Something to think when upgrading the Lounges - the bathrooms! suggestions pls.

[hgwells01]

Ok, i'm going to go straight to the throne on this one, the design of the bathrooms. It drives me nuts when they make the cubicles so small, for ladies especially, here we are, handbag, onboard trolley and a toilet cubicle the size of a broom cupboard. In order not to leave your bag unaccompanied as per requirements you take it with you, so.... you enter the cubicle, the door clears the edge of the loo by about 3 inches, the sanitry disposal thingy is down one side of the toilet, so you wedge yourself in next to it but then you can't get your bag in too, so you have to lift it up and hold it over the toilet and close the door, then you can prop it up against it and partake of the throne moment, then go thru the whole thing again to get out. Why do people make the cubicles so small???, please consider, were travelling, can someone at least take a bag and work out enough room to get in and out with it easily without having to stand in the loo or be a contortionist please. And making the entrances door free is great, then you don't have to juggle it all again to get in and out, love those S bend entrances that are wide enough to just walk on in. I do wish I was a bloke sometimes when I travel, wander in, park the trolley, most times don't need to approach the throne, stand up for the whole affair and out in a couple of mins. Ok, over to the rest of you to comment. Thought it might be a timely discussion since i've seen the "We are upgrading the Lounge" signs in Melb several times recently.:mrgreen:

 

[Jurahn]

Have to agree with this one - usually I'm travelling with hubby, so can leave my bag with him, but on the occasions when I've been on my own and have to visit the Lounge loo, I've been doing the "contortionist's shuffle" so well described by the OP. I was pleasantly surprised by the public toilets at LAX (the ones in T1 anyway) - the cubicles were very deep, so plenty of room to fit yourself + a big suitcase in with plenty of clearance to close the door. So yes please, a redesign of of the ladies' loos would be very welcome indeed!

And a bit OT, but I have to mention I was also quite astounded at the state of the LAX toilets - spotlessly clean, toilet paper/paper towels/soap full stocked, not a skerrick of graffiti anywhere and not a broken/smashed door, lock or toilet seat in sight (something to be said for just about everything being metal!) - very different indeed to the usual "public toilet experience" in Australia.

 

[anat0l]

As a male, I naturally find it challenging to understand this point of view. Sorry, ladies

One way to get around it if the timing works out is to use the showers instead of the toilets. The MEL showers are big and plenty of space to swing a cat.

Truth be told, have any females here been to an airport or airport lounge with adequately sized toilets?

When I think about it, when men have to use a stall, we'll face the same problem if travelling alone. I guess it's not a "problem" as such; you just put up with it.

 

[hgwells01]

There is a shower cubicle in the Melb Virgin Lounge, I've not looked in it as i've not needed to shower, the three toilet cubicles are seperate so there is no combined one, I guess the handicap toilet is there, but I wouldn't feel comfortable taking that and depriving someone who really needed to use it from having access to it. I think the Qantas Melb lounge has longer cubicles which means its a little easier to fit everything in. Might add I love that orange blossom hand cream in the Virgin ladies loo's, it smells divine. And no anat0l - no one seems to think about it ever, they are always tiny and cramped, you would think that someone would have thought of it before now, we are in The Lounge because we are travelling, so we have handbags, onboard sized suitcases, laptop bags etc etc all the paraphanellia of getting on a plane and doing business with us, I suppose they could go back to having a coat room lady, someone to hold your stuff whilst you go in to the loo, I remember a hearing a joke about it once, hanging your handbag around your neck because the hook on the door is missing, wedging yourself into the cubicle and having to keep a foot on the door because the lock is missing whilst trying to hover pee and NOT sit on the seat that your Mother warned you about never sitting on or you would get "something" from a public toilet seat, ok, you guys now have a really bad mental image to deal with lol.

 

[Fifa]

Great thread...
I agree totally with you about the toilets.
Regarding showers, I wish lounges would install benches where you can put your carry-on (with enough room to open it).
SYD QFJ domestic lounge showers are awful - old, cramped, a small basin/bench area and NOWHERE to put anything :evil:. And please, Qantas, get rid of those opaque shower room doors!

 

[anat0l]

Great thread...
I agree totally with you about the toilets.
Regarding showers, I wish lounges would install benches where you can put your carry-on (with enough room to open it).
SYD QFJ domestic lounge showers are awful - old, cramped, a small basin/bench area and NOWHERE to put anything :evil:. And please, Qantas, get rid of those opaque shower room doors!

Agree that the SYD T3 J lounge showers are cramped. It does the job, mind you. I usually end up shoving my rollaboard (if I have one) to the far wall, and shifting around it if I need to use the toilet, then shove it back for the vanity sink. Not convenient indeed.

Get rid of the opaque shower doors? I thought the shower doors were glass, i.e. see-through / clear?

Out of BNE D, MEL T1 and SYD T3, in the J Lounges, MEL T1 has the best showers IMO. I can't remember CBR J Lounge or PER QP (after the renovation).

As for VA, MEL T3 showers are great; plenty of space and a long bench. SYD T2 is OK but the shower is a bit dull-ish looking with the dim lighting (have they renovated them?), and no bench space, but enough floor space. BNE D is the worst - for men either a small office room for just the shower, or you use the disabled shower, which is gigantic (read: oversized) but does it have to come to this?

For me, unless I need a quick in and out due to timing (or the showers do not have a toilet in them), I'd probably be tempted to use a shower rather than the toilets because you actually have the space (most of the time!) and privacy to fully freshen up, even if that doesn't involve having a shower.

 

[Fifa]

Get rid of the opaque shower doors? I thought the shower doors were glass, i.e. see-through / clear?

The shower screen is clear but the door from the hallway into the actual bathroom is opaque :!:

 

[anat0l]

The shower screen is clear but the door from the hallway into the actual bathroom is opaque :!:

I can't remember what the doors are made of. Is it timber with a panel of opaque perspex / glass or something?

I don't think you can make out anything there, and even if you could not enough to pass judgement on the individual inside, if you know what I mean

But seriously...

Actually I was using the QP showers one time (not a Platinum then) and it would pay people to double check they have locked the door before they go about their business. Lucky the lady I almost walked in on was dressed and just touching up her make up.