

Anything would have to be better than those awful "chicken chipees" and those mini sausage rolls.

 

[straitman]

Anything would have to be better than those awful "chicken chipees" and those mini sausage rolls.

YUM :!: :shock:

 

[beardoc]

YUM :!: :shock:

Maybe, but I often look for a slightly less artery-clogging alternative!

 

[straitman]

Maybe, but I often look for a slightly less artery-clogging alternative!

Agreed in reality.

 

[MD]

Monday morning the lounge in Sydney is completely full. No PCs are available and there are only 2 unoccupied clusters of seats. Not a single newspaper. The wireless coverage problem seems to have been remedied, as my phone can now connect to the portal but could not last week. QP by contrast is perhaps 70% full. Plenty of PCs free and smaller queue at the barrista. Dozens of newspapers.

I will be checking out the Virgin Lounge tonight.

 

[JohnK]

I was in the new business lounge in SYD yesterday and it does look quite nice. Similar food on offer to the Qantas Club, I think 12 PC desktops and it was not too crowded.

I also managed to use the BNE business lounge as an arrivals lounge yesterday evening as well. Not sure what the success rate is going to be in future but it is worth a try and the supervisor had no problem letting me through.

 

[sgrenville]

I assume a few people have been through the lounge in SYD by now - are there any meeting rooms there or do you need to go back out to the QC lounge with all the plebs?

 

[serfty]

The meeting rooms have been relocated (to provide additional space in the lounge area I guess). The Sydney meeting rooms are now upstairs from gate 13 in SYD T3.

• Qantas Meeting rooms - Location and Bookings