Qantas Lounge Pet Peeves

[RichardMEL]

I originally took this pic today just because I was actually impressed with the huge screen for departure info they've installed in the last couple of weeks at the MEL lounge entry just next to the CL entrance and it's a great addition:



However at the disk of triggering our esteemed member from the True North (strong and free), I had to focus in on the "roodolph mail" mailbox which I thought was just pretty cute for kids. Wonder if anyone uses it?!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Still no sign of the works that were supposed to start at ADL Airport for the QF J lounge area.
For early morning it's OK, ie not crowded.
Wonder when it will actually start.
Only butter now, no sign of those small containers of any type of jams.
===
Someone in here sleeping with shoes on, fully with eye covers on one of the long chairs.
This place is now real bogan.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

However at the disk of triggering our esteemed member from the True North (strong and free), I had to focus in on the "roodolph mail" mailbox which I thought was just pretty cute for kids. Wonder if anyone uses it?!

Interestingly enough CanadaPost is the official provider of mail services to the North Pole and Santa. Santa's address in the North Pole (which will reply to all letters received) is:
Santa Claus
North Pole
H0H 0H0
Canada

I see too that AusPost has a similar service with letters to be addressed to:
Santa Mail
North Pole
9999

I think both services are wonderful concepts, although I am obviously impartial to the Canadian one since they accept letters internationally and Santa can respond in a number of different languages. Also you got to love that Santa's postal code in Canada is ho-ho-ho!

-RooFlyer88

 

[RichardMEL]

Still no sign of the works that were supposed to start at ADL Airport for the QF J lounge area.

Scheduled for 2024. Is it 2024 yet? no. ET noted that work has been going on "behind the scenes" for some months and not obvious to passengers.

 

[tdimdad]

+1 for banning speaker phones in lounges. Even when it's Christmas time and family time, you have plenty of spare time to kill, are in a jovial mood and whatnot, it'd be courteous to keep the family goss to yourself. Or your business conversations between the said business(es) only.

Lounges should have quiet zones for eating, relaxing and work. I have also made calls from lounges and while I try to be quiet as a mouse, I'd prefer clear demarcation of "free to talk and make noise" vs "hush here" zones. It would also help us to choose where to sit according to what we need on each visit.

 

[Daver6]

+1 for banning speaker phones in lounges. Even when it's Christmas time and family time, you have plenty of spare time to kill, are in a jovial mood and whatnot, it'd be courteous to keep the family goss to yourself. Or your business conversations between the said business(es) only.

Lounges should have quiet zones for eating, relaxing and work. I have also made calls from lounges and while I try to be quiet as a mouse, I'd prefer clear demarcation of "free to talk and make noise" vs "hush here" zones. It would also help us to choose where to sit according to what we need on each visit.

It would be great if lounges had the phone booths like WeWork have

 

[DejaBrew]

It would be great if lounges had the phone booths like WeWork have

View attachment 361925

If they were made available in the QP, then you just know some DYKWIA pax are going to leverage them as their own private office regardless of whether or not they’re actually on a call…

 

[servicerequired]

SYD J Lounge… there is no where for food prep! That stupid food strip right next to the entrance … urgh … well thought out. Where do I butter my bread?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

SYD J Lounge… there is no where for food prep! That stupid food strip right next to the entrance … urgh … well thought out. Where do I butter my bread?

I think the real criticism here is that it's a toastie or bust food proposition. Sure, sometimes they will have one or two token hot items out, but that's the exception not the rule. Meanwhile, the QF J lounge at MEL had turkey and all the fillings when I flew out of there on the 23rd.

-RooFlyer88

 

[tdimdad]

SYD J Lounge… there is no where for food prep! That stupid food strip right next to the entrance … urgh … well thought out. Where do I butter my bread?

At your table? Meaning, you'd scoop a bit of spread to the corner of your plate, grab a knife with you and then do the work at your seat. It also keeps the spread jar / box / whatever a lot cleaner and neater for the next ones when it does not fill with bread crumps.

Bonus points, if you manage to avoid cross-contamination in the buffet area so that also those with varying dietary restrictions can eat from there.

 

[RichardMEL]

I think the real criticism here is that it's a toastie or bust food proposition. Sure, sometimes they will have one or two token hot items out, but that's the exception not the rule. Meanwhile, the QF J lounge at MEL had turkey and all the fillings when I flew out of there on the 23rd.

yes, but did you also go through the SYD dom J lounge on the same day to compare what they were offering?

No question that the "brown slop" in SYD is usually terrible, but you've made a blanket statement there that I am not entirely sure is fair. SYD dom J has always had soup option at the very end of that counter there, and during afternoons either have items like party pies and the like (scoff if you like, but they're popular with the masses). If not those, a selection of cake pieces or other sweet treats are there. As mentioned elsewhere, the breakfast spread is often a bit better too. I guess everyone's mileage varies.

Of course, SYD dom J suffers from the way the lounges were originally split years back - back in the day when ALL that space was the QP, that area was a secondary food and bar area iirc. Serious revamp long overdue as we all know.

Additionally, the extra specialist food concepts eg Pizzas in PER, Spice bar in MEL, the ex-Cantaina in BNE* (was serving salads and some sort of loaded potatoes when I went through last week) have far better options than SYD dom J but by the same token that lounge has slightly more options than "toastie or bust" imo.


* BNE - let's not forget that often the QP area can have more options than J as discussed in other threads.

 

[CMA222]

At your table? Meaning, you'd scoop a bit of spread to the corner of your plate, grab a knife with you and then do the work at your seat. It also keeps the spread jar / box / whatever a lot cleaner and neater for the next ones when it does not fill with bread crumps.

SYD dom J - If you wish to prepare a sandwich (ham, cheese and whatever) for toasting are you suggesting taking all the ingredients in a pile on a plate back to your seat and preparing it on the tables that are wiped over periodically with the same cloth that is used repeatedly through out the lounge, and without being cleaned or sanitised, and then returning to the toaster ? Seems more efficient to do the preparation where the toasting occurs.

 

[Daver6]

yes, but did you also go through the SYD dom J lounge on the same day to compare what they were offering?

No question that the "brown slop" in SYD is usually terrible, but you've made a blanket statement there that I am not entirely sure is fair. SYD dom J has always had soup option at the very end of that counter there, and during afternoons either have items like party pies and the like (scoff if you like, but they're popular with the masses). If not those, a selection of cake pieces or other sweet treats are there. As mentioned elsewhere, the breakfast spread is often a bit better too. I guess everyone's mileage varies.

Are the party pies popular because they're what people want or just a better alternative to that constant brown slop?

It would be really nice if lounges stopped with the slop and had an alternative hot meal.

 

[RichardMEL]

Are the party pies popular because they're what people want or just a better alternative to that constant brown slop?

Truly valid point!

 

[Happy Dude]

If they were made available in the QP, then you just know some DYKWIA pax are going to leverage them as their own private office regardless of whether or not they’re actually on a call…

You'd also have those types in the quiet area too because there was "nowhere else to sit" or they "didn't know" or "will only be a minute" or "mind your own effing business", and it'd probably also happen the other way round too (ie quiet ppl in the noisy area). It's safest to assume that everyone is a selfish a-hole, until they demonstrate otherwise. Especially in airport lounges.

 

[SeatBackForward]

It's safest to assume that everyone is a selfish a-hole, until they demonstrate otherwise. Especially in airport lounges

Anywhere really these days. Sad that that has become the starting point. Guilty until proven innocent.

 

[tdimdad]

SYD dom J - If you wish to prepare a sandwich (ham, cheese and whatever) for toasting are you suggesting taking all the ingredients in a pile on a plate back to your seat and preparing it on the tables that are wiped over periodically with the same cloth that is used repeatedly through out the lounge, and without being cleaned or sanitised, and then returning to the toaster ? Seems more efficient to do the preparation where the toasting occurs.

Oops, my bad. I imagined 'toasting' as putting slices of bread vertically in a toaster, pressing the lever, and a minute later they happily pop up and you start loading the goodies on them. Sounds like you meant the sandwich grill / press / whats-it-called where you load your sandwich first and then start cooking it between two hot plates. Escaped my mind as I never do that. That would, of course, need a different order of preparation and space for it (which is a lounge design question).

 

[KSC]

Oops, my bad. I imagined 'toasting' as putting slices of bread vertically in a toaster, pressing the lever, and a minute later they happily pop up and you start loading the goodies on them. Sounds like you meant the sandwich grill / press / whats-it-called where you load your sandwich first and then start cooking it between two hot plates. Escaped my mind as I never do that. That would, of course, need a different order of preparation and space for it (which is a lounge design question).

Needs an expertise of a CTO (Chief Toasting Officer) to solve this matter.

 

[servicerequired]

Data point from SYD DOM J that I forgot to mention ... re enhanced dining options ... to my surprise, one of the lounge hostesses came around with a platter of plates, each with 2 x baked chicken drumsticks .... large chicken drumsticks.

At first I thought they were ice-cream drumsticks ... but no, 4:00 PM in the afternoon, large, baked, chicken drumsticks ... they were nice, but just a very strange surprise from the kitchen!

 

[sudoer]

Data point from SYD DOM J that I forgot to mention ... re enhanced dining options ... to my surprise, one of the lounge hostesses came around with a platter of plates, each with 2 x baked chicken drumsticks .... large chicken drumsticks.

This is becoming a more common thing I think. Just prior to Christmas they were going around with shrimp rolls.