Qantas Sydney International Business Lounge Refresh

[Saltywings]

For Saltywings the MEL QFi J lounge is in a basement locale.
All cfl or fluoro no windows!!!
Nuff said.

Nuff said, indeed.

Though I suppose I could channel my inner Melbourne hipster and say that this is perhaps QF playing to the cultured city's back alley, basement aesthetic?

 

[NSun]

Personally I don't think the Sydney J lounge is 'that' bad. It is OK. But it certainly isn't as good as some of Qantas' other business lounges (particularly Singapore & Hong Kong). I guess they just had to update the lounge on their home port eventually - although I would've thought Melbourne's international J lounge & Auckland J lounge would've been ahead in the pecking order.

 

[Saltywings]

Personally I don't think the Sydney J lounge is 'that' bad. It is OK. But it certainly isn't as good as some of Qantas' other business lounges (particularly Singapore & Hong Kong). I guess they just had to update the lounge on their home port eventually - although I would've thought Melbourne's international J lounge & Auckland J lounge would've been ahead in the pecking order.

I've actually never been in the QF Int J lounge during a non-peak time (nighttime flights to Japan tend to see less of a crowd), which seems to be one of its bugbears along with the well-worn furniture.

Personally I'd be pretty happy if they extend the lounge forward and above the corrugated roof - proper view of the airfield, as well as introduce more charging outlets.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I've actually never been in the QF Int J lounge during a non-peak time (nighttime flights to Japan tend to see less of a crowd), which seems to be one of its bugbears along with the well-worn furniture.

Personally I'd be pretty happy if they extend the lounge forward and above the corrugated roof - proper view of the airfield, as well as introduce more charging outlets.

If you like proper views, you don't know what you are missing, till you have made at least one visit to the SYD QFi F lounge.
Then you will miss it.
If you have the chance, take an EK flight SYD - CHC in F with a QF flight number, I know, not everyone can afford it, but if you can, do it once.
Then you will get to know it.
However they refresh SYD QFi J, it will never win over the SYD QFi F lounge or the MEL QFi F lounge, or even BNE QFi F/J lounge.
You can update the furniture and loos all you want, but if it all you see is a roof, or no windows at all, or fake wall with a curtain in front of it have it a pretend window (ala MEL QFi J lounge), its not really any good in my POV.
Sorry, was on the bus yesterday when I mentioned about the MEL QFi J lounge in basement.
Guess that was the only spot QF could put in a J lounge during the developments of MEL int airport.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I went to the Sydney international J lounge for the first time in many years and was pretty disgusted at the experience. It wasn’t any issues with overcrowding, or food etc (although both left me underwhelmed). It was the general grubbiness of the floor and the disgusting state of the toilets. I have been in third world countries where the toilets were cleaner. Toilets that didn’t flush, sticky floors, fluid over the floors, paper....... Not sure a refurbish is going to make any difference if they can’t keep the toilets clean. I am not a cleanliness fanatic but I was totally put off.

 

[mviy]

The worst aspect is having to do the walk of shame past the F lounge.

Can't see that changing. It's very deliberate, I'm sure.

I remember walking past the FLounge entrance and wishing that I could go in there back before I had access.

 

[Saltywings]

If you like proper views, you don't know what you are missing, till you have made at least one visit to the SYD QFi F lounge.
Then you will miss it.
If you have the chance, take an EK flight SYD - CHC in F with a QF flight number, I know, not everyone can afford it, but if you can, do it once.
Then you will get to know it.
However they refresh SYD QFi J, it will never win over the SYD QFi F lounge or the MEL QFi F lounge, or even BNE QFi F/J lounge.
You can update the furniture and loos all you want, but if it all you see is a roof, or no windows at all, or fake wall with a curtain in front of it have it a pretend window (ala MEL QFi J lounge), its not really any good in my POV.
Sorry, was on the bus yesterday when I mentioned about the MEL QFi J lounge in basement.
Guess that was the only spot QF could put in a J lounge during the developments of MEL int airport.

I mean, on the one hand, comparing a world-class F lounge with any J lounge (let alone QF's J) ought to be redundant - the difference in quality should be fully and rightly expected.

On the other hand, definitely good to aim for something. I've got one more flight to get VA WP this year (shame there's no flagship lounge for hitting that tier), and then I'll devote my efforts to hitting QF WP, hopefully before EoY - 2018 probably, 2019 definitely #musk

 

[ALH]

As I potentially will fall down the status ladder in the coming years, it will be less of a shock to the system dealing with J lounges instead of my steady diet of F lounges. Bring on the upgrade.

It’s OK. I will guest you into the FLounges

Seriously though, I’ve only used the FLounges, but had a quick look at the SYD J Lounge this year. I was quite surprised at how tired it felt. I don’t plan to fall down the status ladder.

 

[mitti]

Does anyone know if this lounge refresh actually began late last year, and what the current status of it is?

 

[AIRwin]

Does anyone know if this lounge refresh actually began late last year, and what the current status of it is?

I popped in there for a quick peek on 20 March but there was no sign of any work...

 

[cvmceg]

Still as dated and inferior as ever!

 

[love_the_life]

Does anyone know if this lounge refresh actually began late last year, and what the current status of it is?

I was there the other week on a couple of occasions - no change to what it's been like all the time. Sounds like the whole thing was a furphy. And what were they going to do with the passengers while the refresh was underway?

 

[AIRwin]

And what were they going to do with the passengers while the refresh was underway?

Open the F-loodgates!

 

[mviy]

I’m sure they will get to it. They announced a number of upcoming lounge refurbs and history suggests they won’t do them all at once.

 

[sudoer]

They announced a number of upcoming lounge refurbs and history suggests they won’t do them all at once.

They haven't really started any of those announced in the past year except the SIN F lounge (hopefully)

 

[moa999]

And it's some time from announce to design to negotiate with airport to approval to construct.. and then construction in an airport environment isn't easy

 

[Pcoder]

I was in there a couple weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon, it was overcrowded with very limited food options. Not terrible but not great either.

I do think it's jig jag design probably doesn't help. The best thing they could do besides having another lounge in the terminal (not enough space left for it) is to cut the lounge into rooms using barriers like large bookshelves. Have a noisy titled floor eatery area near the entrance and transition through the lounge to a quiet carpeted area. The pier in hkg is the perfect example of how to layout a lounge.

 

[THR]

Hard to find any updates on the business lounge refurb - whether has started, when it is due to be completed, etc.

We have a booking on CX over Christmas. Previous visits to the lounge have been pretty dire - wonder whether it will be improved by then?

 

[AIRwin]

Hard to find any updates on the business lounge refurb - whether has started, when it is due to be completed, etc.

I can ask or even check it out on 22 August during my visit to the F lounge...

 

[THR]

I can ask or even check it out on 22 August during my visit to the F lounge...

That would be appreciated We have a long layover in HKG before we travel to SGN, so will spend some time at The Pier lounge, but it's always nice to start a holiday well. But if it's the same old lounge, we won't turn up that early.