Qantas First Lounges to Reopen

[jakeseven7]

You're not comparing like with like..

Old world - A380 / 787 = Only F pax and WP/OWE can access First lounge
New world - 737 / A330 = Every man and his dog except Bronze and Silver

New world - there are almost no OW passenger flights out of AU and if there are they are almost empty. So all that previous traffic is vamoosh.

 

[aus_flyer]

New world - there are almost no OW passenger flights out of AU and if there are they are almost empty. So all that previous traffic is vamoosh.

I didn't even mention OW passengers. I was referring to Oneworld Emeralds - of which there are many in Australia that aren't QFF (e.g. from Qatar's status match to Virgin Australia)

 

[jakeseven7]

I didn't even mention OW passengers. I was referring to Oneworld Emeralds - of which there are many in Australia that aren't QFF (e.g. from Qatar's status match to Virgin Australia)

I didn't say that you did.....

 

[henrus]

Pre covid a lot of the 738 flights to NZ did leave from that pier, although more common in the morning than in evening when most gates were occupied.

I expect all flights to NZ/Norfolk Island will leave from gates 8-37. All other international flights will likely be from gates 50-63.

The is because all flights from NZ and Norfolk Island now arrive at gates 8-37 and clear immigration through exit hall A. It will be convenient for the Qantas lounges however it is going to be a pain from the Air NZ lounge.

 

[sudoer]

I don't think MEL F capacity will be an issue based on current schedule.

Looking through some old photos of the F lounge, the dining space had 45-50 seats and the tables appear to be at least 1.5m apart. Add the sofas, work desks, and meeting rooms - total seated capacity would have been around 120 at a guess? Going off current departure times and aircraft types this should be fine:

Mon/Fri/Sun	Tue/Thu	Wed	Sat
08:00 AKL 332 08:55 CHC 738 09:00 WLG 738 11:45 AKL 332 18:50 AKL 332	08:00 AKL 332 08:30 ZQN 738 09:00 WLG 738 18:50 AKL 332	08:00 AKL 332 08:55 CHC 738 09:00 WLG 738 18:50 AKL 332	08:00 AKL 332 08:30 ZQN 738 09:00 WLG 738 11:45 AKL 332

If boarding for the AKL bound 332 is called at 7:30am that should work well with pax on 9am departures. Tue/Thu/Sat might be slightly more crowded for 20-30 minutes given the ZQN flight leaves earlier than the CHC departure (on alternating days.)

If needed Qantas could swap some of the comfy F sofas with space-efficient J lounge furniture, extend the dining space, and convert the 'boardrooms' into family rooms to get capacity up to around 150.

Opening hours would be something like:

Mon/Fri/Sun: 5am-11:45am; 3:50pm-6:50pm
Tue/Wed/Thu 5am-9am; 3:50pm-6:50pm
Sat: 5am-11:45am

The only international departure which could potentially line up with these operating hours is UL605 departing at 7am on Saturdays. All the other partner airline flights depart either mid afternoon (CX) or in the late evening (EK, UL, QR, MH)

 

[Matt_01]

of which there are many in Australia that aren't QFF (e.g. from Qatar's status match to Virgin Australia)

I did not follow the detail on the QF SG status match requirements however it was 100SC and wasn't lounge access granted from the start rather than after the 100SC were earnt. So there maybe some you can get lounge access without status but have signed up for the challenge. A quick trip to NZ and back would make light work to meet the match requirements.

 

[sudoer]

wasn't lounge access granted from the start rather than after the 100SC were earnt. So there maybe some you can get lounge access without status but have signed up for the challenge.

Correct, you would effectively get a three month Qantas Club membership once approved for the challenge.

 

[Beano]

I'm not a morning person so usually depart from the Qantas side, however there have been occasions when an evening departure was from the further away gates, so it was a good stay in QF lounge then off the the Emirates lounge for a Glenmorangie before departure.

 

[madrooster]

I am told the SYD F lounge will be reopening for the NZ flights next week, in line with MEL. No word on the J lounge opening.

 

[Matt_01]

I am told the SYD F lounge will be reopening for the NZ flights next week, in line with MEL. No word on the J lounge opening.

I suspect the SYD F lounge will not have the same capacity concerns as the MEL discussion.

 

[sudoer]

I suspect the SYD F lounge will not have the same capacity concerns as the MEL discussion.

SYD F Lounge would have a larger footprint than the J lounge anyway.

 

[nlagalle]

I see its official.... Qantas set to reopen first class lounges ahead of NZ flights

 

[henrus]

I see its official

I wouldn't call it official yet. The article just says that the SYD/MEL First lounges will open, something that a few posts here have already confirmed on this thread.

What is good to note is that an official announcement will be made on Thursday, we'll then know if the J lounges in SYD/MEL will open as well (unlikely but not yet know) plus lounges in BNE, AKL and WLG.

It'll also be interesting to see if the CHC and ZQN lounges operated by PlaneBiz/Menzies (who also do QF ground handling) open as well.

 

[eminere]

I wouldn't call it official yet. The article just says that the SYD/MEL First lounges will open, something that a few posts here have already confirmed on this thread.

Yep I'd much prefer to hear it from the Qantas Newsroom than the other site.

 

[justinbrett]

Yep I'd much prefer to hear it from the Qantas Newsroom than the other site.

It's written by David Flynn. Only person who would be more reliable than him is Alan Joyce himself.

They're opening 19th April.

 

[Berlin]

So it'll be a Business class mess in the space of the former First lounge which is alright in the case of SYD but VERY tiny in MEL. Well- tbh, I wouldn't have expected any better at first. I actually feared that Qantas would quietly sit out this topic for a few more months to save a buck or two so better than nothing.

What about the awful old Auckland trash heap- will they also just open the J part and keep the janitor's booth called "First lounge" next door closed?

 

[mviy]

At this point all they need to have is an offering that is competitive compared with what Air NZ offers. Provided they make the lounge offering good enough that people don’t see Air NZ as a better alternative and fly them instead, it’s fine for QF.

 

[eminere]

It's written by David Flynn. Only person who would be more reliable than him is Alan Joyce himself.

They're opening 19th April.

Not doubting the veracity of what he's written but I'd prefer not to give free click-through traffic from this site to his.

 

[Berlin]

At this point all they need to have is an offering that is competitive compared with what Air NZ offers. Provided they make the lounge offering good enough that people don’t see Air NZ as a better alternative and fly them instead, it’s fine for QF.

I personally find Air NZ's lounges very meh- fancy looks but no substance. Especially when in Auckland, they remove all hot food mid afternoon for no apparent reason. Even the coughpy old Qantas lounge offers better than that if you ask me. So yes, that's exactly what Qantas is doing, a comparable offer to Air NZ. Makes total sense from a business standpoint.

 

[justinbrett]

So it'll be a Business class mess in the space of the former First lounge which is alright in the case of SYD but VERY tiny in MEL. Well- tbh, I wouldn't have expected any better at first. I actually feared that Qantas would quietly sit out this topic for a few more months to save a buck or two so better than nothing.

What about the awful old Auckland trash heap- will they also just open the J part and keep the janitor's booth called "First lounge" next door closed?

I think they'll need it all. Apart from LATAM there weren't many OW flights using the lounge not bound for Australia, and it was usually pretty full.